HYDROPLANING SIMULATION USING FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION IN LS-DYNA

The hydroplaning phenomenon is a key issue for safe driving on a wet road. However, it has been extremely difficult to predict the onset of hydroplaning using numerical simulation. The hydroplaning is a complex multi-physics problem, involving rolling tires with complex groove geometry and surrounding water. Recently the fluid-structure interaction capability has been developed for both Eulerian and ALE formulations in LS-DYNA. Using this capability, transient hydroplaning can be modeled for both the reference frame fixed on a moving car (Eulerian fluid) and the reference frame fixed on the ground (ALE fluid). In the present work, both tire and fluid are modeled with Finite Elements. Numerical examples of the passenger car radial tire sized 195/65R15 with V-shaped grooves are illustrated. In the proposed simulation, we obtain a tire completely lifted by the water layer. In addition, the difference in lifting velocities between normal rotational direction and reverse rotational direction has been evaluated. The numerical results correspond well to the experimental observations at a proving ground.