Laboratory for Validation of Rolling-Resistance Models

In this paper, a versatile drum setup for measuring rolling resistance of small wheels is presented. The purpose is to provide a flexible setup for testing of models for rolling resistance under controlled circumstances. To demonstrate this, measurements of rolling resistance with a series of sandpapers of different grit sizes representing surface textures were carried out. The measurements show a clear increase in the rolling-resistance coefficient with increasing surface roughness, rolling speed and load. Numerical calculations in the time domain for a visco-elastic contact model run on equivalent surfaces agree with the trends found experimentally. We conclude that this approach to simplifying the experiment in order to obtain a high degree of control, accuracy and repeatability is useful for validating and testing models for calculating the rolling resistance for a given surface texture.