[N294] Analysis of Tire Vibration by Using a Hybrid Two-Dimensional Finite Element Based on Composite Shell Theory

It has been shown experimentally that the vibration of a tire in the region near the contact patch can be represented by a set of decaying waves, each associated with a particular crosssectional mode. Thus, a tire can be modeled as a lossy waveguide in which decaying waves propagate in the circumferential direction. It may therefore be computationally efficient to analyze tire vibration, especially in the region close to the contact patch, by using a hybrid finite element model in which the cross-section of a tire is approximated by two-dimensional finite elements while a wave-like solution is assumed in the circumferential direction. Here, a hybrid finite element was formulated based on composite shell theory: in particular, a circular conical shell element was formulated. The inflation pressure acting on the inner surface was included in the model by considering both residual stresses and non-linear terms in the strain-displacement relations. The dispersion relations for the tire model obtained by using the hybrid FE model were compared with those obtained from a full, three-dimensional FE model. It has been shown that the FE analysis made using the hybrid two-dimensional finite elements yields results in close agreement with a three-dimensional model.