Goodyear Unleashes New Tire Technology

By Cornelius Nunev





Tire-giant Goodyear will unveil several brand new concepts in tire technology at this year's auto show in Geneva. A tire that checks its own pressure will be displayed, also as a spring-loaded model designed for use on the moon.



Future of tires shown



New tires are essential to Goodyear. It has a research and development team there solely to make sure the needs in the industry are being met.



Goodyear's senior vice president and chief technical officer Jean-Claude Kihn said:



"Goodyear has always been proactive in research and development, and we are looking forward to displaying a range of innovations that people will never have seen before. These technologies have been specifically developed to meet the ever-changing requirements of modern consumers and society focused on performance, sustainability, the environment and convenience."



Taking into consideration the environment



The global need for petroleum is one that Goodyear wants to get rid of. This is why it used "BioIsopren" in one of its tires displayed. Rather than using petroleum-based isoprene that most tires have, this tire uses bio-based material.



Also in the interest of reducing fossil fuel consumption, Goodyear will show off its Air Maintenance Technology, a self-inflating tire system that can help reduce fuel consumption by self-regulating tire pressure.



Kihn explained:



"Consumers often overlook the importance of maintaining proper tire pressure. We believe this technology will have immediate positive impact for drivers in terms of performance and for the environment through improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and extended tire life. Goodyear has taken on this challenge and the progress we have made is very encouraging to the point that we are now ready to demonstrate it in Geneva for the first time."



Might be sent into space



The new "spring tire," developed in association with The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is a concept intended for use on the moon or other extraterrestrial areas. It also might find some takers for use in the harshest areas on our home-planet.



The spring tire is so-named because it contains 800 springs. It is designed to carry heavy loads over the most rugged terrains for long distances. In 1971, Goodyear also intended the wire-mesh tires used on the Lunar Roving Vehicle in the Apollo moon missions. The brand new tires, claims Goodyear, will out-perform the wire-mesh version for distance and in load-bearing.



According to Goodyear's lead research Joe Lettieri:



"This tire is extremely durable and very energy efficient. The spring design contours to any surface providing maximum traction. All of the energy used to deform the tire is returned when the springs rebound, so it will not generate heat like a pneumatic tire."



Staying from rubber



Rubber was not incorporated in the lunar tires because Goodyear and NASA know that rubber can be degraded by the solar radiation on lunar surfaces. Rubber also changes based on extreme heats and colds.



Getting the R&D honor



The tire-maker was awarded the R&D 100 award for its spring tires in 2010. This is the first time, however, the technology will be shown to the general public with a practical application.



On March 8, the Geneva Motor Show began and showed off the technology. It will stay there until March 18 when the show closes.









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