Finite element modeling of interfacial forces and contact stresses of pneumatic tire on fresh snow for combined longitudinal and lateral slips

Significant challenges exist in the prediction of interaction forces generated from the interface between pneumatic tires and snow-covered terrains due to the highly non-linear nature of the properties of flexible tires, deformable snow cover and the contact mechanics at the interface of tire and snow. Operational conditions of tire–snow interaction are affected by many factors, especially interfacial slips, including longitudinal slip during braking or driving, lateral slip (slip angle) due to turning, and combined slip (longitudinal and lateral slips) due to brake-and-turn and drive-and-turn maneuvers, normal load applied on the wheel, friction coefficient at the interface and snow depth. This paper presents comprehensive three-dimensional finite element simulations of tire–snow interaction for low-strength snow under the full-range of controlled longitudinal and lateral slips for three vertical loads to gain significant mechanistic insight. The pneumatic tire was modeled using elastic, viscoelastic and hyperelastic material models; the snow was modeled using the modified Drucker–Prager Cap material model (MDPC). The traction, motion resistance, drawbar pull, tire sinkage, tire deflection, snow density, contact pressure and contact shear stresses were obtained as a function of longitudinal slip and lateral slip. Wheel states – braked, towed, driven, self-propelled, and driving – have been identified and serve as key classifiers of discernable patterns in tire–snow interaction such as zones of contact shear stresses. The predicted results can be applied to analytical deterministic and stochastic modeling of tire–snow interaction.

► Wheel states serve as a key classifier for interfacial forces and contact stresses.
► Distinct zones of contact shear stresses can be related to the motion of the tire.
► Carpet plots of traction forces are similar to friction ellipses of on-road ones.