FINDLAY, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a grant to engineering software firm Coreform L.L.C.to apply its isogeometric analysis (IGA) technology to simulate advanced tread patterns that will be required by emerging vehicles.
Endurica L.L.C., which provides tools and workflows for fatigue analysis of elastomers, has been selected as the technology partner, providing key tire industry endurance evaluations including rolling resistance, heat build-up and water behavior.
According to Endurica, Coreform's IGA technology replaces difficult and time-consuming portions of computer simulation work while providing greater design clarity and detail.
Endurica Founder and President William Mars said Coreform's technology "promises to revolutionize simulations involving complex geometry and tire tread patterns are an extremely important example of complex geometry. We are honored to be included in this important research for both the DOE and the tire industry."
Findlay-based Endurica said traditional finite element analysis (FEA) first requires geometry to be defeatured and meshed, which can be time consuming and inaccurate. IGA was introduced in 2005 to run simulation directly on the design model, leveraging the power of splines, or ridges on a drive shaft that matches with groove in a mating piece and transfer torque to it.
According to Endurica, Coreform's "Flex IGA" technology provides a full spectrum of input options and flexible modeling, allowing engineers to minimize manual effort for a desired solution solve time.
Coreform Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Sederberg said the use of "predictive simulation analysis for advanced tire tread designs will reduce the cost of product development and accelerate the adoption of both electric and self-driving cars.We anticipate this project will help the tire industry develop innovative tread patterns to reduce noise and improve energy efficiency."
Greg Vernon, director of engineering at Coreform, said the Orem,Utah-based company's approach will use IGA analysis to allow tire manufacturers to test new designs much more quickly.
"Down the road, that will mean fewer particulate emissions, longer life, and better energy efficiency for all of us," Vernon said.