SBIR-STTR Award

In late 1986, WRDC/FIEVA initiated an in-house program to investigate experimental and analytical methods for aircraft-wheel-life estimation and verification. As partial fulfillment of this program, structural models of tires and a new stochastic crack growth model for the wheel fracture behavior are being developed. To complement these research efforts a tire-wheel interface model that yields a description of the wheel flange and beadseat loads is required. Presently, the boundary conditions at the tire-wheel interface are unknown . The objective of this research proposal is to investigate the feasibility of developing a methodology for accurately measuring the load distribution at the tire/wheel interface. A variety of commercially available products including conductive rubber, ferrite fluid, piezoelectric crystals and capacitive devices will be studied for use in a totally new instrumentation device. The loads measured with the proposed device will be used in existing finite-element models of aircraft wheels to evaluate the wheel's complete structural response to these loads.

In late 1986, WL/FIVMA initiated an in-house program to investigate experimental and analytical methods for aircraft-wheel-life estimation and verification. As partial fulfillment of this program, structural models of tires and a new stochatic crackgrowth model for the wheel fracture behavior are being developed. To complement these research efforts a tire-wheel interface model that yields a description of the wheel flange and beadseat loads in required. Presently, the boundary conditions at the tire-wheel interface are unknown. The objective of this research proposal is to design and implement a methodology for accurately measuring the load distribution at the tire/wheel interface.An innovative pressure transducer for measuring static and dynamic wheel-tire interface loads will be developed using piezoelectric crystals. A data collection system using telemetry will be used to record the measured loads. Wheel and tire displacements will be measured using holography and image processing systems. The pressure and displacement data will be used to develop a credible analytical model of the F-16 wheel for investigating the stress distribution a variety of loading conditions where normal and shear forces exist.