Vibrations of a rolling tyre

We investigate vibrations of an unloaded and loaded tyre rolling at constant speed without slipping in the contact area. A previously proposed analytical model of a reinforced tyre is considered. The surface of the tyre is represented by flexible tread, combined with parts of two tori (sidewalls of the tyre). The contact between the wheel and the ground plane occurs by the part of the tread. The natural frequencies (NF) and mode shapes (MS) are determined analytically for unloaded tyre and numerically for loaded tyre. The results were compared with experiments for the non-rotating tyre. In the case of loaded rotating tyre, the increasing of the angular velocity of rotation implies that NF decrease. Moreover, a phenomenon of frequency loci veering is visible here: NF as functions of angular velocity approach each other and then veer away instead of crossing. The MS interact in veering region and, as a result, interchange. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.