Key Takeaways
- Ford patents self-powered tire pressure monitoring sensors.
- This allows for vastly increased real-time data collection.
- Piezoelectric material, as used in sonar systems, could offer finer acute wheel control, improving off-roading, high-speed driving, and safety.
CarBuzz has discovered a new patent that Ford filed at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, detailing a revolutionary idea for a tire pressure sensor capable of improving off-road ability, high-performance driving, efficiency, and safety in future vehicles like the Mustang and Bronco. As if that’s not impressive enough, the system would be capable of detecting and even deterring theft. But before we get there, we need to know what a tire pressure monitoring system (hereafter referred to simply as TPMS) is made up of.
The indirect TPMS relies on the same wheel speed sensors that the anti-lock braking and traction control systems use. Using the rate of revolution of each wheel, the onboard computer calculates the relative size of each tire, and when one starts spinning faster than the others, the computer warns the driver of an underinflated tire. A direct TPMS uses dedicated sensors and is, therefore, more accurate. It also does not require resetting when tires are inflated, rotated, or otherwise changed, but when the battery dies (usually after a decade or so), the whole sensor must be replaced.
Ford Relying On Self-Powered Sensors
Ford’s patent notes that there are several benefits to accessing more tire data, and this is already possible to some degree. BMW has developed connected tires with Michelin, and McLaren has something similar on the Artura. But with increased processing power come increased demands for electrical power, and while powering a sensor that conveys only tire pressure and temperature is not too energy-intensive, Ford has much bigger plans, including one that requires the TPMS to be powered when the vehicle is off, which we’ll get to momentarily.
Related
Ford Develops New Wheels Specifically For Airless Tires
Airless tires won’t bead to the rim the same way aired tires do.
To ensure a stable supply of energy, Ford would use a piezoelectric material, that is, a material that shifts its positive and negative charge centers when placed under mechanical stress. Simply put, piezoelectricity is electricity resulting from pressure and latent heat – two things that are in abundant supply within a moving tire. When the vehicle stops, any remaining energy can be stored in a small battery, but why is it important to measure tire pressure when the car is no longer running?
TPMS That Can Deter Thieves
If the tires are powered when the car is off, they can detect changes in pressure without drawing from the vehicle’s own power supply, and if we’re talking about electric vehicles, then this becomes doubly important. Using these sensors, a car parked on the street would be able to tell when it is being jacked up because pressure in some tires would increase while pressure in others would decrease as the vehicle is raised on one side. If the car does not detect a key, it could activate the alarm, and if nothing changes, it could activate other measures, like a honking horn and flashing headlights to scare off the potential thief, a camera to record the individual at fault, and a smartphone notification to alert the owner. With this, Ford says it hopes to prevent the theft of wheels and tires.
Related
Are Keyless Entry Cars At Greater Risk Of Theft?
The advantages and possible security risks.
Better Off-Roading, Sharper Handling, Safer Driving
More importantly, the patent notes that real-time data, including temperature, velocity, pressure, deflection, tread, and wheel slip, could all be harnessed using one self-powered sensor. For example, coupled with a camera, off-road vehicles like the Bronco could become better at evaluating terrain, and drive modes could react to slippage and tire deformation instantly. For those who get their thrills on the asphalt, high-performance cars could use the highly specialized data for improved lap times and enhanced torque vectoring controls that can enable sharper turns through keener control of individual wheels, particularly on EVs with individual motors per wheel. Daily-driven cars could automatically detect ice on the road, while vehicles with self-driving technology would be able to adjust their safety parameters (like following distances) based on live road condition data at the wheels, thereby preventing poor braking and steering performance when the road surface changes in any way.
All of these potential applications seem great, but as with anything, the biggest question relates to money: can Ford harness all this extra data in a low-cost, mass-produced, high-quality fashion? It all depends on the construction and efficacy of that piezoelectric material, and we’re sure Dearborn’s engineers are currently testing various potential candidates.
News Summary:
- Ford’s New Tire Technology Will Improve Handling And Traction…And Deter Wheel Thieves
- Check all news and articles from the latest Tech updates.
- Please Subscribe us at Google News.