ROLLING RESISITANCE

AND

PNEUMATIC TYRES
 BREAK UP OF CONSUMPTION OF
ENERGY IN AN AUTOMOBILE

LOSS DUE TO ENGINE HEAT AND EXHAUST - 80%

ACTUAL USAGE FOR TURN THE WHEEL - 20%

OF THIS 20%

FOR THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR - 95%

FOR THE MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVER - 5%

 THE MAIN LOSSES IN A VEHICLE

•AERODYNAMIC DRAG
( drag force required to overcome the air turbulence)

•ROLLING RESISTANCE

•LOSS ON BRAKING

•ENGINE LOSSES

•DRIVE SYSTEM FRICTION

•ACCESSORY LOADS
(battery recharging, A/C etc.)
 FUEL EFFICIENCY OF A NEW CAR IN U.S.A

12
10
KILOMETER/LITRE

8
6
4
2
0
65 68 71 74 77 80 83 86
YEAR

WITH THE JAPANESE VEHICLE IN MARKET, THE CONCEPT ON FUEL EFFICIENCY

ISELF IS CHANGED. THE FUEL EFFICIENCY HAS GONE AS HIGH AS 31 KMPL IN CASE
OF DAEWOO MATIZ. FIAT HAS DEVELOPED A CONCEPT CAR WITH A FUEL EFFICIENCY
OF 100 KMPL.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

ROLLING REISISTANCE - OF A FREE ROLLING PNEUMATIC TYRE

IS DEFINED AS THE RETARDING FORCE ACTING ON A TYRE
OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION.

ROLLING RESISTANCE COEFFICIENT (FR) - RATIO OF THE

ROLLING REISTANCE TO THE LOAD ON THE TYRE.

ROLLING RESISTANCE COEFFICIENT (FR) IS DIRECTLY

PROPORTIONAL TO THE VERTICAL LOAD AND DEPENDS ON THE
ELASTICITY OF THE MATERIAL SURFACES IN CONTACT.
FR  LOAD
FR = U* LOAD
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

FR = U* LOAD

HERE ‘U’ IS THE COEFFICIENT OF ROLLING FRICTION.

IN THE CASE OF AN AUTOMOBILE TIRE ON PAVEMENT , U IS A

FUNCTION OF THE INFLATION OF THE TIRE, WEIGHT OF THE
VEHICLE, THE TYPE OF RUBBER USED AND THE STATIC
FRICTION BETWEEN THE SURFACES OF TIRE AND PAVEMENT
IN CONTACT.

THIS IS INDEPENDENT OF THE AREA OF THE SURFACES IN

CONTACT.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE
GENERALLY ROLLING RESISTANCE OFFERED BY A TYRE
IS DUE TO DEFORMATIONS ON VARIOUS PARTS OF THE
TYRE. THESE DEFORMATIONS ARE THE RESULTS OF
WORK DONE ON THOSE PARTS AND TO DO THE WORK,
ENERGY IS CONSUMED WHICH COMES FROM FUEL
WHICH IS THE ONLY SOURCE IN AN AUTOMOBILE.

INTERNAL FRICTION LOSSES (HYSTERISIS) IN THE TYRE

STRUCTURES - THE RUBBER, CORD MATRIX AND
EXTERNAL FRICTION LOSSES ARE THE MAJOR CAUSES
IN THIS CRITERIA.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

THE LEVEL OF ROLLING RESISTANCE RANGES FROM

10-25KGF/1000KGS OF LOAD FOR PASSENGER CAR
SIZES AND 5-15KGS/1000KGS OF LOAD FOR
COMMERCIAL TYRES.

THE SLIP IN THE CONTACT ZONE ALSO

CONTRIBUTES TO ROLLING RESISTANCE APART
FROM BAD ROAD CONDITIONS.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE
OF ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED DEFORMATIONS WHICH
CONTRIBUTE TO THE ROLLING RESISTANCE, THE
FOLLOWING ARE THE DECIDING FACTORS;

.LOAD AND INFLATION PRESSURE

.SPEED OF OPERATION

.TYRE RUNNING TEMPERATURE

AN INCREASE IN LOAD AT CONSTANT PRESSURE AND

SPEED OR A DECREASE IN PRESSURE AT CONSTANT LOAD
AND SPEED RESULTS IN INCREASE OF ROLLING
RESISTANCE.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE
Load - Inflation effect on Rolling Resistance of
tyres.

15 2.0kgf/cm2
1.5kgf/cm2
Rolling Resistance(Kgf)

1.0kgf/cm2

10

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Vertical Load(Kg)

As the load increases, RR increases but on a slower rate as the inflation rises
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

Effect of Temperature on Rolling Resistance

30
Rolling Resistance (Kgf)

100°c
25
20
15 50°c
10
5
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0°c
Time(Min)

rolling resistance temperature

Initially RR decreases with increase in temp. and then both levels off if
continue to run at constant speed and load.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

Difference of Rolling Resistance Between Bias

PLy Tyres of Equal Rating but different ASpect
Ratios.

40
Resistance(LB/1000LB)

35
30
25
Rolling

20
15
10
5
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Speed(Kmph)
Low Aspect Ratio Tyre Conventional Bias Tyre

Lower section height increases radial and lateral stiffness and reduces
deformation and results in lower RR.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

Effect of Speed on the Rolling Resistance

Resistance(Kgf)
Rolling

50 75 100 125 150

Speed (Kmph)

At Service Temperature. At constant Temperature

If same tyre is run in temp. controlled condition, rolling resistance is found

to be increasing with higher speeds. If the tyre is run without control on
temperature, inflation pressure increases increasing the tyre stiffness, which
results in a slower increase in RR at higher speeds.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

OTHER PARAMETERS AFFECTS ROLLING

REISISTANCE ARE -
BELT WIDTH
CURED PLY ANGLES
CARCASS CONSTRUCTION
MOULD DESIGN PARAMETERS
-TREAD RADIUS,
-ARC/SECTION WIDTH RATIO
-ASPECT RATIO
-BELT /ARC WIDTH RATIO
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

•ROLLING RESISTANCE OF RADIAL TYRE IS

SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF AN
EQUIVALENT BIAS TYRE BY AS MUCH AS 15-20% AT
HIGHER SPEEDS.

•THIS RESULTS IN AN OVERALL FUEL EFFICIENCY OF 4-

7% FOR PASSENGER CARS AND AS MUCH AS 10% FOR
TRUCKS WITH RADIAL TYRES.

•THIS REDUCED ROLLING LOSS OF RADIAL TYRES

RESULTS IN LOWER TIRE TEMPERATURES OVER
SIMILAR BIAS TYRE BY AS MUCH AS 14-20%.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

IN A BIAS TYRE,
• THE CORDS ARE AT 35-45° WITH RESPECT TO THE
CENTERLINE OF THE TYRE
• PLIES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION
• DEFLECTION IN ANY PART OF THE TYRE WILL BE
FOLLOWED BY A SYMPATHETIC DEFORMATION
IN OTHER PARTS CONNECTED TO THE DEFORMED
PART.
• FOR INSTANCE, WHILE THE TYRE IS IN MOTION
UNDER INFLATION AND LOADING, THE SIDE
WALLS FLEX CYCLICALLY AND AS A RESULT OF
THIS, AT THE CONTACT AREA, THE TREAD
BLOCKS/RIBS WILL ALSO BE SUBJECTED TO THE
RELATED MOVEMENTS.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE
• THESE INCREASED RELATIVE MOVEMENTS OF
TREAD ELEMENTS WITH THE PATHWAY,
EXPLAINS THE HIGHER RATE OF WEAR IN BIAS
TYRES.
• THE PANTOGRAPHIC MOTION OF THE
PLIES CAUSES HEAT GENERATION AND THIS
HEAT ENERGY FINDS ITS ORIGIN FROM THE PART
OF THE TORQUE GENERATED BY THE ENGINE.
• ALSO THE SHUFFLING AND SCRUBBING
MOVEMENTS OF THE TREAD ELEMENTS OFFER
HIGHER ROLLING RESISTANCE.
• THE ENERGY FOR ALL THESE MOVEMENTS FINDS
ITS ORIGIN IN THE ENERGY OBTAINED FROM THE
FUEL.
• THIS WASTAGE OF FUEL ENERGY MAKES THE BIAS
TYRE LESS FUEL- EFFICIENT.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

IN A RADIAL TYRE,
• THE PLIES ARE AT 90° WITH THE CENTERLINE OF
THE TYRE I.E. FOLLOWING THE SHORTEST PATH
POSSIBLE FROM ONE BEAD TO THE BEAD ON THE
OTHER SIDE TO WHICH THEY ARE ANCHORED.
• ALSO THERE ARE INEXTENSIBLE BELTS ABOVE
THESE PLIES AT ANGLES OF 18-22° FOR PASSENGER
CAR TYRES.
• THE DEFORMATIONS ARE LOCALISED I.E., THE
DEFORMATIONS IN ONE AREA OF THE TYRE
AFFECTS ONLY THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
• THERE ARE NO SYMPATHETIC MOVEMENTS AT
OTHER PARTS OF THE TYRE.
• NO SHUFFLING OR SCRUBBING MOVEMENTS OF
TREAD ELEMENTS WITH THE ROAD.
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

• A RADIAL TYRE PRODUCES NO PANTOGRAPHIC

MOTION OF THE PLIES DUE TO THEIR
ORIENTATION IN 90°, HENCE GENERATES LESS
INTERNAL FRICTION.
• THE SIDEWALL AND TREAD WORK
INDEPENDENTLY.
• THE RADIAL CONSTRUCTION ENSURES LEAST
DISTORTION OF CONTACT PATCH AND REDUCES
SLIPPAGE BY 1-1.5%.
• LOWER INTERNAL FRICTION MAKES IT
COOLER RUNNING.
• AS THE FUEL ENERGY WASTAGE IS MUCH
REDUCED COMPARED TO BIAS TYRE, RADIALS
HAVE LOWER ROLLING RESISTANCE AND BETTER
FUEL EFFICIENCY.
ROLLING REISISTANCE
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

BIAS RADIAL
ROLLING REISISTANCE - CONTRIBUTION OF
VARIOUS PARTS OF A TYRE.

casing belt
24% 20%

sidewall
tread
10% bead 30%
16% RADIAL TRUCK TYRE
ROLLING REISISTANCE - CONTRIBUTION OF
VARIOUS PARTS OF A TYRE.

innerliner bead
5 % 5%
sidewall
10 %

casing
10 %
tread
50 %

belt
RADIAL PASSENGER TYRE
20 %
 MEASURING ROLLING RESISTANCE
THE APPLICABLE TEST METHOD - SAE J 1269

FR - ROLLING RESISTANCE
FORCE METHOD
FR = Fx * (1+RL/R)
Fx - MAGNITUDE OF NET SPINDLE FORCE
RL - LOADED RADIUS
R - TEST WHEEL RADIUS

TORQUE METHOD
FR = T/R
T - NET INPUT TORQUE
R - TEST WHEEL RADIUS

POWER METHOD
FR = C * P / V
C - CONSTANT DEPENDS ON SPEED
P - NET POWER INPUT
V - TEST SURFACE SPEED.
 ROLLING RESISTANCE OF
AMAZER XL Vs. COMPETITION.

TYRE SIZE - 145/70R13

APOLLO CEAT B'STONE JK MRF
AMAZER XL MAESTRO S 322 ULTIMA ZIGMA VT
100 87 102.7 99.1 98.6

TYRE SIZE - 155/80R13

APOLLO GOODYEAR B'STONE JK MRF
AMAZER XL GPS 2 S 248 ULTIMA ZVTS
100 88 102 82 97
 CHALLENGE AHEAD
THE CHALLENGE OF TIRE MANUFACTURERS IS TO DEVELOPING HIGH-
EFFICIENCY TIRES THAT MINIMIZE ROLLING RESISTANCE WHILE
MAINTAINING TRACTION, HANDLING, AND DURABILITY.
THIS IS POSSIBLE THROUGH

• REDUCTION IN TYRE WEIGHT

• SPECIAL TREAD DESIGNS,
• LOW HYSTERISIS COMPOUNDS,
• LIGHTER YET STRONGER MATERIALS,
• REDUCED SIDEWALL PROFILES (TO
MINIMIZE FLEXING),
• HIGHER INFLATION PRESSURE.
COMPARISON OF ROLLING RESISTANCE WITH
VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION.

*Energy is the name of the series of new fuel

efficient tyres from Michelin
AN ILLUSTRATION ON RESEARCH IN COMPOUNDING
TOWARDS LOW ROLLING RESISTANCE -1
AN ILLUSTRATION ON RESEARCH IN COMPOUNDING
TOWARDS LOW ROLLING RESISTANCE -2
 ROLLING REISISTANCE

IT IS EXPECTED THAT A COMBINED EFFORT BY

VEHICLE, TYRE MANUFACTURER AND ROAD
ENGINEERING CAN CUT ROLLING RESISTANCE
BY 50–80 PERCENT OF THE EXISTING LEVELS.

THANK YOU