A wheel that measures the forces and moments generated in the tire-road contact area to improve the safety of vehicles.
INSIA Dynamometric wheels measure the forces and moments generated at the tire-road contact area. For that purpose, the wheels of the vehicle are directly instrumented with strain gauges. As the vehicle keeps its original wheels, its dynamic behavior is not altered. It is estimated that the cost of the components that are necessary to produce these dynamometric wheels is almost two orders of magnitude lower than the price of a commercial dynamometric wheel.
This makes affordable to run a car or a truck with a full set of dynamometric wheels. Now, it is possible to use dynamometric wheels for other applications that used to be economically unfeasible, such as for example, using them to provide information to the active safety systems of the vehicle.
In order to fully understand the dynamic behavior of the vehicle, accurate experimental data of the tire-road contact forces and moments are needed. INSIA Dynamometric wheels measure these forces and moments by mounting in a very special way a set of strain gauges on the vehicle’s wheels. The strain gauges are grouped in at least three concentric circumferences and in equidistant radial lines. The strain signals of the same circumference are linearly combined to obtain at least two new signals that only depend on the contact forces and moments. The influence of the angle rotated by the wheel, the temperature or the centrifugal forces is eliminated in these new signals by using a technique based on the elimination of Fourier harmonics.
The contact forces and moments are obtained from these new signals by solving two systems of linear equations with three unknowns each. An onboard electronic system including telemetry is being developed in the University of La Coruña.
“Now, it is possible to use dynamometric wheels in Research Centres and Universities, and for other applications that used to be economically unfeasible”
“INSIA dynamometric wheels can be used to produce safer and more reliable, efficient and durable vehicles”
Research team at INSIA-UPM (University Institute of Automobile Research )
INSIA Dynamometric wheel contact
Javier García de Jalón and María Dolores Gutiérrez
e: javier.garciadejalon@upm.es; md.gutierrez@upm.es
UPM contact
Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship Area
Centre of Support for Technological Innovation – UPM
e: innovacion.tecnologica@upm.es