Experimental investigation of tyre dynamics by means of MEMS accelerometers fixed on the liner

This paper deals with the dynamic behaviour of tyres and it is aimed at describing their dynamic features in the frequency band above 1 kHz, a range difficult to manage due to measurement noise and to the unreliability of numerical models, where the main influence is that of tread and blocks. Measurements have been made possible by fixing three three-axial micro-electro-mechanical system accelerometers on the liner and exciting the tyre under test by means of a dedicated test bench, suitably designed and constructed. Different kinds of tests have been considered in this research and described in the present paper. All of them show that a strong link exists between contact phenomena and tyre response in the frequency band over 1 kHz. This field is dominated by the tread and block dynamic responses. Furthermore, it is shown that vibrations of a sliding tyre give contributions in that frequency range for the above-mentioned reasons. It is thought that the study of the tyre behaviour over 1 kHz, though affected by significant uncertainties, can provide a proper knowledge to improve breaking effectiveness.