Abstract
A three-dimensional finite element tyre model is employed, where the mechanical contact solution is iteratively coupled with a heat-transfer analysis in which the frictional power is applied as thermal loading in the sliding region. The procedure is carried out under steady-state operating conditions, with the contact stresses and local slip obtained from the mechanical simulation defining the heat input for the subsequent thermal step. A temperature-dependent friction law based on a friction master curve is used throughout the iterative process to represent the variation of the local friction coefficient with sliding velocity and temperature. The resulting temperature evolution is validated against controlled rubber block experiments conducted for this study, confirming that the sequential mechanical-thermal coupling is accurately represented. Wear is evaluated in post-processing by considering the simulated frictional work distribution and experimentally determined rubber abradability. This enables a spatially resolved assessment of wear intensity across the contact patch and provides a basis for analysing the influence of operating conditions on wear behaviour.