Honeycomb tire of the future

Resilient Technologies honeycomb wheel

By Thami Masemola
November 20, 2008 5:12 PM
Filed Under: American, Industry, Technology

In combat numerous Humvee military vehicles equipped with standard issue "run flat" tires have been tragically immobilized by IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). So, the military wants an alternative tire that can support the additional weight of add-on armor, survive an IED attack, and still speed away at up to 50 mph.

Resilient Technologies and Wisconsin-Madison's Polymer Engineering Center have developed a "non-pneumatic tire" (without air) that meet these requirements.

We've seen this type of wheel before with the Michelin Tweel. In fact, the Tweel was one of several airless tires studied, but developers concluded that mother nature's honeycomb design was more suitable as it provided the most realistic ride feel of pneumatic tires, according to the developers.

"The goal was to reduce the variation in the stiffness of the tire, to make it transmit loads uniformly and become more homogenous," said mechanical engineering professor Tim Osswald. "And the best design, as nature gives it to us, is really the honeycomb."

Furthermore, other benefits of the design geometry are reduced noise and heat levels while in motion.

The honeycomb tires starts deliveries in 2011 with prices expected to be comparable if not less than current tires.

 

Source: cnet.com via straightline.com

Comments

bjoy
November 20, 2008 5:19 PM
wow, does WCF have ANY kind of editing process at all? that was so awfool, it was difficult to reed...

unknown
November 20, 2008 10:51 PM
WCF is too used to text messaging, so when they type an article....it should read like a text message!

Voss
November 20, 2008 5:35 PM
Yeah have to agree...

Voss
November 20, 2008 5:39 PM
BTW this is nothing new, Michelin have shown their 'Tweel' years ago. Same thing.

AmazingJerry
November 20, 2008 5:40 PM
not as difficult as your spelling... :(

loyo
November 20, 2008 8:03 PM
they don't look radial to me

pscs
November 20, 2008 8:14 PM
oh help this article...

first it's "tyres" (British), then "tires" (American), then the paragraph spacing is not coherent, and the sentences that are grammatically incorrect (although I could still figure out what they tried to convey).

BTW didn't michelin develop something similar to this a while ago (radial shapes instead of honeycombs)?

Voss
November 20, 2008 8:49 PM
Yes, I already mentioned the Michelin wheels, called Tweels. Google it and you'll come up with them straight away. http://www.983fm.ca/FCKeditor/UserFiles/Image/tweel1.jpg

They might have been mentioned on here too, but can't find the link now.

Tuner_Mad
November 20, 2008 9:39 PM
lol, 24's in a different way. ride should be as bad if not worse that those bling-bling wheels.

janobr
November 20, 2008 11:51 PM
they're complaing about snow or mud getting in the pattern... why not just put side walls on them...

Snark21883
November 21, 2008 12:42 AM
Sidewalls prevent cooling, and these tires tend to create a lot of friction heat as they flex and absorb impacts.

BrianWCF
November 21, 2008 12:42 AM
Thanks everyone for your stern but fair comments. We had a technical issue which inadvertently published a draft version of the story. We were unable to access and correct it until now. Sorry for the confusion.

jpm
November 21, 2008 1:41 AM
the other problem with adding a sidewall would be the distinct lack of flex/give that they have now. looks like a cool idea aside from say a slow moving vehicle getting a rocket propelled grenade lodged in one of the honey comb sections...unlikely, but if someone came into close enough proximity perhaps in urban combat they could ram and IED into the tyre wall and it would handily stay there..

schefar
November 21, 2008 7:35 PM
Yeah, just google about tweel.

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