Nano-science takes the heat out of rolling-resistance issues

摘要

Around 20 percent of the fuel used by a vehicle is accounted for by energy consumed by the tire: during deformation, friction with the road surface and air resistance, according to Keizo Akutagawa, general manager of materials development at Bridgestone Corp. Of the energy lost, 80-90 percent is due to rolling resistance as the tire alters from a round to a flat shape on contact with the road, Akutagawa explained in a keynote speech at recent IRC RubberCon 2014 conference in Manchester, UK.