The Future Of Car Tyres
It has been a long time since car tyres have changed dramatically. In fact, the last major change was arguably the change from a metal band tying a wheel together, to the use of a tube of rubber containing air. However, Michelin brothers are trying to once more be on the cutting edge of tyre development with the Tweel concept which they announced in 2005.
The Tweel is basically an airless tyre. consists of a solid inner hub connected to the axle which is surrounded by a series of polyurethane spokes laid in a specific pattern. A sheer band is then stretched across the layer of the spokes to provide strength and hold the tyre in shape, just like the original metal bands secured the first wheels in shape. They came up with the name ‘Tweel’ by simply combining the word tyre with the word wheel.
The Tweel has both advantages and disadvantages. As there is no air inside, there is no possibility of leaks or blow outs, and no more checking tyre pressures, in fact no tyre maintenance needed at all! The flexibility of the Tweel also delivers an increase in surface contact with the road. However, they aren’t adjustable in size and their fuel economy is not as good as the tyre yet. Even worse, when travelling at high speeds, it vibrates generating both heat, and excessive noise. So it is very much a work in progress, with Michelin currently producing it for slow moving vehicles like construction vehicles, but in a few years time, flat car tyres might be long forgotten!