Tyre Lab

The research group in Automotive Engineering and Vehicle Dynamics carries out its experimental activities employing experimental facilities and test benches localized in the buildings of the Mechanics and Energetics section of DII.

Basic research and activities developed in collaboration with international companies working in the automotive industry mainly concern the study and analysis of the interaction of the vehicles with road surface, with particular attention to the dynamics of racing cars.

Theoretical studies carried out by the research team and the development of models able to understand the complex mechanisms concerning the interaction between the vehicle and road can benefit, thanks to TyreLab, of a structure realized in order to provide visco-elastic, dynamic and thermodynamic characterizations of tyre and surfaces with which it interfaces.

• Testing activities aimed to the study of local pressure distribution and of the contact patch extension under variable load, pressure and setup (camber / toe).
• Characterization of the longitudinal cyclic interaction hysteretic dissipations (Longitudinal Strain Energy Loss Test).
• Measurement of vertical and longitudinal stiffness / Tyre-road interaction models parameters identification.

(Designed for Ferrari Squadra Corse)

• Identification of the values of thermal conductivity and specific heat of the different constituent parts of the tyre.
• Validation and tuning of thermodynamic models developed with the aim to predict the local working temperature distribution in passenger, GT and sports tyres.

• Characterization of the adhesive component of the friction coefficient between tyre and micro-rough surfaces in dry and wet conditions.
• Evaluation of performance offered by different tread compounds / correlation of results with viscoelastic characterizations obtained by DSC and DMA tests (in collaboration with Bridgestone Technical Center Europe).

• Characterization of the adhesive and hysteretic components of the friction coefficient between tyre and real surfaces in dry and wet conditions.
• Evaluation of performance offered by different tread compounds / correlation of results with the viscoelastic characterizations obtained by DSC and DMA tests.
• Acquisition and study of transient and dynamic impact and sliding phenomena occurring in the contact patch.
• Validation and tuning of grip models developed with the aim to predict the local distribution of the friction coefficient in passenger, GT and sports tyres (in collaboration with Ferrari S.p.A.

• Estimation of slip ratio, slip angle and vertical and tangential forces exchanged between tyre and road basing on data acquired from moving vehicles.
• Identification of micro-coefficients of tyre/road interaction models of the type Pacejka Magic Formula based on the estimated values of forces and slip.
• Real-time Performance Analysis, studies on grip/temperature correlation, direct assessment of the compounds and of the constructive characteristics provided by the tyres proposed by the producers.

• Study of the indentation phenomena occurring between viscoelastic materials constituting tyres tread and macro and micro rough surfaces of various types.
• Characterization of road asperities by means of laser scans and stylus rugosimeters / statistical analysis of the main roughness indices.
• Validation of contact and indentation models (in collaboration with the LaMCoS - Laboratoire Mécanique des Contacts et des Structures - Lyon).

• Study of the dynamic behaviour of the tyre in working conditions under varying loads and forces.
• Study of deformations and force variations induced by the ride over asperities of various sizes and types.
• Characterization of the rolling resistance for passenger, GT and sports tyres.