Optimizing Built-in Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors

C. Evans, Schrader Electronics, Ireland

Built-in tire pressure sensors need to be able to withstand the wear and tear of working within a car’s tire rim. Their design needs to be optimized for both sensitivity and strength.

Schrader Electronics built a sensor that works accurately and lasts while operating on a moving tire's rim. They used the Structural Mechanics Module and CAD Import Module of COMSOL Multiphysics to optimize their design. Simulations helped Schrader design sensors that are better able to withstand centrifugal force, temperature change, and many other factors.

Geometry of a Hi-Speed Snap-In Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor (TPMS) that is used to measure tire pressure (top); simulation results showing deformation and stress on the housing (amplified 10x) due to centrifugal force (bottom).