Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Mark D Hansen

David M Fricke

Rakan C Chabaan

A method for developing a tire model for use with an effective road profile in testing an automotive vehicle on a spindle-coupled road simulator defines a flat surface road plane in a three coordinate reference system to represent the effective road profile with the three coordinates comprising a plane vertical deflection, a plane radial contact angle, and a plane lateral contact angle. The tire is then excited over a predetermined range while on a tire test apparatus for developing the tire model. The tire test apparatus includes a flat tire contact plane moveable so as to contact the tire, the flat tire contact plane defining a three coordinate reference system to represent the effective road profile in the three coordinates.

Method and apparatus for modelling a tire for use with a vehicle

A method for testing an automotive vehicle on a vehicle spindle-coupled simulator comprises the steps of driving a first vehicle over a test road surface, collecting spindle dynamics data from at least one spindle of said first vehicle, developing a first tire model for the first vehicle, estimating a road profile for the road surface based upon the spindle dynamics data and the first tire model, developing a second tire model for a second vehicle, coupling the second vehicle to the spindle-coupled simulator, and generating a set of control signals for driving the spindle-coupled simulator with the second vehicle coupled thereto so that a road response generated by the spindle-coupled simulator is consistent with the road profile. The method allows accurate testing of the second vehicle without driving it over the test road. The tire model is developed using system identification techniques.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Mark D Hansen