LYNNTECH INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A224-004

Description

Underinflated or deflated tires reduce a vehicle’s capability to steer or travel at speed. Further, deformation from deflation increases the likelihood of tread separation and tire unseating. In hostile engagements, reduced mobility increases the likelihood that soldiers will be captured, injured, or killed. For this reason, incapacitating vehicles is often a primary goal of enemy combatants. The use of run-flat technology can help maintain vehicle mobility in the event of tire deflation, and thus may be lifesaving in combat situations.    In response to this need, the Army requires carbon fiber hoops to be embedded in the tire under the tread. Inserting carbon fiber hoops below the tread of a tire can help provide auxiliary supports to a run-flat insert, improving the range and speed the vehicle can travel with underinflated tires.    Lynntech’s solutions to embedding carbon fiber hoops in the tire will focus both on their materials and structures. In terms of material solutions, a hybridized composite consisting mainly of carbon fiber with additional additives and novel binder will be used to provide improved strength and bending performance relative to current carbon fiber/epoxy composites. The novel binder material will provide both strength and flexibility under tire deformation at low tire pressures, outperforming brittle epoxies and allowing for tires to appropriately deform when intentionally aired-down for soft ground mobility such as over-the-beach travel.       In terms of structural solutions, Lynntech will utilize modeling tools to simulate how the arrays of hoops behave statically and dynamically, allowing for the number of hoops and cross-sectional geometry to be optimized. Output of dynamic testing will include ride quality and vehicle terrain capability.