Lateral Position Control for Tire Wear Test Drum
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire testing systems using roadway simulators suffer from uneven tire wear distribution due to repeated use of the same circumferential surface area, leading to 'tracks' or 'grooves' and excessive shoulder wear when testing tires of different widths, and require frequent surface changes.
Innovation Solution
A tire testing system that incorporates lateral motion control of the tire relative to the road wheel, allowing for user-defined waveforms to evenly distribute wear across the surface, utilizing digital control systems to adjust the tire's lateral position and enabling the use of multiple abrasive surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the tire is repeatedly tested on the same circumferential surface area of the road wheel, then the testing process is simple and efficient, but the tire wear becomes uneven and tracks or grooves form on the road wheel surface
Solution Approach 1:
The road wheel surface is made dynamically adjustable by providing multiple abrasive surfaces that can be rotated into position. The system transitions from a static single surface to a dynamic multi-surface configuration, allowing the active testing surface to change during operation. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining testing efficiency while preventing wear concentration through periodic surface changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic action by automatically rotating the road wheel to present different abrasive surfaces at predetermined intervals during tire testing. This periodic surface replacement prevents continuous contact with the same surface area, distributing wear evenly across multiple surfaces while maintaining continuous testing operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tires of different widths are tested on the same road wheel surface, then the testing setup is simple, but excessive shoulder wear occurs and the surface requires frequent changes
Solution Approach 1:
The road wheel surface is segmented into multiple independent abrasive surfaces (first, second, third surfaces) that can be independently selected and positioned. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to different tire widths by choosing appropriate surface combinations, while distributing the wear load across multiple surfaces to extend the overall system lifespan.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of surface configuration by providing abrasive surfaces with different characteristics and positions. By adjusting which surfaces are active during testing, the system can optimize for different tire widths and test conditions, thereby extending the usable life of the road wheel assembly through parameter variation rather than physical modification.
3Manufacturing precision
If the road wheel surface is frequently changed to maintain even wear distribution, then tire wear uniformity is improved, but the testing time and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple abrasive surfaces are pre-installed on the road wheel during manufacturing or setup, positioned in advance for easy selection. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming surface changes during operation, as the system can simply rotate to pre-positioned surfaces. The trade-off is resolved by investing time upfront rather than during operational use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multiple copies of the abrasive surface functionality on a single road wheel assembly. Instead of having one surface that needs frequent replacement, three functional copies exist simultaneously, allowing the system to switch between them without removing or replacing physical components. This copying approach maintains wear uniformity while eliminating surface change downtime.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of tire testing comprising applying a drive torque to a tire and a wheel assembly about an axis of rotation to drive the tire and wheel assembly and a rotatable drum with the tire in rolling contact with the rotatable drum; controlling a load pressure of the tire against the rotatable drum; and adjusting a lateral position of the tire across a surface of the rotatable drum.