Aircraft tire

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Changing a wheel on a Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft Two man replace a main landing gear tire of a plane.jpg
Changing a wheel on a Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft
Tires on the wheels of a bogie on a Boeing 777 Boeing-777-300 chassis .jpg
Tires on the wheels of a bogie on a Boeing 777

An aircraft tire or tyre is designed to withstand extremely heavy loads for short durations. [1] The number of tires required for aircraft increases with the weight of the aircraft, as the weight of the airplane needs to be distributed more evenly. Aircraft tire tread patterns are designed to facilitate stability in high crosswind conditions, to channel water away to prevent hydroplaning, and for braking effect.

Contents

Aircraft tires also include fusible plugs (which are assembled on the inside of the wheels), designed to melt at a certain temperature. Tires often overheat if maximum braking is applied during an aborted takeoff or an emergency landing. The fuses provide a safer failure mode that prevents tire explosions by deflating in a controlled manner, thus minimizing damage to aircraft and objects in the surrounding environment.

Inflation

Aircraft tires generally operate at high pressures, up to 200  psi (14  bar ; 1,400  kPa ) for airliners, [2] and even higher for business jets[ citation needed ]. The main landing gear on the Concorde was typically inflated to 232 psi (16.0 bar), whilst its tail bumper gear tires were as high as 294 psi (20.3 bar). [3] The high pressure and weight load on the Concorde tyres were a significant factor in the loss of Air France Flight 4590.

Tests of airliner aircraft tires have shown that they are able to sustain pressures of maximum 800 psi (55 bar; 5,500 kPa) before bursting.[ citation needed ] During the tests the tires have to be filled with water, to prevent the test room being blown apart by the energy that would be released by a gas when the tire bursts.[ citation needed ]

Aircraft tires are usually inflated with nitrogen to minimize expansion and contraction from extreme changes in ambient temperature and pressure experienced during flight. [4] Dry nitrogen expands at the same rate as other dry atmospheric gases (normal air is about 80% nitrogen), but common compressed air sources may contain moisture, which increases the expansion rate with temperature. [5]

The requirement that an inert gas, such as nitrogen, be used instead of air for inflation of tires on certain transport category airplanes was prompted by at least three cases in which the oxygen in air-filled tires had combined with volatile gases given off by a severely overheated tire and exploded upon reaching autoignition temperature. The use of an inert gas for tire inflation eliminates the possibility of tire explosion. [6]

Manufacturers

The aircraft tire manufacturing industry is dominated by a four firm oligopoly that controls 85% of market share. [7]

The four major manufacturers in aircraft tire manufacturing are the following according to a report by Pelmar Engineering in 2013: [8]

These firms control approximately 85% of the manufacturing market and account for most of the retreads. [8] Dunlop is the smallest player among the major firms with revenue reported at £40m in a 2015 media report. [9] [10]

There are several other smaller industry players, particularly in China. Among these producers are Guilin-based Guilin Lanyu Aircraft Tire Development Co., a subsidiary of ChemChina that was founded in 1980; a Yinchuan, Ningxia located aircraft tire plant owned by Singapore-based Giti Tire; and Qingdao, Shandong-based Sentury Tire, which manufactures tires for the Boeing 737. [11] [12] [13]

Weihai, Shandong-based Triangle Group announced in 2012 a collaboration with the Harbin Institute of Technology for designing and manufacturing aircraft tires. [11]

Former manufacturers

Japanese company Yokohama Rubber had been manufacturing aircraft tires since 1940 but shut down its operations and made no more deliveries after 2009. [14] The company decided to close down the aircraft unit because its sales were low, having revenue of only 800 million JPY or about US$8 million in the 2008-9 fiscal year, and it assessed the future outlook of the industry as lacking in strong growth. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tire</span> Ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheels rim

A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which the wheel travels. Most tires, such as those for automobiles and bicycles, are pneumatically inflated structures, providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock as the tire rolls over rough features on the surface. Tires provide a footprint, called a contact patch, designed to match the vehicle's weight and the bearing on the surface that it rolls over by exerting a pressure that will avoid deforming the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inflatable</span> Object filled with pressurized gas to maintain its size and shape

An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium, and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their size and shape. Function fulfillment per mass used compared with non-inflatable strategies is a key advantage. Stadium cushions, impact guards, vehicle wheel inner tubes, emergency air bags, and inflatable space habitats employ the inflatable principle. Inflation occurs through several strategies: pumps, ram-air, blowing, and suction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landing gear</span> Undercarriage of aircraft or spacecraft

Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called alighting gear by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin Company. For aircraft, Stinton makes the terminology distinction undercarriage (British) = landing gear (US).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air France Flight 4590</span> 2000 plane crash of an Air France Concorde in Paris

On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde passenger jet on an international charter flight from Paris to New York, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. It was the only fatal Concorde accident during its 27-year operational history.

An inerting system decreases the probability of combustion of flammable materials stored in a confined space. The most common such system is a fuel tank containing a combustible liquid, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, jet fuel, or rocket propellant. After being fully filled, and during use, there is a space above the fuel, called the ullage, that contains evaporated fuel mixed with air, which contains the oxygen necessary for combustion. Under the right conditions this mixture can ignite. An inerting system replaces the air with a gas that cannot support combustion, such as nitrogen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaplaning</span> Loss of traction due to water buildup under tires

Aquaplaning or hydroplaning by the tires of a road vehicle, aircraft or other wheeled vehicle occurs when a layer of water builds between the wheels of the vehicle and the road surface, leading to a loss of traction that prevents the vehicle from responding to control inputs. If it occurs to all wheels simultaneously, the vehicle becomes, in effect, an uncontrolled sled. Aquaplaning is a different phenomenon from when water on the surface of the roadway merely acts as a lubricant. Traction is diminished on wet pavement even when aquaplaning is not occurring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gas blending for scuba diving</span> Mixing and filling cylinders with breathing gases for use when scuba diving

Gas blending for scuba diving is the filling of diving cylinders with non-air breathing gases such as nitrox, trimix and heliox. Use of these gases is generally intended to improve overall safety of the planned dive, by reducing the risk of decompression sickness and/or nitrogen narcosis, and may improve ease of breathing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schrader valve</span> Motor vehicle and bicycle tube valve

The Schrader valve is a type of pneumatic tire valve used on virtually every motor vehicle in the world today. The Schrader company, for which it was named, was founded in 1844 by August Schrader. The original Schrader valve design was invented in 1891, and patented in the United States in 1893.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabin pressurization</span> Process to maintain internal air pressure in aircraft

Cabin pressurization is a process in which conditioned air is pumped into the cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft in order to create a safe and comfortable environment for humans flying at high altitudes. For aircraft, this air is usually bled off from the gas turbine engines at the compressor stage, and for spacecraft, it is carried in high-pressure, often cryogenic, tanks. The air is cooled, humidified, and mixed with recirculated air by one or more environmental control systems before it is distributed to the cabin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold inflation pressure</span> Inflation pressure of tires before a car is driven

Cold inflation pressure is the inflation pressure of tires before a car is driven and the tires (tyres) warmed up. Recommended cold inflation pressure is displayed on the owner's manual and on the placard attached to the vehicle door edge, pillar, glovebox door or fuel filler flap. Most passenger cars are recommended to have a tire pressure of 2.1 to 2.4 bars when not warmed by driving. A 2001 NHTSA study found that 40% of passenger cars have at least one tire under-inflated by 0.4 bars (6 psi) or more. Drivers are encouraged to make sure their tires are adequately inflated, as under inflated tires can greatly reduce fuel economy, increase emissions, cause increased wear on the edges of the tread surface, and can lead to overheating and premature failure of the tire. Excessive pressure, on the other hand, will lead to impact-breaks, decreased braking performance, and cause increased wear on the center part of the tread surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tundra tire</span> Type of aircraft tire

A tundra tire is a large low-pressure tire used on light aircraft to allow operations on rough terrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pushback (aviation)</span> Removal of an aircraft from an airport gate by external power

In aviation, pushback is an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from its parking position, usually at an airport gate by external power. Pushbacks are carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called pushback tractors or tugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tire manufacturing</span> Process of tire fabrication

Pneumatic tires are manufactured according to relatively standardized processes and machinery, in around 455 tire factories in the world. With over 1 billion tires manufactured worldwide annually, the tire industry is a major consumer of natural rubber. Tire factories start with bulk raw materials such as synthetic rubber, carbon black, and chemicals and produce numerous specialized components that are assembled and cured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940</span> 1986 aviation accident

Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940, operated by Mexicana de Aviación, was a scheduled international flight from Mexico City to Los Angeles with stopovers in Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán on March 31, 1986, utilizing a Boeing 727-200 registered as XA-MEM, when the plane crashed into El Carbón, a mountain in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range northwest of Mexico City, killing everyone on board. With 167 deaths, the crash of Flight 940 is the deadliest aviation disaster ever on Mexican soil, and the deadliest involving a Boeing 727.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evacuation slide</span> Inflatable slide used for emergency aircraft evacuation

An evacuation slide is an inflatable slide used to evacuate an aircraft quickly. An escape slide is required on all commercial aircraft where the door sill height is such that, in the event of an evacuation, passengers would be unable to step down from the door uninjured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle tire</span> Tire that fits on the wheel of a bicycle

A bicycle tire is a tire that fits on the wheel of a bicycle or similar vehicle. These tires may also be used on tricycles, wheelchairs, and handcycles, frequently for racing. Bicycle tires provide an important source of suspension, generate the lateral forces necessary for balancing and turning, and generate the longitudinal forces necessary for propulsion and braking. Although the use of a pneumatic tire greatly reduces rolling resistance compared to the use of a rigid wheel or solid tire, the tires are still typically the second largest source, after wind resistance, of power consumption on a level road. The modern detachable pneumatic bicycle tire contributed to the popularity and eventual dominance of the safety bicycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrogen generator</span>

Nitrogen generators and stations are stationary or mobile air-to-nitrogen production complexes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modular Equipment Transporter</span> Vehicle used to haul equipment on the lunar surface

The Modular Equipment Transporter (MET) was a two-wheeled, hand-pulled vehicle that was used as an equipment hauling device on traverses across the lunar surface. Designed after Apollo 12 astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean had difficulties lugging their equipment significant distances to and from their Lunar Module, the MET primarily functioned as a portable workbench with a place for hand tools and their carrier, cameras, spare camera magazines, rock sample bags, environmental sample containers, and the portable magnetometer with its sensor and tripod. It was carried on the 1971 Apollo 14 mission and was planned to be used on Apollo 15, but was used only on Apollo 14 since Apollo 15's mission was changed to be the first to employ the motorized Lunar Roving Vehicle, which transported both astronauts and equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of tires</span> Overview of and topical guide to tires

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to tires:

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres is a company based in Birmingham, England, that claims to be world's only specialist aircraft tyre manufacturer and retreader, for aircraft landing gear.

References

  1. Force, United States Dept of the Air (1974). Aerospace safety. for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  2. Adams, Eric. "Airplane Tires Don't Explode on Landing Because They Are Pumped!". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  3. "Concorde landing gear specifications".
  4. "Airworthiness Directive 87-08-09". FAA. June 1, 1987.
  5. "Why Nitrogen" . Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  6. Federal Aviation Administration, Use of Nitrogen or Other Inert Gas for Tire Inflation in Lieu of Air
  7. "Manufacturers work on perfecting aircraft tires". Rubber News. May 9, 2013.
  8. 1 2 Peled, Jacob (2 October 2014). "Aircraft Tire Production-New Horizons". SlideShare. Pelmar Engineering Limited.
  9. "Global Aircraft Tire Market 2014-2018". PRNewswire. June 15, 2014.
  10. "Dunlop Aircraft Tyres' niche approach bucks UK trend". Financial Times. September 6, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Triangle Group to add aircraft radials to range". Rubber News. May 17, 2012.
  12. "Brief Introduction". Guilin Lanyu Aircraft Tire Development Co.
  13. "Aircraft tires: Up, up and away!". Modern Tire Dealer. June 14, 2013.
  14. 1 2 "Yokohama withdraws from aircraft tire business". Tire Technology International.