Tweel tyre technology Synophsis

1. SYNOPHSIS
TWEEL TYRE TECHNOLOGY
ABSTRACT:
Recently Michelin has been developing a new airless, integrated tyre and wheel combination
called the Tweel Tyre.
The Tweel Tyre aims at performance levels beyond those possible with conventional
pneumatic technology because of its shear band design, added suspension, and potentially
decreased rolling resistance.
We will focus on the environmental impact of the Tweel tyre during its lifecycle from
manufacturing, through use and disposal.
Since the Tweel tyre currently still in a research phaseand is not manufactured and used on a
large scale, there are uncertainities with respect to end-of-life scenarios and rolling resistance
estimates that will affact the LCA.
Never the less, some preliminary conclusions of the Tweel Tyre’s enviromental performance
in comparision to a conventional radial tyre can be drawn.

2. 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 Tyre is an airless one-piece wheel-and-tyre combination with a rubber tread
bonded to a wheel hub with polyurethane spokes.
The tyre uses no air, 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 pneumatic properties.
By taking into consideration, increasing number of accidents, day by day, because of bursting
of tyres of vehicles at higher speeds, less efficiency due to heavy structure of pneumatic
tyres, scientist started serching for the non-pneumatic based solution for the tyre and resulted
in invention of NPT.
The Tweel tyre aims at performance levels beyond those possible with conventional
pneumatic technology because of its shear and band design, added suspension and decreased
rolling resistance.
It delivers pneumatic like load carrying capacity, ride comfort and as it has no pressurized air
cavity, it cannot fail by loss of air pressure. It can be designed to have high lateral stiffness
for better handling without a loss in comfort.

3. ADVANTAGES:
Workability on Sand and Wet surfaces.
Tyre Flexibility.
Non-Hazardous.
Stability improvement.
Increased fuel efficiency.
Prevents Global Warming.
No need of Spare Wheel.
CONCLUSION:
It is concluded that tyres featuring low noise and low rolling resistance will be required in the
near future.
Polyurethane composite has the capacity of both elasticity and stiffness at the same time it
bocomes ideal to perform better than pneumatic tyres in case of rolling resistance (less than
3% whereas in conventional tyres it is 4-5%). Also polyurethane structurally offers a wide
range of operation applicable for various load applications.
An airless tyre under development may eventually obsolete conventional air filled tyres.
While Michelin researches are still years away from offering a production ready non-
pneumatic tyre with integrated wheel for passenger vehicles, the unique construction of the
tyre-wheel combination dubbed Tweel represents a mobility milestone.
The goal and scope of Michelin’s design of a very low rolling resistance Tweel Tyre could
result in at least equivalent if not more environmentally friendly performance than the most
fuel efficient tyre on the market today when the overall life cycles of both are considered due
its fuel savings.

4. REFRENCES:
 Michelin USA. Michelin Lands Applications for Tweel. 2007; Available from: www.michelin-
us.com.
 International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), ISO 14040, in Evironmental management -
Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework. 2006: Geneve.
 Michelin Americas Research Company, Life Cycle Analysis Information for Georgia Tech. 2008,
Michelin North America: Greenville, SC.
 Tires and passenger vehicle fuel economy : informing consumers, improving performance.
Special report /Transportation Research Board of the National Academies;. 2006, Washington,
DC :: Transportation Research Board.