How the Tweel Airless Tire Works

Over 100 years ago, the car has rolled rubber crowded air cushions. Pneumatic tires provide a good way and turn off service to drivers and passengers, but Michelin's new design can change everything - Tweel Airless Tyre

In this article we will look at what Tweel Airless tires are, why they are used instead of traditional tires, some of the problems with Tweel Airless tires, and places where the future of Tweel Airless tires is expected .

Michelin first announced Tweel in 2005. Because Tweel does not use the conventional hub assembly, the name is a combination of tires and wheels. A rugged inner hub is attached to the shaft. It is a wedge pattern surrounded by polyamide spokes. The shear band extends across the spoke to form the outer edge of the tire (the part that contacts the road). The tension of the shear band on the spoke and the strength of the spoke itself replace the air pressure of the conventional tire. The tread is then attached to the shear band. Tweel looks a little like a very big and futuristic bicycle wheel

When Tweel is placed on the street, the spokes absorb the impact of the road surface just like the pneumatic tire pressure. When the spoke bends, the tread band and shear band temporarily deform and return to the original shape. Different spoke tension can be used for delicate adjustment, allowing different handling characteristics

The more flexible spokes make driving more comfortable and easier to operate. The lateral rigidity of Tweel can also be adjusted. However, Tweel once manufactured can not be adjusted. You have to choose a different Tweel. For testing, Michelin equiped Audi A 4 with Tweels. This has transverse rigidity five times higher than that of a pneumatic tire, so "processing power is very powerful" [source: Michelin]

Michelin reported that "Tweel prototype ... is within 5 percent of the rolling resistance and quality level of the current rolling tire, which is equivalent to 1 percent of your tire fuel mileage." With the initial development of Tweel, Michelin is expected to improve these figures.

Michelin is not the only company specializing in designing airless tires. Resilient Technologies has developed its own airless tire called NPT (non-pneumatic tire). The company employs more aggressive development and marketing strategies for military purposes. Although the NPT is based on different spoke configurations, the overall way of thinking is the same as Tweel

In 2005, Michelin launched an airless tire concept car called Tweel. This design combines tires and wheels with one unit, central rigid hub, tread, and spokes between them. Polyurethane spokes are strong enough to support the tires but are flexible enough to absorb road vibrations due to a more comfortable ride. Vision's concept was developed from Tweel, but Michelin said it intends to provide it as a passenger car tire. This is not made up of three separate units, but is connected as Tweel, but it consists of a single component. By using 3D printing, engineers are strong in the center and can support the wheels, but to create an open weave honeycomb structure that can turn flexibly toward the edge to improve ride comfort I can.

Bridgestone Airless Tire Concept - This is Bridgestone 's answer to Michelin Zeal. Structurally, it also has a thin rubber tread supported by flexible thermoplastic spokes mounted on aluminum center wheels. This type of tire is not like Tweel's V-shaped profile, but has inner and outer spokes in the opposite direction to provide undistorted vertical support. The company claims that high-speed noise and vibration are not a problem with this type of tire, but there are other problems as well. Before the concept tires became a practical solution for everyday use, they needed to prevent the spoke from trapping waste. Bridgestone also emphasized the environmental benefits of the tire using all the materials that are easy to recycle to the design.

In 2005, Michelin began to develop completely the combination of tires and wheels "Tweel" (derived from "tires" and "wheels" integrated into the new fusion component as suggested by "Tweel") It was. I do not have air. Michelin claims that its "Tweel" has load bearing, shock absorption, and handling characteristics comparable to conventional pneumatic tires. However, when the running speed exceeds 80 km / h (50 mph), large vibrations will occur from the tire. Therefore, there is no plans to launch the market in the near future. The automotive engineering team at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University, in cooperation with Michelin through the NIST ATP project, is developing low energy airless tires.