Final Report Summary - TELLUR (Tribology of Elastomers on Lubricated Surfaces)
The TELLUR project was based on a strong balanced public-private European partnership including one large multi-national company (Goodyear SA, Luxembourg) and one university (Aalto University, Finland). The project aimed at developing new knowledge and technologies in the field of friction between elastomers and lubricated surfaces. This has been achieved through the understanding of the contact conditions between the tire and the road, and the characterization of the structure and evolution of both contact surfaces. To reach the project targets, the work was divided into four work packages with specific objectives.
WP1 - Vehicle wet braking, lab wet friction and road surface properties
The first work package concentrated on understanding the connection between vehicle wet braking performance and the self-affine roughness properties of road surfaces.
Work carried out during the project:
• Running instrumented vehicle braking sessions and analyzing the data.
• Implementing the SWIFT tire model in MATLAB/Simulink, including ABS controller code, a full parameter sensitivity study, and a study on the influence of a mass damper in the rim and the belt.
• Analyzing torsional vibration modes of tires during ABS braking.
• Identifying SWIFT-model parameter sets from the measured vehicle data.
• Assessing the capability of the model to predict tire braking performance.
• Performing skid trailer friction tests and road surface scans at three different European locations.
Main results:
• SWIFT model including ABS controller model implemented in MATLAB/Simulink.
• Full parameter set for a modern summer tire defined and published.
• Methodology developed and published for extracting SWIFT model parameters from instrumented vehicle tests.
• Methodology developed and published for treating road surface data so that a good correlation between the self-affine roughness properties and tire wet friction was achieved.
• Collaboration resulted and continues in the new EU FP7 project “Lorry”.
WP2 - Ice friction of rubber compounds and related safety implications
The second work package aimed at studying the link between the rubber compound properties and the rubber-ice/snow friction mechanism. A strong emphasis was also put on the description of the dynamic evolution of the surface conditions. To do so, conventional friction tests were enhanced with advanced imaging techniques, which helped increase the physical understanding on why and how rubber blocks start to slide and what happens during sliding.
Work carried out during the project:
• Defining a repeatable test protocol.
• Study to improve lab-road friction test correlation.
• Method development for quasi-real time study of the microstructural surface evolution.
Main results:
• With the new test and research protocol, precision was increased and test cost was significantly reduced.
• Improvements in the lab-road friction correlation were achieved.
• A new joint PhD research project was initiated to pursue the surface microstructural studies of the ice surface evolution.
WP3 - Artificial wear of asphalt samples
The objective of the third work package was to develop a method to produce durable asphalt samples that can be used in laboratory rubber friction tests. The work consisted of preparing asphalt samples and wearing them in order to study the changes in the surface topography.
Work carried out during the project:
• Developing the methodology for manufacturing lab asphalt samples.
• Surface topography analysis vs. Goodyear test track braking lanes.
• Quantifying the surface wear and friction evolution during lab rubber friction tests.
• Comparing results from different surface topography measurement devices.
• Training of Aalto University researcher to perform road surface scans and analyze the data.
Main results:
• Methodology developed for asphalt sample manufacturing and initial wearing.
• A good match between the manufactured samples and the target road surface was achieved.
• Best asphalt surface formulation in terms of durability of surface roughness and friction was identified for use in lab rubber friction tests.
• A surface scan device similar to the one used at Goodyear has been purchased by Aalto and has already been used for research and education.
WP4 - Processing and analysis of high-speed infrared images
Within the fourth work package, a software tool was developed for the processing and analysis of high-speed infrared (IR) images obtained from vehicle and lab tests. This analysis allows the evaluation of one of the main attributes to the contact conditions of a tire or a rubber sample, the temperature distribution.
Work carried out during the project:
• Developing a data conversion tool between formats used by different IR camera manufacturers.
• Implementing automatic filtering and segmentation of tread blocks from IR images of tires, as well as the extraction of performance indicators for the segmented areas.
• Application of the image processing tools to different types of test data.
Main results:
• The conversion tool allows the use of pre-existing post-processing software for all image formats.
• Methodology developed for the segmentation of IR images of a tire surface.
• Analysis software developed for the pre-processing, segmentation, and performance indicator calculation from high-speed infrared images.
Impact of the project
The impact of the project on the researchers involved has been significant. The researchers, most of whom are in the first five years of their research careers, have improved their scientific, technical, language and intercultural communication skills. They have also learned to see the commercial as well as the academic aspects of research work. This will be a long-term asset in their careers and accommodate the implementation of the results of academic research into commercial innovations. Furthermore, this will facilitate long-term collaboration between commercial and non-commercial partners.
Although the main industrial deliverables of the project are the processes and tools developed, the expected impact of the research is much more general. The software tool developed in the project has the potential to generate groundbreaking innovations when applied to other research fields, such as biomedical imaging. Moreover, since the physical principles that were investigated are the basis of every viscoelastic-mechanical entity, the impact of the study on other related fields either in the academic or industrial environment is expected to be particularly significant.
Website: http://mecheng.aalto.fi/en/research/engineering_design/
Contact details:
GOODYEAR SA
Avenue Gordon Smith
COLMAR-BERG, LUXEMBOURG (GRAND-DUCHÉ)
Benoit DUEZ (Dr)
Tel: +352-81 99 1
WP1 - Vehicle wet braking, lab wet friction and road surface properties
The first work package concentrated on understanding the connection between vehicle wet braking performance and the self-affine roughness properties of road surfaces.
Work carried out during the project:
• Running instrumented vehicle braking sessions and analyzing the data.
• Implementing the SWIFT tire model in MATLAB/Simulink, including ABS controller code, a full parameter sensitivity study, and a study on the influence of a mass damper in the rim and the belt.
• Analyzing torsional vibration modes of tires during ABS braking.
• Identifying SWIFT-model parameter sets from the measured vehicle data.
• Assessing the capability of the model to predict tire braking performance.
• Performing skid trailer friction tests and road surface scans at three different European locations.
Main results:
• SWIFT model including ABS controller model implemented in MATLAB/Simulink.
• Full parameter set for a modern summer tire defined and published.
• Methodology developed and published for extracting SWIFT model parameters from instrumented vehicle tests.
• Methodology developed and published for treating road surface data so that a good correlation between the self-affine roughness properties and tire wet friction was achieved.
• Collaboration resulted and continues in the new EU FP7 project “Lorry”.
WP2 - Ice friction of rubber compounds and related safety implications
The second work package aimed at studying the link between the rubber compound properties and the rubber-ice/snow friction mechanism. A strong emphasis was also put on the description of the dynamic evolution of the surface conditions. To do so, conventional friction tests were enhanced with advanced imaging techniques, which helped increase the physical understanding on why and how rubber blocks start to slide and what happens during sliding.
Work carried out during the project:
• Defining a repeatable test protocol.
• Study to improve lab-road friction test correlation.
• Method development for quasi-real time study of the microstructural surface evolution.
Main results:
• With the new test and research protocol, precision was increased and test cost was significantly reduced.
• Improvements in the lab-road friction correlation were achieved.
• A new joint PhD research project was initiated to pursue the surface microstructural studies of the ice surface evolution.
WP3 - Artificial wear of asphalt samples
The objective of the third work package was to develop a method to produce durable asphalt samples that can be used in laboratory rubber friction tests. The work consisted of preparing asphalt samples and wearing them in order to study the changes in the surface topography.
Work carried out during the project:
• Developing the methodology for manufacturing lab asphalt samples.
• Surface topography analysis vs. Goodyear test track braking lanes.
• Quantifying the surface wear and friction evolution during lab rubber friction tests.
• Comparing results from different surface topography measurement devices.
• Training of Aalto University researcher to perform road surface scans and analyze the data.
Main results:
• Methodology developed for asphalt sample manufacturing and initial wearing.
• A good match between the manufactured samples and the target road surface was achieved.
• Best asphalt surface formulation in terms of durability of surface roughness and friction was identified for use in lab rubber friction tests.
• A surface scan device similar to the one used at Goodyear has been purchased by Aalto and has already been used for research and education.
WP4 - Processing and analysis of high-speed infrared images
Within the fourth work package, a software tool was developed for the processing and analysis of high-speed infrared (IR) images obtained from vehicle and lab tests. This analysis allows the evaluation of one of the main attributes to the contact conditions of a tire or a rubber sample, the temperature distribution.
Work carried out during the project:
• Developing a data conversion tool between formats used by different IR camera manufacturers.
• Implementing automatic filtering and segmentation of tread blocks from IR images of tires, as well as the extraction of performance indicators for the segmented areas.
• Application of the image processing tools to different types of test data.
Main results:
• The conversion tool allows the use of pre-existing post-processing software for all image formats.
• Methodology developed for the segmentation of IR images of a tire surface.
• Analysis software developed for the pre-processing, segmentation, and performance indicator calculation from high-speed infrared images.
Impact of the project
The impact of the project on the researchers involved has been significant. The researchers, most of whom are in the first five years of their research careers, have improved their scientific, technical, language and intercultural communication skills. They have also learned to see the commercial as well as the academic aspects of research work. This will be a long-term asset in their careers and accommodate the implementation of the results of academic research into commercial innovations. Furthermore, this will facilitate long-term collaboration between commercial and non-commercial partners.
Although the main industrial deliverables of the project are the processes and tools developed, the expected impact of the research is much more general. The software tool developed in the project has the potential to generate groundbreaking innovations when applied to other research fields, such as biomedical imaging. Moreover, since the physical principles that were investigated are the basis of every viscoelastic-mechanical entity, the impact of the study on other related fields either in the academic or industrial environment is expected to be particularly significant.
Website: http://mecheng.aalto.fi/en/research/engineering_design/
Contact details:
GOODYEAR SA
Avenue Gordon Smith
COLMAR-BERG, LUXEMBOURG (GRAND-DUCHÉ)
Benoit DUEZ (Dr)
Tel: +352-81 99 1