Tyre-Road Contact Mechanics Equations

Book chapter, 2022

The brush theory constitutes the simplest, full-physical approach to model the tyre-road interaction. It describes the tyre-wheel system as a rigid body equipped with bristles, which undergo tangential deformations in their attempt to stick to the ground. This chapter introduces the governing equations of the brush models. These may be divided into four separate sets: the friction model, the constitutive relationships, the tyre-road kinematic relationships and the equilibrium equations. The fundamental assumptions behind the proposed formulation are outlined, and the boundary and initial conditions are stated in a general manner.