Anti Lock Braking System

Brake System
Braking systems have six main components: 1. The wheel shaft 2. The rotor/disc 3. The caliper and its mounting 4. The brake cylinders 5. The pistons 6. The brake pads.

Anti Lock Brake Systems

In simple words ANTILOCK BRAKE systems are designed to sense wheel locking before it occurs and then release the brakes so that locking does not occur or it is designed to help the driver maintain some steering ability and avoid skidding while braking. Locking happens when the wheels are not rotating but skidding along the road. Locking normally occurs on the rear wheels first and can cause the car to spin out. Locking can however occur on any of the wheels. There are several different systems that interact to create fully functional antilock braking system.

WITH ABS W/O ABS

Why ABS??
The force of adhesion between the wheels and road depends upon -- vehicle weight acting on the wheel , -- tire inflation pressure, -- type of tyre tread pattern and -- coefficient of friction between the tire and the road. If the braking force on the wheel is less than the adhesion force, the vehicle decelerates gradually till it stops. However, if the braking force exceeds the force of adhesion at any wheel, the wheel will stop rotating and start slipping on the road, till the vehicle kinetic energy is dissipated in the friction between the wheel and the road. Apart from resulting in rapid wear, this skidding of the wheels presents steering difficulties, which may result in an accident. Since the force of adhesion at the rear wheels decreases on account of the weight transfer (as shown in figure), they become critical points to guard against locking during braking. Further in case only front wheels get locked, the car will not skid, only steering control will be lost, whereas if rear wheels get locked the car will definitely skid. It is on account of these reasons that regulating devices are generally used such as

Anti Lock Braking System or generally known as ABS.

Figure shows various forces acting at the time of application of brakes to a moving vehicle. The inertia force acts at the centre of gravity of the vehicle, while the retarding force due to application of brakes acts at the road surface. These 2 forms an overturning couple as shown. This overturning couple increases the perpendicular force b/w the front wheel and ground by an amount R while normal force B/w rear wheels and the ground is decreased by an equal amount. Some of the vehicle weight is thus transformed from rear to the front axle.
Overturning couple C.G Inertia Force

Retarding force F

W1+R

W2 - R

Weight Transfer

Origin of ABS
The idea of antilocks has been around for years. They first were used on airplanes in the 1950s. A rear-wheel system was developed for the 1969 Ford Thunderbird, and the 1971 Chrysler Imperial had four-wheel antilocks. Availability has grown steadily in more recent years. Antilocks were standard on 1985 S class Mercedes models and standard or optional on about 30 domestic and foreign car models during the 1987 model year. Availability soared to 90 models the next year. Currently, antilocks are on about 58 percent of all new cars sold and 92 percent of light trucks.

ABS (Installation)
Pedal Actuating tandem modulating valve
1. Prevents normal and emergency power off braking

2. Isolates front and rear brake by providing

two individual pressure outputs.

Electronic Control Unit

1. Monitors wheels speed 2. Algorithm defines the level of braking required

at each wheel to improve vehicle control

3. PWM current outputs are sent to each EH valve as required to keep wheels from locking.

ABS (Installation)
ELECTROHYDRAULLIC ABS valve
1. Normally open to allow tandem modulating valve to control brake pressure 2. When current from the ABS-ECU is received, Pressure from tandem modulating valve is blocked to the brake while pressure at brake is reduced in proportion to current and tandem modulating valve pressure

Pressure Transducer
1. Senses pressure at each brake port of tandem modulating valve and sends proportional signals to ECU 2. Signal is used by ECU control algorithms and diagnostic routines.

ABS (Function)
There are many different variations and control algorithms for ABS systems. We will discuss how one of the simpler systems works. The controller monitors the speed sensors at all times. It is looking for decelerations in the wheel that are out of the ordinary. Right before a wheel locks up, it will experience a rapid deceleration. If left unchecked, the wheel would stop much more quickly than any car could. It might take a car five seconds to stop from 60 mph (96.6 kph) under ideal conditions, but a wheel that locks up could stop spinning in less than a second. The ABS controller knows that such a rapid deceleration is impossible, so it reduces the pressure to that brake until it sees an acceleration, then it increases the pressure until it sees the deceleration again. It can do this very quickly, before the tire can actually significantly change speed. The result is that the tire slows down at the same rate as the car, with the brakes keeping the tires very near the point at which they will start to lock up. This gives the system maximum braking power. When the ABS system is in operation you will feel a pulsing in the brake pedal; this comes from the rapid opening and closing of the valves. Some ABS systems can cycle up to 15 times per second.

How the actual ABS system works

Major components of the typical ABS system include four speed sensors (one at each wheel), an electronic control unit (ABS computer) and a hydraulic control unit (see the picture). The ABS computer constantly monitors the signal from each wheel speed sensor. When it senses that any of the wheels are approaching lock up during braking, the ABS computer sends the signal to the hydraulic control unit, which modulates the braking pressure for a corresponding wheel(s) preventing it from locking up. When the ABS is activated, it feels like rapid brake pedal pulsation with a buzzing noise, which is normal.
Four/Two wheel ABS

ABS (Working Principle)

Anti Lock Braking system is a mechanical and electronics based device which provides skid free and steerability while braking. Usually during emergency there is a tendency of braking hard, this leads to skiding of the vehicle. ABS (Anti lock braking system) provides an cutting edge for safety of the occupants. The electronics system counts the rpm of the wheel and also counts the linear motion. Both the rpm and linear motion are compared in the compurator bos and gives signal or pulse to the the solenoid valve to release the brake pressure. ABS was introduced in 1970 in Germany by Mercedes Benz. This technology has come to India in 2000.

Sensor Adaptation
2. Sensor and Polewheel assembly
Front Axle Rear Axle

Operation Warning lamp and blink code switch

Blink Code switch Warning Lamp

ABS (Benefits)

Tips for driving with ABS

Thanks