SafeSpeed wrote:
hobbes wrote:
Why not just fit wider, (and larger diameter) tyres in the first place so the contact area is greater by default.
The tyre / tarmac interface is a pretty strange non-linear sort of thing, but if we idealise it for a moment we'll find that a larger contact patch does little because the pressure per square inch reduces in direct proportion to the increase in footprint.
hobbes wrote:
Or, this has just sprung in to mind as I typed... a dual compound tyre. The normal wearing surface, but with a high density foamy layer under it. (This is not for a braking surface - but like a secondary layer) Under braking (severe) the normal action of front tyres compressing under braking load could be added to - increasing the footprint / contact area, but only 'active' when under abnormal load. It would be like automatically dropping the tyre pressure a fraction under heavy braking - to return to normal as the load reduces.
No patents pending....yet!
Tyres probably experience far bigger loads from bumps than they do from brakes. But there is one way that tyres know you're braking - and that's because they experience an axial twisting torque. I don't know if that could be used to raise hackles or something.
I overlooked that....bugger.
Hairyben's tyre heaters - I had that idea this afternoon too. And brainstormed myself!. The hotter the tyres - the higher the tyre pressure - so an IR non-contact monitoring feedback loop would be required to keep it optimal - not rocket science. But how to get heat onto the tyres. Hot contact roller? - perhaps using the excess heat from the cats / manifold.
Squeegee (rubber roller - not a blade) idea fantastic for the wet - deployed in 'normal' operation to push most of the standing water out of the way before the tyre gets to that spot. Could be a disaster if it hits 'road debris' though! Would need something more advanced than a spring holding it down! Forward scanning radar or laser (put the guts of a few LTI 20-20's to good use...) to see sizable debris & take appropriate action.....imagine, a wet day, 1/2" of standing water in places & you can do 70 without fear of aquaplaning or your T/C freaking out, all you'll get is a little flicker on the dash to say the 'active roller' took action and lifted for 150ms to avoid that chunk of stone in it's path. Cooooool