On wet roads, hydroplaning is a key topic for vehicle safety that occurs when a tire starts losing contact with the road surface due to water build-up, significantly impacting braking and handling performance. As speed increases, the hydrodynamic pressure increases, leading to tire contact patch surface loss. As part of Michelin’s SmartGrip initiative, this study investigates a non-intrusive, real-time method to estimate tire surface contact loss due to hydroplaning using tire design parameters and vehicle dynamics. The approach leverages Michelin’s expertise in tire mechanics to enhance vehicle safety systems without requiring additional sensors.

• The physics behind the hydroplaning phenomenon
• Measurement data needed to evaluate hydroplaning
• How to avoid the use of additional sensors for hydroplaning detection
• The principle of the detection algorithm and its performance