Tyre Internal Power Generation Technology

As its name suggests, Tyre Internal Power Generation Technology generates electrical power from the rotation of the tyre which is then transmitted to the peripheral tyre sensors. The static electricity generated as the tyre rotates is used to charge a current control circuit, which then activates and powers an external sensor. For this purpose, the structures and materials involved in the extraction of the frictional energy have also been optimised to significantly improve the power which is generated.

Verification tests by SRI have demonstrated that the system generates more than 800 µW of power at a tyre speed of 50 km/h. This amount of energy is sufficient to activate an external sensor – without the use of additional power sources – and to therefore ensure a continuous Bluetooth low energy transmission. The technology has huge potential for future applications, such as use in autonomous vehicles, because until now, the limited battery life of the sensor devices has been one of the biggest obstacles to implementing our tyre sensor technology. This makes the technology an essential building block along the path to the introduction of “Sensing Core Technology”, a milestone for the mobility of the future.

The technology is being tested for future production use.