Hard-Coated Test Flooring for Road-Like Tire Grip Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laboratory test surfaces fail to accurately replicate the characteristics of road surfaces, resulting in lower grip coefficient measurements compared to outdoor conditions, making it difficult to assess long-term tyre wear and friction effectively.
Innovation Solution
A ground surface with a substrate having a Young's modulus of 100-1000 GPa and a Vickers hardness of 1300-10,000 kgf/mm2, coated with amorphous carbon, titanium nitride, or tungsten carbide, which mimics the properties of a road surface, allowing for repeated testing while maintaining friction characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional laboratory test surfaces are used, then testing can be performed in a laboratory setting, but the grip coefficients measured are substantially lower than those on road surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the substrate's Young's modulus to be between 100 and 1000 GPa and the surface Vickers hardness to be between 1300 and 10 000 kgf/mm2. These specific parameter ranges transform the test surface properties to better represent road surface characteristics, thereby improving measurement accuracy while maintaining laboratory testing advantages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining a substrate made of stainless steel and/or tungsten carbide and/or ceramic with a surface coating containing amorphous carbon and/or titanium nitride and/or chromium nitride and/or tungsten carbide. This composite structure enables the test surface to simultaneously achieve the required mechanical properties and friction characteristics representative of road surfaces.
2Productivity
If repeated testing is performed on conventional ground surfaces, then productivity increases, but the friction characteristics deteriorate due to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of a hard substrate (stainless steel, tungsten carbide, or ceramic) combined with a durable surface coating (amorphous carbon, titanium nitride, chromium nitride, or tungsten carbide) enables the ground surface to withstand repeated testing while maintaining stable friction characteristics. The substrate provides structural integrity while the coating maintains consistent surface properties.
Solution Approach 2:
By setting the substrate's Young's modulus between 100 and 1000 GPa and the surface Vickers hardness between 1300 and 10 000 kgf/mm2, the patent creates a ground surface with sufficient hardness and elasticity to resist wear during repeated testing, thereby maintaining friction characteristic stability while enabling high productivity.
3Reliability
If outdoor track testing is performed, then representative friction measurements are obtained, but the testing process becomes costly and lengthy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a laboratory copy of road surface conditions by designing a ground surface with specific mechanical properties (Young's modulus of 100-1000 GPa, Vickers hardness of 1300-10 000 kgf/mm2) that replicates the friction characteristics of actual road surfaces. This copying approach enables accurate measurements to be obtained in a controlled laboratory environment without the time and cost constraints of outdoor testing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables laboratory tests to accurately represent road surface conditions, ensuring relevant tyre wear and friction measurements, overcoming the limitations of existing laboratory test surfaces by maintaining grip coefficients similar to outdoor tracks despite repeated use.
Implementation Method 1
a substrate having a Young's modulus of between 100 and 1000 GPa
Implementation Method 2
the ground surface has, on a working surface, a Vickers hardness of between 1300 and 10 000 kgf/mm2
Implementation Method 3
the surface coating contains amorphous carbon and/or titanium nitride and/or chromium nitride and/or tungsten carbide
Implementation Method 4
the coefficient of grip between a rubber and the ground surface on the working surface is between 0.5 and 2
Data Source
AI summary
Ground surface comprising a substrate (110) having a Young's modulus of between 100 and 1000 GPa, and in which the ground surface has, on a working surface (120), a Vickers hardness of between 1300 and 10 000 kgf/mm2, and/or a surface coating forming the working surface, in which the surface coating contains amorphous carbon and/or titanium nitride and/or chromium nitride and/or tungsten carbide.