SBIR-STTR Award

The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of developing test systems and procedure to quantify the tire parameters necessary to accurately model the performance of Army wheeled vehicles. The Army currently has a large fleet of wheeled vehicles and is embarking on programs to develop several new-wheeled vehicles that will play critical combat roles. It is fundamentally important that models are available that have the capability to accurately simulate performance of these vehicles under a wide range of circumstances. It is crucial that these new vehicles are developed as rapidly as possible and that they perform as required. As has been well learned in the private automotive business sector, the only means to bring such rapid development programs to a successful conclusion is through the heavy use of computer modeling. This program is directed at defining the required measurement equipment and procedures to provide this vital data on the performance of the tires on which the Army's vehicles will depend. The final result of this program will be a state-of-the-art tire test system. It will run all the required test procedures to fully characterize a tire for modeling. No such complete test system currently exists. Many modelers currently rely on data collected from several different tests including in some cases vehicle tests. The most important result at the completion of this is that the Army will have the ability to generate all the parameters needed to represent the tire in their vehicle models

The overall objective of this Phase is to develop the detailed design and proofs of concept for a test machine that can provide the tire performance parameters needed by TACOM vehicle dynamics models. Based on the work of Phase I, three test machine configurations will be evaluated. These are a Large Diameter Roll Tester, a Flat Track Tester, and a Flat Moving Plate Tester. To evaluate each of the candidate configurations, an analysis will be preformed understand the cost of manufacturing the unit, the time required to develop or acquire the required technology or unique hardware, performance capabilities, and measurement limitations. A basic design will be prepared and major issues highlighted. These highlighted issues will be investigated in detail. From the analysis of these three concepts, a complete description of the costs, development time, performance capabilities, and measurement accuracy of each of these configurations will be developed. These alternatives will be evaluated with TACOM and a preferred configuration selected. A detailed design will then be prepared for this machine. The detailed design will provide a complete description of the test system, its construction, operation, and capabilities. This design will complete with drawings, calculations, and manufacturing instructions.

Keywords:
TIRE, TEST, PARAMETERS, DYNAMOMETER