NASA Ready to Roll on Mars with New Superelastic Tires

Researchers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center have developed an alternative to traditional pneumatic tires for future missions to Mars. The Superelastic Tire was developed specifically to equip a new generation of ground vehicles for Mars exploration.

The tire, developed from NASA’s existing Spring Tire technology and inspired by the tires used in the Apollo program, utilizes shape memory alloys capable of flexing and withstanding deformation without losing its original shape. By incorporating shape memory alloy as a radial stiffener, the Superelastic Tire is able to increase load-carrying capacity and matching traction performance of conventional pneumatic tires. With no need for an inner frame or pressurized gas, the tire is lighter and safer, as there is no possibility of puncture.

According to NASA, the benefits of the Superelastic Tire include:

Safety: Eliminates the possibility of puncture failure
Strength: Can withstand excessive deformation
Robustness: Can be configured for high traction on various terrains
Simplicity: Eliminates the need for air
Versatility: Tire stiffness can be designed to limit energy transferred to vehicle
Reduced Weight: No inner frame needed for the tire/wheel assembly

Potential applications include:

All-terrain vehicle tires
Military vehicle tires
Construction vehicle tires
Automobile tires
Heavy equipment tires
Agricultural vehicle tires
Aircraft tires

The Technology

This NASA Glenn innovation comprises a non-pneumatic, compliant tire utilizing shape memory alloys (mainly NiTi and its derivatives) as load bearing components. These shape memory alloys are capable of undergoing significant reversible strain (up to 10%), enabling the tire to withstand an order of magnitude more deformation than other non-pneumatic tires before undergoing permanent deformation. Commonly used elastic-plastic materials (e.g. spring steels, composites, etc.) can only be subjected to strains on the order of ~ 0.3-0.5% before yielding. Hence, the use of a NiTi shape memory alloy yields a superelastic tire that is virtually impervious to plastic deformation. In addition, the utilization of shape memory alloys provides enhanced control over the effective stiffness as a function of the deformation, providing increased design versatility. For instance, the Glenn Superelastic Tire can be made to soften with increased deflection, reducing the amount of energy transferred to the vehicle during high deformation events. In addition, the use of shape memory alloys in the form of radial stiffeners, as opposed to springs, provides even more load carrying potential and improved design flexibility. This type of compliant tire would allow for increased travel speeds in off-road applications.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."