How the Stability is sustained using Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)?

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)- Working

“Take responsibility of your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands.”
― Roy T. Bennett 

 

Probably every vehicle manufacturers bring out abundant features which are primarily focusing on the safety aspects of the passengers and pedestrians. But possibly all the essential systems are adapting to high-end cars. One of the mandatory safety features which need to implant in every vehicle is Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). 

Visualize that you are driving a vehicle (which has a general conventional braking mechanism) at a possible speed in case of any crisis, you press the brake pedal suddenly. Because of excessive braking pressure, wheels get locked, but a vehicle can't stop at that instant. Due to the lack of traction between wheels and road, skidding may take place that leads to a loss of directional stability of the vehicle, which causes a collision. These difficulties can be rectified by Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).

This system completely depends on the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), which fetches the response from the wheel speed sensor on each wheel, a pressure accumulator, modulator unit, and an electrically driven hydraulic pump. Sensors are used to sense the speed of each wheel. A pressure accumulator helps to sustain the braking fluid at high pressure and is employed with nitrogen gas to discrete fluid from the inner diaphragm. A modulator unit is the heart of ABS, which optimize the brake pressure on each wheel, and the hydraulic pump is used to actualize the fluid flow for the development of pressure. 

 

 

The essential purpose of this ABS is to achieve directional stability and steerability by avoiding skidding and deviation of the vehicle path. At the time of hard braking, the high brake pressure applied on each wheel then tries to lock the wheels, the sensor detects the wheel is in zero velocity while locking then sends data to ECU. After receiving the data ECU calculates the slip rate of wheels based on speed then informs the modulator unit to reduces the applied brake pressure so the wheel gets unlocked then reapplying the same. It does the same process again and again in a fraction of seconds (optimize about 15 times per sec) until a vehicle comes to rest. This system increases traction between wheels and road during braking and prevents complete locking of wheels, so the vehicle escapes from the major tragedy.

 

Four types of Anti-lock Braking Systems are available,

 

• Single-channel system - In two-wheelers, it access front-wheel only. In four-wheelers, it accesses rear wheels with a single wheel speed sensor located at the center.
• Dual-channel system - In two-wheelers, it accesses both front and rear wheel with individual wheel speed sensors. In four-wheelers, rear wheels are accesses with separate sensors.
• Three-channel system - This system consists of separate sensors for each front wheel and a single sensor for the rear wheels.
• Four-channel system - This system consists of independent wheel speed sensors for each wheel. This system is most effective because it can do the pressure modulation for the required wheel(s) only.

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