Automotive Brakes
Prepared By : Bibhuti Bhusan Samantaray
Asst. Professor, GEC
9439373223
Braking Efficiency:
Equating work & kinetic Energy Equation we find,
F S = ½ M U2
F S = W U2 / 2g (As W = M g)
S = W U2 / 2 F g
S = U2 / 2 g η (As η = F/W & W/F = 1/η )
So from the Above equation η Can be derived as,
η = (U2 / 2 g S ) x 100
Now putting the value of g = 9.81 m/s2 & converting U to km/hr find out
the new Formula for brake efficiency if required.
Hydraulic Brakes
The brakes which are actuated by the hydraulic pressure
(pressure of a fluid) are called hydraulic brakes. Hydraulic
brakes are commonly used in the automobiles.
Principle
Hydraulic brakes work on the principle of Pascal’s law
which states that “pressure at a point in a fluid is equal in
all directions in space”. According to this law when
pressure is applied on a fluid it travels equally in all
directions so that uniform braking action is applied on all
four wheels.
Construction and Working of Hydraulic Brakes
When brake pedal is pressed, the force is transmitted to
the brake shoes through a liquid (link). The pedal force is
multiplied and transmitted to all brake shoes by a force
transmission system.
The previous figure shows the system of hydraulic brake of
a four wheeler automobile. It consists of a master
cylinder, four wheel cylinders and pipes carrying a brake
fluid from master cylinder to wheel cylinder.
The master cylinder is connected to all the four-wheel
cylinders by tubing or piping. All cylinders and tubes are
fitted with a fluid which acts as a link to transmit pedal
force from master cylinder to wheel cylinders.
Brake Fluid
The fluid filled in the hydraulic brake system is known as
brake fluid. It is a mixture of glycerin and alcohol or
caster oil and some other additives.
Master cylinder consists of a piston which is connected to
peal through connecting rod. The wheel cylinder consists
of two pistons between which fluid is filled.
Each wheel brake consists of a cylinder brake drum. This
drum is mounted on the inner side of wheel. The drum
revolves with the wheel. Two brake shoes which are
mounted inside the drum remain stationary. Heat and
wear resistant brake linings are fitted on the surface of
the brake shoes.
Application of Hydraulic Brakes
When brake pedal is pressed to apply the brakes, the
piston in the master cylinder forces the brake fluid. This
increases the pressure of fluid. This pressure is
transmitted in all the pipes and up to all wheel cylinders
according to Pascal’s law.
This increased pressure forces out the two pistons in the
wheel cylinders. These pistons are connected to brake
shoes. So, the brake shoes expand out against brake
drums. Due to friction between brake linings and drum,
wheels slow down and brakes are applied.
Release of Brakes
When pedal is released, the piston of master cylinder
returns to its original position due to retractor spring
provided in master cylinder. Thus, fluid pressure drops to
original value. The retractor spring provided in the wheel
cylinders pulls the brake shoes and contact between drum
and brake linings is broken. Therefore, brakes are
released.
Advantages
Equal braking action on all wheels.
Increased braking force.
Simple in construction.
Low wear rate of brake linings.
Flexibility of brake linings.
Increased mechanical advantage.
Dis- Advantage
Whole braking system fails due to leakage of fluid from
brake linings.
Presence of air inside the tubings ruins the whole system.
A typical Drum Brake Figure
Master Cylinder
Wheel Cylinder
Brake Positioning of Car With No ABS
Brake Positioning of Car with ABS
Mechanical Brakes:
Types of Mechanical Brake:
Drum Brakes (Internal Expanding or External Contracting)
Disc Brakes (Single or Two caliper)
Drum Brakes:
Construction: The main components of drum brakes are
1. Brake drum
2. Back plate
3. Brake shoes
4. Brake Liners
5. Returning Springs
6. Cam
7. Brake Linkages
In this system the wheel is attached to drum. There are
brake shoes used to contact the rotating drum for
braking operation. The shoes provide lining on their
outer surface.
The cam is used to lift the brake shoes at one end,
other end is connected by some method so as to make
as the brake sleeve come into contact in the brake
drum.
The returning spring is provided for bringing the brake
shoes back to its original position, after releasing the
brake pedal. All these parts are fitted in the back plate
and enclosed with brake drum
Real Image of Brake Shoe
Cam-operated Drum-brakes
Initially almost all the drum-brakes were cam-operated. The cam is
used to force the shoes against the drum. Foot-brake shoe-
expanders for cars are now mostly hydraulically operated. Today
the cam-operated expander is only used in large trucks, and
particularly in articulated trailers. However, cams are preferred in
parking-brake mechanisms in both drum and disc layouts.
The disc-type cams use a plate in the cam-type brake-shoe
expander. The plate rotates about an axis perpendicular to its
plane. The profile of the plate provides a reciprocating motion to
its follower, the shoe, which bears against the cam edge.
The shoe-expander provides a suitable force ratio
between the input effort and the output brake-shoe load.
During initial period of braking, only the tension of the
pull-off springs and friction in the mechanism are required
to be overcome, hence a low force ratio is needed. But
when the shoes are actually pressing hard against the
drum and further braking is necessary, a progressively
increasing force ratio is necessary. These requirements
are met through variable-movement ratio cams.
Working:
When the pedal is pressed the cam moves the shoes
outwards through linkages, there by coming in frictional
contact with the rotating drum. As soon as the brake
pedal is released the retaining springs help the brake
shoes to brought back and release the brakes.
DISC BRAKES:
Construction:
The discs are made of gray cast Iron. The brake pressure
in case of disc brakes have to be much lighter than the
drum brakes.
It consists of rotating disc and two friction pads which are
actuated by the four hydraulic wheel pistons contain in
two halves of an assembly is called a caliper.
The caliper assembly is secured to the steering knuckle in
a front wheel brakes. The road wheel is fashioned to the
outer surface of the disc. The friction pads rides freely on
each side of the discs. They are in position being the
hydraulic systems.
Different Parts of Disc Brakes
Different Parts of Disc Brake
Working:
When the brakes is applied hydraulic pressure is
supply to the fluid inlet tube, due to which the
wheel cylinder piston force the friction pads against
the rotating disc. In the released piston, the spring
hold the piston pads so that they maintain contact
with disc surface.
Advantage of Disc Brakes
Main advantage of disc brakes is their resistance to wear as
the discs remain cool even after repeated brake applications.
Brake pads are easily replaceable.
The condition of brake pads can be checked without much
dismantling of brake system.
Disadvantage of Disc Brakes
More force is needed be applied as the brakes are not self
emerging.
Pad wear is more.
Hand brakes are not effective if disc brakes are used in rear
wheels also. (Hand brakes are better with mechanical
brakes).
SERVO BRAKES
If the force applied comfortably by a driver to the
footbrake is insufficient to retard the vehicle at the
required rate, some form of assistance is necessary. The
boosting force applied to supplement the driver’s effort is
called servo assistance.
In the past servo assistance was provided by rotation of
the brake drum (self-servo) to keep the pedal force low.
Today due to introduction of powerful disc brakes, the
servo assistance is provided by either pneumatic or
hydraulic means.
In practice, vacuum assistance is added for medium cars,
hydraulic assistance for heavy cars and vehicles fitted
with anti-lock braking systems, and compressed-air
assistance for some light trucks and minibuses.
Vacuum Assisted Servo
This servo system is the most popular. The induction
manifold depression of the spark ignition engine is used as
source of servo energy in most systems. Since vacuum
energy is not available at the manifold of a diesel engine,
an engine-driven ‘vacuum’ pump (exhauster) in this case
provides the required assistance.
Vacuum servos in use today are called suspended-vacuum
systems, because ‘vacuum conditions’ prevail on both
sides of the servo piston during operation of the vehicle
with the brakes off. When the brake is applied, outside air
is bled in to the chamber on one side of the piston to
create a pressure difference. This arrangement allows the
servo to respond quickly in comparison to the older
atmospheric suspended type system.
In this older system, air is present on both sides of the piston and the air is
‘drawn out’ to provide assistance. The two main types of suspended-vacuum
servos are the indirect and direct type.
There are 2 types of Vacuum Assisted Servo
- Indirect Servo System.
- Direct Servo System.
Layout of A Servo System
Hydraulic Assisted Servo
POWER BRAKES
Back in the day, when most cars had drum brakes, power brakes were not
really necessary -- drum brakes naturally provide some of their own power
assist. Since most cars today have disc brakes, at least on the front wheels,
they need power brakes. Without this device, a lot of drivers would have very
tired legs.
The Vacuum Booster
The vacuum booster is a metal canister that contains a clever valve and a
diaphragm. A rod going through the center of the canister connects to the master
cylinder's piston on one side and to the pedal linkage on the other. Another key
part of the power brakes is the check valve.
Vacuum Booster
Power Brake Diagram
The vacuum booster is a very simple, elegant design. The device needs
a vacuum source to operate. In gasoline-powered cars, the engine
provides a vacuum suitable for the boosters. In fact, if you hook a hose to
a certain part of an engine, you can suck some of the air out of the
container, producing a partial vacuum. Because diesel engines don't
produce a vacuum, diesel-powered vehicles must use a separate vacuum
pump.
On cars with a vacuum booster, the brake pedal pushes a rod that passes
through the booster into the master cylinder, actuating the master-
cylinder piston. The engine creates a partial vacuum inside the vacuum
booster on both sides of the diaphragm. When you hit the brake pedal, the
rod cracks open a valve, allowing air to enter the booster on one side of
the diaphragm while sealing off the vacuum. This increases pressure on
that side of the diaphragm so that it helps to push the rod, which in turn
pushes the piston in the master cylinder.
As the brake pedal is released, the valve seals off the outside air supply
while reopening the vacuum valve. This restores vacuum to both sides of
the diaphragm, allowing everything to return to its original position.
DESIGN OF BRAKE LINING AND BRAKE
DRUM
