Methods and systems for characterizing vehicle tires

• US 9,329,103 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Oblizajek, Kenneth L., Sopoci, John D., Zhu, Jinshuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US13/678,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/02 Tyres

Abstract

A system for characterizing a vehicle tire is provided. The system includes a testing assembly configured to support the vehicle tire. The assembly includes a force-moment transducer configured to gather force information from the vehicle tire in response to a stimulus on the vehicle tire. The system further includes an accelerometer coupled to the vehicle tire and configured to gather vibration information from the vehicle tire in response to the stimulus on the vehicle tire. The system further includes a post-processing system configured to receive the vibration information from the accelerometer and the force information from the force-moment transducer. The post-processing system is further configured to extract resonant frequencies from the vibration information and the force information.

Claims

1. A system for characterizing a vehicle tire, comprising:

a testing assembly configured to support the vehicle tire and comprising a mount apparatus configured to secure the vehicle tire,

a force-moment transducer underneath the mount apparatus and supporting the mount apparatus, the force-moment transducer configured to gather force information from the vehicle tire in response to a stimulus on the vehicle tire,

a plate assembly underneath the force-moment transducer and supporting the force-moment transducer, and

an isolation apparatus underneath the plate assembly and supporting the plate assembly, the isolation apparatus including an air spring apparatus configured to isolate the mount apparatus, the force-moment transducer, and the plate assembly from an underlying surface;

an accelerometer coupled to the vehicle tire and configured to gather vibration information from the vehicle tire in response to the stimulus on the vehicle tire; and

a post-processing system configured to receive the vibration information from the accelerometer and the force information from the force-moment transducer, the post-processing system further configured to extract resonant frequencies from the vibration information and the force information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the post-processing system is configured to extract resonant frequencies associated with a first mode based on the vibration information and extract resonant frequencies associated with a second mode based on the force information.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a force device configured to generate the stimulus on the vehicle tire.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the air spring apparatus comprises at least one air bladder.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the post-processing system is further configured to determine undamped resonant frequencies from the vibration information and the force information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the post-processing system is further configured to calculate pneumatic and nonpneumatic contributions to stiffness characteristics.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the post-processing system is further configured to calculate stiffness characteristics including stiffness coefficients for at least one of bending, first shear, second shear, and radial stiffness.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the post-processing system is further configured to calculate stiffness characteristics according to the following equation:

9. A testing assembly for a vehicle tire, comprising:

a mount apparatus configured to receive the vehicle tire;

a force-moment transducer underneath the mount apparatus and supporting the mount apparatus, the force-moment transducer configured to detect a force response associated with striking the vehicle tire;

a plate assembly underneath the force-moment transducer and supporting the force-moment transducer; and

an air spring apparatus underneath the plate assembly and isolating the force-moment transducer from a fixture response associated with the testing assembly relative to an underlying surface upon the striking the vehicle tire.

10. The testing assembly of claim 9, wherein the force-moment transducer is configured to detect at least one asymmetric tire mode.

11. The testing assembly of claim 9, wherein the air spring apparatus includes at least one air bladder supporting the plate assembly.

12. A method for characterizing a vehicle tire, the method comprising the steps of:

impacting the vehicle tire with a force;

measuring vibration information with an accelerometer from the vehicle tire;

measuring force information with a force-moment transducer from the vehicle tire;

extracting the resonant frequencies from the measured vibration information and the measured force information and

characterizing the vehicle tire based on the resonant frequencies, the characterizing including

calculating stiffness characteristics of the vehicle tire according to the following equation;

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising isolating the force-moment transducer from fixture response with an air spring apparatus.