2023-12-11 18:02:20
Classic snow chains are an effective means of increasing vehicle cross-country ability in difficult road conditions. For example, on snow and ice. However, in everyday life they are not applicable, and sometimes even prohibited. In addition, removing and installing chains on wheels requires certain skills and time. Hyundai engineers have come up with a solution to these problems, although so far only in theory. Their new development is chain replacements built into wheels. To activate them, the driver just needs to press the corresponding button in the driving electronics menu. It sounds tempting, but how should this work in practice?
The basis of automatic “chains” is the shape memory effect. This is the ability of some materials to return to their original configuration when heated. It is from these alloys that special elements are made, located directly in the wheel at an equal distance from each other (for example, six pieces per wheel). Electrical contacts necessary for supplying current are connected to them through the wheel disk.
Electricity heats up elements made of a special alloy, causing them to change their shape, and they push transverse bars out of the tire, which replace the snow chain. To implement such a design, a special “wheel + tire” assembly is required, and the tire must have special grooves for hooks. In other words, such wheels cannot be re-altered in a regular tire shop. Well, the question of price and reliability of the entire system remains open.
At the moment, this interesting technology is only at the stage of patent approval, but Hyundai hopes that it will soon be able to test it in reality, and following the necessary tests, launch such wheels into mass production.
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#Hyundai #replacement #snow #chains #Autoreview
