SEETHI SAHIB MEMORIAL POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

TIRUR-5

DEPARTMENT OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING

2015-2016

Seminar report on

AIRLESS TYRE

Submitted by:FASIL K K
Roll No: 5
Reg. No. : 12050196

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

SSM POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

TIRUR

DEPARTMENT OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING

2014-2015

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this is the bonafide record of seminar on Airless
tyre has been presented by Fasil K K, sixth semester automobile,
SSMPTC, Tirur on. In partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of the Diploma in Computer Engineering under
Directorate Of Technical Education, Kerala State during the year 20142015.

Staff in charge:

Head of Section:

External Examiners:

Internal Examiner:

Place:
Date:
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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all I would like to praise the god for blessing me to complete this seminar successfully. I am deeply incepted to Mr. Naina Mohammed Basil (Head of department in automobile engineering, Seethi
Sahib Memorial Polytechnic College, Tirur) for providing me the opportunity to present the seminar on this topic.
I extended my unexplainable gratitude towards all of my teachers;
& librarians who gave me a lot of information and supports for this
seminar. I gave my heart full thanks to my friends & family, whom offered me all kind of supports for this.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
PROBLEM IN CONVENTOINAL TYRE
DESIGN OF TWEEL AIRLESS TYRES
APPLICATIONS
FUTURE OF TWEEL TECHNOLOGY
CONCLUSION
REFERENCE

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

ABSTRACT
Non-pneumatic tires (NPT), or Airless tires, are tires that are not supported by air pressure. They are used on some small vehicles such as riding lawn
mowers and motorized golf carts. They are also used on heavy equipment such
as backhoes, which are required to operate on sites such as building demolition,
where tire punctures are likely. Tires composed of closed-cell polyurethane foam
are also made for bicycles and wheelchairs.

Michelin is currently developing an integrated tire and wheel combination, the "Tweel" (derived from "tire" and "wheel," which, as the name "Tweel"
suggests, are combined into one new, fused part), which operates entirely without air. Michelin claims its "Tweel" has load carrying, shock absorbing, and handling characteristics that compare favorably to conventional pneumatic tires. The
automotive engineering group of the mechanical engineering department
at Clemson University is developing a low energy loss airless tire with Michelin
through the NIST ATP project.

Resilient Technologies and the University of WisconsinMadison's Polymer Engineering Center are creating a "non-pneumatic tire", which is basically
a round polymeric honeycomb wrapped with a thick, black tread. The initial version of the tire is for the Humvee and is expected to be available in 2012. Resilient Technologies airless tires have been tested and are used by the U.S. Army.
And is also the first group to make a commercially available mass-produced airless tire after their acquisition by Polaris, albeit, only as coupled with their vehicle.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

INTRODUCTION
For more than 100 years, vehicles have been rolling along on cushions of
air encased in rubber. The pneumatic tyre has served drivers and passengers well
on road and off, but a new design by Michelin could change all that the tweel
airless tyre .The tweel (a portmanteau of tyre and wheel) is an experimental tyre
design developed by the French tyre company Michelin. The tyre uses no air,
and therefore cannot burst or become flat. Instead, the Tweel's hub connects to
flexible polyurethane spokes which are used to support an outer rim and assume
the shock-absorbing role of a traditional tyre's pneumatic properties.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

PROBLEM IN CONVENTOINAL TYRE

LOWER ROLLING RESISTANCE
The increasing concerns over the green-house effect will in the near future
require more attention to rolling resistance than ever before; in fact from an already high attention to a very high attention.
The trend towards lower rolling resistance has been obvious for many
years. Significant progress was reported in the recent Tyre Energy Efficiency
Report in reducing rolling resistance, as measured for new passenger tyres, over
the past 25 years. More tyre models today, when measured new, have rolling
resistance coefficients below 0.009, and the most energy-efficient tyres have coefficients that are 20 to 30 percent lower than the most energy efficient radial
models of 25 years ago [TRB 286, 2006].
Another trend is the increased popularity of run-flat tyres; mostly having
stiffer sidewalls or some material added that can avoid running a flat tyre on the
rim. The above-mentioned Tyre Energy Efficiency Report concluded that runflat tyres weigh more than conventional radial tyres which increases their material and production cost and they tend to exhibit higher rolling resistance.
This author thinks that this may turn the trend back to more traditional designs,
or turn the interest over into designs which have run-flat capabilities without
increased rolling resistance.
The increasing popularity and more frequent governmental support for
hybrid or electric vehicles will also require lower rolling resistance since this
directly affects the distance one can run in the electric mode. Finally, it shall be
mentioned that labeling of energy efficiency (in practice rolling resistance) of
tyres is likely to happen in the near future.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

INCREASING CONCERN FOR LOW NOISE

Both rolling resistance and noise emission are expressions of energy
losses in the rolling of tyres. It is not surprising that these characteristics are at
large positively correlated; although exceptions exist. Nevertheless, it is this author's conclusion that exterior noise and rolling resistance will drive the tyre development to a large extent in the coming years [Sandberg, 2003]. Probably, the
present focus on high-speed and high-power performance, which both are in
some conflict with low noise and rolling resistance (and thus air pollution), will
at last have to give in to the latter performances.
Another present trend is the high priority put on the visual appearance of
tyres, as a selling argument; in particular for "sporty" vehicles. The styling trend
was heavily criticized recently as being in conflict with good technology by one
of the foremost tyre experts in the world, Dr. Joe Walter, in a column in Tire
Technology International [Walter, 2006]. It is likely that this trend will be broken
when it is in conflict with the increasing environmental demands. Vehicle manufacturers will have to face the possible effects of this which may be uncomfortable to some.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

DESIGN OF TWEEL AIRLESS TYRES

The Tweel consists of a cable-reinforced band of conventional "tyre" rubber with molded tread, a shear band just below the tread that creates a compliant
contact patch, and a series of energy-absorbing polyurethane spokes. The rectangular spokes can be designed to have a range of stiff nesses, so engineers can
control how the Tweel handles loads. The inner hub contains a matrix of deformable plastic structures that flex under load and return to their original shape. By
varying the thickness and size of the spokes, Michelin can generate a wide array
of ride and handling qualities. The tread can be as specialized as any of today's
tyres and is replaceable when worn.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

HOW IT WORKS
The Tweel doesnt use a traditional wheel hub assembly. A solid inner
hub mounts to the axle and is surrounded by polyurethane spokes arrayed in a
pattern of wedges. A shear band is stretched across the spokes, forming the outer
edge of the tyre. On it sits the tread, the part that comes in contact with the surface
of the road. The cushion formed by the air trapped inside a conventional tire is
replaced by the strength of the spokes, which receive the tension of the shear
band. Placed on the shear band is the tread, the part that makes contact with the
surface of the road.
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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

ADVANTAGES
One of the greatest advantages of this technology would be the fact that
the tyre is service-free. No more air pressure check, no more flat tires and no
more blow-outs mean a lot less to worry about when driving car. It is also conceived to last longer. Also, the balancing between traction and comfort could
become a thing of the past. Thats because Michelin has found that it can tune
Tweel performances independently of each other, which is a significant change
from conventional tires. This means that vertical stiffness (which primarily affects ride comfort) and lateral stiffness (which affects handling and cornering)
can both be optimized, pushing the performance envelope in these applications
and enabling new performances not possible for current inflated tires.
It doesnt require maintenance and it is risk-free, the Tweel tyre could be
a good choice for special vehicles like those used in the army, in the construction
business or even in the exploration of other planets. In 2009, Michelin has developed for NASA a Tweel-based tyre to be used in the latest generation of lunar
rover vehicles. The Michelin Lunar Wheel maintains flexibility and constant
ground pressure, allowing the vehicle to move through loose soil and craters. In
addition, it combines low mass and high payload capacity, making it 3.3 times
more efficient than the original Apollo Lunar Rover wheels. Its textile tread enables the rover to maintain traction at very low temperatures.
Tweel technology could also penetrate the personal mobility market. At
the public demonstration of the Tweel, Michelin placed prototypes on the iBOT,
a personal mobility device for physically impaired people, and the Segway Centaur, a four-wheeled ATV-type vehicle that uses Segways self-balancing technology.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

DISADVANTAGES
It is not the perfect tire. At least not yet. One of its biggest flaws is vibration. Above 50 mph, the Tweel vibrates considerably, thus generating noise and
heat. A fast moving Tweel is reportedly unpleasantly loud. Long distance driving
at high speeds generates more heat than Michelin engineers would like. Thats
why, for the moment, the first applications of the Tweel are in low-speed vehicles, such as construction vehicles. The Tweel is perfect for such use because the
ruggedness of the airless design will be a major advantage on a construction site.
Michelin is also exploring military use of the Tweel, which would be ideal in
combat situations, where conventional tyres are an easy target.
Another big obstacle in the Tweels way is the tire industry itself. Making
Tweels is quite a different process than making a pneumatic tire. The retooling
of the many tire factories, plus the equipment necessary to service the new tire
around the world represents also an important obstacle to the broad adoption of
airless tires. Because of these drawbacks, Michelin is not planning to roll out the
Tweel to consumers any time soon.
Last but not least, another challenge for the Tweel could be the drivers
themselves who would see their beloved radial tires and rims replaced by a not
so good looking Tweel. Of course, Michelin could place some covers to hide the
spokes, but the psychological impact on the consumer should not be neglected.
It might be the inventor of the Tweel, but another company is working on a similar project. Resilient Technologies is developing their own airless tire, known
as the NPT (non-pneumatic tire). That company is using a more aggressive development and marketing strategy aimed at military use. The NPT is based on a
different configuration of spokes, but the general idea is the same as Tweel's.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

APPLICATIONS

Given the high speed problems with the Tweel, the first commercial applications will be in lower-speed, lower-weight vehicles such as wheelchairs,
scooters, and other such devices. The iBOT mobility device and Segway's Concept Centaur were both introduced with Tweels. Michelin also has additional
projects for Tweel on small construction equipment, such as skid steer loaders,
for which it seems well-suited.
The first large-scale applications may be in the military where a flat-proof
tyre would be advantageous. Military testing has indicated that the Tweel deflects mine blasts away from the vehicle better than standard tyres and that the
Tweel remains mobile even with some of the spokes are damaged or missing.
NASA has contracted Michelin to develop a wheel for the next generation
Lunar Rover based on the Tweel. This has resulted in the Lunar Rover Initiative
AB Scarab wheels. The first large-scale applications may be in the military where
a flat-proof tyre would be advantageous.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

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. Fifty years ago, Michelin invented
the radial tyre and there is no question that radial tyre technology will continue
as the standard for a long time to come. Michelin continues to advance the performance of the radial tyre in areas such as rolling resistance, wear life and grip.
In the short-term, the lessons learned from Tweel research are being applied to improve those conventional tyre performances. In the future, Tweel may
reinvent the way that vehicles move. Checking tyre pressure, fixing flats, highway blow-outs and balancing between traction and comfort could all fade into
memory.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that tyres featuring low noise and low rolling resistance
will be required in the near future and that the interest in and need for improved
characteristics in this respect will receive much more attention and priority in the
tyres of the next 10 years than for present market tyres.
If the climate changes will force a sudden and dramatic change in transportation and vehicle emissions policies, which is not an unlikely scenario, the
tyre and vehicle manufacturer who fails to consider unconventional solutions
may suddenly find itself in an inferior position to the one who can see and actually explore the possibilities of new technologies.
There are possibilities to reduce noise and rolling resistance further than
today by traditional tyre design measures; in particular if the extreme high-speed
demands (speeds in excess of 200 km/h) can be abandoned.
It is further concluded that there are several possibilities for a breakthrough in tyre design for low noise and low rolling resistance within the next 10
years or so, provided sufficient resources are spent on developing the concepts
presented above.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur

Seminar Report 2014-2015

Airless Tyre

REFERENCES
Sandberg, U.; Ejsmont, J. A.; Kropp, W. and Larsson, K. (2003):
"Low noise tires A co-operation project in northern Europe", Paper
N494, Proc. of Inter-Noise 2003, Seogwipo, Korea.
Sandberg, Ulf (2003): "The road to quieter tires". Article in Tire Technology International '03, Annual Review 2003, UKIP Media & Events,
Dorking, Surrey, U.K.

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Dept. of Automobile Eng.

S.S.M Polytechnic College, Tirur