Split-Ring Resonator Tire Structure for Precise Wear Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tire monitoring systems, such as TPMS, fail to provide the necessary fidelity for high-performance applications like racing or fully autonomous driving, especially in detecting rapid tire wear and environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of carbon-based microstructures within tire plies and treads that resonate at specific RF frequencies, allowing for real-time detection of tire wear and environmental changes through frequency shifting and attenuation, using self-powered tribological generators for energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional TPMS is used, then the system is simple and easy to manufacture, but it fails to provide high measurement precision for tire wear and environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electronic TPMS sensors with electromagnetic resonance-based detection. Split ring resonators embedded in tire plies and treads generate electromagnetic signals that change frequency and attenuation based on tire conditions, eliminating complex mechanical sensors and enabling high-precision wear detection through non-contact electromagnetic measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates carbon-based microstructures and split ring resonators as composite materials within tire plies and treads. These composite materials provide both structural integrity and electromagnetic resonance properties, allowing the tire structure itself to function as the sensing element for high-precision condition monitoring.
2Reliability
If traditional TPMS is used, then the device complexity is low, but it provides insufficient reliability for autonomous driving applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tire structure with the monitoring function by embedding split ring resonators directly into tire plies and treads. This integration ensures the sensing system moves with the tire and continuously monitors conditions, providing reliable real-time data for autonomous driving without requiring separate complex monitoring hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The split ring resonators are self-powered through electromagnetic induction, generating their own signals without external power sources. This self-service capability ensures continuous reliable operation throughout the tire's lifespan, eliminating battery replacement or external power connection requirements that would compromise reliability.
3Measurement precision
If resonators are embedded in tire plies and treads, then measurement precision improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates split ring resonators and carbon-based microstructures into tire plies and treads during the manufacturing process, specifically during the curing stage. This preliminary action ensures sensors are integrated into the tire structure before final assembly, simplifying the overall manufacturing process compared to post-manufacturing sensor installation while maintaining high measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Accurately detects tire wear and environmental conditions with high fidelity, enabling precise vehicle control and safety enhancements for autonomous driving.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporation of carbon-based microstructures within tire plies and treads that resonate at specific RF frequencies, allowing for real-time detection of tire wear and environmental changes through frequency shifting and attenuation
Implementation Method 2
using self-powered tribological generators for energy
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
This disclosure provides a tire formed of a body having multiple plies and a tread that surrounds the body. The plies and/or the treads and/or other surfaces of the tire include one or more resonators that respond to being interrogated by an externally generated excitation signal. Multiple resonators formed of electrically-conducting materials are disposed (e.g., printed) on the plies and/or tread and/or other surfaces of the tire. Each of a group of multiple resonators can be individually configured to respond to different frequencies of the excitation signal such that the presence of a response (e.g., a measured attenuation of the excitation signal return) or lack of response (e.g., based on comparison of the excitation signal return to calibration curves) from individual ones of the multiple resonators can be combined to form a serial number that is unique to the tire or other elastomer-containing component (e.g., belts, hoses, etc.) being interrogated.