The Influence of Rotating Wheels on Total Road Load

Within in the scope of a road load investigation project at FKFS, the influence of rotating wheels on the road load of a passenger car was investigated. For this purpose an approach was developed to measure the ventilation resistance of a spinning wheel. This approach enables a comparison of different wheel sizes and rim designs. Together with aerodynamic drag measurements in the wind tunnel it is possible to evaluate different wheel configurations with respect to their contribution to the road load.

The measuring approach and results of performed measurements are shown in this paper.