Elastohydrodynamic aspects on the tyre-pavement contact at aquaplaning

The objective of the work presented in this report has been to develop a numerical method for the investigation of water-lubricated soft elastohydrodynamic (EHD) conjunctions as it relates to the problem of car tyre aquaplaning. Whereas the problem of aquaplaning on very thick water films is very well-studied, the aspects of a tyre sliding on thin water layer is much less investigated. Considering fluid flow in very thin layers, one can find that the relative importance of viscosity of the fluid increases over the mass inertia effects. Therefore it is suggested in the present investigation to distinct between two different regimes of aquaplaning and refer them as dynamic aquaplaning and viscous aquaplaning. The subject of the present investigation is viscous aquaplaning on thin fluid layer. Considering flow in a thin fluid layer allows a number assumptions to be made, which brings this problem close to the problem of fluid lubrication of machine elements. This makes it possible to apply advanced numerical methods originally developed for the lubrication theory to the aquaplaning of a pneumatic car tyre on a thin layer of water