Vehicle ride height change due to radial expansion of tires

Vehicle ride height change due to radial expansion of tires

Článek recenzovaný mimo WoS a Scopus

In most cases, tire deformations caused by wheel rotation are not being considered in the development of vehicle aerodynamics. On the road, the tires radially expand with increasing speed, thus affecting the realistic ride height of a vehicle. This in turn often increases the real world aerodynamic drag compared to values obtained using CFD or a wind tunnel as the mass flow through relatively rough underbody increases with ground clearance. In this study, the on-road ride height increments were measured while running a vehicle in a straight line with fixed velocity and the aerodynamic lift of a vehicle was determined in a wind tunnel. Subsequently, the dependencies of ride heights on axle loads were obtained by loading the vehicle in standstill with ballast. By comparing the ride heights in high and very low velocities with expected vertical displacement caused purely by aerodynamic lift force as computed according to the ride height - axle load equations, the amount of ride height change due to tire radial expansion was determined.

In most cases, tire deformations caused by wheel rotation are not being considered in the development of vehicle aerodynamics. On the road, the tires radially expand with increasing speed, thus affecting the realistic ride height of a vehicle. This in turn often increases the real world aerodynamic drag compared to values obtained using CFD or a wind tunnel as the mass flow through relatively rough underbody increases with ground clearance. In this study, the on-road ride height increments were measured while running a vehicle in a straight line with fixed velocity and the aerodynamic lift of a vehicle was determined in a wind tunnel. Subsequently, the dependencies of ride heights on axle loads were obtained by loading the vehicle in standstill with ballast. By comparing the ride heights in high and very low velocities with expected vertical displacement caused purely by aerodynamic lift force as computed according to the ride height - axle load equations, the amount of ride height change due to tire radial expansion was determined.

vehicle aerodynamics, tire deformation, on-road measurements, laser displacement transducer

vehicle aerodynamics, tire deformation, on-road measurements, laser displacement transducer

ČAVOJ, O.; BLAŤÁK, O.; HEJTMÁNEK, P.; VANČURA, J.

2017

05.12.2015

ČVUT v Praze MECCA

Praha

1214-0821

MECCA - Journal of Middle European Costruction and Design of Cars

13

2

Česká republika

22

27

6

http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/mecdc.2015.13.issue-2/mecdc-2015-0008/mecdc-2015-0008.xml?format=INT