GripGripSociétédeTechnologieMichelin23,rueBreschet,63000Clermont-Ferrand©SociétédeTechnologieMichelin,2001ProducedbyArtice/Japa-PhotographsfromMichelinpicturelibraryMadeinFranceReproduction,representation,adaptationortranslationofanypartofthisworkwithoutthepermissionofthecopyrightownerisunlawful.Requestsforpermissionorfurtherinformationshouldbeaddressedto:ManufactureFrançaisedesPneumatiquesMichelinServiceGroupeCommunication/TechniquePlacedesCarmesDéchaux,63040Clermont-FerrandCedex09FRANCEPage1Griponroadsurfaces4Introduction5Foreword:gripanditsdoubleparadox7IRubberandgrip8RUBBER:AVISCO-ELASTICMATERIAL8 Whatisavisco-elasticmaterial?8Alittlemoreinformationon…thebehaviourofelasticmaterials9Alittlemoreinformationon…thebehaviourofviscousmaterials10Alittlemoreinformationon…thebehaviourofvisco-elasticmaterials11 Wheredoesthevisco-elasticityoftyrerubbercomefrom?12 Themodulusofrubber13INFLUENCEOFSTRESSFREQUENCYANDTEMPERATUREONTHEBEHAVIOUROFRUBBER13 Influenceofstressfrequency14 Influenceoftemperature15 Frequency-temperatureequivalence16Alittlemoreinformationon…theWLFequation17THEMECHANISMSINVOLVEDINTHERUBBER-ROADINTERFACEFRICTION17 Roadroughnesseffects18 Molecularadhesion19Rubberandgrip:don’tforgetthebasics!21IIHowroadroughnessaffectsgrip22CHARACTERISATIONOFROADSURFACES23 Measurementofmacroroughness23 Measurementofmicroroughness24 Conceptsregardingroadsurfaces25 Measurementoftheloadbearingsurface26 Characterisationofthefrictioncoefficientofarubber-roadinterface27INFLUENCEOFROADSURFACESONTHECOEFFICIENTOFFRICTION28 Variationinfrictioncoefficientonadrysurface29 Variationinfrictioncoefficientondamporwetroadsurfaces30 Relativeimportanceoftherubberfactorandtheroadsurfacefactoringrip30 Whataboutsnow?30 Andwhataboutice?31Howroadroughnessaffectsgrip:don’tforgetthebasics!II.2II.1I.3I.2I.1ContentsPage233IIIGenerationofgripforcesinthecontactpatch34FRICTIONMECHANISMSOFARUBBERBLOCK34 Shear(orpseudo-slippage)35 Slippage36LONGITUDINALGRIPINBRAKING36 Sourceofslippage37Alittlemoreinformationon...slippageandbraking38 Longitudinalfrictionforce38 Longitudinalfrictioncoefficientµ38Alittlemoreinformationon...thecoefficientoflongitudinalfriction39 Thelongitudinalfrictionlawµ(G)40 Generationofbrakingforcesinthecontactpatch40Alittlemoreinformationon...themaximumshearvalueofthetreadblockandthebeginningofslippage42 Examplesofslippageandshearasafunctionofthecoefficientofgripandtheslippagerate42Alittlemoreinformationon...maximumlengthofshearandslippage43 Analysisoftheµ(G)curve45Longitudinalgripinbraking:don’tforgetthebasics!46TRANSVERSALGRIPINCORNERING46 Centrifugalforce46 SlipangleIII.3III.2III.148 Transversalfrictionforce48 Coefficientoftransversalfrictionτ48Alittlemoreinformationon...thecoefficientoftransversalfriction49 Effectofthebendradiusonthemaximumcorneringspeed49Alittlemoreinformationon...maximumcorneringspeed50 LawoftransversalfrictionY(δ)50Alittlemoreinformationon...thetransversalgripcoefficient51 Generationoftransversalforcesinthecontactpatch52 AnalysisoftheY(δ)law52Alittlemoreinformationon...themaximumlengthofshearandslippage54Transversalgripincornering:don’tforgetthebasics!55SHARINGTHEGRIPPOTENTIALONTHEROAD55 Combinedgrip55 Apotentialtobeshared57 ABS57Alittlemoreinformationon...howtheABSworks59IVGriponwetsurfaces61THEHYDRODYNAMICZONE:DISPERSALANDDRAINAGE61Alittlemoreinformationon...thespeedatwhichaquaplaningoccurs62 Aroundedfootprinttoreducethepressureexertedbythebankofwateronthetyre62Alittlemoreinformationon...theroundedcontactpatchwhichincreasesaquaplaningspeedIV.1III.4Page3Contents63 Widetyresandwaterdispersal64 Angledtreadgroovestodrainawaywatertotheside65THEVISCODYNAMICZONE:STORINGWATERINTHETREADGROOVES65 Compressionofthewaterbythetreadblocks65Alittlemoreinformationon...thetimeforwatertransfertothestoragezones67 Sipesandgriponwetsurfaces69DAMPTODRYZONE:RESTORINGDRYCONTACT69 Edgestobreakthroughthefilmofwater70Griponwetsurfaces:don’tforgetthebasics!71VGripandvehiclehandling72LOADTRANSFER72 Longitudinalloadtransfer72Alittlemoreinformationon...howloadtransferaffectsbrakingefficiency73 Lateralloadtransfer73Alittlemoreinformationon...howloadtransferaffectscornering74UNDERSTEERANDOVERSTEERV.2V.1IV.3IV.277VITestingtyregrip79ANALYTICALTESTS79 Roadsimulators80 Laboratoryvehicles81VEHICLETRACKTESTS82 Testinglongitudinalgrip83Alittlemoreinformationon...calculatingthecoefficientofgripµ84 Transversalgriptests87VIIGripandrollingresistance88 Wheredoesrollingresistancecomefrom?88 Maximisegripandminimiserollingresistance:achallengeinphysicalscience90 Twodifferentfrequencyranges91IndexVI.2VI.1A,B,C…GriponroadsurfacesIftherewerenosuchthingasgrip,carsjustwouldnotbeabletomoveatall.Thewheelswouldspinandthedriverwouldnotbeabletobudgethevehicle.Evenonastraightroadandatsteadyspeed,thereisnoalternativetogrip.Thisisbecauseamovingvehiclehastodealwithnaturalforces,suchasthebanking,theslopeortheunevennessoftheroad,orrollingresistance,whichareconstantlytryingtoslowthevehicledownorpushitoffitspath.Howeveritisonlyduringcorneringorbrakingthatadriverorpassengeris