To provide a rolling resistance prediction method capable of accurately predicting a rolling resistance.
The rolling resistance prediction method comprises a step S11 of measuring viscoelastic characteristics of a rubber member in a tire by means of a test, a step S12 of calculating a viscoelastic coefficient by approximating the viscoelastic characteristics of the rubber member by a fractional derivative model based on the measured data obtained at the step S11, a step S13 of producing a tire model by modeling the tire with plural elements, and a step S14 of calculating a forward/backward force acting on the produced tire model as a rolling resistance of the tire, through an analysis of rolling the produced tire model on a road surface model. At the step S13, the tire model is produced in such a manner that the viscoelastic coefficient approximated by the fractional derivative model at the step S12 is used as the element corresponding to the rubber member.
Iwa Saki Kokuni
Masakazu Ito
Shunichi Takahashi
Toshio Takamatsu