Tire-road interaction: a multi-scale journey from rubber friction to tire vehicle braking performance

Abstract

The understanding of tire performance during ABS braking is a complex task. The final ABS braking distance on dry, wet and icy roads is the result of several parameters interacting with each other on specific time (µs … s) and length (µm … cm) scales. These parameters describe the surface roughness and state, the tire tread compound and tire construction as well as the vehicle characteristics (like ABS controller, suspension, vehicle weight, etc.). See figures 1 and 2 for illustration. The work presented here targets the assessment of these key parameters at the actual tire operating conditions. Guided by the rubber friction theory published by B.N.J. Persson [1] and its numerous extensions, the key parameters for rubber friction have been identified and characterized in the appropriate parameter space.