RECENT TRENDS IN TYRE TECHNOLOGY

OVERVIEW OF TOPICS

TWEELS

Q TYRES

FEATURES OF TYRES

Tyres enable better vehicle performance by providing traction, braking, steering, and load support.

Tyres form a flexible cushion between the vehicle and the road, which smooths out shock and makes for a comfortable ride.

TYRE AND WHEEL

WHEEL TYRE

◦ A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis.

◦ In order for wheels to rotate, a moment needs to be applied to the wheel about its axis, either by way of gravity, or by application of another external force.

◦ Tyres are ring-shaped parts made of rubber, metals and plastic composites, that fit around road wheels to protect them and enhance their effect.

◦ Tyres are used on many types of vehicles, such as bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, and aircraft.

WHAT ARE TWEELS ?

TWEEL IS NOTHING BUT A BLEND OF TYRE AND WHEEL.

PARTS OF A TWEEL

The hub Polyurethane

spokes A "shear band"

surrounding the spokes

The tread band.

When mounted on a car, the Tweel is a single unit consisting of four pieces:

FEATURES OF TWEEL

◦ As they don't use air to support the weight of the car, they cannot be punctured or become flat in order to bring the car to a complete halt.

◦ A set of spokes made out of polyurethane material supports the outer rim on which the running tread is placed.

◦ Between the spokes and the tire hub, there is a matrix of deformable plastic structures which flex under the load and return to their original form afterwards.

VEHICLES USING TWEELS The first commercial applications of the Tweel will be in lower-

speed, lower-weight vehicles such as the iBOT mobility device and Segway's Concept Centaur.

Designed by Segway, the iBOT mobility device has the ability to climb stairs and navigate uneven terrain, offering mobility freedom impossible with traditional wheelchairs.

Additionally, Segway's Concept Centaur, a prototype that applies self-balancing technology to a four-wheel device, has also been equipped with Tweel to increase its performance potential.

ADVANTAGES OF TWEEL

The tweel has the capability of providing a more comfortable ride and increased vehicle handling. Also it has the potential for true performance gains.

The flexible spokes also provide a better lateral stiffness and lower rolling resistance, which ultimately translates into an economy in fuel.

Potential benefits of the Tweel include the obvious safety and convenience.

Because the tread around the circumference would be disposed of when worn as opposed to a whole tyre, the environmental impact should be less.

MORE ADVANTAGES

The injection-moulded polyurethane spokes are flexible; this allows them to effectively absorb impacts by "shortening" (i.e., bending) when hitting a bump.

Lateral stiffness improves cornering; the only way to get that with a traditional

tyre is to increase tyre pressure. Unfortunately, when you increase tyre pressure, you ruin another important characteristic, namely, ride comfort.

The Tweel can be engineered to give five times the lateral stiffness as a pneumatic tyre without any loss in ride comfort.

AUDI A4

Construction vehicle using the Tweel Airless Tire.

DRAWBACKS

The Tweel can also withstand a police spike strip, making it hard for law enforcement to catch a suspect with a Tweel.

The Tweel does have flaws. This includes vibration. Above 50 mph, the Tweel vibrates considerably. That in itself is a big problem.

It also causes two other things: noise & heat. A fast moving Tweel is unpleasantly loud. Also, long-distance driving at high speeds generates more heat than engineers would like, which might lead to premature failure.

Q - TYRES Q has invented the first and only all-season tyre with deployable

and retractable studs, creating an all new tyre industry category of "adaptable" tyres.

Q’s wireless, driver-activated technology enables studs to extend, above the surface of the tyre during times of packed snow and ice, or to be retracted below the tread surface when not required.

Q's all-season tyres with Studs on Q technology for cars, SUV's and light trucks with driver safety and convenience in mind.

Q - TYRES

FEATURES OF Q TYRESQ’s all-season tyres alleviate

extensive road damage caused by permanent studs.

They are designed to improve safety in all weather conditions.

Q technology is the long awaited solution to changing weather conditions that create challenging and dangerous driving conditions.

HOW DOES Q TECHNOLOGY WORK?

The technology enables air pressure from the main chamber of the tyre to expand a secondary chamber, which lifts the studs above the surface of the tread.

The ingenious system uses air from the tyre itself to inflate a secondary chamber contained within, pushing the studs through the surface.

If conditions improve, the air from the second chamber can be expelled and the studs will be pulled back inside.

ADVANTAGES OF Q TYRESQ Tyres are designed to provide better

traction and handling in packed snow and ice and therefore may be safer than many other winter driving options.

And because the studs can be retracted when not needed, they do not have the negative braking distance attributes of permanently studded tyres on regular road surfaces.

Unlike standard studded rubber, which is noisy and can negatively affect performance in dry weather, the studs retract when not in use.

ADVANTAGES OF Q TYRES

When the studs are retracted, Q tyres deliver excellent all-season traction, handling, mileage and ride comfort.

When drivers confront icy roads, activation of the studs provides the security that only studded tyre traction can deliver.

REFERENCES

www.wikipedia.orgwww.gizmag.comwww.howstuffworks.com www.autoblog.com

THANK YOU