Free vibration analysis of radial pneumatic tires using Beźier functions

A doubly curved shell model is presented to analyze the free vibration of radial pneumatic tires. The model is based on Reddy type refined shell theory with higher-order shear deformation. Tire geometry and displacement fields are represented by piece-wise Beźier polynomials in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates, and a Ritz method is employed to compute the natural frequencies and mode shapes of pneumatic tires. The results show that this method is more accurate, converging faster and less time-consuming than the first-order shear Shell-FEM. It can also keep the same level of accuracy as that of Solid-FEM. The effects of some physical parameters such as the inflation pressure, tread mass, and ply-angles to the natural frequencies of tires are investigated.