Design of a real-time tyre pressure monitoring system for LMVs

Abstract

The tyre pressure is not adequately maintained by the majority of automobile drivers, even though they drop more than one pounds per square inch (PSI) of air pressure a month. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show that low-tyre pressure-related crashes cause 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries every year. At present, the tyre pressure is monitor from differences in the rotational speed and deduces the pressure differences between tyres. The anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensors can be used to measure it. The proposed system employs advanced integration techniques to provide a TPMS solution that provides real-time tyre pressure monitoring (both stationary and movement condition of the vehicle) and alerts the driver about improperly inflated tyres. The unit includes a pressure sensor, microcontroller, RF transmitter and long life battery. The TPMS unit communicates by an on- board RF receiver and displays real-time tyre pressure of all tyres. Tyre pressure is monitored in the stationary condition of the vehicle at present. This project can be extended to read pressure values in the moving condition of vehicle and generate the alert signal to the driver when the threshold value is reached. The entire design is envisaged to be developed as a small and compact unit that can be easily fitted onto a tyre.