Η σωστή πίεση αέρα στα ελαστικά του αυτοκινήτου είναι πολύ σημαντική για την καλή οδηγική συμπεριφορά αλλά και την κατανάλωση του, που σύμφωνα με μετρήσεις τα μη σωστά φουσκωμένα ελαστικά μπορούν να μειώσουν από 2.5% έως 3.3% την αυτονομία του αυτοκινήτου.
Γνωρίζοντας αυτό η Goodyear μας ανακοινώσει ότι εξελίσσει το λάστιχο που σε περίπτωση απώλειας πίεσης φουσκώνει μόνο του. Το σύστημα αυτό επιτρέπει στα ελαστικά να αυτο-φουσκώνουν αυτόματα και εντελώς αυτόνομα, χωρίς να υπάρχει ανάγκη για εξωτερική αντλίες. Το ονομάζει, Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) ή Τεχνολογία Διατήρησης Αέρα, και ο Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear αντιπρόεδρος και επικεφαλής του τεχνικού τμήματος,
Ενώ η τεχνολογία είναι πολύπλοκη, η ιδέα πίσω από το σύστημα AMT είναι σχετικά απλή και τροφοδοτείται από το ίδιο το ελαστικό καθώς κυλά στο δρόμο.
Μπορεί να ακούγεται σαν σενάριο από ταινία James Bond αλλά ο Jean-Claude Kihn συνεχίζει,
Ένα ελαστικό που μπορεί να διατηρήσει την πίεση του αέρα είναι κάτι που οι οδηγοί ήθελαν εδώ και πολλά χρόνια. Αυτό θα είναι το τεχνολογικό επίτευγμα που οι άνθρωποι θα αναρωτιούνται πώς ζούσαν χωρίς αυτό.
Η Goodyear δεν έχει αναφέρει τίποτε για κόστος ή μια εκτίμηση, όταν η τεχνολογία θα γίνει διαθέσιμη στο κοινό, αλλά έχει λάβει επιχορηγήσεις από το αρμόδιο αμερικανικό Υπουργείο για να βοηθήσει την περαιτέρω ανάπτυξη. Τέλος λοιπόν οι επισκέψεις στη κόρη του βενζινά για να μας φουσκώνει τα λάστιχα.
[Πηγή: Goodyear]
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New Goodyear Innovation Could Make Tire Pumps Obsolete
Government Grants to Help Quicken Development
AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The days of manually adding air to under-inflated tires could be a distant memory thanks to a new innovation under development in laboratories at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT).
Keeping tires properly inflated doesn’t just eliminate the practice of checking a tire’s air pressure and finding a tire pump and gauge that works. It also can mean real savings at the fuel pump.
Whether you drive a passenger vehicle or a commercial truck, underinflated tires result in between a 2.5 percent and 3.3 percent decrease in fuel mileage, according to government and industry research. At today’s prices, that translates to about 12 cents per gallon at the pump.
Properly inflated tires also result in lower emissions, longer tire life, enhanced safety and improved vehicle performance.
Goodyear’s Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) will enable tires to remain inflated at the optimum pressure without the need for any external pumps or electronics. All components of the AMT system, including the miniaturized pump, will be fully contained within the tire.
“While the technology is complex, the idea behind the AMT system is relatively simple and powered by the tire itself as it rolls down the road,” said Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear senior vice president and chief technical officer.
“A tire that can maintain its own inflation is something drivers have wanted for many years. Goodyear has taken on this challenge and the progress we have made is very encouraging,” said Kihn. “This will become the kind of technological breakthrough that people will wonder how they ever lived without.”
Goodyear did not provide an estimate as to when this technology would be available at tire retailers, but said the timetable would be accelerated due to recent government research grants in United States and European Union.
The United States Department of Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technology Wednesday announced it has awarded a $1.5 million grant for research, development and demonstration of the AMT system for commercial truck tires. The grant will be administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory and work will be conducted at Goodyear’s Innovation Center in Akron, Ohio.
In July, Goodyear successfully applied for a grant from the Luxemburg government for research and development of an AMT system for consumer tires. That work will be conducted at Goodyear’s Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg.
“While similar in concept, there are significant differences in AMT systems for consumer and commercial tires,” said Kihn. “The tangible support from both the U.S. and Luxembourg governments underscores the value of these projects and the many positive benefits they can provide drivers around the world.”
In addition, The DOE’s Office of Vehicle Technology today also announced that it will award a $1.5 million grant for a joint project between PPG Industries and Goodyear to improve the rolling resistance and fuel efficiency of tires. The project’s objective is to increase average fuel efficiency of passenger vehicle fleets through use of new tread and inner liner technologies.
“Advanced technologies that are invisible to the human eye – like those we are working on with PPG – will help to dramatically improve fuel efficiency of tires while maintaining other important qualities such as traction and tread-life,” said Kihn.
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs approximately 73,000 people and manufactures its products in 54 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com.
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