German innovation company has developed a wheel rim with cooling vents

Although completely flat wheels conform to aerodynamics, it is also difficult to maintain cooling, especially during braking. However, now an experimental new wheel has cooling vents that can be opened as needed - and they are activated by heat.

This device is called an Active Aero Wheel, developed by the German technology startup CompActive. Its design is to minimize the vortex of destructive airflow formed by traditional ventilated car wheels during high-speed driving, while still allowing the heat generated during braking to be discharged.

The form of ventilation is to cut five leaf shaped flanges on the flat metal surface of the wheel rim, which are kept flush with the other parts of the surface for most of the time. Pasted on the back/bottom of each flange is a lightweight actuator that includes several vertically arranged shape memory alloy wires.

As long as the things inside the wheels remain cool, these lines will remain in their default state. However, when heated, they will shrink. When doing so, they pull the flange backwards to open it inward. This is a clever setting where the heat generated during the braking process first opens the ventilation openings, which then allow the heat to be dissipated. Once the wheels cool down again, the air vents will close again.

Currently, CompActive is inviting interested parties in the commercialization of this technology for consultation.

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