Technical Paper
Testing and Analysis of Tire Hydroplaning
1972-02-01
720471
The ability to view the tire footprint and simultaneously to measure the tire-to-road surface interface forces is essential to the investigation of parameters affecting high-speed passenger tire performance on wet surfaces. The tire is photographed from below through a glass plate; the tire-to-road surface inter-face forces are recorded for various combinations of tire types, inflations, loads, wear conditions, water depth, and vehicle velocity as the tire passes over a triaxial force pin. The facility and test method are described for the evaluation of pneumatic tires at all modes of operation: free rolling, sliding, and free rolling with a slip angle. An empirical equation is given to estimate the hydroplaning speed of a passenger tire on a smooth surface in a single mode (free-rolling) of operation. The parameters that affect tire hydroplaning are discussed as are some of the conditions that may influence the method of test.