Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
 | 
Online Publication Date: 01 Dec 2008

Thin-Film Heat Flux Sensor for Measuring the Film Coefficient of Rubber Components of a Rolling Tire

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Page Range: 275 – 289
DOI: 10.2346/1.2999702
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Abstract

Heat flux is one of a number of parameters, together with pressure, temperature, flow, etc., of interest to tire engineers, engine designers and fluid dynamicists. The ability to measure heat flux magnitude and direction was incorporated into a resistance bridge design fabricated using thin-film techniques to allow fast response. The result is a sensor that does not need the large area and stiff packaging required for the thermopile design, nor does it have a low output, but has nearly as fast response. The development of this sensor offers a new laboratory procedure to establish heat transfer coefficients for different regions of a tire. Testing generated heat transfer coefficients that were within the range reported in the literature, and the numerically predicted temperatures from this data agree well with the experimentally generated values.

Keywords: tires; heat flux; thin films; heat transfer coefficients; measuring instruments
Copyright: The Tire Society
FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.

Thermopile-based thin-film heat flux sensor (heat flux is into the picture).

FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.

Double-sided heat flux sensor schematic.

FIG. 3.
FIG. 3.

Voltage reading V1, V2 due to excitation voltage V.

FIG. 4.
FIG. 4.

Wire connection with two meters.

FIG. 5.
FIG. 5.

Wire connection with one meter.

FIG. 6.
FIG. 6.

Combined thermocouple and heat flux sensor used for calibrating the bridge resistance versus its temperature.

FIG. 7.
FIG. 7.

Calibration curve relating bridge resistance to its temperature.

FIG. 8.
FIG. 8.

Heat flux sensor mounted on a 2-ply composite laminate.

FIG. 9.
FIG. 9.

Connection of lead wires from the sensor to the power and reading meters.

FIG. 10.
FIG. 10.

Sensor glued to rolling tire.

FIG. 11.
FIG. 11.

Lead wires attached to a slip ring.

FIG. 12.
FIG. 12.

Data acquisition system.

FIG. 13.
FIG. 13.

Heat transfer (film) coefficient versus tire temperature Tf.

FIG. 14.
FIG. 14.

Heat flux sensor mounted on a passenger tire.

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