Application of thermography for safety assessment of special vehicles and their crews

Abstract

Safety of special vehicle crews is of a great importance for the armed forces. Temperature is one of the fundamental physical parameters governing the operation of vehicle subsystems and directly determines the durability of components, the reliability of braking systems, and crew safety. The paper presents the application of infrared thermography and pyrometric measurement as a non-contact diagnostic method for assessing the technical condition of the Jelcz P882.57 a four-axle 8×8 special truck operated by the Polish Armed Forces. The experiment was conducted at the Military Institute of Armored and Automotive Technology (WITPiS) in Sulejówek. The vehicle underwent six progressive test runs and thermographic imaging with pyrometric measurements was performed for twelve subsystems after each run. The engine exhibited the greatest temperature increase, with an amplitude of 67.6°C, reaching thermal equilibrium after approximately 28,500 m. It is proved by the data that front axle brake drums heated considerably more than rear ones, confirming the role of weight transfer under braking. The thermostat opening was directly visualised during the third run, which is a diagnostic capability impossible to achieve by any other standard inspection method. It is indicated that thermographic diagnosis enables rapid, non-invasive assessment of vehicle subsystem condition and thermal signature factors of a great importance for both maintenance and battlefield survivability of crews. Limitations of the method and directions for further research are discussed.