Influence of Belt Cord Angle on Radial Tire under Different Rolling States

Finite element modeling techniques of a rolling radial tire are discussed in this study. The rebar model is employed to simulate complex multilayer rubber-cord composites and to directly define the cord directions varying with their positions. A 3D finite element model of a rolling radial tire has been built with MSC.MARC software according to the actual construction of a 195/60R14 radial tire. This model considers the geometric nonlinearity due to large deformation, material nonlinearities of cord-rubber composites, and the nonlinear boundary conditions from tire-rim contact and tire-road contact. Based on the nonlinear finite element model, the influence of the belt cord angle on the radial tire under different rolling states is studied numerically. The shear strain of the radial tire concentrates on the edge of the belted layer, the surface of the shoulder, and the tread groove. The strain energy density of the belt end decreases with the increase of the belt cord angle. The optimum belt cord angle of the 195/60R14 radial tire is 72.