Modeling of contact patch in dual-chamber pneumatic tires

This study presents an investigation of the inner tire surface strain measurement by using piezoelectric polymer transducers adhered on the inner liner of the tire, acting as strain sensors in both conventional and dual-chamber tires. The piezoelectric elements generate electrical charges when strain is applied. The inner liner tire strain can be found from the generated charge. A wireless data logger was employed to measure and transmit the measured signals from the piezoelectric elements to a PC to store and display the readout signals in real time. The strain data can be used as a monitoring system to recognize tire-loading conditions (e.g., traction, braking, and cornering) in smart tire technology. Finite element simulations, using ABAQUS, were employed to estimate tire deformation patterns in both conventional and dual-chamber tires for pure rolling and steady-state cornering conditions for different inflation pressures to simulate on-road and off-road riding tire performances and to compare with the experimental results obtained from both the piezoelectric transducers and tire test rig.