Re: Gripe - Pipedot

Gripe (Score: 2, Informative)

by fishybell@pipedot.org on 2016-12-05 15:09 (#243E5)

As many people on the internet, I mostly comment to gripe (not really, but sometimes yes).

Run-flat tires use air. They merely have a system - ribs like these tires have, reinforced sidewalls, reinforced tread liners, and/or less commonly a smaller non-pneumatic tire on the inside - to allow them to continue working in some sense when the air is let out, typically through a puncture or leak.

Also, I expect commercial versions on non-pneumatic tires to not be open-air like those pictured. I would expect there to be dangerous situations where rocks could get lodged inside and shot out at high velocities under pressure.

Alright, I'm done griping.

Re: Gripe (Score: 1)

by koen@pipedot.org on 2017-02-05 18:53 (#2BK2S)

I expect commercial versions on non-pneumatic tires to not be open-air like those pictured.

Seems to me the tires pictured are the commercial version: http://www.michelintweel.com/tweel-SSL-AllTerrain.html

Re: Gripe (Score: 1, Informative)

by Anonymous Coward on 2017-02-28 22:18 (#2E9F2)

As you say, run-flat tires are normal car tires (with air) that are also capable of being used without air for some relatively short distance (50 miles?).

The Tweel is an airless tire-wheel combination with rubber tread elements and a polymer wheel that flexes to absorb bumps. Michelin has been pushing these for low speed applications for a number of years now. Small Tweels have been made for wheelchairs, probably much better than solid rubber or pneumatic tires in this application. Large ones for construction equipment as shown in the lead photo where they probablly replaced pneumatic tires. In other cases they might replace solid rubber tires (commonly used inside factories), for example, a fork lift that goes outdoors.

While Michelin have also been doing research internally and externally (maybe at Clemson U?) to make the Tweel suitable for normal cars this hasn't happened yet. Current Tweels are not low rolling resistance and transmit much more vibration than ordinary pneumatic tires, so they are unlikely to replace very many car & light truck tires in the near future.

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