Experimental Investigation on Tire-Road Interaction Made with the British Pendulum Evo as Thermal Conditions of the Tire and Road Surface

The theme of safety is one of the most important pillar for vehicle manufacturers which work hard to make cars go fast but also stay safe, for these reasons, over time, cars have special parts dedicated to safety that allow also a better control of the vehicle even in emergency situations. To improve these aspects it is important to perform specific tests with the right machines to carry out useful improvements like friction testers. One of these machines is the British pendulum test that in the latest years was made “EVO” by the dynamics group of the vehicle of the Federico II, inserting specific sensors and becoming a fundamental test for checking the grip between car tires and different road types. This test gives necessary details for road and tire makers, with such data, they can have the tools to understand how a specific road portion interacts with tire and then set up preventive actions to enhance driving security. This paper aims to study the results carried out from a campaign with the British pendulum EVO to find out how the friction values change under different roads and conditions in which the tire can work. The tests were made varying conditions such as speed and temperature to have a wider range of action possible, on a large amount of road specimens, using different rubber specimens.