Michelin rolls out airless tyre
Tweel offers vision of maintenance-free tyres
Michelin wheeled out its airless tyre at the North American Motor Show yesterday, describing it this time as "the first real-world fitment" (see link below for earlier story). And it might coming to a car near you soon.
Michelin's Tweel is in production and available as an enhancement for future iBOT mobility systems for the disabled. Invented by Dean Kamen, the iBOT mobility device can climb stairs and navigate uneven terrain, offering mobility freedom impossible with traditional wheelchairs.
Beyond these first real-world applications, Michelin said it has additional projects for Tweel on construction skidsteers and a variety of military vehicles.
The most intriguing application may be Michelin's early prototype Tweel fitment for passenger cars. The mobility company released a video of Tweel running under an Audi A4.
"The Tweel automotive application, as demonstrated on the Audi, is definitely a concept, a stretch application with strong future potential," said Michelin's research boss Terry Gettys. "Our concentration is to enter the market with lower-speed, lower-weight Tweel applications. What we learn from our early successes will be applied to Tweel fitments for passenger cars and beyond."
What is a Tweel?
The heart of Tweel innovation is its simple-looking hub and spoke design that replaces the need for air pressure while delivering performance that Michelin claimed is akin to that of pneumatic tyres. The flexible spokes are fused with a flexible wheel that deforms to absorb shock and rebound easily. Without the air needed by conventional tyres, Tweel still delivers pneumatic-like performance in weight-carrying capacity, ride comfort, and the ability to envelop road hazards, reckoned the company.
Michelin said it had found that it can tune Tweel performances independently of each other, which is a significant change from conventional tyres. This means that vertical stiffness (which primarily affects ride comfort) and lateral stiffness (which affects handling and cornering) can both be optimised, improving performance and enabling new performances not possible for current inflated tires.
The Tweel prototype, demonstrated on the Audi A4, is within five per cent of the rolling resistance and mass levels of standard tyres so fuel economy should be almost unaffected, said Michelin. Michelin said it had increased the lateral stiffness by a factor of five, making the prototype unusually responsive in its handling.
Future of Tweel technology
For Michelin, Tweel is a long-term vision that represents the next step in a long path of industry-changing innovations. The lessons learned from Tweel research are being applied to improve conventional tyre performances, according to Michelin. In the future, Tweel may reinvent the way that vehicles move. Tyre maintenance and balancing between traction and comfort could all fade into memory, said the company.
Great idea though. I just wonder if you can retro fit the tyres onto standard rims? Also as the 'pressure' remains the same hot/cold that means tyre wear should be reduced.
But thinking about it for a minute if the tyre maintains itself would they be doing themselfs out of a few sales?
At this point, I'm wondering how the costs would compare to an conventional radial or run-flat tyre... sounds like good technology to me.
Are we going to get a choice of wheel design as well ? As far as tyre retailers are concerned this is a stocking nightmare ,if the item comes as a one piece non divisable unit,what about all the different PCD,s,offsets etc,required to have a chance of selling from stock.Also if you have to buy a wheel every time you buy a tyre its going to get expensive,can you trade in your worn tweel to be retyred ?
Yes it would be an end to punctures but when was the last time you had one ???
V8YEA said:
I assume Michelin will have thought about skinning the sidewall to prevent damage to the vanes.This would make it look more like a conventional tyre as the majority are averse to a change as radical as this.It would also keep potentially harmful debris out.
Are we going to get a choice of wheel design as well ? As far as tyre retailers are concerned this is a stocking nightmare ,if the item comes as a one piece non divisable unit,what about all the different PCD,s,offsets etc,required to have a chance of selling from stock.Also if you have to buy a wheel every time you buy a tyre its going to get expensive,can you trade in your worn tweel to be retyred ?
Yes it would be an end to punctures but when was the last time you had one ???
I get at least one puncture a year. I wouldn't buy a car with a space saver tyre and I'll take a look at the jack on my next car as the Vauxhall supplied item is useless enough to be dangerous.
There's a demonstration video if you wanna see it action. Interesting stuff really.
The guy from Michelin is a really really interesting guy.................
>> Edited by Dodgey_Rog on Friday 10th February 14:04
Dodgey_Rog said:
http://dl3.dumpalink.com/media/8YggDpXu6VF5/P9Ju4iGi
There's a demonstration video if you wanna see it action. Interesting stuff really.
The guy from Michelin is a really really interesting guy.................
>> Edited by Dodgey_Rog on Friday 10th February 14:04
Whats the quad bike type thing in that film?
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