IUCRC Phase III University of Akron: Center for Tire Research (CenTiRe)

该奖项是对现有的工业大学合作研究中心-轮胎研究中心(CenTiRe)的第三阶段续展。CenTiRe是弗吉尼亚理工大学和阿克伦大学的合作项目。随着车辆和道路设计的不断进步，对轮胎的性能要求也越来越高。因此，该中心的使命是推动轮胎科学的边界，更好地了解轮胎、路面和车辆之间的复杂相互作用，并应用这些知识来影响轮胎行业的竞争力。为了支持这一使命，弗吉尼亚理工大学(VT)将在轮胎和车辆建模和仿真、轮胎与路面相互作用的表征和建模(力和力矩、摩擦和磨损、噪音和振动)、相关测试设备开发和智能轮胎系统方面开展和传播创新研究和解决方案，阿克伦大学(UA)将在轮胎材料、材料模型、模拟工具、测试设备和制造方法方面提供创新研究。除了其研究工作，该中心还通过直接支持不同群体的研究生和本科生的教育和培训来积极促进科学进步。CenTiRe通过寻找新材料、模型、模拟工具、测试设备和制造方法的解决方案来传播轮胎科学和技术创新。VT在轮胎和车辆工程方面全球闻名，第三阶段的努力将集中在研究上，以更好地了解轮胎性能。这包括：轮胎和车辆动态建模；轮胎-路面相互作用摩擦、磨损和噪音建模；路面轮廓和摩擦力估算；以及增强轮胎性能的材料开发。UA的研究团队与VT的研究团队相辅相成，特别是在材料和可持续发展方面。UA团队利用复杂的非均质动力学来了解填充白炭黑的橡胶在轮胎胎面胶中的性能，将瓶级塑料回收到用于轮胎补强的工业级纤维中，了解道路磨损颗粒的降解，开发可靠的老化模型，以及制造轮胎胎面传感器的3D打印工艺。这些技术解决了未得到满足和未得到充分满足的行业需求所需的路线图，包括全天候牵引力、耐用性和环境影响。CenTiRe网站优先发展一支训练有素的劳动力队伍，为本科生和研究生提供严格的培训，其中许多人来自不同的、代表性不足的群体，包括妇女和少数族裔。中心的社会影响通过K-12教育、REU和外展同样得到重视。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is a Phase III renewal for an existing Industry University Cooperative Research Center - The Center for Tire Research (CenTiRe). CenTiRe is a collaboration between Virginia Tech and the University of Akron. With the advancements made in vehicle as well as road design, the demand on tire performance has increased tremendously. Therefore, the Center’s mission is to push the boundaries of tire science and to better understand the complex interactions between the tire, road surface and the vehicle, and apply this knowledge to impact the competitiveness of the tire industry. To support this mission, the Virginia Tech (VT) site will conduct and disseminate innovative research and solutions in tire and vehicle modeling and simulation, tire-road interaction characterization and modeling (force and moment, friction and wear, noise, and vibration), related test equipment development, and intelligent tire system and the University of Akron (UA) will provide innovative research in tire materials, material models, simulation tools, test equipment, and manufacturing methods. In addition to its research efforts, the Center actively promotes the progress of science by directly supporting the education and training of a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students.CenTiRe disseminates innovations in tire science and technology by finding solutions for new materials, models, simulation tools, test equipment, and manufacturing methods. VT is globally known for tire and vehicle engineering and Phase III efforts will focus on research to better understand tire performance. This includes: tire and vehicle dynamic modeling; tire-road interaction modeling for friction, wear and noise; road profiling and friction estimation; and materials development for enhanced tire performance. The research team at UA complements those at VT particularly in the materials and sustainability thrust areas. UA teams make use of complex heterogenous dynamics in understanding performance of silica filled rubbers in tire tread compounds, recycling bottle grade plastics into technical grade fibers for tire reinforcements, understanding degradation of road wear particles, developing reliable aging model, and 3D printing process for manufacturing tire tread sensors. These technologies address the roadmap required for unmet and underserved industry needs including all-weather traction, durability, and environmental impact. CenTiRe sites prioritize developing a well-trained workforce by providing rigorous training for undergraduate and graduate students, many who come from diverse and underrepresented groups including women and minorities. Center societal impacts are equally emphasized through K-12 education, REU and outreach.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.