Goodyear developing self-inflating tires

Say goodbye to loud compressors, leaky hoses and inaccurate tire gauges. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, one of the world's largest tire maufacturers, has developed a system which will allow tires to self-inflate automatically. Goodyear's so-called Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) is completely self-contained, without any need for external pumps or electronics, says the tire maker. "While the technology is complex, the idea behind the AMT system is relatively simple and powered by the tire itself as it rolls down the road," said Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear senior vice president and chief technical officer.

Tires kept at optimal operating pressure deliver lower emissions, longer tire life, enhanced safety and improved vehicle performance, says Goodyear. Government research indicates that underinflated tires result in a 2.5 percent to 3.3 percent decrease in fuel mileage - that's about 12 cents per gallon at the pump.

Goodyear has not provided any costs or an estimate when the technology will become available to the public, but it has received grants from the United States Department of Energy's Office of Vehicle Technology to help further development.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/12/g...flating-tires/

 

This is cool technology if they can get it to market at a reasonable price.

 

that is genius!

 

I know a few movies, a while back had a similar tech in it.

 

Some sort of 2-way valve that pulls air in when the pressure drops below a set point and releases air as the tire warms up. Seems like a simple concept. As stated I'm sure it's probably fairly complex. Considering it'll probably be extremely costly in the near future, I'll bet you'll see these on race applications long before commercially available.

 

I rather have the Michelin Tweel -- tire and wheel in one that does not require air, ever. It can be designed for BOTH ride comfort and good handling. On a pneumatic tire, you get better handling by reducing the height of the sidewall, which gets you a harsh ride; but with those spokes on the Tweel, they can be designed for lateral stiffness (to give better handling) without affecting vertical stiffness (to give good ride comfort).

The Tweel is a simpler design than the Goodyear self-inflating tire and will probably prove cheaper over its life also because you just change the tread, not the whole tire.



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Yea but what about using tax dollars?