Abstract
The improvement in tire rolling efficiency is one of the key elements to optimize the fuel economy and thereby reduce the vehicle emissions. Earlier efforts to reduce the rolling resistance have mainly been focusing on new materials in the tire compounds. The overall research aim of this study is to present the potentials of implementing innovative chassis concepts with the focus on Wheel Corner Modules (WCM) by describing the possibilities in affecting rolling resistance and relating them to previous research findings. The core idea of the concept is to actively control and actuate all degrees of freedom in the wheel i.e. implementing steering, suspension and propulsion functions into a unique module which can be implemented in each corner of the vehicle. Using this concept the limitations of traditional wheel kinematics can be resolved extensively. This article presents the first step towards creating a vehicle simulation model that can show how the WCM functionality can influence the rolling resistance. A model of loss is chosen after analysing the behaviour of a three different rubber models and then implemented into a brush tire model. An effective way, but less complicated compared to current methods, to introduce the loss into tire model is presented. In conventional suspensions, the design is compromising between for example safety, comfort and rolling resistance, etc. at all driving conditions. However, using the WCM, the possibility of achieving a better compromise between those objectives is possible. Finally, based on WCM functionalities a plausible control architecture is proposed.
KEYWORDS – Tire, Hysteresis, Viscoelastic model, Energy dissipation, Wheel Corner Module (WCM)