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Goodyear's 'On TheGo' Self Inflating Tire
SternisheFan writes with a bit of maintenance saving tech for drivers. From the article: "When was the last time you checked your tire pressure? If you're scratching your head, you might want to put a set of Goodyear's new self-inflating tires on your ride. The company's Air Maintenance Technology was rolled out of the lab this week for debut at a car show in Germany. Commercial truckers will be the first to put the rubber to test, but a consumer version is in the works. A regulator in the tire senses when tire-inflation pressure drops below a pre-set point and opens to allow air flow into the pumping tube. As the tire rolls, deformation flattens the tube, pushing air through the tire to the inlet valve and then into the tire cavity. All this technology, in Goodyear's words, eliminates the need for 'external inflation pressure intervention.'"
The bike on inflates itself simply by rolling. I would love to have these, but they're not exactly mass production yet and I've got a lot of goofy tire sizes on my bikes.
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So how long before this technology is implemented to other 'inflatable' ummm... technologies?
I'm sure that this has many 'practical' implications for the 'companions' of the slashdot readership?
I think you're missing the point. This is EXACTLY what we need with gas at $4/gallon.
When your tire pressure is low, you get less MPG. So this tire, when the pressure gets low will open a valve to "reinflate" your tire to specified pressure. Ensuring proper ride, handling and better gas mileage.
It's not going to inflate constantly, rather just when the tire drops below a set level. Kind of like a thermostat. but for pressure. A barometricstat.
Currently, I pay around $400-$600 per truck tire in my fleet and this is using my national fleet account from Bridgestone. I would hate to see what the price of this tire is going to be. The current prices are already hard to swallow when I have 80 Heavy-Haul trucks and over 200 trailers. That is a lot of tires!
Apple has filed a lawsuit against Goodyear tire saying their new auto-inflating tire violates their patents. They have "an app for that", and therefore, Goodyear's later tire is cleary a copy of one of their several millions apps. Apple is not sure which one, but they know since there is an "app for everything", Goodyear must be in violation.
They are asking $3.9 billion in damages and a halt on all sales of Goodyear tires. As they've pointed out tires are a clear infringement of their trade dress. Their buttons on their iPhones and iPads are round. And Goodyear tires are round. So that's $1 for every tire Goodyear has sold.
Some cars do display the PSI of the tires via TPMS, it could be combined with this system to let you know "Tire Failure is Eminent" of course this would require some sort of software and memory to keep track of normal air pressure loss. Probably be limited to the more expensive cars.
+5 insightful
Bad idea. Foam filled and other "airless tires" all have very high rolling resistance (takes more energy to roll than an air filled tire). Their only applications are where the cost of a flat is very high (or very inconvenient) -- for example military vehicles or wheel chairs.
-5 idiotic to GP post.
Solid tires suck, there is a reason we use pneumatic tires. Foam filled ones ride harshly and weigh more than air filled ones. There are foam filled tires out there, generally used where ride quality is not a concern.
At least, I presume he means that because he says "Don't need air"
Tires with a self sealing foam system still need air. Tires get low because the bead and valve aren't prefect, not because there are holes.
Never answer an anonymous letter. - Yogi Berra
Where this technology is needed is RV and trailer tires. If a car tire blows, usually one has a time where it runs flat. A travel trailer or a fifth wheel, you don't feel the blown tire until it has blown off the rim and caused significant amounts of damage to the rig. Having something like this wouldn't just save 1-2 MPG, it might save a $50,000 trailer or more if it keeps a tire on the rim.
Not trolling here, but how does it pump only air and not water? I've driven in some wet parts of the country, and many more that were snowy and slushy. There's a lot of dust and moisture down there on the road at times.
"Tire Failure is Imminent"
FTFY. Eminent tyre failure isn't really what we want here ;-)
One thing I know, and that is that I am ignorant...
Just out of curiosity, what do people around here think of "run flat" tires? A new car I'm considering getting comes with them standard and I'm curious...
That depends. If you buy a car to get from point A to point B, they aren't that bad. Factor in that replacements are more expensive, wear out quicker, and mechanics often charge more to mount/balance them, versus the extremely occasional flat tire.
However, if you are any sort of auto enthusiast, run-flat tires are the work of the devil. Very small selection, all with bad handling and poor traction. Many people are not buying BMWs any more simply because they all come with run-flats, and the extra added expense of buying four real tires for a brand new old car is just silly.
Typically most drivers don't re-inflate the tires themselves. This is usually done when getting the next oil change or taking a trip to the dealership. But yes, it does require those pesky warning lights to grab their attention and remind them.
Where this technology really has a benefit would be for 18 wheelers like the article states. Living in Houston, I constantly see blown tire tread all curled on the highways. It's a port city, so the level of 18 wheeler traffic is to be expected. But the problem is when tire pressure is low. This generates a lot of heat (in an already hot and humid city) and shortens the life of the tire. Eventually it breaks down and disintegrates all over the public road ways causing a life hazard for other motorists. Tire tread is a lot of mass to be hitting at 65 to 70 MPH. If it doesn't cause you to wreck, at the very least it will cause major cosmetic damage to the front bumper's plastics.
Life is not for the lazy.
I don't see how his would help with blowouts other than perhaps by reducing tire wear a bit by maintaining ideal pressure. No amount of "trickle-charging" is going to compensate for the fact that there is a gaping hole preventing the tire from holding air. And the usage scenario for trailers and RVs is generally sit around for months on end and then get driven around for a short while - unless the charge rate is pretty fast you'd still want to top off your tires before you hit the road, though I suppose it would be handy for those absent-minded individuals that forget to do so until they've been on the road for a hundred miles or so.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
What if I drive backwards? Does it deflate the tire?