Study on load-bearing characteristics of non-pneumatic tires under thermo-mechanical coupling

Abstract The use of non-pneumatic tires (NPT) has become increasingly common, but the impact of temperature on the load-bearing characteristics of NPT has not been fully studied. Based on the thermo-mechanical coupling method, this paper aims to explore the heat generation behavior during its movement and the influence of temperature on mechanical properties. Firstly, parameters were obtained through experiments and an effective NPT mechanical model was established. Secondly, the temperature field was calculated based on mechanical data and thermal analysis. Finally, the mechanical properties of NPT affected by temperature were obtained by combining temperature and force, and the data were analyzed. The results show that the mechanical properties of TPU materials are significantly affected by temperature, and the increase in temperature will lead to a decrease in the elastic modulus of the material. The increase in load and speed will increase the steady-state rolling temperature of NPT, and the temperature distribution is basically consistent with the distribution of hysteresis loss energy density. Under the action of thermo-mechanical coupling, the mechanical properties of the tire change significantly, such as the decrease in vertical stiffness and the maximum values of stress and strain. Therefore, when studying the load-bearing characteristics of NPT during long-term rolling, considering the influence of temperature is of great significance for improving the accuracy of the results.