Michelin developing puncture-proof tires

Michelin, the French tire manufacturer, has invented the “Tweel” which could make vehicles impervious to punctures or even explosions.

The Tweel is a combination tire and wheel that infuses the best elements of both designs.

Unlike a traditional tire, the Tweel has no pneumatic rubber shell leaving nothing to deflate or puncture. Instead the Tweel resembles a wagon wheel with polyurethane spokes and rubber for the treads. But, unlike a wagon wheel, the Tweel is not entirely rigid as the polyurethane spokes are flexible softening the ride.

The new design is also more environmentally friendly as existing tires as less material is required to manufacture them and it could be possible to even re-tread the rubber.

Despite these improvements in design, law enforcement officers will not have to worry about cars equipped with Tweels bypassing spike strips or other tire flattening tools any time soon.

Tweels have several flaws that have kept them from being widely implemented. In particular, at high speeds there is a significant amount of vibration which in turn generates noise that can be irritating to drivers and heat that results in premature tire wear.

The new design is currently installed on low-speed vehicles like construction equipment and Segways. Tweels could also be used in military applications as they are more resistant to mines and improvised explosive devices than conventional tires and deflect shock waves away from vehicle.