Tire Basics

Learning Adams/Tire
2 Adams/Tire
Use and Understanding of Adams/Tire

How to Use Adams/Tire
The Tire Basic help section provides overview material for using Adams/Tire to add tires to a mechanical
system model. It assumes that you know how to run Adams/Car, Adams/Solver, Adams/View, or
Adams/Chassis. It also assumes that you have a moderate level of tire-modeling proficiency
You use Adams/Tire to simulate tires according to your analysis requirements. You can create your own
tire models or you can use the tire models that come with Adams/Tire. The following describes how you
use Adams/Tire. For more about how you can create your own tire models, see User-Written Tire/Road
Models.
Learning Adams/Tire 3
Adams/Tire Steps
To use Adams/Tire:
1. Define tires. How you define tires depends on the product you are using (Adams/Chassis,
Adams/Car, or Adams/Solver). For more information on defining tires, see Defining Tires.
Regardless of the product you use, the product creates an Adams dataset (.adm), which contains
the necessary statements that represent the tires in your Adams model, as well as other elements
of the vehicle, such as the wheel, suspension, and landing gear strut. The primary statement for
each tire is a GFORCE that applies the tire force to the wheel in your suspension.
4 Adams/Tire
2. Reference an existing tire property file from:

Adams/Tire (/install_dir/solver/atire)
Tire manufacturers or testing companies.
Files that you create. For example, you can create your own tire property file for simple kinds
of tire models, such as the Fiala model.

You can find examples of tire property files for all tire models in the Adams installation directory
at:
install_dir/solver/atire
where install_dir/ is the path to the installation directory for Adams/Tire.
3. Reference an existing road property file.
You can find an example road property file for a flat road in the Adams installation directory:
install_dir/solver/atire/mdi_2d_flat.rdf
where install_dir/ is the path to the installation directory for Adams/Tire.
4. Run a simulation of your model.
You can run a simulation using Adams/Cars version of Adams/Solver (you do not need an
Adams/Car license) or you can create an Adams/Solver user library and then run your simulation
using this library and Adams/Solver. For more information, see Performing Simulations.
5. View the results of the simulation in a postprocessor, such as Adams/PostProcessor.
Understanding Adams/Tire Processes

When you add tires to your Adams model, three processes occur:
Adams/Solver invokes Adams/Tire.
Adams/Tire determines the tire and road model to use.
Adams/Tire performs any calculations the tire model requires.
Flow of Information in Adams/Tire
Invoking Adams/Tire
When you perform an analysis, Adams/Solver investigates your .adm file to find elements that
represent a tire. For example, it looks for a GFORCE with the necessary parameters to define the
force to the wheel in your suspension. When it finds these parameters, it invokes Adams/Tire.
Adams/Solver obtains the names of the tire property file (.tir) and road property file (.rdf) from
the STRING statements in the .adm file.

Determining Tire and Road Model to Use
Inside Adams/Tire, the Tire Object Manager examines the tire property file to determine the tire model
(for example, Fiala or Pacejka 89) to use and examines the road property file to determine the road model
(for example, 2D or 3D) to use.
Performing Calculations
The Tire Object Manager calls the selected tire model to calculate the tire forces and moments.
The tire model reads the tire property file to obtain data for calculating the tire forces and
moments. It then calls the road model to evaluate where the road is in relation to the tire.
The road model reads the road property file to obtain data about the road.
6 Adams/Tire
The tire model returns the forces and moments to Adams/Solver.

Adams/Solver applies the forces and moments to the wheel part.
Defining Tires
Defining Tires
If you use Adams/Car or Adams/Chassis, typically the models you work with will already include tires
(for example, the statements necessary to invoke Adams/Tire). Therefore, you do not need to add tires to
your model. If you work with Adams/View, however, you will need to define the tires, and for
Adams/Solver, add statements to your Adams model using Adams/View or a text editor. Learn how to
work with:
Adams/View
Adams/Car
Adams/Chassis
Adams/Solver
Defining Wheel Inertia
Defining Tires in Adams/Car

Adams/Car includes a wheel-tire subsystem and template that you can use in any full-vehicle assembly.
The wheel-tire subsystem includes all the elements necessary to start Adams/Tire. You can modify the
wheel inertia and change the property files.
To modify tires in a subsystem:
1. Select the wheel/tire on the screen, right-click, and then select Modify.
8 Adams/Tire
Defining Tires
The Modify Wheel dialog box appears with options that allow you to modify the tire property file
and wheel inertia.
Note:
You can also use the Display Tire Property File tool
to display the tire property file in
an Information window. You cannot, however, specify or display the road property file
from this dialog box. In Adams/Car, you specify the road property file when you submit a
full-vehicle analysis
2. Change the values as desired, and then select OK. Learn about entering values in Create/Modify
Wheel dialog box.
Defining Tires in Adams/Chassis

Adams/Chassis includes wheels and tires in all body-tire subsystems.
To modify tires in Adams/Chassis:
1. In Build mode, in the treeview, select the wheel subsystem.
2. In the property editor, select the Tires tab.
The property editor displays options for changing the wheels and tires as shown below.
Defining Tires
Tires Tab in Adams/Chassis
3. Edit the wheels and tires, such as edit the tire property files and change the scaling coefficients.
Learn About Tire Subsystems in Adams/Chassis.
Defining Tires in Adams/Solver

If you use Adams/Solver, you must add a set of statements to your Adams model for each tire as described
in the table, Statements Needed for Adding Tires to Your Model. Once you have added these statements
to your model, you change the tire or road property file by entering new file names in the STRING
statements holding the file names. You can do this in your Adams/Solver dataset files (.adm) or from an
Adams/Solver command file (.acf) using a STRING command. In an .acf file, the STRING command
must appear before any simulation commands. For example:
test_rig.adm
mytest
STRING/99, STRING=/usr/mdi/solver/atire/mdi_fiala01.tir
SIMULATE/STATIC
SIMULATE/DYNAMIC, DURATION=1.0,STEPS=50
STOP
Learn more:
Statements Needed for Defining Tires
Example Dataset
Statements Needed for Defining Tires

For each tire you want to add to your model, you must create a set of statements in your model. This can
be done using the dialog box in Adams/View (see Defining Tires in Adams/View) or manually using a text
10 Adams/Tire
Defining Tires
editor. For a car with four tires, you need four sets of statements. The table below describes the sets of
statements. The table, MARKER Locations and Orientations, describes how to locate and orient the three
MARKERs.
Statements Needed for Adding Tires to Your Model
Statement types:
MARKER (3)
Purpose in dataset:
Wheel center marker - Identify the wheel part, the wheel center location
and orientation, and the location for applying tire force movements. Use as
the GFORCE I marker.
Road floating marker - Identify the road part to the GFORCE for
applying reaction forces. Use as the GFORCE JFLOAT marker.

Road reference marker - Identify the origin and orientation of the road.
Use as the GFORCE RM marker.

You must locate and orient the MARKER statements as described in MARKER
Locations and Orientations.
GFORCE (1)
Apply the tire force and moments to the wheel part.
DIFF (2)
Integrate internal tire states for lag effects.
REQUEST (Up to 11) Output tire kinematics and forces (longitudinal slip, slip angle, camber angle,
contact patch forces, and moments). For more information, see Performing
Simulations and Viewing Results.
STRING (5)
Identify the tire property file, road property file, and other miscellaneous
information.
Note:
ARRAY (1)
The STRING for "contact type" is required for Adams to correctly

create the STI tire, but it does not change the contact method, which
is based entirely on the road model.
Holds the IDs of the GFORCE, DIFF, and STRING statements.
Defining Tires
MARKER Locations and Orientations

Marker statements
required in dataset:
Wheel center marker
Location and orientation:

Because the tire applies forces to the wheel center marker, you must define
the wheel center so that it belongs to the wheel part and is located at the
wheel center. You orient the wheel center as follows:
x-axis lies in the wheel plane and points in the forward direction of the
wheel.
y-axis lies along the wheel's spin axis and points towards the left side of
the vehicle.
z-axis lies in the wheel plane and points upward.
Road floating marker
The tire applies the reaction forces to the road floating marker. The road
floating marker must belong to the road part, usually ground, and must be
defined as FLOATING. Because the marker floats, you do not enter a
location or orientation.
Road reference marker
The road reference marker gives the location and orientation of the road.
You define the road reference marker so that it belongs to the road part,
usually ground. In addition, the road reference markers z-axis must be
directed upward, meaning the z-axis is parallel to, but points in the opposite
direction of, the gravity vector.
Locations of the points on the road contained in the road property file are
given relative to this marker. Generally, the road reference marker should
be located on the road surface and below the wheel center by approximately
the static loaded radius of the tire.
Example Dataset
This section gives you an example dataset fragment that includes a complete set of statements for a single
tire. The example is based on the following assumptions:
PART/21 is the wheel and PART/99 is ground.
The orientations assume that the ground part's x-axis points towards the rear of the vehicle, the
y-axis points towards the right side of the vehicle, and the z-axis points upward.
!
adams_view_name='wheel_center_marker'
MARKER/1
, PART=21
, QP = 0,0,0
, REU = 180D, 0D, 0D
!
adams_view_name='road_floating_marker'
MARKER/2
12 Adams/Tire
Defining Tires
, PART = 99
, FLOATING
!
adams_view_name='road_reference_marker'
MARKER/3
, PART = 99
!
adams_view_name='tire_forces'
GFORCE/1
, I = 1
, JFLOAT = 2
, RM = 3
, FUNCTION = USER(900,1,100)/
, ROUTINE=abgTire::gfo900
!
adams_view_name='tire_force_dif1'
DIFF/2
, IC = 0
, ROUTINE=abgTire::dif900
!
adams_view_name='tire_force_dif2'
DIFF/3
, IC = 0
, ROUTINE=abgTire::dif900
!Map for GFORCE/DIFF USER Functions:
!----------------------------------!par(1): dispatcher branch for tire request (always 900).
!par(2): tire GFORCE statement id.
!par(3): tire ARRAY statement id.
!
adams_view_name='tire_input_array'
ARRAY/100
,IC
,SIZE=9
,NUM= 2, 3, 1, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 0
!array[ 1] : 1st DIFF statement id
!array[ 2] : 2nd DIFF statement id
!array[ 3] : side flag (0 left, 1 right)
!array[ 4] : tire_minor_role STRING id
!array[ 5] : tire_property_file STRING id
!array[ 6] : simulation_type STRING id
!array[ 7] : road_property_file STRING id
!array[ 8] : road_contact_type STRING id
!array[ 9] : RIGID_WHEEL Radius (SUSPENSION analysis tire only)
!
adams_view_name='tire_rolling_states'
REQUEST/1,
, FUNCTION = USER(902,1,1)
!
adams_view_name='tire_kinematic_states_ISO'
REQUEST/2,
!
Defining Tires
adams_view_name='tire_forces_contact_patch_ISO'
REQUEST/3,
!Map for REQUEST USER Functions:
!------------------------------!par(1) = branch for tire request (always 902).
!par(2) = reqtyp = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7.8.9.10,11}
!par(3) = tire GFORCE statement id.
!String Statements Description of use:
!-----------------!
!
adams_view_name='tire_minor_role'
! Used by Adams/Car to determine minor role (for example, FRONT or
REAR).
STRING/99
,S=front
! adams_view_name='tire_property_file'
! Used by TYRxxx routines. Name of tire property file including
full path that
! contains tire data or 'RIGID_WHEEL' for use in a suspension
analysis.
STRING/100
,S=mdi_tire01.tir
!
adams_view_name='simulation_type'
! Used by Adams/Car to determine analysis to be performed one of
'VEHICLE_HANDLING_DYNAMIC'
or 'SUSPENSION'
STRING/101
,S=VEHICLE_HANDLING_DYNAMIC
!
adams_view_name='road_property_file'
! Used by ARCxxx routines. Name of road property file including
full path that
! contains road data or 'BEDPLATE' for a flat, rigid road used
! with suspension analysis.
STRING/102
,S=example_2d_flat.rdf
! adams_view_name='road_contact_type'
! handling/durability
!
STRING/103
, STRING =handling
Defining Tires in Adams/View

Adams/View provides a dialog box that introduces a tire-wheel assembly in your model. You can also
use the dialog box to create a road.
14 Adams/Tire
Defining Tires
Creating a Tire-Wheel Assembly

Creating a Road
Creating a Tire-Wheel Assembly

To create a tire-wheel assembly in Adams/View:
1. Do one of the following:

From the Create Forces Palette and Tool Stack, select the Tire
tool.
From the Build menu, point to Forces, and then select Special Force: Tire.
Defining Tires
The Create Wheel and Tire dialog box appears with options that allow you to introduce the
wheel inertia, tire property file, and side of the vehicle.
2. Enter the values as desired to define the tire, and then select OK. Learn more with Create/Modify
Wheel and Tire dialog box help.
Creating a Road
If your model includes tires, you must specify a road because each tire must reference a road. The road
determines the surface friction, bumps, and other inputs to tires.
16 Adams/Tire
Defining Tires
To create the road:
1. Display the Create Wheel and Tire dialog box as explained in step 1 above.
2. Right-click the Road text box, point to vpg_road, and then select Create.
The Create Road dialog box appears.
3. Enter the values as desired, and then select OK. Learn more about the values with Create/Modify
Road dialog box help..
Note:
This dialog box generates a tire interface based on the general-state equation subroutine. A
more simple interface is shown in Defining Tires Using Adams/Solver.
Defining Wheel Inertia

The input values for the wheel part inertia are different depending on the tire model you are using. There
are differences among the tire models in the Adams/Tire Handling Module, including Adams/Tire
Motorcycle Tire, and FTire, as explained in the next sections:
Adams/Tire Handling and Motorcycle Modules
Adams/Tire FTire
Defining Tires
Adams/Tire Handling and Motorcycle Modules

For tire models in the Adams/Tire Handling Module and the Pacejka Motorcycle Tire model, the inertia
given for the wheel part must be equal to the total inertia of the tire and the rim.
Adams/Tire FTire
In FTire, a part of the tire can move with respect to the rim. Therefore, the tire mass and moments of
inertia have to be split into two parts: a part that is moving with the rim (wheel part) and a part that is
moving with the tire itself. This subdivision is performed during preprocessing of the tire property (.tir)
file. When a simulation begins with FTire, the following lines appear in the .msg file:
CTI: add the following mass properties to the rim in your MBS
model
CTI: (the 'rim-fixed' tire parts which are not accounted for in
FTire):
The inertia data printed after this message has to be added to the rim inertia and used to defined the wheel
part inertia. Modification of the wheel part is not done automatically.
18 Adams/Tire
Simulations and Results

Performing Simulations
Once you have incorporated the required statements for modeling a tire into your dataset, you can submit
the dataset for simulation. If you have Adams/Car installed, you can submit your dataset to the
Adams/Car version of Adams/Solver, or you can create an Adams/Solver user library and then run your
simulation using this library and standard Adams/Solver.
To submit your dataset to the Adams/Car version of Adams/Solver, do one of the
following:
In a command window, submit your dataset for simulation using the following commands:
For UNIX, enter:
mdadams2010 -c acar ru-solver

For Windows, enter:
mdadams2010 acar ru-solver
On Windows, from the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to MD
Adams 2010, point to ACar, and then select Adams - Car (solver).
On UNIX, from the Adams Toolbar, right-click the Adams/Car
tool, and then select
Adams/Car - Solver.
Note:
You can also set the Adams/Car tool on the Adams Toolbar to automatically run
Adams/Car with Adams/Solver. For more on the Adams Toolbar see Configuring Adams.
To create an Adams/Solver user library:

1. Copy the file install_dir/solver/atire/atire.f to your local directory.
2. Using atire.f, create a user Adams/Solver library:
a. In a command window, enter the command, where mysol.dll is the name of the library:
For UNIX, enter:
mdadams2010 -c cr-user n atire.f -n mysol.dll exit

For Windows, enter:
mdadams2010 cr-user n atire.f -n mysol.dll exit

b. On Windows, from the Start button, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to
MD Adams 2010, point to ASolver, and then select Create Custom Solver. Follow the menu
selections to create a private or site library. For more information see Creating User Libraries.
c. On UNIX, from the Adams Toolbar, right-click the Adams/Solver

tool, point to New,
and then select Adams/Solver User Library. Enter the parameters to define how to create the
library. For more information see Creating User Libraries in Running and Configuring Adams.
Note:
On Windows, you can now enter the FORTRAN file directly without first compiling it.
To submit your dataset to Adams/Solver using your Adams/Solver user library:

In a command window, submit your dataset for simulation using the following command
(assuming your library was mysol):
a. For UNIX, enter:
mdadams2010 -c ru-user i mysol
b. For Windows, enter:
mdadams2010 -c ru-user i mysol
On Windows, from the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MSC.Software, point to MD
Adams 2010, point to ASolver, and then select Run Custom Solver. Enter the name of the
library you want to run.
On UNIX, from the Adams Toolbar, right-click the Adams/Solver
tool, point to Select
Library, and then select a library, such as mysol.

Note:
You can also set the AdamsAdams/Solver tool on the Adams Toolbar to automatically run
with your user library. For more on the Adams Toolbar, see Running and Configuring
Adams.
Outputting Results
If you combine requests with a USER function, you can output tire results to the request (.req) and results
(.res) files. The form of the request statement is:
REQUEST/id
, FUNCTION = USER(902, REQTYP, TIR_ID)/
, ROUTINE = abgTire::req902
where:
902 - Branch flag for tire request subroutine.
REQTYP - Integer code fixing the information output to the request file. Valid values are
{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11}. The output for each value of REQTYP is described in the table, Tire
Outputs.
TIR_ID - Tire GFORCE statement ID.
For information on the axis systems and sign conventions for these outputs, see About Axis Systems and
Sign Conventions.
20 Adams/Tire
Example of a request in a dataset.
Tire Outputs
Output:
Tire rolling states
REQTYP
Request:
1
Component definitions:
x = rolling radius
y=
(rad/sec)
z=
free (rad/sec)
is the actual angular velocity about the wheel's axis, while

free is the velocity of the wheel's axle center divided by
the radius to the instantaneous center of rotation. The
difference between the two is, therefore, a measure of the slip
when the vehicle is accelerating or decelerating.
Tire kinematic properties 2
in TYDEX-W axis (ISO)
system.
x = longitudinal slip (%)

y = lateral slip angle (degrees)
z = inclination angle (degrees)
Tire contact patch forces 3

in TYDEX-W axis (ISO)
system
x = longitudinal force (model units)

y = lateral force (model units)
z = vertical force (model units)
r1 = residual overturning moment (model units)
r2 = rolling resistance moment (model units)
r3 = aligning moment (model units)
Tire contact patch forces 4

in SAE axis system

r1 = residual overturning moment (model units)
Output:
REQTYP
Request:
Tire kinematic properties 5

in SAE axis system
x = longitudinal slip (%)
y = lateral slip angle (radians)
z = inclination angle (radians)
Forces at hub, in
TYDEX-C axis system

r1 = overturning moment (model units)
Miscellaneous tire states 7

#1
x = longitudinal lag (du/dt)*

y = lateral lag (du/dt)*
z = longitudinal coefficient of friction
r1 = lateral coefficient of friction
r2 = FXMAX = DX + SVX (peak
shift)
r3 = FYMAX = DY + SVY (peak
shift)

#2
from Pacejka + vertical

from Pacejka + vertical
x = pneumatic trail *
y = residual aligning moment at contact patch in ISO
z = FX moment arm*
r1= longitudinal relaxation length*
r2 = lateral relaxation length*
r3 = gyroscopic moment*

#3
x = inclination angle induced side force*

y = surface friction
22 Adams/Tire
Output:
REQTYP
Request:

#4
x = distance traveled*
y = effective plane height*
z = effective plane angle*
r1= effective plane curvature*
r2 = contact length*
Contact patch locations

(the contact patch
location along the plane
of the tire in the
GFORCE reference
markers coordinate
system.)
10
Hub and wheel velocities 11
x = road contact point X location

y = road contact point Y location
z = road contact point Z location
r1 = tire radial penetration into the road surface
r2 = tire radial penetration velocity into the road surface
x = hub longitudinal velocity in wheel carrier (TYDEX-C)
axis system
y = tire longitudinal velocity at the contact patch in the
contact patch axis system
z = tire lateral velocity at the contact patch in the contact
patch axis system
About Axis Systems and Sign Conventions

The following sections describe the tire axis systems and the sign conventions for tire kinematic and force
outputs.
Tire Axis Systems
About Tire Kinematic and Force Outputs
Sign Conventions for Tire Outputs
Tire Axis Systems

The following sections describe the ISO coordinate systems to which Adams/Tire conforms. The ISO
coordinates are shown as follows:
ISO-C (TYDEX C) Axis System
ISO-W (TYDEX W) Contact-Patch Axis System
Road Reference Marker Axis System
ISO-C (TYDEX C) Axis System

The TYDEX STI specifies the use of the ISO-C axis system for calculating translational and rotational
velocities, and for outputting the force and torque at the tire hub.
The properties of the ISO-C axis system are:
The origin of the ISO-C axis system lies at the wheel center.
The + x-axis is parallel to the road and lies in the wheel plane.
The + y-axis is normal to the wheel plane and, therefore, parallel to the wheels spin axis.
The + z-axis lies in the wheel plane and is perpendicular to x and y (such as z = x x y).
24 Adams/Tire
TYDEX-C Axis System Used in Adams/Tire
ISO-W (TYDEX W) Contact-Patch Axis System

The properties of the ISO-W (TYDEX W) axis system are:
The origin of the ISO-W contact-patch system lies in the local road plane at the tire contact
point.
The + x-axis lies in the local road plane along the intersection of the wheel plane and the local
road plane.
The + z-axis is perpendicular (normal) to the local road plane and points upward.
The + y-axis lies in the local road plane and is perpendicular to the + x-axis and + z-axis (such as
y = z x x).
TYDEX W-Axis System Used in Adams/Tire
Road Reference Marker Axis System

The road reference marker axis system is the underlying coordinate system that Adams/Tire uses
internally. For example, the tire translational displacement and local road normal for a three-dimensional
road are expressed in the axis system of the road reference marker.
The properties of the reference marker axis system are:
The GFORCE reference marker defines the axis system.
The + z-axis points upward.
About Tire Kinematic and Force Outputs

Adams/Tire calculates the kinematic quantities of slip angle, inclination angle, and longitudinal slip.
These are based on the location, orientation, and velocity of the tire relative to the road. In turn,
Adams/Tire calculates the forces and moments of the tire using the tire kinematics as inputs to the tire
mode you select.
Sign Conventions for Tire Outputs

The table below, Conventions for Naming Variables, and the figure, ISO Coordinate System, show the
sign conventions for tire kinematic and force outputs.
26 Adams/Tire
Conventions for Naming Variables

Variable name and
abbreviation:
Slip angle
Inclination
angle
Longitudinal
slip
Description:
The angle formed between the direction of travel (velocity) of
the center of the tire contact patch and the ISO-W: x-axis. If
the wheel-travel direction has a component in the ISO-W: +y
direction, a is positive. This produces a negative lateral force
(Fy). Note that the steer angle, or the vehicle attitude angle,
plays no part in defining the slip angle.
The angle formed between the ISO-W: x-z plane and the
wheel plane. If the wheel plane has a component lying in the
direction of ISO-W, the inclination angle is positive.
(WactualWfree)/Wfree
The ratio of the longitudinal-slip velocity of the contact patch

to the longitudinal velocity of the wheel. The longitudinal slip
is positive during acceleration of a moving tire and negative
during braking. Longitudinal slip is limited to the range -1 to
+1.
Longitudinal
force at
contact patch
Fx
The x-component of the force exerted by the road or tire.
Lateral force
at contact
patch
Fy
The y-component of the force exerted by the road or tire.

Lateral force may be produced by one or any combination of
the following: slip angle, inclination angle, conicity, or
plysteer.
Normal force
at contact
patch
Fz
The z-component of the force exerted by the road or tire. The

direction of this force is up.
Overturning
moment at
contact patch
Mx
The moment of the forces at the contact patch acting on the

tire by the road with respect to the ISO-W: x-axis.
Rolling
resistance
moment
My

tire by the road with respect to the y-axis.
Aligning
moment
Mz

tire by the road with respect to the z-axis.
Spin axis
Spin Axis
The axis about which the wheel rotates. Perpendicular to the

wheel plane, not necessarily about the ISO-C: y-axis (only if
inclination angle is zero).
The central
Wheel plane
plane of the
tire and wheel
The wheel plane is normal to the wheel spin axis.
Variable name and

abbreviation:
Description:
Wheel
ISO W:X
heading along
road
This is not the same as the direction in which the wheel is

traveling. If the tire reverses its direction, the axis system flips
180 degrees about the z'-axis.
Direction to
the left along
the road
ISO W:Y
The direction to the left along ground as viewed from behind

a forward rolling tire. Expressed as right-hand orthogonal to
the definitions of x' and z' (such as y = Z x X).
Z-coordinate
ISO W:Z
Perpendicular to the road in the neighborhood of the origin of

the tire axis system in a positive (downward) direction. (If the
road is flat and in the x-y plane, this is negative global z.)
ISO Coordinate System
28 Adams/Tire
Units Supported in Tire Property Files

Tire Property File
A tire property file specifies what kind of tire model Adams/Tire should use. The tire property file
contains the data that defines the tire's force and moment characteristics. The amount and kind of data
varies according to the type of tire model you use. A STRING statement in the Adams dataset holds the
name of the tire property file.
Road Property File

A road property file contains data that defines the road surface and coefficient of friction. The road can
be flat or have a three-dimensional surface represented as triangular patches. A STRING statement in the
Adams dataset provides the name of the road property file.
Units
The following tables list the valid choices for the parameters in the UNITS section of a tire property file.
Note the following:
You must enter the choices in single quotes, such as 'METER' for meter.
The choices are case-insensitive. Therefore, 'MeTeR,' 'meter,' and 'METER' are all equivalent.
The strings are limited to 12 characters and the minimum abbreviation is shown in the tables. So,
for example, 'millisecond' is valid and is interpreted as 'MILLI.

Note:
For some tire models, the [UNITS] section is not applied consistently to all tire parameters.
The exceptions are the Magic Formula coefficients for the Pacejka 89 and 94 model and
spline data for the 521 model, where the unit conversion factors have to be defined
explicitly.
Length Units
The unit:
Can be abbreviated:
Kilometers
'KM'
Meters
'METER'
Centimeters 'CM'
Millimeters
'MM'
Miles
'MILE'
Feet
'FOOT'
Inches
'IN'
Time Units
The unit:
Can be abbreviated:
Milliseconds 'MILLI'
Seconds
'SEC'
Minutes
'MIN'
Hours
'HOUR'
Angle Units
The units: Can be abbreviated:
Degrees
'DEG'
Radians
'RAD'
Mass Units
The unit:
Can be abbreviated:
Kilograms
'KG'
Grams
'GRAM'
Pound-Mass
'POUND_MASS'
Kilo-Pound-Mass 'KPOUND_MASS'
Slugs
'SLUG'
Ounce-mass
OUNCE_MASS'
Force Units
The unit:
Can be abbreviated:
Kilograms-Force
KG_FORCE'
Newtons
'NEWTON' or 'N'
Kilo-Newtons
'KNEWTON' or 'KN'
Pounds-force
'POUND_FORCE'
Kilo-Pound-Force
'KPOUND_FORCE'
2
Dynes (gram-cm/sec )
DYNE'
Ounce-force
'OUNCE_FORCE'
30 Adams/Tire
PAC2002 Tire Data and Fitting Tool (TDFT)

The PAC2002 Tire Data and Fitting Tool (TDFT) calculates PAC2002 tire model parameters out of tire
measurement data or virtual test data for steady-state pure and combined slip conditions including the
possibility to visualize/modify tire characteristics.
Tires added to the Tire Data Tool can be saved to a tire database file. This file stores all data used for the
tire parameter identification and tire characteristic visualization. Each tire in the tire database can be
exported to a PAC2002 tire property file that can be used with Adams/Tire.
In addition:
The Tire Data and Fitting Tool offers you the possibility to switch to the PAC2002 tire model by
using virtual tire test data from another tire model. Virtual test data may be generated using the
Adams/Car Tire Testrig.
The Tire Data and Fitting Tool offers the user the possibility to modify the tire characteristics
and to create a new tire property file.

Same PAC2002 tire model is used for both tire parameter identification and Adams simulation.
A scheme of the Tire Data and Fitting Tool or Tyre Data and Fitting Tool is shown below.
Following Sections explain how to:

1. Create a measurement input data file for the tire parameter identification process:
2. Perform PAC2002 tire parameter identification:
3. Verification of calculated tire parameters versus measurement data:
4. Plotting tire characteristics:
1. Create a measurement input data file for the tire parameter identification process:
This Section explains how to create a measurement/virtual data input file. The TDFT uses the following
3 keys to identify pure and combined slip measurement data in the measurement data file:
1. [FX_PURE] - Pure longitudinal slip (kappa) versus longitudinal force (Fx) data.
2. [FYMZ_PURE] - Pure lateral slip (alpha) versus lateral force (Fy) and/or self-aligning torque
(Mz) data.
3. [FXYMZ_COMBINED] - Combined longitudinal and lateral slip versus longitudinal, lateral
and self-aligning torque data.
Note:
It is important that measurement data is expressed in ISO coordinates. (See also Axis
Systems and Slip Definitions in PAC2002 Tire Model.).
An example measurement data file containing measurement data for both pure and combined slip
conditions 'fm_data_example_tdft.txt' can be found in following directory
<adams_install>/acar/shared_car_database.cdb/tires.tbl.
Following Figures show some typical tire characteristics expressed in ISO coordinates and also show the
sign convention used in the TDFT for longitudinal, lateral force and self-aligning torque. The curves are
created using the example measurement data file fm_data_example_tdft.txt.
32 Adams/Tire
Figure 1
Pure slip condition: longitudinal slip (kappa) versus longitudinal force (Fx).
Figure 2
Pure slip condition: lateral slip (alpha) versus lateral force (Fy).
Figure 3
Pure slip condition: lateral slip (alpha) versus self-aligning torque (Mz).
Each measurement/virtual input data file must consist of 7 columns:

1. Lateral Slip (alpha)
2. Longitudinal Slip (kappa)
3. Inclination Angle (camber)
4. Vertical Load (fz)
5. Longitudinal Force (fx)
6. Lateral Force (fy)
7. Self-Aligning Torque (mz)
which must be placed in Sections starting with [FX_PURE] for pure longitudinal slip data,
[FYMZ_PURE] for pure lateral slip data and [FXYMZ_COMBINED] for combined slip data.
See also fm_data_example_tdft.txt for an example:
[FX_PURE]
{ alpha
kappa
camber
0.0000000e+000 -1.0000000e+000 0.0000000e+000

0.0000000e+000 -9.9900000e-001
0.0000000e+000 -9.9800000e-001
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000
fz
fx
2.0000000e+003 -1.8423142e+003
2.0000000e+003 -1.8423986e+003
2.0000000e+003 -1.8424832e+003
fy
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000
mz
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000
The order of the measurement/virtual data signals must be specified. It is possible to do this for each
measurement/virtual data Section by adding Section [FX_PURE_SIGNALS],
34 Adams/Tire
[FYMZ_PURE_SIGNALS] or [FXYMZ_COMBINED_SIGNALS] before each measurement/virtual

data Section, for example.
$---------------------------------------------------------------units
[FX_PURE_SIGNALS]
ALPHA
= 1
KAPPA
= 2
CAMBER
= 3
FZ
= 4
FX
= 5
FY
= 6
MZ
= 7
$----------------------------------------------------------------fx_pure
[FX_PURE]
{ alpha
kappa
camber
fz
fx
fy
mz
0.0000000e+000 -1.0000000e+000 0.0000000e+000
2.0000000e+003 -1.8423142e+003
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000 -9.9900000e-001
0.0000000e+000
2.0000000e+003 -1.8423986e+003
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000 -9.9800000e-001
0.0000000e+000
2.0000000e+003 -1.8424832e+003
0.0000000e+000
0.0000000e+000
It is also possible to define a Section [SIGNALS] that specifies the order of the measurement
data/virtual data signals for all measurement/virtual data Sections, for example.
$----------------------------------------------------------------units
[SIGNALS]
ALPHA
= 1
KAPPA
= 2
CAMBER
= 3
FZ
= 4
FX
= 5
FY
= 6
MZ
= 7
If the Section [SIGNALS] is present, the Sections [FX_PURE_SIGNALS],

[FYMZ_PURE_SIGNALS] and [FXYMZ_COMBINED_SIGNALS] will be ignored.
Note:
It is not necessary to store all data in a single file. Multiple measurement data files can be
used as input to the TDFT.
2. Perform PAC2002 tire parameter identification:

This Section explains how to add measurement data to a tire and how to perform the PAC2002 tire
parameter identification by means of an example.
To start the PAC2002 Tire Data and Fitting Tool in Adams/Car:
1. From the Simulate menu, point to Component Analysis, and then select PAC2002 Tire Data
and Fitting Tool
Figure 4
2. Create an empty tire by selecting File -> Create New Tire Property (default values) from the
menu bar (see red arrow in Figure 4). Default values are specified in
<adams_install>/acar/shared_car_database.cdb/tires.tbl/tdft_template.tir
It is also possible to use an existing PAC2002 tire property file as a base for the tire identification
process to add new and/or overwrite existing tire parameters. To import a tire property file, select
File -> Open Tire Property and Add to Tire Database from the menu bar.
Note:
You set the environment variable TDFT_TEMPLATE_PATH to overwrite the default

location of tdft_template.tir (which is the Adams/Car Shared Tires Database).
36 Adams/Tire
Figure 5
PAC2002 TDFT; Create an empty tire
3. It is important to verify that following parameters are specified because these parameters are used
in the PAC2002 tire model to make the tire parameters dimensionless:
Under entry Vertical in the left column (see red arrow in Figure 5): FNOMIN ($Nominal wheel
load)
Under entry Dimension in the left column (see red arrow in Figure 5): UNLOADED RADIUS
($Free tire radius)
4. Select the tire by clicking on the top of the tire data column (1). Click on the Tire Fit button (see
red arrow in Figure 6) in the PAC2002 Tire Data and Fitting Tool or select Run -> Tire Fit from
the menu bar to start the Tire Fit Tool.
Figure 6
PAC2002 TDFT; Starting PAC2002 Tire Fit
38 Adams/Tire
Figure 7
PAC2002 TDFT; PAC2002 Tire Fit
5. Figure 7 shows the Tire Fitting Tool. Clicking on the available entries to the left, start values and
lower/upper boundaries for each parameter of the identification process are shown and may be
modified, see Figure 8.
Default values are specified in
<adams_install>/acar/shared_car_database.cdb/tires.tbl/tdft_template.tir.
Figure 8
PAC2002 TDFT; start values and lower/upper bounderies
6. Select Add Measurements (see red arrow in Figure 9) and add the measurement data files to the
Measurement File(s) Table. See
<adams_install>/acar/shared_car_database.cdb/tires.tbl/fm_data_example_tdft.txt for an
example measurement data file containing steady-state force and moment measurement data for
pure and combined slip conditions.
Figure 9
PAC2002 TDFT; start values and lower/upper bounderies
7. If measurement data for both pure and combined slip conditions is available, select
Characteristic = All under Fitting Parameters and click on Start. Now, all tire characteristics will
be fitted in following order:
a. Fx_pure
b. Fy_pure
c. Mz_pure
d. Fx_combined
e. Fy_combined
f. Mz_combined
It is also possible to fit each tire characteristic separately if not all measurement data is available.
Select the desired Characteristic under Fitting Parameters.
Force/Moment expressions for the combined slip conditions are based on the expressions for the
pure slip conditions. Therefore, the force and/or moment for pure slip conditions need to be fitted
first before fitting the combined slip conditions.
40 Adams/Tire
Note:
Fy (and Fx in case of combined slip conditions) needs to be fitted before Mz because
the Mz formulation depends on the lateral force Fy.

The .log files in the working directory show the result of the tire identification process.
The fit error (=100*sqrt(((measurement data)^2 - (model

data)^2)/(measurement_data)^2) ) and variations of each tire parameter are shown.
The X[0], X[1], X[2], etc are the tire parameters that are identified and could be seen in
the log file generated in your working directory. For instance, if you perform a tire fit
for the FX_PURE coefficients then following parameters are being identified (see also
pac2002_205_55R16_tdft.tir, Section Longitudinal_Coefficients):
PCX1
PDX1
PDX2
PDX3
PEX1
PEX2
PEX3
PEX4
PKX1
PKX2
PKX3
PHX1
PHX2
PVX1
PVX2
PTX1
PTX2
PTX3
PTX4
= 1.3178
= 1.0455
= 0.063954
=0
= 0.15798
= 0.41141
= 0.1487
= 3.0004
= 23.181
= -0.037391
= 0.80348
= -0.00058264
= -0.0037992
= 0.045118
= 0.058244
= 0.85683
= 0.00011176
= -1.3131
= 0.1
$Shape factor Cfx for longitudinal force

$Longitudinal friction Mux at Fznom
$Variation of friction Mux with load
$Variation of friction Mux with camber
$Longitudinal curvature Efx at Fznom
$Variation of curvature Efx with load
$Variation of curvature Efx with load squared
$Factor in curvature Efx while driving
$Longitudinal slip stiffness Kfx/Fz at Fznom
$Variation of slip stiffness Kfx/Fz with load
$Exponent in slip stiffness Kfx/Fz with load
$Horizontal shift Shx at Fznom
$Variation of shift Shx with load
$Vertical shift Svx/Fz at Fznom
$Variation of shift Svx/Fz with load
$Relaxation length SigKap0/Fz at Fznom
$Variation of SigKap0/Fz with load
$Variation of SigKap0/Fz with exponent of load
You can find these parameters under the entry Longitudinal in the left column of the
PAC2002 Tire Fit Tool as well. Please note that both pure and combined slip
parameters are shown. The order of the parameters logged in the log file is the same as
in the Longitudinal entry of the PAC2002 Tire Fit Tool. This is also applicable for other
tire characteristics.
8. The next step will be to verify the calculated tire parameters versus measurement data and to
generate a tire property file which will be discussed in next Section.
3. Verification of calculated tire parameters versus measurement data:
In this Section you'll learn how to verify the resulting tire model parameters by graphically comparing
measurement/virtual test data to the PAC2002 model.
Force/Moment characteristics are by default created using the embedded plotter and can be exported to
Adams/Postprocessor by selecting Plot -> Adams/PPT under Plot Parameters.
Select Settings -> Plot Units to change the default plot units (SI).
1. Select Measurement Data = Yes under Plot Parameters, see Figure 10.
This means that measurement data (as added to the tire for the tire parameter identification
process) is plotted against PAC2002 model data. Longitudinal (kappa), lateral (alpha) slip data,
inclination angle (camber) and vertical tire load (Fz) extracted from the measurement data files
will be used as input to the PAC2002 tire model and the resulting forces/moment will be plotted
against measured forces/moment.
2. Select Slip Condition = Pure under Plot Parameters, see Figure 9.
Set Slip Condition to Pure to plot pure slip tire characteristics (that is, only braking/traction or
only cornering) or set Slip Condition to Combined to plot combined slip tire characteristics (that
is, cornering while braking/driving).
3. Select X-axis = Longitudinal Slip and select Y-axis = Fx to plot the longitudinal slip-force
characteristic versus measurement data for pure slip conditions.
4. Click on Tire Plot in the Main GUI (see red arrow in Figure 9) or select Run - > Tire Plot from
the menu bar to plot the PAC2002 tire model results versus measurement data. Plots are by default
created using the embedded plotter.
Click on Clear Tire Plot(s) or select Run -> Clear Tire Plot(s) to remove the plots from the
embedded plot window.
Figure 11 shows the resulting longitudinal slip-force characteristic versus measurement data for
pure slip conditions using Adams/Postprocessor.
42 Adams/Tire
Figure 10
PAC2002 TDFT; Plotting Results
Figure 11
Note:
Longitudinal slip-force characteristic versus measurement data for pure slip

conditions using Adams/Postprocessor
Only the X-axis, Y-axis and Slip Condition need to be selected if Measurement Data is set
to Yes. The other options do not have any effect as input data is taken from the
measurement data files.
5. Table 1 provides more information about selections for Slip Condition, X-axis and Y-axis for
plotting of the tire model results versus measurement data for pure and combined slip conditions.
Table 1
Input selection for plotting of tire model results versus measurement data.
Fx_pure
Fy_pure
Pure
Mz_pure
Slip
Condition
Pure
Combined
Combined
Combined
X-axis
Long. Slip Lat. Slip Angle Lat. Slip Angle Long. Slip
Long. Slip
Long. Slip
Y-axis
Fx
Fy
Mz
Fy
Pure
Fx_combined Fy_combined Mz_combined
Mz
Fx
6. To generate a tire property file, select Save Tire property file (see red arrow in Figure 11) or
select File -> Save Tire Property File from the menu bar.
44 Adams/Tire
Figure 12
PAC2002 TDFT: Save Tire Property File
7. To save the database, that is, calculated tire parameters for a tire, loaded tires and references to
measurement data files, select Save Tire Database (see red arrow in Figure 13) or select File ->
Save Tire Database from the menu bar. Tire Database files can be loaded by clicking on Open
Tire Database which is located next to the Save Tire Database button.
Figure 13
PAC2002 TDFT; Save/Open Tire Database
4. Plotting tire characteristics:

This Section explains how to plot tire characteristics by means of an example (longitudinal slip-force
characteristic) by evaluating the PAC2002 tire model for a given set of input data.
1. Open Tire Property File
<adams_install>/acar/shared_car_database.cdb/tires.tbl/pac2002_205_55R16_tdft in the
PAC2002 Tire Data and Fitting Tool and select the tire by clicking on the first column (1).
46 Adams/Tire
Figure 14
PAC2002 TDFT; Plot Parameters
2. Set Measurement Data = No under the Plot Parameters, see Figure 15. This means that
measurement data (added in Tire Fit) is not used for plotting but only input data entered in the Plot
Parameters is used to evaluate the PAC2002 tire model.
3. Set Slip Condition = pure to plot pure slip tire characteristics (that is, braking/traction without
cornering and vice versa).
To plot tire characteristics for combined slip conditions, set Slip Condition = combined (that is,
cornering while braking/driving).
4. Set X-axis = Longitudinal Slip and set Y-axis = Fx for plotting the longitudinal slip along the
X-axis and longitudinal force along the Y-axis.
5. Set Sweep = Longitudinal Slip. The Sweep variable is varied along each curve.
Input data for Longitudinal Slip can be entered in the Longitudinal Slip input field. Enter -1:0.01:1
to specify a range of values from -1 to 1 using a 0.01 step size.
Other possible input data formats:
0.0
single values
1,2,3
values separated by a comma
6. Set Independent = Vertical Load. The independent variable is constant for each curve. Input
data as shown in Figure 15 will produce 3 curves, one for each vertical load (2000, 4000 and 6000
N.). Input data for the Vertical Load can be entered in the Vertical Load input field, see Figure 13.
Enter: 2000, 4000, 6000.
7. Data for remaining fields must also be entered as this is input to the PAC2002 tire model.
Set Lateral Slip Angle = 0.0.
Set Inclination Angle = 0.0.
For a pure longitudinal slip-force characteristic, the lateral slip will not be used and vice versa.
However, it is recommend to use a single value (for instance 0) for the fields that are not used in
order not to evaluate unnecessary data points and not to increase calculation time.
8. Click on Tire Plot or select Run -> Tire Plot from the menu bar. You can either use the
embedded plotter or Adams/Postprocessor. Figure 15 shows the longitudinal slip-force tire
characteristic for pure slip conditions using Adams/Postprocessor.
Figure 15
Pure slip condition: longitudinal slip (kappa) versus longitudinal force (Fx).
48 Adams/Tire
More examples of typical tire characteristics are shown below:

Measurement Data:
Slip Condition:
X-axis:
Y-axis:
Sweep:
Independent:
No
Pure
Lateral Slip Angle
Fy
Lateral Slip Angle
Vertical Load
Vertical Load:
Longitudinal Slip:
Lateral Slip Angle:
Inclination Angle:
2000, 4000, 6000

0.0
-0.2:0.002:0.2
0.0
Figure 16
slip condition: lateral slip (alpha) versus lateral force (Fy).
Measurement Data:
Slip Condition:
X-axis:
Y-axis:
No
Pure
Lateral Slip Angle
Mz
Sweep:
Independent:
Lateral Slip Angle

Vertical Load
Vertical Load:
Longitudinal Slip:
Lateral Slip Angle:
Inclination Angle:
2000, 4000, 6000

0.0
-0.2:0.002:0.2
0.0
Figure 17
Pure slip condition: lateral slip (alpha) versus self-aligning torque (Mz).
Measurement Data:
Slip Condition:
X-axis:
Y-axis:
Sweep:
Independent:
No
Combined
Fx
Fy
Longitudinal Slip
Lateral Slip Angle
50 Adams/Tire
Vertical Load:
Longitudinal Slip:
Lateral Slip Angle:
Inclination Angle:
Figure 18
2000, 4000, 6000

-1.0:0.01:1.0
-0.2:0.002:0.2
0.0
Combined slip condition: Longitudinal force versus lateral force.
Tire Test Data

High quality of tire test data is the basis of the tire parameter identification. To ensure good tire model
results, tire testing should be performed under realistic tire operating conditions.
An example of a PAC2002 conventional Force and Moment test program is given in following table:
Slip condition
Pure lateral slip
Vertical load
[N]
Fz1, Fz2, Fz3
Slip angle
[deg]
-12 - +12
Inclination angle
[deg]
-5, 0, 5 deg
Long. Slip
[-]
Free rolling
Slip condition
Vertical load
[N]
Slip angle
[deg]
Inclination angle
[deg]
Long. Slip
[-]
Pure longitudinal Slip
Fz1, Fz2, Fz3
- 100% - 0 - 100%
Combined slip
Fz1, Fz2, Fz3
-1, 1, 3, 5, 8
-5, 0, 5 deg
- 100% - 0 - 100%
More information about the tire test data required to calculate PAC2002 tire parameters can be found in
Knowledge Base article 1-KB12543.
52 Adams/Tire

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Learning Adams/Tire

Use and Understanding of Adams/Tire

2. Reference an existing tire property file from:

of tire models, such as the Fiala model.

Understanding Adams/Tire Processes

Flow of Information in Adams/Tire

the STRING statements in the .adm file.

The tire model returns the forces and moments to Adams/Solver.

Defining Tires in Adams/Car

Defining Tires in Adams/Chassis

Tires Tab in Adams/Chassis

Defining Tires in Adams/Solver

Statements Needed for Defining Tires

applying reaction forces. Use as the GFORCE JFLOAT marker.

Use as the GFORCE RM marker.

Apply the tire force and moments to the wheel part.

Integrate internal tire states for lag effects.

The STRING for "contact type" is required for Adams to correctly

Holds the IDs of the GFORCE, DIFF, and STRING statements.

MARKER Locations and Orientations

Location and orientation:

Road floating marker

Road reference marker

Defining Tires in Adams/View

Creating a Tire-Wheel Assembly

Creating a Tire-Wheel Assembly

1. Do one of the following:

To create the road:

Defining Wheel Inertia

Adams/Tire Handling and Motorcycle Modules

Simulations and Results

mdadams2010 -c acar ru-solver

tool, and then select

To create an Adams/Solver user library:

mdadams2010 -c cr-user n atire.f -n mysol.dll exit

mdadams2010 cr-user n atire.f -n mysol.dll exit

c. On UNIX, from the Adams Toolbar, right-click the Adams/Solver

To submit your dataset to Adams/Solver using your Adams/Solver user library:

tool, point to Select

Library, and then select a library, such as mysol.

Example of a request in a dataset.

is the actual angular velocity about the wheel's axis, while

x = longitudinal slip (%)

Tire contact patch forces 3

x = longitudinal force (model units)

Tire contact patch forces 4

x = longitudinal force (model units)

Tire kinematic properties 5

x = longitudinal force (model units)

Miscellaneous tire states 7

x = longitudinal lag (du/dt)*

Miscellaneous tire states 8

from Pacejka + vertical

Miscellaneous tire states 9

x = inclination angle induced side force*

Miscellaneous tire states 14

Contact patch locations

Hub and wheel velocities 11

x = road contact point X location

About Axis Systems and Sign Conventions

Tire Axis Systems

ISO-C (TYDEX C) Axis System

TYDEX-C Axis System Used in Adams/Tire

ISO-W (TYDEX W) Contact-Patch Axis System