published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study presents an analytical approach for the mechanics of the pneumatic tires and the vehicle dynamic simulation. Most of tire dynamic parameters in this study are derived by using the tire geometry rather than experimental data. For the tire dynamic properties, explicit formulations are derived analytically as functions of slip ratio, slip angle, camber angle, and other tire dynamic parameters. These formulations can be efficiently used for the general vehicle simulations of braking/traction and steering maneuvers with a varying camber angle at irregular terrains. For on-highway vehicle simulations, a conceptual sports car is modeled as a twenty-six degrees of freedom multi-body system, while the military 1/4 ton truck M151-A2 is modeled as a fourteen degrees of freedom multi-body system for off-highway vehicle simulations. To study vehicle ride comfort, stability, and maneuverability, numerous vehicle simulations are performed using the comprehensive tire model, steering, braking, traction, nonlinear suspension, and realistic irregular terrains. For these simulations, a general-purpose multi-body dynamic analysis code (named MBOSS) has been developed.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic version.

Thesis (M.Sc.), Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2000. / Bibliography: p. 100-106.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 286-292). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

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Heavy vehicles require tires which can withstand extreme loads while maintaining control, delivering performance and minimizing fuel consumption, particularly on soft soils. Recent advances in finite element analysis and computational efficiency have opened doors to highperformance, highly complex simulations which were not possible just a few years ago. This research aims to model two tires using non-linear finite element analysis code and validate them using static and dynamic tests, including response to steering input. Soils are modeled using both traditionally-meshed FEA techniques as well as a newer mesh-less smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. Soils are validated and the accuracy of the SPH and FEA models are compared. The tires and soils are used together to estimate the rolling resistance of the tire over various terrains. The developed soil models are sufficient to model soils behaving like clay. The SPH soil models behave closer to actual soils, providing superior penetration and shear properties. This causes the SPH soil models to exhibit rolling resistance closer to experimental data.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Harvard. / Bibliography: p. [87]-91.