Experimental Evaluation of a Laboratory-Scale Drum Type Testing Machine for Analysis of Tire Performance

The Tire of vehicle is a crucial part that contributes to the overall economy of the vehicle. The tire has a large impact on fuel saving capability. It carries the overall load of the vehicle, including the passengers and their goods. Proper pressure and proper gas are required to have maximum efficiency of the tire which results in the maximum fuel economy. Thermal stability, Rolling resistance, and the thermal variation of the tire are the parameters which are responsible for the performance of the vehicle. This paper presents the experimental evaluation for the analysis of a 145 / 80 R12 74T tire, using the laboratory scale drum type testing machine. The tire testing was done at the various conditions of 30 to 34 psi. The tire performance was tested at uniform tire pressure and at various load conditions like 25 %, 50%, 75% of the tires highest recommended load and at variable speed. The tire was tested by inflating it with air and nitrogen. The results show that as the load and speed gets increased the rolling resistance and the temperature of the tire also gets increased. It was observed that, by using the nitrogen gas, the rolling resistance and the temperature of the tire was significantly reduced.