US company offers self-inflating wheel systems

ERJ staff report (DS)

Tustin, California -- Wheelpump Corp. has developed an on-wheel pump to maintain proper tyre pressure. The Loewe on-wheel pump actually compensates for the under-inflation that a TPMS only attempts to warn drivers about.

As the vehicle is driven under normal usage the pump maintains proper tyre pressure.

The company said its on-wheel pumps are low-cost and highly reliable, contain no batteries or other electronics that demand careful handling or on-going maintenance, and require no changes to tyre construction or mounting. They can be integrated into typical passenger car wheels, said the company.

“There have been numerous attempts to solve this obvious need for maintaining proper tyre pressure,” said Richard Loewe, a retired chief scientist at Hughes Aircraft Company and inventor of the on-wheel pump. “Our current on-wheel pump weighs less than one ounce and takes up less than two thirds of a cubic inch of space. Future models are expected to be even smaller. The on-wheel pump built in to each wheel adds a small pulse of air into the tyre camber, if necessary, with each wheel rotation. The effect is similar to how an alternator keeps the battery charged. A fully instrumented demonstration test rig has been running since last July, and the ability to produce up to 40 PSI has been observed by several automotive industry experts. We are now ready to work with manufacturers to integrate the on-wheel pumps into their vehicles.”

This is an external link and should open in a new window. If the window does not appear, please check your pop-up blocking software. ERJ is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Press release from Wheelpump Corp.