On the modeling of aircraft tire

International audienceA method is presented here for modeling and predicting the rolling and yaw behavior of an aircraft tire which is subjected to a strong inflation pressure and a concentrated load on the axle, in contact with a flat, rigid surface. Finite element methods were used to model and simulate the aircraft tire/ground interactions. The incompressibility of the material, the large transformations and the unilateral contact with Coulomb friction law were all taken into account. Imaging methods were used to examine the complex structure of the tire cross-section. Comparisons are made between the data obtained with the model, the experimental data and those provided by the manufacturer. The tire response predictions were found to depend considerably on the material and the geometrical characteristics of the tire