ABSTRACT:

Airless Tyres because the name counsel may be aform of Tyre that doesn’t use
air to support the load. AlbeitTyres created out of solid rubber exists, they
don’t haveenough compliance and cannot offer a supple ride if employedin
traditional vehicles. The NPT mentioned here consists ofprincipally 3
components. A right hub, deformable spokesthatsupport vertical load,
bolstered shear band and tread createdout of rubber that comes into contact
with the surface. Theproperties ofNPT like contact pressure, rolling resistance
andcargo carrying capability may be varied by sterilization thesize of fabric
wont to manufacture NPT another to thestandard tire. In this paper there are
different approachesmade by different companies acrossthe world. Future
forecastof the airless tyres are also mentioned.
INTRODUCTION:
For over one hundred years, vehicles are rolling on cushionsof air sheathed in
rubber. Sometimes, we have a tendency toget thus accustomed a precise
product that no true changesare ever very created for years, decades even.
Thus begins acommentary discussing the event of stuffy tyres, one thingthat
has become additional prevailing within the past few years. Many tyres
corporations have started experimentingwith styles for non-pneumatic tyres as
well as Michelin andBridgestone; however neither style has created it to
production.Creating a replacement non-pneumatic style for tyres hasadditional
positive implications than one would possiblyassume. For one factor, there
square measure Brobdingnagian safety edges. Having an unventilated tyre
suggests that there's no chance of a blowout, which, in turn, suggests that the
quantity of route accidents can however cut considerably.
Even for things like Humvees within the military, utilizing non-pneumatic tyres
encompasses a nice positive impact on safety. Tyres square measure the
liability in military vehicles and square measure usually targeted with
explosives. If these vehicles used unventilated tyres, this might now not be a
priority. There is additionally an environmental profit to victimization this sort
of tyre. Since they never go flat and may be retreaded, unventilated tyres won't
ought to be thrown away and replaced nearly as usually as gas tyres. This can
weigh down lowland mass considerably. From the design analysis it was
concluded thattheDiamond tyre structure was found out to be solid, and also
bears more load comparative to the other structures. These types of tyres can
be mainly employed for the heavy load vehicles where the load factor is a main
concern.
HISTORY OF AIRLESS TYRE:
Going back in history, initially a craftsman known as wheel wright forged bands
of iron & steel, tying the wheel segments together as the metal IS contracted
around the wheel. Hence the name, tyre, as it tied the wheel together. This
was then placed on wooden wheels of carts and wagons. Explorers had seen
Indians using sheets of rubber for waterproofing and in the 1800’s, Charles
Mcintosh was experimenting with this latex – sap from a tree in the Amazon. It
had its problems as the cold weather caused it to be brittle whilst in hot
weather they became sticky. However, in 1839, Charles Goodyear discovered
that by adding sulphur to the melted latex it gave elasticity and strength. This
vulcanized rubber was used to as cushion tyres for cycles. John Dunlop, trying
to make his son’s bicycle more comfortable to ride on, managed to invent
the pneumatic tyre. Another person, Robert Thomson, had already
patented the idea of a pneumatic rubber tyre so the Dunlop Rubber
Company was established and won a legal battle with Thomson. In 1891,
the detachable pneumatic tyre was invented by two brothers, Michelin,
consisting of a tube bolted on to the rim. In 1948, Michelin revealed the first
radial tyre was developed and this was a revolutionary achievement as it
used steel-belted radial tyres. The advantages meant longer life and
increased mileage for the vehicle. However, it required a different
suspension system and so was slowly adopted. This was the tyre along with
Dunlop’s invention, which gives us the tyre we have today. We have seen
heavy tyre development, especially in motorsport, however we are yet to
see anything as revolutionary as previous key points in history. There have
been concepts, with a major one being the Michelin Tweel announced in
2005.
PNEUMATIC TYRES:
The basic design of all pneumatic tyres is very similar, even though there
are many different types. They all include an inner core that holds pressurized
air which is then covered with a layer of rubber that comes in contact with the
road, called a tread. The tread helps keep traction with the road and prevents
slipping and skidding. The tread has the tendency to wear down over time, so if
the tyre has not gone flat, a person will usually replace it at this point. A main
reason for using pneumatic tyres is the deformation that occurs during
rotation. As the tyre rolls, the weight of the car pushing down on it causes the
tyre to flatten slightly. This, in turn, causes the tyre to have a larger surface
area to be in contact with the ground, which makes for better traction. It also
gives a slight cushioning effect, making running over small rocks or debris
unnoticeable. Or, as writer for How Stuff Works Ed Grabianowski puts it. If
you’ve ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage with wooden wheels, you
know what a difference a pneumatic tyre makes. Pneumatic tyres have their
advantages, but they also have their disadvantages as well. The possibility
of a blowout or flat (when air is let out suddenly from the tyre) is a
major concern because they have the tendency to cause severe accidents. The
task of regulating tyre pressure is also a disadvantage because consumers are
usually not very good at it. Although it may help with traction to have the tyres
a little flat, it comes at the price of handling. When there is not enough air
pressure in the tyre, the sidewalls flex causing the tyre to not quite follow the
desired line of steering. It is because of these disadvantages that tyre
companies have taken an interest in designing airless tyres.

NON-PNEUMATIC TYRES:
Non-pneumatic tyres (NPT), are the tyres that are not supported by air
pressure. These tyres are also called as Tweel which is a merger of the
words tyre and wheel. This is because the Tweel does not use a traditional
wheel hub assembly. The Tweel concept was first announced by Michelin
back in 2005. It's structure is a solid inner hub mounted onto the vehicles axle,
that is surrounded by polyurethane spokes. This forms a pattern of wedges,
which help to absorb the impacts of the road. These spokes look similar to the
ones found on bicycles and plays the shock-absorbing role of the
compressed air as in a traditional tyre. A sheer band is then stretched
across the spokes, which forms the outer edge of the tyre. It is the tension of
the band and the strength of the spokes that replaces the air pressure
used on traditional tyres. When a vehicle drives over an obstacle, a sleeping
policeman for example, the tread and shear bands give way as the spokes
bend, before they quickly bounce back into shape.

WORKING PRINCIPLE:
The Airless tyre(Tweel) doesn’t use a traditional wheel hub assembly. A solid
inner hub mounts to the axle and is surrounded by polyurethane spokes
arrayed in a pattern of wedges. A shear band is stretched across the spokes,
forming the outer edge of the tyre. On it sits the tread, the part that comes in
contact with the surface of the road. The cushion formed by the air
trapped inside a conventional tyre is replaced by the strength of the spokes,
which receive the tension of the shear band. Placed on the shear band is the
tread, the part that makes contact with the surface of the road. When the
Tweel is running on the road, the spokes absorb road defects the same
way air pressure does in the case of pneumatic tyres. The flexible tread
and shear bands deform temporarily as the spokes bend, then quickly go back
to the initial shape. Different spoke tensions can be used, as required by
the handling characteristics and lateral stiffness can also vary. However,
once produced the Tweel’s spoke tensions and lateral stiffness cannot be
adjusted.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF AIRLESS TYRE:
Airless tyres are a new age concept that is set to replace the conventional
pneumatic tyres in the future to be eco-friendlier and more cost efficient. The
Uptis (Unique Puncture-Proof Tire System) technology developed by Michelin is
an example of the utilization of airless tyre for automobiles. These tyres are
safer, eliminates unnecessary downtime needed for replacing due to
punctures, no maintenance and also it is helping the environment by reducing
the raw material required for producing a fresh tyre and thereby reducing its
carbon footprint. The four pillars of Michelins Vision concept are: airless,
connected, 3D printed and using 100% renewable and bio-sourced materials.
Michelin has won numerous prestigious awards for its innovations in airless
tyres. The companies who have worked in making airless tyres are: Michelin,
Uniroyal, Yokohama, Bridgestine, Britek, Toyo, Hankook, Polaris, Amerityre,
Boeing, Resilient Technologies. These tyres cannot be used for high speeds.
Around 200 million tyres are annually thrown away prematurely due to the
failures caused by puncturing. Thus, this 3D printed tyres are going to save lot
of energy and cost. Also, accidents can be avoided due to tyre blowouts and
thus human safety is ensured. Michelin has launched its Tweel family of
products that has non-pneumatic tyres that can be used in light weight
construction equipment. They can be used in a broad range of surfaces. The
unique design will give better stability and reduces the fatigue to driver due to
bounce back effects and these tyres lasts 2–3 rimes longer than conventional
pneumatic tyres. Michelin is now working towards producing 3D printed airless
tyre using completely biodegradable material and bi-inspired design. Also, it
has onboard sensors to collect real time tyre data. The most welcome idea is
they are planning to introduce 3D printed tread pattern over a worn tyre, by
this the customer can 3D print a new tread pattern of his choice on used tyres.
Synthetic bio rubbers are made from ethanol which is derived from the sugar
that is extracted from molasses. Goodyear 3D printed eco-friendly airless tyres
from recycled powder rubber from old tyres using selective laser sintering
technique Fig. 4. Goodyear unveiled its latest concept tyre that has living moss
that grows in the side walls, and it grows by doing photosynthesis and thus it
takes carbon dioxide as intake and it exhales oxygen. If this concept is used in
all the vehicles in a city like Paris, 4000 tons of CO2 will be converted into 3000
tons of oxygen.
BigRep, a 3D printer manufacturer based in Germany has 3D printed airless
tyres for bicycleA. This tire prototype utilizes BigRep’s Pro FLEX filament which
has high durability and temperature resistance. Bigrep recently 3D printed an
entire e-bike. It used its latest material BigRep TPU material for 3D printing the
tyres. These tyres have bio-inspired honeycomb structures, that reduces the
weight by 40 percent when compared to conventional rubber tyres. This weight
reduction is a significant advantage to the fuel economy of any vehicle. Also,
the extreme durability of airless tyres will bring smile in the face of the user
due to big cost savings.
Polaris, the largest ATV manufacturer has used airless tyres in its military grade
ATV as shown in Fig. 6 and demonstrated the awesome capacity of the airless
tyres. They keep on running 8000 km distance even after taking bursts from
AK47 and it travelled 1800 km after inserting a railroad spike. Hence Polaris
decided to focus on airless tyres for military applications.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY:

OBJECTIVES
• Eliminates air leaks or tyre blow outs.
• No maintenance required.
• Facilitate recycling.
• Remains mobile even with some of the spokes
are damaged or missing.
• Durability & Long Life.
• Can take gunfire or explosion.
• Less environmental impact.

METHODOLOGY
Cable reinforced band of conventionIl tyre rubber is moulded around shear
band. Energy absorbing polyurethane spokes are used for absorbing the shocks
during mobility of vehicle. The flexible thread and shear bands deforms
temporarily as spokes bend and retain its initial dimensions.

UNCONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIONS:

The pneumatic tyre provides a rolling performance in most important respects
that is amazing. Only a minor defect may demonstrate that this performance is
not a matter of course but a result of a sensitive design. But this does not go
without saying that the pneumatic tyre is the only useful device that could
provide a safe, quiet and economic rolling for a vehicle. If a mere fraction of all
the resources spent on tyre development so far would be spent on, for
example, development of the composite wheel or the so-called TWEEL (see
below), what can one achieve then?
An interesting editorial appeared in Tire Techno-logy International recently. It
was written by the former Director of Research at Dunlop Tyres in the UK, Dr A.
R. Williams.
What is standing behind the corner? Are there some tyre innovations or
unconventional designs that may offer a breakthrough or at least a large step
towards lower noise emission and rolling re-sistance? The following describes a
few examples of such attempts currently being explored.

DESIGN OF TWEEL AIRLESS TYRES

The Tweel consists of a cable-reinforced band of conventional "tyre" rubber
with molded tread, a shear band just below the tread that creates a compliant
contact patch, and a series of energy-absorbing polyurethane spokes. The
rectangular spokes can be designed to have a range of stiffnesses, so engineers
can control how the Tweel handles loads. The inner hub contains a matrix of
deformable plastic structures that flex under load and return to their original
shape. By varying the thickness and size of the spokes, Michelin can generate a
wide array of ride and handling qualities. The tread can be as specialised as any
of today's tyres and is replaceable when worn.
ROLE OF AIRLESS TYRE
Airless tires, non-pneumatic tires (NPT), or flat-free tires are tires that are not
supported by air pressure. They can be used on small vehicles such as ride-on
lawn mowers and motorized golf carts. They also are used on heavy equipment
required to operate on sites where risk of tire punctures is high.

ADVANTAGES:
One of the greatest advantages of this technology would be the fact that the
tyre is service-free. No more air pressure check, no more flat tires and no more
blow-outs mean a lot less to worry about when driving car. It is also conceived
to last longer. Also, the balancing between traction and comfort could become
a thing of the past. That’s because Michelin has found that it can tune Tweel
performances independently of each other, which is a significant change from
conventional tires. This means that vertical stiffness (which primarily affects
ride comfort) and lateral stiffness (which affects handling and cornering) can
both be optimised, pushing the performance envelope in these applications
and enabling new performances not possible for current inflated tires. It
doesn’t require maintenance and it is risk-free, the Tweel tyre could be a good
choice for special vehicles like those used in the army, in the construction
business or even in the exploration of other planets. In 2009, Michelin has
developed for NASA a Tweel-based tyre to be used in the latest generation of
lunar rover vehicles. The Michelin Lunar Wheel maintains flexibility and
constant ground pressure, allowing the vehicle to move through loose soil and
craters. In addition, it combines low mass and high payload capacity, making it
3.3 times more efficient than the original Apollo Lunar Rover wheels. Its textile
tread enables the rover to maintain traction at very low temperatures. Tweel
technology could also penetrate the personal mobility market. At the public
demonstration of the Tweel, Michelin placed prototypes on the iBOT, a
personal mobility device for physically impaired people, and the Segway
Centaur, a four-wheeled ATV-type vehicle that uses Segway’s self-balancing
technology.
DISADVANTAGES:
It is not the perfect tire. At least not yet. One of its biggest flaws is vibration.
Above 50 mph, the Tweel vibrates considerably, thus generating noise and
heat. A fast moving Tweel is reportedly unpleasantly loud. Long distance
driving at high speeds generates more heat than Michelin engineers would like.
That’s why, for the moment, the first applications of the Tweel are in low-speed
vehicles, such as construction vehicles. The Tweel is perfect for such use
because the ruggedness of the airless design will be a major advantage on a
construction site. Michelin is also exploring military use of the Tweel, which
would be ideal in combat situations, where conventional tyres are an easy
target.
Another big obstacle in the Tweel’s way is the tire industry itself. Making Tweels
is quite a different process than making a pneumatic tire. The retooling of the
many tire factories, plus the equipment necessary to service the new tire
around the world represents also an important obstacle to the broad adoption
of airless tires. Because of these drawbacks, Michelin is not planning to roll out
the Tweel to consumers any time soon.
Last but not least, another challenge for the Tweel could be the drivers
themselves who would see their beloved radial tires and rims replaced by a not
so good looking Tweel. Of course, Michelin could place some covers to hide the
spokes, but the psychological impact on the consumer should not be
neglected. It might be the inventor of the Tweel, but another company is
working on a similar project. Resilient Technologies is developing their own
airless tire, known as the NPT (non-pneumatic tire). That company is using a
more aggressive development and marketing strategy aimed at military use.
The NPT is based on a different configuration of spokes, but the general idea is
the same as Tweel's.

APPLICATIONS:
Given the high speed problems with the Tweel, the first commercial
applications will be in lower-speed, lower-weight vehicles such as wheelchairs,
scooters, and other such devices. The iBOT mobility device and Segway's
Concept Centaur were both introduced with Tweels. Michelin also has
additional projects for Tweel on small construction equipment, such as skid
steer loaders, for which it seems well-suited.
The first large-scale applications may be in the military where a flat-proof tyre
would be advantageous. Military testing has indicated that the Tweel deflects
mine blasts away from the vehicle better than standard tyres and that the
Tweel remains mobile even with some of the spokes are damaged or missing.
NASA has contracted Michelin to develop a wheel for the next generation
Lunar Rover based on the Tweel. This has resulted in the Lunar Rover Initiative
AB Scarab wheels.
The first large-scale applications may be in the military where a flat-proof tyre
would be advantageous. Military testing has indicated that the Tweel deflects
mine blasts away from the vehicle better than standard tyres and that the
Tweel remains mobile even with some of the spokes are damaged or missing.
NASA has contracted Michelin to develop a wheel for the next generation
Lunar Rover based on the Tweel. This has resulted in the Lunar Rover Initiative
AB Scarab wheels.

Future of Tweel Technology:

For Michelin, Tweel is a long-term vision that represents the next step in a long
path of industry-changing innovations. Fifty years ago, Michelin invented the
radial tyre and there is no question that radial tyre technology will continue as
the standard for a long time to come. Michelin continues to advance the
performance of the radial tyre in areas such as rolling resistance, wear life and
grip.
In the short-term, the lessons learned from Tweel research are being applied to
improve those conventional tyre performances. In the future, Tweel may
reinvent the way that vehicles move. Checking tyre pressure, fixing flats,
highway blow-outs and balancing between traction and comfort could all fade
into memory.

CONCLUSION:
It is concluded that tyres featuring low noise and low rolling resistance will be
required in the near future and that the interest in and need for im-proved
characteristics in this respect will receive much more attention and priority in
the tyres of the next 10 years than for present market tyres. If the climate
changes will force a sudden and dramatic change in transportation and vehicle
emissions policies, which is not an unlikely scenario, the tyre and vehicle
manufacturer who fails to consider unconventional solutions may suddenly find
itself in an inferior position to the one who can see and actually explore the
possibilities of new technologies. There are possibilities to reduce noise and
rolling resistance further than today by traditional tyre design measures; in
particular if the extreme high-speed demands (speeds in excess of 200 km/h)
can be abandoned. It is further concluded that there are several possi-bilities
for a breakthrough in tyre design for low noise and low rolling resistance within
the next 10 years or so, provided sufficient resources are spent on developing
the concepts presented above.
 CONTAINS
1.INTRODUCTION.
2. HISTORY OF AIRLESS TYRE.
3. WORKING PRINCIPLE.
4. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF AIRLESS TYRE.
5. OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY.
6. ADVANTAGES.
7. DISADVANTAGES.
8. APPLICATIONS.
9. CONCLUSIONS.