Re-Inventing the Wheel

Yes, that simple strip of folded and inflated rubber isn’t good enough for some people, including Michelin. So let’s have a look at the contenders.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not an engineer, or a physicist, nor do I have a doctorate in anything at all. I’m just an observer, and this is what I’m observing.

Michelin’s Tweel

This tyre removes the inflated bit, and replaces it with a mesh of strips of some kind. Obviously, they’re not revealing too much at this time, but this does have promise. I do see some problems, however.

• The “Contact patch” is very large, and very flat. This could lead to friction (“Rolling resistance”) issues.
• Just how this will handle turns is not shown. Seeing how solid it appears to be, in a lateral sense, this tyre may have issues turning, especially at low speeds.
• With all those “Spokes” straight like that, does anyone else see a potential problem with torque ripping this thing to shreds? I wouldn’t want to try a high-speed peelout with this.

Birtek’s Energy Return Wheel

This tyre also removes the inflated bit, but replaces it with hard metal bolts and a strip of “Stuff”, probably rubber or some kind of High-Density plastic foam. Problems?

• Incredibly hard ride. These are solid tyres, in all but name, with little to no deformation or give. I hope you like your spine shattered.
• No mention whatsoever on how this thing handles bumps and ruts in the road. With no cushioning in there, there could be shattered rims happening every time you hit a crease in the tarmac.

Peter Becker’s Super Tweel

Here we have a lawsuit of a name, waiting to happen. Let’s have a look at the problems, and bust some of his claims.

• He claims his tyre doesn’t deform like the Tweel, that it doesn’t go flat at the bottom. Yet when he shows his test on how his “Super Tweel” handles bumps in the road, the bottom is deformed just like the Tweel. Coincidence? No, it just shows his wheel concept is the same as the Tweel – Under load the contact patch deforms. This is not a bad thing, all tyres do it (Except perhaps the Energy Return Wheel, which may have grip problems due to the lack of contact with the road).
• Again, as with the Tweel we have the potential torque problem. This could be more of a problem due to the decrease in spoke density, though it could also be mitigated by the angle of the spokes (At least in his drawing – the model has straight spokes, just like the Tweel).
• Here, because of the crossing of the spokes (in cross-section), we have an issue with the tyre curling around the rim when a sideways load is applied. This design seems very prone to this, and is shown very well when he holds the “Super Tweel” next to his test stick and pushes down – The inner rim can be seen to twist quite alarmingly.

Personally, to judge this more fairly, I would like to see two of these “Super Tweel” models made, with the angled spokes as shown in the drawings, and fitted to an axle of a small trailer/cart. That way they could be loaded with a known mass (appropriate to the scale of the wheels and cart), and the deformation of the “Super Tweel” could be seen accurately, as could the bump clearing performance.

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Well, those are my thoughts on this, anyways. Any comments? Leave them below.