The Honeycomb
New Bulletproof & Airless Tires
Vikas Shukla
The most vulnerable part of
a military vehicle is its tires. When flat, the entire vehicle, its advanced
technology, and its occupants are at risk.
No Air, No Problem
Airless tires,
or non-pneumatic tires (NPT), are tires that are not
supported by air pressure.
They are used on some small
vehicles such as riding lawn mowers and motorized golf carts.
They are also used on heavy
equipment such as backhoes, which are required to operate on sites such as
building demolition, where risk of tire punctures is high.
Tires composed of
closed-cell polyurethane foam are also made for bicycles and wheelchairs.
According to soldiers who have
driven vehicles fitted with them, the tires are capable of towing 1,000 gallons
of water up a mountain or three pallets of ammo and batteries up a steep
incline, while handling like normal rubber tires.
Humvees have “run flat”
tires that continue to roll despite very low air pressure, but “airless tires”
are even better.
The technology,
“Non-Pneumatic Tire” (NPT), is made of a polymeric web.
NPTs keep vehicles moving in
any terrain while not being slowed or stopped by punctures, increasing the
possibility of escaping from dangerous situations.
NPT was originally
developed at the University of Wisconsin for the U.S. Army.
The company claims its
airless tyres provide a smoother ride over bumps than conventional tyres, and
they’re quieter.
“There is
nowhere for the sound to pool, so there’s no humming or drumming like there is
with a standard pneumatic tyre,” Polaris business
development representative Joaquin Salas told Fox News in the
US.
Advantages
The main advantage of
airless tires is that they cannot go flat.
Other advantages are that
airless tires will need to be replaced less often resulting in savings.
Heavy equipment outfitted
with airless tires will be able to carry more weight and engage in more rugged
activities.
Airless bicycle tires can
be easy to install.
Airless lawn mower tires
come in several varieties.
Disadvantages
Airless tires generally
have higher rolling resistance and provide somewhat less suspension
than similarly shaped and sized pneumatic tires.
Other problems for airless
heavy equipment tires include dissipating the heat buildup that occurs when
they are driven.
Airless tires are often
filled with compressed polymers (plastic), rather than air or can be
a solid molded product.
Airless tires are
attractive to cyclists, as bicycle tires are much more vulnerable to
punctures than motor vehicle tires.
The drawbacks to airless
tires depend on the use.
Heavy equipment operators
who use machinery with solid tires will complain of fatigue whereas lawn mowers
that use solid or airless tires have no drawbacks.
Bicycle riders who use
airless tires may complain that the tire is harder than a comparable pneumatic
tire.
Only anecdotal evidence
exists that airless tires may cause broken spokes on a bicycle wheel.
Any airless tire will be
heavier than the rubber tire it is meant to replace; however, many rubber
pneumatic tires are also heavy.
Rubber tires vary in
rolling resistance and an airless tire or solid insert may only marginally
increase rolling resistance if at all.
Installation of airless
tires depends on the use.
Heavy equipment will need
special equipment to mount but an airless bicycle tire can be mounted with
little or no effort.
Solid airless lawnmower tires come pre-installed on the wheel allowing quick installation.
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