Hybrids: New advanced braking systems

Not only the engines are the news about hybrids. A new advanced regenerative braking system is developed by TRW Automotive. The new system shall integrate the enhanced safety of electronic stability control systems for hybrid vehicles.
The Company is developing two systems -- Slip Control Boost (SCB) and Active Hydraulic Boost (AHB) -- which offer full braking functionality for Hybrid Electric Vehicles while incorporating high performance Electronic Stability Control and brake actuation within a 12-volt system architecture. The systems can cover a range of vehicles from small passenger cars to Sport Utility Vehicles.

Slip Control Boost offers a fully integrated stability and brake actuation system that replaces traditional boosters, master cylinders and vacuum pumps with an electro-hydraulic control unit (EHCU), and brake pedal simulator unit with a twin master cylinder to supply brake pressure. This offers several advantages: ease of installation with fewer components to fit; improved packaging in the front dash area versus traditional vacuum boosters and a decoupled brake pedal that is ideal for integration into autonomous or emergency braking systems. The SCB system is targeted for production in the 2007 calendar year.

The Active Hydraulic Braking system is compatible with any electronic stability control system and only replaces the brake actuation system with the EHCU, pedal simulator and master cylinder solution. AHB offers the same advantages as the SCB system and provides a single slip control system trim across a full vehicle platform of conventional and hybrid vehicles. The AHB system is targeted for production in the 2009 calendar year.

Regenerative braking allows a vehicle to recapture and store part of the kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost to heat when braking. This energy is used to recharge the electric batteries and save on fuel in a hybrid architecture.

An electric motor can either use electricity to create torque, or reverse the process to use torque to create electricity. In the case of regenerative braking, the torque created by the electric propulsion motors is applied to one or both of the axles to slow or stop the vehicle. Because this regenerative force is not able to meet all the needs for braking over all speeds and conditions, conventional friction braking is also required and is blended with the motor torque to achieve full braking.

Discussions with several global vehicle manufacturers about using these systems just started.

Foursprung, brakes, hybrids


Source: TRW Automotive

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