Study for the endurance of radial truck tires with finite element modeling

The paper describes the intention of the authors to determine whether it is possible to predict the endurance of radial truck tires using finite element modeling. Two approaches are used. One is a stress analysis parameter approach. According to the approach, by studying the effect of tire structure parameters (for example, belt structure parameters, bead structure parameters, etc.) on stress analysis parameters in critical regions of radial truck tires, the screening of the tire structure parameters is carried out. As an example, the predictability of the relative belt edge endurance in a radial truck tire is undertaken. The other is a fracture mechanics approach. Emphasis is here placed on the non-symmetric propagation model of the interfacial delamination crack in complex composite material structures. The finite element modeling techniques used in the paper is also briefly introduced. (C) 2002 IMACS. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.