Effect of ventilation holes and their structures on air drag and heat dissipation of steel wheel

The air drag and the heat dissipation of two steel wheels were simulated by heat-structure coupling method. The effects of ventilation holes and their structures on air drag, air drag moment and the maximum temperature of brake disc and rim were studied. The numerical method to calculate the flow field was validated by experimental results. The study shows that, the differences of air drag and air drag moment between the prototype and the modified wheel can be neglected and the air drag and the air drag moment of both structures change little with time. The maximum temperatures and the average temperatures of brake discs in both wheels fall with time and the maximum disc temperature of modified wheel falls more slowly. The maximum rim temperatures of both wheels rise with time and the modified wheel rises more slowly. These results indicate that the aging of tire can be slow down by modifying the structures of the ventilation holes.