2010 R&D 100 Winner
According to the design criteria set forward by NASA, future lunar exploration and development of a lunar outpost will require roving vehicles that are much heavier (up to 10 times) than the one used by astronauts in the 1960s for the Apollo program. They will also need to travel farther (up to 100 times).
Comprised of 800 load-bearing helical springs, the Spring Tire, a joint effort of NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, takes the lessons of Apollo missions and puts a new face on airless tires.
The helical springs are an improvement on the original Apollo program tire in that they much more closely simulate the behavior of a traditional rubber tire. The coiled wire mesh, which differs in orientation from the crimped wire mesh on the Apollo lunar rover, minimizes energy loss and allows the tires to conform to the shape of the terrain. The tire’s extreme elasticity allows it to effectively drive through rocks, rather than over them, so less drive energy is consumed elevating the vehicle.
NASA envisions terrestrial applications for the Spring Tire, including military vehicles (less chance of flats) and commercial vehicles (to improve low-speed fuel economy).
Technology
Helical wire mesh tire
Developers
NASA Glenn Research Center
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Development Team
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| (l-r): Jim Benzing and Jim Kish, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and Vivake M. Asnani, NASA Glenn Research Center |
The Spring Tire Development Team:
Vivake Asnani, NASA Glenn Research Center
Jim Benzing, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Jim Kish, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
