Experimental analysis of tyre-enveloping characteristics at low speed

In this study, experiments are conducted to investigate tyre-enveloping characteristics. Four different types of tyres are tested. Parameters such as different tyre inflation pressures, vertical loads and types of obstacles (cleats) are considered. In addition to vertical stiffnesses of all tyres, vertical and horizontal force variations while traversing different obstacles at low speed are studied. The effects of inflation pressure and vertical load on variations of force and moment are investigated. Static test results showed that after a certain vertical displacement, all curves in force-deflection diagrams plotted with and without cleat intersect regardless of cleat and tyre types, depending on the inflation pressure of the tyre, which can be called typical static tyre-enveloping characteristics. Test results at low speed show that there is a considerable influence of the vertical load on vertical and lateral force responses of a tyre.