Promotional photo of the Tweel For other uses, see Tweel (disambiguation). The Tweel (a portmanteau of tire and wheel) is an experimental tire design being developed at Michelin. The tire uses no air and therefore cannot burst or become flat. Instead, flexible polyurethane spokes are used to support an outer rim. Handling gains have been cited as a reason to adopt this type of motor vehicle tire. If problems with the prototypes (such as excess vibration and noise at higher speed) are resolved, the first applications for the tire may be in the military where a flat-proof tire would be advantageous to maneuvering vehicles in difficult or dangerous areas. Michelins Tweel This is a copyrighted promotional image. ...
Michelins Tweel This is a copyrighted promotional image. ...
Image File history File links Tweel. ...
Image File history File links Tweel. ...
Tweel may refer to: Tweel (A Martian Odyssey), the creature featured in stanley G. Weibaums Classic short story, A Martian Odyssey Tweel, a combination of the Tire and Wheel Category: ...
A portmanteau (IPA: ) is a word or morpheme that fuses two or more words or word parts to give a combined or loaded meaning. ...
Firestone tire This article is about pneumatic tires. ...
Michelin (full name: Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin) (Euronext: ML) based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France, is primarily a tyre manufacturer. ...
A polyurethane is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links. ...
A spoke is one of some number of rods radiating from the center of a wheel (the hub where the axle connects), connecting the hub with the round traction surface. ...
Prototypes or prototypical instances combine the most representative attributes of a category. ...
Currently, the Tweel is being used for low-speed, low-weight applications, such as wheelchairs, motorbikes and construction equipment (for example, a skid loader). Tests on production cars have shown it is within 5% of a conventional tire and wheel's rolling resistance. If Michelin's prototypes go as planned, models for cars may appear around 2016. A Skid loader or skid steer loader is a rigid frame, engine-powered machine with lift arms used to attach a wide variety of labor-saving tools or attachments. ...
The Tweel has been presented in a variety of applications. Eventually it may be able to outperform conventional tires since it can be designed to have high lateral strength (for better handling) without a loss in comfort.[citation needed]
Design
The Tweel consists of a cable-reinforced band of conventional "tire" 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 stiffnesses, 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. No need of keeping a spare wheel in your trunk. Contact patch is the name applied to the area of a vehicles tire that is in contact with the road surface. ...
A polyurethane is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links. ...
See also Non-pneumatic tires (NPT), or Airless tires, are tires that are not supported by air pressure. ...
// A run flat tire is a pneumatic vehicle tire that is designed to resist the effects of deflation and to enable the vehicle to continue to be driven — albeit at reduced speeds (i. ...
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