Numerical Simulation Of Vehicle Hydroplaning And Skid Resistance On Grooved Pavement.

The primary objective of this research is to study the characteristics of hydroplaning and skid resistance of passenger cars and trucks on highway pavements by means of numerical simulation. The first part of research deals with the study of hydroplaning of smooth vehicular tires on pavements with various surface groove patterns. The simulations were performed using the computational fluid dynamics software FLUENT. The second part of the study involves the simulation of wet pavement skid resistance measurements of smooth vehicular tires on grooved pavements. The three-dimensional finite element simulation model was developed using computer software ADINA. Simulation analysis reveals that pavement grooving helps in raising skid resistance, lowering breaking distances and raising hydroplaning speed thereby lowering the risk of wet-weather accidents for both passenger cars and trucks. The research has demonstrated that the analytical simulation model is a convenient tool for predicting wet-pavement skid resistance and hydroplaning speed.