Method for determining the temperature of an internal part of the materials of a tire

• US 10,507,697 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compagnie générale des établissements Michelin
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA
• Inventors: Spinnler, Olivier, Dondey, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Andre J
• Application Number:
  US15/543,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20180015793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 73146-1468
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0476 Temperature compensation of measured pressure values
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0498 for rim attachments B60C23/0494, B60C23/0496 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/20 Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature only

Abstract

A method for evaluating the thermal stresses associated with the use of a tire mounted on a rim, the method comprising the steps during which a temperature of a gaseous fluid contained in an internal cavity of the tire, and a temperature of the rim, are measured at regular time intervals, and a temperature at at least one internal zone of the materials of which the tire is made is estimated using a pre-established law connecting this temperature to the temperature of the gaseous fluid contained in the internal cavity of the tire and to the temperature of the rim.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating thermal stresses associated with use of a tire mounted on a rim, the method comprising steps of:

measuring a temperature of a gaseous fluid contained in an internal cavity of the tire at regular time intervals, in order to obtain a fluid temperature (T_AI);

measuring a temperature at location on the rim at regular time intervals, in order to obtain a rim temperature (T_j);

determining an estimated temperature (T_ZI) at at least one internal zone of materials of which the tire is made using a pre-established law connecting the estimated temperature (T_ZI) to the fluid temperature (T_AI) and the rim temperature (T_j).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-established law connecting the estimated temperature (T_ZI) to the fluid temperature (T_AI) and the rim temperature (T_J) has a formula of:

T_ZI=α

_TAI^TZI·

T_AI+α

_Tj^TZI·

T_j+T_ZI0

in which, for a given internal zone of a given type of the tire, α

_TAI^TZI, α

_Tj^TZI, T_ZI0 are coefficients that are determined experimentally.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the temperature of the gaseous fluid contained in the internal cavity of the tire at the regular time intervals is performed over a given time period, and

wherein a smoothed temperature (T_AIsmoothed) determined from a weighted mean of the measured temperatures obtained over the given time period is used to determine the estimated temperature (T_ZI).

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the smoothed temperature (T_AIsmoothed) is determined using a pre-established law having a formula of:

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid temperature (T_AI) used for determining the estimated temperature (T_ZI) is a delay-adjusted temperature (T_AIdelay), which is readjusted according to an evaluation of an increase or a decrease in a value of the temperature of the gaseous fluid contained in the internal cavity of the tire over a given time period, so as to take into account a delay-related temperature change of the gaseous fluid contained in the internal cavity of the tire with respect to the estimated temperature (T_ZI).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, at a given time value (t), the delay-adjusted temperature (T_AIdelay) has a formula of:

T_AIdelay(t)=T_AI(t)+τ

·

T_AI′

(t)·

(1−

e<sup>Δ

t/τ</sup>

)

in which

T_AI′

represents, at a time instant t, a value of a derivative of T_AI(t),

for a given internal zone of a given type of the tire, τ

represents a period of heat transfer, τ

have a value that is adjusted according to whether a value of T_AI(t) is increasing or decreasing, and

Δ

t represents an amount of time between two measurements.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

measuring a pressure of the gaseous fluid contained inside the internal cavity of the tire at regular time intervals, in order to obtain a gas pressure (P) in the internal cavity of the tire;

measuring a load borne by the tire at regular intervals, in order to obtain a tire load (Z); and

correcting the estimated temperature (T_ZI) based on the gas pressure (P) and the tire load (Z).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, at a given time value (t), the pre-established law connecting the estimated temperature (T_ZI) to the fluid temperature (T_AI) and the rim temperature (T_J) takes into account the gas pressure (P) and the tire load (Z), and has a formula of:

T_ZI=α

_TAI^TZI·

T_AI+α

_Tj^TZI·

T_j+α

_P^TZI·

P+α

_Z^TZI·

Z+T_ZI0

in which, for a given internal zone of a given type of the tire, α

_TAI^TZI, α

_P^TZI, α

_Z^TZI, T_ZI0 are coefficients that are determined experimentally.

9. The method according to claim 1, where the estimated temperature (T_ZI) at at least one internal zone of the materials of which the tire is made is an internal temperature of materials situated at at least one of:

a zone at an end region (N) of a working ply of the tire,

a zone at a bead region (B) of the tire,

a zone at a tread region (C) of the tire.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein, at each time value (t), values of the fluid temperature (T_AI), the rim temperature (T_J), the gas pressure (P), and the tire load (Z) are transmitted to a remote operator.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the estimated temperature (T_ZI) at at least one internal zone of materials of which the tire is made is transmitted to a remote operator.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of emitting an alert when the estimated temperature (T_ZI) at at least one internal zone of materials of which the tire is made exceeds a given threshold during a given time period.

13. A system for evaluating thermal stresses associated with use of a tire mounted on a rim, the system comprising:

(A) a computer; and

(B) a memory storing executable code that, when executed by a processing unit of the computer, causes the computer to perform a method that includes;

(1) utilizing temperatures of a gaseous fluid contained in an internal cavity of the tire measured at regular time intervals to determine a fluid temperature (T_AI) in the internal cavity of the tire,

(2) utilizing temperatures at a location on the rim measured at regular time intervals to determine a rim temperature (T_j),

(3) calculating an estimated temperature (T_ZI) at at least one internal zone of materials of which the tire is made using a pre-established law connecting the estimated temperature (T_ZI) to the fluid temperature (T_AI) in the internal cavity of the tire and the rim temperature (T_j),

wherein the temperatures of the gaseous fluid contained in the internal cavity of the tire, and the temperatures at the location on the rim are transmitted from the tire to the computer.

14. A computer for evaluating thermal stresses associated with use of a tire mounted on a rim, the computer comprising a processing unit programmed with code for at least:

calculating a fluid temperature (T_AI) in an internal cavity of the tire using temperatures of a gaseous fluid contained in the internal cavity of the tire measured at regular time intervals;

calculating a rim temperature (T_j) using temperatures at a location on the rim measured at regular time intervals; and

calculating an estimated temperature (T_ZI) at at least one internal zone of materials of which the tire is made using a pre-established law connecting the estimated temperature (T_ZI) to the fluid temperature (T_AI) in the internal cavity of the tire and the rim temperature (T_j).

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing code that, when executed by a computer processor, causes the computer processor to perform a method for evaluating thermal stresses associated with use of a tire mounted on a rim, the method comprising steps of:

calculating a fluid temperature (T_AI) in an internal cavity of the tire using temperatures of a gaseous fluid contained in the internal cavity of the tire measured at regular time intervals;

calculating a rim temperature (T_j) using temperatures at a location on the rim measured at regular time intervals; and

calculating an estimated temperature (T_ZI) at at least one internal zone of materials of which the tire is made using a pre-established law connecting the estimated temperature (T_ZI) to the fluid temperature (T_AI) in the internal cavity of the tire and the rim temperature (T_j).