Vehicle: Car: Wheel Alternative
MAG-LEV Wheel-Tire Motor-Brake   (+2, -2)  [vote for, against]
A re-think of wheels and tires, suspension and bearings for cars.

I propose an integration of MAG-LEV technology into regular tire's for cars, that would slip over a slim rim, born by a magnetic field, from a static (non-rotating) hub/'wheel', suspended to the car.

The tire would be fairly regular, even very low profile, since the magnetic field would be 'micro'-movement cushioning.

There would be an outer rim, rotating with the tire, and the inner rim, supported to the car's structure.

Between them, a magnetic field, holding the rims slightly apart, and introducing the drive and brake forces, to propel and arrest the vehicle/car.
-- sirau, Jun 01 2011

Magnetic bearings http://en.wikipedia...ki/Magnetic_bearing
Big, heavy & expensive. [Twizz, Jun 01 2011]

MaglevLA_20Wheel Redundant. Even the first comment is nearly the same. [spidermother, Jun 01 2011]

So the idea is to use a magnetic bearing (WKTE - see link) for automotive road wheels.

The friction from road wheel bearings is so small that a magnetic bearing is not justifiable in terms of energy consumption, weight, complexity or cost.

(-)
-- Twizz, Jun 01 2011


Yes, the function of the bearings would be included, but also the engine and the brakes - as the MAG-LEV trains, only in smaller rotation elements - both propulsion, AND braking comes through the magnetic field (segments around the circumference, switching opposing polarity, for attraction and distance.).

Interesting link.
-- sirau, Jun 01 2011


[spidermother] : Not the same construction. The link's center is a bearing, and something else is at the rim.
-- sirau, Jun 01 2011


It's not that clearly worded, but the linked idea's author, in an annotation, mentions conventional bearings as an _alternative_ to magnetic levitation. The idea itself is the same as yours, except for the T-shaped construction to prevent sideways movement.
-- spidermother, Jun 01 2011


You've partially described regenerative braking: an electric motor is a maglev... minus the 'lev' bit.

As far as the levitation bit is concerned, good luck finding a magnet that will do this: you've got (charitably) half a tonne on an area of a couple centimeters, which almost sounds doable until you hit a pothole.
-- FlyingToaster, Jun 01 2011


the support area is the entire circumferential area of the outer rim - inner rim interface, ie in vertical perspective : width x diameter of mag-lev 'shell', approximately the same as width x diameter of the wheel/tire.
-- sirau, Jun 01 2011



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