Vehicle dynamics

 Vehicle dynamics

Vehicle Dynamics
- It’s a branch of mechanics that studies
• The responses of a vehicle in various in-motion situations
• Forces [N]
• Torques [Nm]
• Their effect on motion.

 Motion
- It’s a change in position of an object with respect to time and its
reference point
- Motion is typically described in terms of:
• Velocity [m/s]
• Acceleration [m/s2]
• Displacement [m] 1
• Time [s]
 Tire and rim fundamentals
 Pneumatic tires are the only means to transfer forces between the
road and the vehicle

Vehicle Dynamics
Tireprint width

hT

Pan width
wT

hT Section heigth 2
wT Section width when the tire is not loaded
Tire and rim fundamentals
Informations printed on a tire sidewall

SNOW

Vehicle Dynamics
1 Size number
2 Maximum allowed inflation pressure
3 Type of tire construction
4 M&S denotes a tire for mud and snow.
5 E-Mark is the Europe type approval mark and
number
6 US Department of Transport (DOT)
identification numbers
7 Country of manufacture
8 Manufacturers, brand name, or commercial
name
MUD

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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Tire size number
Example

Vehicle Dynamics
P 215 / 60 R 15 96 H
Tire type
Tire width Aspect ratio

P Passenger car
ST for Special Trailer, T for Temporary, and LT for Light Truck

215 Tire width in mm

hT
𝒉𝑻 4
60Aspect ratio sTsT = 100
𝒘𝑻

WherehTis the heigth and wTis the width wT

 Tire and rim fundamentals
Tire size number
Example

Vehicle Dynamics
P 215 / 60 R 15 96 H
Speed rate
Load index
Rim diameter
Tire construction
type

R Radial construction. It may also be B for Bias Belt or Bias Ply, and D for Diagonal.

15 Rim diameter in inches (1 inch = 25.4 mm)

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Rim Tire
 Tire and rim fundamentals
96 Load index

Vehicle Dynamics
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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Tire size number
Example

Vehicle Dynamics
P 215 / 60 R 15 96 H
Tire type Speed rate
Tire width Aspect ratio Load index
Rim diameter
Tire construction
type

H Speed rate

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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Example 1

A car that weighs 2 tons = 2000 kg

Vehicle Dynamics
Load index: ?

Maximum load: 2000/4= 500

Load index: 84

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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Example 2

Vehicle Dynamics
A tire has the size number P 215/60R15 96H

P 215 / 60 R 15 96 H
Tire type Speed rate
Tire width Aspect ratio sT Load index
wT Rim diameter
Tire construction
type

Height hT of the tire ?

hT

𝒉𝑻 sT = 60 wT =215
sT = 100
𝒘𝑻 wT
9
𝟔𝟎
hT = 215 = 129 mm
𝟏𝟎𝟎
 Tire and rim fundamentals
Example 3
Practical Rule

Vehicle Dynamics
• If Aspect ratio sT >= 50 Rim width = 70% of wT

• If Aspect ratio sT < 50 Rim width = 85% of wT

P 255/50R16
Rim width
Rim width ?
wT

Rim width= 255*0.7= 178.5 mm= 7.028 inches 7 X 16 Rim

P 255/45R16
Rim width ? 10

Rim width=255*0.85=216.75 mm= 8.53 inches 8 1/2 X 16 Rim

 Tire and rim fundamentals
Example 4
P 235/75R15

Vehicle Dynamics
hT
Overall diameter of the tire ?

Rim diameter
D
hT = 235 × 75% = 176.25 mm ≈ 6.94 in
(1 inch = 25.4 mm)

D = 2×6.94 + 15 = 28.88 in ≈ 733.8mm

R = D/2 = 366.9 mm hT

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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Example 4

Effects of aspect ratio

Vehicle Dynamics
• Softer ride
A higher aspect ratio
• Increase in deflection

• Lower aspect ratio tires are normally used for higher performance vehicles
(wider road contact area and a faster response), but rougher ride to the
vehicle.

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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Tire components

Inner layers

Vehicle Dynamics
Carcass

Bead bundle

• Bead bundle: high strength steel cable coated with rubber

Function: it transfers the tire forces to the rim.
• Inner layers: are made up of different fabrics
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• The carcass : support the forces generated by air pressure, it’s made of
rubber -coated steel cords.
 Tire and rim fundamentals
Tire components
Tread

Vehicle Dynamics
Sidewall
Belt buffers

• Belt buffers: reinforce carcass.

• The sidewall provides lateral stability for the tire.
• The tread is the part of the tire that is in contact with the road. 14
 Tire and rim fundamentals

Vehicle Dynamics
Radial tire Non-radial tire

Tire is more flexible radially, which reduces rolling resistance 7 X 16 Rim

and improves cornering capability

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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Lateral forces

Vehicle Dynamics
lateral force lateral force

Radial tire Non-radial tire

• The radial tire flexes mostly in the sidewall and keeps the tread flat on the
road.

• The non-radial tire has less contact with the road because both tread and
sidewalls distort under a lateral force. 16
 Tire and rim fundamentals
Tread
Lugs

Vehicle Dynamics
Voids

• Circumferential grooves: lower noise level and high lateral friction.

• Lateral grooves : increase traction and noise levels
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• Grooves help water to escape
 Tire and rim fundamentals
Tireprint
The contact area between a tire and the road AP

Vehicle Dynamics
• Under-inflated tire: more of the vehicle weight will be supported
by the tire and not by the air pressure. More friction and more heat

• Over-inflated tire:The vehicle will be bouncy and hard to steer

• In a properly-inflated tire, approximately 95% of the vehicle weight is 18

supported by the air pressure in the tire and 5% is supported by the
tire wall
 Tire and rim fundamentals
Wheel and Rim
wT • A wheel is a combined tire and rim.

Vehicle Dynamics
Tread w
Offset:
hT the distance between the inner plane
and the center plane of the rim.
Offset
• Positive offset if the spider is
Rim D
Inside Outside outward from the center plane.

Spider
Hub

Rim w
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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Rim material

Vehicle Dynamics
• Steel
• Composite
• Alluminium
• Magnesium
• Titanium

• Aluminum : low weight, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, easy

casting, low temperature, easy machine processing, recycling

• Magnesium : 30% lighter than aluminum, excellent for size stability and impact
resistance, but it’s expensive.
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• Titanium: much stronger than aluminum with excellent corrosion resistance,
expensive and hard to machine.
 Tire and rim fundamentals
Exercises

Vehicle Dynamics
1) A model of Porsche 911 turboT M uses the following tires.

front 235/35R19
rear 305/30R19
- Determine hT, and D for the front and rear tires.

2) A model of Porsche Cayenne turboT M is an all-wheel-drive that uses

the following tire.
255/55R18
- What is the angular velocity of its tires when it is moving at the top
speed v = 275 km/h?

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 Tire and rim fundamentals
Exercises

Vehicle Dynamics
3) A model of Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 EditionT M uses the following
tires.
front 255/35R19
rear 295/30R19
- What is the speed of this car if its rear tires are turning at ω = 2000 rpm?

4) A model of Chevrolet Corvette Z06T M uses the following tires.

front 275/35R18
rear 325/30R19
- What is the speed of this car if its rear tires are turning at ω = 2000 rpm.
- At that speed, what would be the angular velocity of the front tires?
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