REDUCING TIRE ROLLING RESISTANCE THROUGH PRE-HEATING

1 . A tire employable by a vehicle traveling upon a surface, so as to define an associative rolling resistance value, and adapted to selectively modify the value, said tire comprising:

a structural component; and

at least one heating element inter-engaged with and operable to selectively raise the temperature of at least a portion of the component, so as to modify the resistance to a second value.

2 . The tire as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the component cooperatively defines a confined space, and the element is a thermoelectric heater element disposed within and operable to heat the space.

3 . The tire as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the element comprises a thermally activated active material operable to selectively raise the temperature of at least a portion of the component, when the element is activated.

4 . The tire as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the heating element comprises shape memory alloy, electroactive polymer, and/or piezopolymer, and is cyclically activated.

5 . The tire as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the element is resistively heated, and selectively coupled to an electrical power source.

6 . The tire as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the element is selected from the group consisting essentially of steel cords, carbon nanotubes, and shape memory alloys wires.

7 . The tire as claimed in claim 5 , wherein resistive heating is caused by inductance, and the element is electrically conductive and communicatively coupled to an external field.

8 . A system for selectively reducing the rolling resistance of a tire, said system comprising:

a tire including a structural component, wherein the component is deformed when the tire rolls and presents a first stiffness, and a pre-heating element thermally coupled to the component; and

an external power source communicatively coupled to, and operable to heat the element, when caused to become inter-engaged therewith,

said source and element being cooperatively configured to heat the component, and change the stiffness, so as to reduce the rolling resistance.

9 . The system as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:

a sensor operable to determine a cold state condition of the tire; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, and operable to cause the source to heat the element, when the condition is determined.

10 . A method of reducing the rolling resistance of a tire, said method comprising:

a. determining a cold state condition of the tire;

b. securing an external power source relative to the tire, wherein the source is operable to heat at least a portion of the tire;

c. actuating the source so as to heat said at least portion; and

d. determining a warm state condition and terminating actuation of the source.

11 . The method claimed in claim 10 , wherein the tire includes at least one pre-heating element, and the source and element are communicatively coupled.

12 . The method claimed in claim 11 , wherein the element is resistively heated, and the source is electrically coupled thereto.

13 . The method claimed in claim 12 , wherein said element is resistively heated, the tire composes a vehicle, the source is a recharging station within a parking garage, and step c) further includes the step of electrically coupling the station to the tire, so as to cause a trickle charge to flow through said element, when the vehicle is parked within the garage.

14 . The method claimed in claim 12 , wherein the element is a thermally activated active material element, and the source is operable to activate the element.

15 . The method claimed in claim 12 , wherein the element is an active material element operable to cause at least a portion of the tire to flex when activated, and the source is configured to cyclically activate the element so as to cause said at least portion of the tire to repetitively flex over a hysteresis cycle.

16 . The method claimed in claim 15 , wherein the element is a pre-stretched Martensitic shape memory alloy element.