Czech Firm Seeks Partners to Develop New Inflation System

Czech Republic based company Coda Development s.r.o. reports it has developed and patented a self-inflating tyre (SIT) system, which it will preview at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit between April 14 and 17. According to the company, the SIT system delivers the key benefits of eliminating tyre pressure checks and the manual inflation of tyres, along with removing the safety and fuel consumption issues linked to driving on incorrectly inflated tyres. Coda Development adds that production costs for incorporating the SIT system will “increase only marginally” in comparison with the fitment of standard tyres.

The SIT system uses atmospheric air to inflate the tyre automatically when the vehicle is in motion, says Coda Development. The system is based upon the principal of peristaltic pumping, and integrates a tube chamber into the tyre’s wall. As the tyre turns and makes contact with the road this chamber acts as a peristaltic pump, forcing additional air into the tyre until it reaches the desired pressure. When the correct pressure is reached a valve automatically stops further inflation. Any natural loss of pressure is thus compensated for, and a maintenance free constant tyre pressure is maintained over the life of the tyre. The company reports that travelling less than a single mile compensates for a typical monthly leakage of between 1 and 3 per cent.

Coda Development intends to develop its SIT system further into a proven production model in joint cooperation with established partners from the automotive and tyre industries, and in the coming months will initiate talks with potential partners in order to identify those best suited for bringing this new technology to market.