Generation of Tire Digital Twin for Virtual MBD Simulation of Vehicles for Durability, NVH and Handling Evaluation

With the recent development in virtual modelling and vehicle simulation technology, many OEM’s worldwide are using digital road profiles in virtual environment for vehicle durability load prediction and virtual design evaluation. For precise simulation results, it is important to have the tire digital twin which is the realistic representation of tire in the virtual environment.

The study comprises of discussion about different types of tire models such as empirical, solid model, rigid ring model and flexural ring models such as Pacejka, MF Swift, CD tire, F tire etc. and also the complexity involved in development of these tire models.

Generation of virtual tire model requires highly sophisticated test rigs as well as vehicle level testing with Wheel Force transducers and other vehicle dynamics sensors. The large number of data points generated with testing are converted in standard TYDEX format to be further processed in various software tool for virtual model generation. Thus, a robust test routine based on laboratory and vehicle level tests to achieve different tire models such as F Tire, MF Tire etc. has been developed. The research paper also discusses the challenges, complexity in data pre and post processing to arrive at the tire characterization for tire digital twinning.

In this paper various technical aspects related to passenger car tires, its functions, available tire models, parameterization have been discussed. Additionally, case study has been explained on experience on generation of the digital twin model of tire with Cosin – Ftire software tool. In continuation with process different applications of the Tire models has been elaborated in brief. Tire model developed can be used for vehicle durability, ride & handling simulation, Autonomous driving and ADAS feature development for various OEM’s and tier 1 suppliers. Virtual tire model will aid in reducing the time and physical track testing efforts required in the tire development cycle