Filling tires with gas helium (myths and description)

Evenly, all the wealthy motorists in the capital began amicably moving to gas. First this winter, "technology from the Formula-1" massively brainwashed and the average Kiev motorist. Changing summer tires for winter, almost all did not regret 20-140 hryvnia (depending on the "brand" of the product) and also refueled tires with a miracle-gas.

"The introduction of helium instead of ordinary air will yield a gain of two or three grams of weight on the wheel"

Severe auto magazines prefer slippery gas question for tires to bypass. Say, there was no research on this topic - so great hello! The least severe are published by sensational materialists, where, for example, they write that "the nitrogen to which the wheels are pumped is a unique gas that does not change the pressure when heated." There is no other information, and the people have to believe in the titles of tire-changers and marketing placards-agitics, hanging at the moment for all SRTs.

- And che is not clear? Here, more briefly, the molecules of the "tire" gas are larger than the molecules of the air, - the dirty professionals explain, - because the tire does not so vividly descend.

Judging by the annotations, the composition of the marvelous "tire" gas includes nitrogen, argon, neon, helium and other useful gases. The abstract is written understandably and understandably as culinary recipes: nitrogen is taken in order that the tire is not oxidized, neon and helium - for smooth running, also to improve wheel cushioning and maintain constant pressure. In the finished "dish" add argon, so that the gas mixture does not crash through the damage to the tire and loose seats of the tire and disc.

So, the first advantage of know-how, we already with you understand: "thick" molecules are stuck in microcracks, like dead cockroaches, - and the tire better holds the pressure. The second supremacy of a super gas is that it is the least dense than air. This means that the wheel becomes much lighter (some tire shops say that a whole pound), and the tire is softer. The third plus the newest product - when the tire is heated (and it can heat up to eighty degrees in summer in the summer), the pressure in it remains former. For example, on the website of the first of the largest Kiev service centers, we read: "Firm gas provides constant pressure in the tires independently of the speed and temperature of the environment."

- Did you teach physics? - professionals are sulking. - Gas is also called inert - in the sense that he is all bim-bom. That does not expand.

The super gas has many more parameters: it improves controllability, stability of the car, reduces the braking distance and noise from the contact of tires with the road surface. However, as it turns out, even the traders of know-how could not answer.

The case sincerely smacks of scam, but it still does not want to believe. After all, the advertisement of the super gas was hung not only by the most famous Kiev service centers, but also by the networks of auto supermarkets. These are not small crooks, trading in Okolovaya salted oil, but extremely decent companies. In search of truth, I turned to the experts.

"The life of rubber is absolutely incomparable with its corrosion resistance, " says Mark Borodai, an expert in automotive engineering at KNIISE (Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise). - Traditionally, the tire serves two to three years. If we rolled on it for about 100 years, indeed, during this time, oxygen, which is in the air, would eat up the rubber. Unlike an inert gas. But keep in mind that, apart from the internal action on the rubber, there is still more brutal air outside. Now, on the pretext of the so-called softness of gas: all gases, with extremely rare exceptions (such gases do not exist in nature), have a similar hardness. They transmit the load to themselves, they are unconditionally compressible substances. Therefore, it is impossible to talk that one gas is softer and the other is tougher. Yes, the introduction of helium instead of ordinary air will yield a gain of two or three grams of weight on the wheel. Probably, this is important, if it is a question of setting the newest speed record. Even for Formula 1, the effect of using inert gases is negligible. They for one ring erase the rubber by 50 grams!

Even more categorical is the Dean of the Faculty of Physics of the Kiev State Institute. Shevchenko doctor Leonid Bulavin. After reading a pile of marketing announcements and accompanying explanations, a corresponding member of the State Academy of Sciences said:

- The whole story with the injection of tires with inert gases is sucked from the finger and the real effect or benefit for the ordinary car can not give. The profit can be calculated by some one-hundredths of a percent ... "Unpure profit from the realization of a super gas - from 500 to 3000 percent"

He was very surprised by the appearance of a super gas and the deputy chief of science of the Institute of gas of the State Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Alexander Pyatnichko, who stated the following:

"It's all a continuous deception!" To begin with, rubber is rubber with carbon. In general, carbon is permeable for all kinds of gases. This means that even through an undamaged tire an insignificant leak of gas occurs, which it is pumped up. But, if you fill tires with pure nitrogen, the leak will only increase! Apart from the difference in pressure, the factor of the nonequilibrium concentration of nitrogen inside and outside the tire will also be added. Helium and other gases flow out of the tire even more quickly than nitrogen. In principle, the size of molecules affects the rate of leakage, but the magnitude of the molecules in these gases varies very slightly. Now about maintaining the same pressure. As the temperature rises, it will also grow in the same way for all gases. The compressibility factor for all these gases is approximately the same. At nitrogen and air it in general is similar. The only benefit from an inert gas is the slowing down of rubber corrosion. The fact is that during the production of inert gases are subjected to the actions of deep drying. And there is no water - no corrosion. But exactly the same result can be achieved if we put the drying on an ordinary compressor that pumps air. Oxygen without water will not be oxidized. I allow that an insignificant benefit from wheels with inert gas can be on Formula-1. Ordinary car and its owner inert gas in the tires of any tangible benefits will not bring.

Meanwhile, the sale of gas for tires has been transformed into a harsh business. As the owner of the metropolitan network of tire stations told me, all of the "tire" gas sold by us is in the main nitrogen. It is purchased at oxygen plants for a penny - 38 hryvnia per cylinder, which is enough to refuel 50 wheels. And for the pumping of the 1st wheel on tire mounting take from 5 to 35 hryvnia (previously, and 50 hryvnia each). Unblemished profits - from 500 to 3 thousand percent!

- But we are not scams, - the owner of the network was upset (by the way, a physicist by education). - After all, the "tire" gas is harmless. If he did worse, that would be a scam!

The company of my newest friend also gives other SRTs and tire shops English and Italian installations (about 3,000 bucks) to produce nitrogen from the air. Why buy bottles from resellers, when you can and most "bodjazhit" super gas?

"True, it's extremely difficult to say how pure nitrogen is in these installations," the businessman admitted. - In addition, it is often necessary to change filters, otherwise fast installations will pump the same air into the wheels.

Some smart tire-changers have already long ago realized that in fact, there is no use for gas. Curious motorists have already seen "masters of rationalization", pumping under the guise of a super gas ordinary air. Lukavtsy arranged a shield for pumping in such a way that the hose with the gas "mixture" goes somewhere inside the tire fitting building. If you follow closely where it ends, it turns out that the hose is connected to a pipe coming from the compressor, pumping ... ordinary air. I think, it's extremely funny - to look at the inhabitants of our planet, who get air at you for 20 hryvnia per wheel ...

- But what a scam, - smiled the owner of the network, - if almost all people after the injection of gas tires feel an improvement. In addition, they receive colored wheels on the wheels.

The most marvelous thing in this story is that almost all motorists took the side of "gasmakers". They sincerely convince that the machine and in truth began to ride softer. But to understand this paradox, not physicists or automotive technicians are required, but psychologists are faster. People are inclined to suggestion, often turning into auto-suggestion. Both the master and the director of the STO approve: "We have pumped gas - and the machine has started to go softer". Soft, softer, softer ... A person sits in the car, and it seems to him that the suspension really behaves softer. But remember how the car suddenly becomes faster and sportier when you sit behind the wheel in high spirits. And how barely the engine drags, when you are not in the spirit ...