Due to increasingly stringent EU environmental legislation, developing methods to reduce or filter non-exhaust emissions from tires has gained importance. This study investigates the flow behavior of tire dust particles within and beyond the boundary layer behind the turning tire close to its surface. An optical measurement technique – particle image velocimetry (PIV) – was applied to analyze near-surface flow dynamics. The results demonstrate that particles tend to follow the tire surface in a stable manner. It can therefore be concluded that effective mitigation strategies are unlikely to be feasible without introducing additional energy into the system.

• Tire dust
• Fluid mechanics
• Boundary layer
• Particle image velocimetry
• Flow design