RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN USE OF INFRARED FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE TIRE TESTING

SUBSTANTIAL NEED IN THE TIRE INDUSTRY HAS BROUGHT FORTH AN INTERESTING GROUP OF INFRARED INSTRUMENTS DEVOTED TO OBTAINING THERMAL INFORMATION ABOUT A TIRE. TIRES OFTEN FAIL AS A RESULT OF FRICTION-GENERATED HEAT BUILDUP IN A LOCALIZED AREA. THEREFORE, INVESTIGATORS NEED TO MONITOR THIS BUILDUP NOT ONLY FOR DESIGN PURPOSES BUT TO STOP A TEST BEFORE THE TIRE IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED THUS RENDERING FAILURE ANALYSIS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THREE CATEGORIES OF INSTRUMENTS ARE CURRENTLY BEING USED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND INDUSTRY FOR EXAMINING TIRES: TRANSIENT PHENOMENA RADIOMETERS, STEADY STATE RADIATION THERMOMETERS, AND IMAGING SYSTEMS. EACH IS DESCRIBED HEREIN; EXAMPLES OF READOUTS ARE GIVEN; AND THEIR RELATIVE MERITS ARE DISCUSSED. A PARAMETRIC COMPARISON IS MADE AND AN INSIGHT INTO THE REASON BEHIND DEVELOPMENT OF THESE DEVICES IS ALSO DISCUSSED. /AUTHOR/