Demonstration of improved vehicle fuel efficiency through innovative tire design, materials, and weight reduction technologies

Technical Report · Wed Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1183011· OSTI ID:1183011

Donley, Tim ^[1]

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1. Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Incorporated, Findlay, OH (United States)

Cooper completed an investigation into new tire technology using a novel approach to develop and demonstrate a new class of fuel efficient tires using innovative materials technology and tire design concepts. The objective of this work was to develop a new class of fuel efficient tires, focused on the “replacement market” that would improve overall passenger vehicle fuel efficiency by 3% while lowering the overall tire weight by 20%. A further goal of this project was to accomplish the objectives while maintaining the traction and wear performance of the control tire. This program was designed to build on what has already been accomplished in the tire industry for rolling resistance based on the knowledge and general principles developed over the past decades. Cooper’s CS4 (Figure #1) premium broadline tire was chosen as the control tire for this program. For Cooper to achieve the goals of this project, the development of multiple technologies was necessary. Six technologies were chosen that are not currently being used in the tire industry at any significant level, but that showed excellent prospects in preliminary research. This development was divided into two phases. Phase I investigated six different technologies as individual components. Phase II then took a holistic approach by combining all the technologies that showed positive results during phase one development.

• Research Organization: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Incorporated, Findlay, OH (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: EE0005390
• OSTI ID: 1183011
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English