Auxiliary braking system, braking method and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses an auxiliary braking system, a braking method and a vehicle. The auxiliary braking system comprises an air compressor; the air processing unit is connected with the air compressor; the exhaust butterfly valve and the air storage cylinder are connected with the air processing unit; the air valves are connected with the air reservoir and comprise a front air valve arranged on a front axle of the vehicle and a rear air valve arranged on a rear axle of the vehicle; the auxiliary braking system further comprises a vehicle control unit, and the vehicle control unit is used for controlling starting and stopping of the front air valve and the rear air valve. The problem of brake heat fade under the long downhill working condition is solved by integrating the air reservoir and the front and rear axle independent air valves. Braking power can be improved, wheel edge directional cooling is achieved, friction plate abrasion and wheel edge temperature rise are effectively reduced, dust in the brake drum is rapidly removed, and safety is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of vehicle technology, specifically relating to an auxiliary braking system, braking method, and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In commercial vehicle braking systems, exhaust butterfly valve-assisted braking is a common retarding braking method, primarily used for long downhill slopes or continuous braking conditions to reduce friction loss in the main braking system. However, traditional exhaust butterfly valve braking solutions have the following significant technical drawbacks:

[0003] Traditional exhaust butterfly valves have low braking power and cannot provide sufficient continuous braking force on long downhill slopes, requiring drivers to frequently intervene with friction braking to control vehicle speed. This leads to a sharp increase in the temperature of the brake drum and friction pads, accelerating wear and causing thermal fade, creating a vicious cycle. Especially in heavy-duty mountain transport, the lifespan of the friction pads may be shortened to one-third of normal operating conditions, significantly increasing maintenance costs and safety hazards. Furthermore, traditional systems lack intelligent air pressure regulation mechanisms; the air compressor typically starts and stops frequently in the low-pressure range of 4-6 bar, not only wasting energy but also causing large fluctuations in the air reservoir pressure. During sudden increases in braking demand (such as emergency braking), insufficient air pressure may affect braking response speed. In addition, frequent operation of the air compressor exacerbates mechanical wear and reduces its service life.

[0004] Meanwhile, conventional exhaust butterfly valves only apply braking through engine exhaust and cannot directly act on the wheel-side brakes. After prolonged braking, dust generated by the friction pads tends to accumulate inside the brake drum, forming a heat insulation layer, further exacerbating heat dissipation difficulties and reducing the coefficient of friction.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an auxiliary braking solution that can balance efficient braking, energy saving, and system reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an auxiliary braking system, braking method, and vehicle that solves at least one of the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0008] This application provides an auxiliary braking system, including: an air compressor; an air handling unit connected to the air compressor; an exhaust butterfly valve and an air reservoir connected to the air handling unit; and air valves connected to the air reservoir, the air valves including a front air valve disposed on the front axle of the vehicle and a rear air valve disposed on the rear axle of the vehicle; the auxiliary braking system further includes a vehicle controller, the vehicle controller being used to control the start and stop of the front air valve and the rear air valve.

[0009] The gas storage cylinder is used to store high-pressure gas and exhaust it through the front gas valve and the rear gas valve. The gas storage cylinder is connected to the front gas valve and the rear gas valve through a gas passage.

[0010] The front air valve and the rear air valve are respectively located on both sides of the vehicle frame, and both are connected to the vehicle brakes via brake air pipes.

[0011] The front air valve and the rear air valve are located on opposite sides of the vehicle frame.

[0012] The vehicle brake is provided with a connection hole, and the brake air pipe passes through the connection hole to release air to the tire. A flexible seal is provided at the connection hole.

[0013] This application also includes an auxiliary braking method applied to the auxiliary braking system as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0014] The auxiliary braking system also includes a pressure gauge. The vehicle controller is connected to the pressure gauge via a CAN bus to obtain pressure information and determine whether the current pressure is greater than a preset pressure based on the pressure information.

[0015] The preset air pressure includes a preset working air pressure, and the method further includes: determining whether the exhaust butterfly valve is open; if the exhaust butterfly valve is open, detecting whether the air pressure of the air storage cylinder is greater than the preset working air pressure; if the air pressure is greater than the preset working air pressure, opening the front air valve and the rear air valve.

[0016] The preset air pressure includes a preset ventilation air pressure. The method further includes: determining whether the current air pressure is greater than the preset activation air pressure. If so, controlling the air handling unit to connect with the air storage tank and to introduce air into the air storage tank.

[0017] The preset ventilation pressure is lower than the preset working pressure.

[0018] The preset working pressure is 8 bar, and the preset ventilation pressure is 5.5 bar.

[0019] This application also includes a vehicle equipped with any of the braking assistance systems described above.

[0020] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects achieved by this application are as follows:

[0021] This invention solves the problem of brake fade on long downhill slopes by integrating an air reservoir with independent front and rear axle valves. Traditional solutions rely solely on exhaust butterfly valves, resulting in insufficient braking power. This system, however, improves braking power with the assistance of high-pressure gas. The coordinated exhaust of the independent front and rear axle valves enables rapid deceleration without triggering friction braking, allowing the vehicle to maintain a constant speed without friction braking. The vehicle controller ensures timely use of the high-pressure air source for auxiliary braking, dynamically coordinating the start and stop of the air compressor and valves to prevent ineffective idling of the air compressor. Simultaneously, the high-pressure gas directly acts on the brakes, removing the carbonized layer from the friction pad surface. The dual front and rear valves in this application achieve directional cooling of the wheel edges, effectively reducing friction pad wear and wheel edge temperature rise, improving economic efficiency and safety, and facilitating rapid removal of dust from the brake drum.

[0022] The proposed solution enables the vehicle controller to monitor air pressure and exhaust butterfly valve status in real time, achieving intelligent decision-making: when the exhaust butterfly valve is detected to be open and the air pressure is greater than the preset working air pressure, it can quickly trigger auxiliary braking; at the same time, the vehicle controller can dynamically adjust the jetting duration to avoid excessive air consumption; and the braking frequency can be traced based on the vehicle controller's historical data recording function, which is beneficial for optimizing driver operation. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary braking system structure in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the brake air pipe connection position in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an auxiliary braking system in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of an auxiliary braking method in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 1-Air compressor, 2-Air treatment unit, 3-Exhaust butterfly valve, 4-Air tank, 5-Front air valve, 6-Rear air valve, 7-Front axle, 8-Rear axle, 9-Vehicle controller, 10-Brake air pipe, 11-Flexible seal, 12-Air pressure gauge, 13-CAN bus, 14-Pipeline assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of this application, a detailed explanation is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of this application and the features thereof can be combined with each other.

[0032] Furthermore, it should be understood in the description of this application that the terms "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0033] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the "above" or "below" of the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0035] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, this application provides an auxiliary braking system, including: an air compressor 1; an air handling unit 2 connected to the air compressor 1; an exhaust butterfly valve 3 and an air reservoir 4 connected to the air handling unit 2; and air valves connected to the air reservoir 4, the air valves including a front air valve 5 disposed on the front axle 7 of the vehicle and a rear air valve 6 disposed on the rear axle 8 of the vehicle; the auxiliary braking system also includes a vehicle controller 9, the vehicle controller 9 being used to control the start and stop of the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6.

[0036] This solution addresses brake fade issues on long downhill slopes by integrating an air reservoir 4 with independent air valves on the front and rear axles 8. Traditional solutions rely solely on the exhaust butterfly valve 3, resulting in insufficient braking power. This solution, however, utilizes high-pressure gas to enhance braking power, reduce braking frequency, and allow the vehicle to maintain a constant speed without friction braking. Simultaneously, the vehicle controller 9 ensures timely use of high-pressure air for auxiliary braking. The dual front and rear air valves in this application enable directional cooling of the vehicle's wheel edges, effectively reducing friction pad wear and wheel edge temperature rise, improving economic efficiency and safety, and facilitating rapid removal of dust from the brake drums.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment, the gas storage cylinder 4 is used to store high-pressure gas and exhaust it through the front gas valve 5 and the rear gas valve 6. The gas storage cylinder 4 is connected to the front gas valve 5 and the rear gas valve 6 through a gas passage.

[0038] This solution addresses the energy consumption issue of air compressor 1 during idling by employing a coordinated design of high-pressure storage in air tank 4 and dual-path air valves. Traditional systems experience frequent start-stop cycles for air compressor 1 due to air pressure fluctuations, while this solution extends the start-stop interval through high-pressure storage, effectively reducing energy consumption. Furthermore, the dual air path design with front air valve 5 and rear air valve 6 prevents single-path failure from hindering air pressure supply. Even if a single air path malfunctions, the system can still provide emergency air pressure, preventing loss of auxiliary braking due to air path failure.

[0039] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6 are respectively disposed on both sides of the vehicle frame, and both are connected to the vehicle brake through the brake air pipe 10.

[0040] The symmetrically arranged solenoid valves on both sides of the frame are connected to the brakes via a shorter air path, which helps to shorten the high-pressure gas response time and achieve rapid exhaust. At the same time, it reduces the braking synchronization error between the left and right wheels, and solves the problem of brake pull caused by the difference in air path length. The front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6 can effectively remove stones stuck in the tires, reducing the risk of brake failure accidents caused by foreign objects.

[0041] Furthermore, the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6 are respectively located on both sides of the vehicle frame.

[0042] By placing the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6 on opposite sides of the frame, the problem of overheating during braking on one side on long downhill slopes is solved. This avoids overall performance degradation due to heat conduction, resulting in a smaller temperature difference between the left and right sides during continuous braking. The two separate air valves have independent heat dissipation, allowing them to maintain high efficiency even under extreme conditions (such as continuous braking of the right wheel) and preventing valve failure.

[0043] Preferably, both the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6 are configured as two-position three-position normally closed solenoid valves.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the vehicle brake is provided with a connection hole, the brake air pipe 10 passes through the connection hole to release air to the tire, and a flexible seal 11 is provided at the connection hole.

[0045] The flexible seal 11 is combined with the directional exhaust structure at the tire. Specifically, a fluororubber seal can be used, which has good air tightness and helps to reduce the leakage of high-pressure gas. At the same time, the vortex airflow formed in the brake drum can reduce the surface temperature of the friction pads, and its cooling effect is better than that of traditional air cooling. In addition, the connection hole is provided to connect to the brake cylinder, which helps to improve the brake cleaning efficiency and extend the service life.

[0046] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, this application also includes an auxiliary braking method applied to the auxiliary braking system as described in any of the above claims. The auxiliary braking system further includes a pressure gauge 12. The vehicle controller 9 is connected to the pressure gauge 12 via a CAN bus 13 to acquire pressure information and determine whether the current pressure is greater than the preset pressure based on the pressure information.

[0047] The vehicle controller 9 monitors the air pressure and the status of the exhaust butterfly valve 3 in real time via the CAN bus 13 to achieve intelligent decision-making: when the exhaust butterfly valve 3 is detected to be open and the air pressure is greater than the preset working air pressure, it can quickly trigger the auxiliary braking; at the same time, the vehicle controller 9 can dynamically adjust the jetting time to avoid excessive air consumption; and the braking frequency can be traced according to the historical data recording function of the vehicle controller 9, which is beneficial to optimizing driver operation.

[0048] Furthermore, the preset air pressure includes a preset working air pressure, and the method further includes: determining whether the exhaust butterfly valve 3 is open; if the exhaust butterfly valve 3 is open, detecting whether the air pressure of the air storage cylinder 4 is greater than the preset working air pressure; if the air pressure is greater than the preset working air pressure, opening the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6.

[0049] like Figure 4As shown, this solution determines whether the exhaust butterfly valve 3 is open by judging the opening status of the exhaust butterfly valve 3 push rod. If it is open, it further judges whether the air pressure value of the air pressure gauge 12 is greater than the preset working air pressure. This determines whether to open the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6. After opening the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6, high-pressure gas is rapidly exhausted to reduce the wheel edge temperature and remove foreign objects between the friction pads and the brake drum. In this solution, auxiliary braking is only activated when both the exhaust butterfly valve 3 is open and the air pressure reaches the standard, avoiding malfunction. The dual-condition judgment effectively prevents gas waste under low-pressure conditions and improves the utilization rate of air source.

[0050] In addition, before determining the opening status of exhaust butterfly valve 3, the steering column is used to determine whether the vehicle is in a coasting state. If so, the opening status of exhaust butterfly valve 3 is then determined.

[0051] Furthermore, the preset air pressure includes a preset ventilation air pressure, and the method further includes: determining whether the current air pressure is greater than the preset activation air pressure; if so, controlling the air handling unit 2 to connect with the air storage tank 4 and to introduce air into the air storage tank 4.

[0052] The preset ventilation pressure is lower than the preset working pressure.

[0053] In this solution, the vehicle controller 9 dynamically allocates the braking force ratio between the butterfly valve and the air valve to avoid a sudden drop in pressure in the air reservoir 4 due to excessive exhaust. If mechanical jamming of the butterfly valve is detected, the air valve circuit is immediately cut off and friction braking is switched.

[0054] In one embodiment, the preset working pressure is 8 bar, and the preset ventilation pressure is 5.5 bar.

[0055] In this embodiment, based on the throttling effect, since the air handling unit 2 is connected to the air storage tank 4 at a pressure above 5.5 bar, the gas blown through the front air valve 5 and the rear air valve 6 each time is 60L, and the air pressure is reduced from 10 bar to 8 bar. If calculated based on a normal temperature of 25°C, according to the throttling effect formula, the gas temperature can be reduced by 13.55°C to 11.45°C, effectively reducing the wheel edge temperature and simultaneously clearing foreign objects. Reducing the wheel edge temperature also reduces the risk of friction plate malfunction due to foreign objects, thus improving safety. The precise matching of the 8 bar working air pressure and the 5.5 bar ventilation threshold ensures that the brake air volume reserve is greater than the full braking requirement; at the same time, it enables the air compressor 1 to produce more than 2kW of effective power each time it works, eliminating idling.

[0056] Understandably, in practical applications, the values ​​of the preset working pressure and the preset ventilation pressure can be determined according to the actual situation.

[0057] This application also includes a vehicle equipped with any of the braking assistance systems described above. Where not described in this application, existing technologies may be used or referenced.

[0058] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0059] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An auxiliary braking system, characterized in that, include: Air compressor; An air handling unit connected to the air compressor; an exhaust butterfly valve and an air reservoir connected to the air handling unit; an air valve connected to the air reservoir, the air valve including a front air valve located on the front axle of the vehicle and a rear air valve located on the rear axle of the vehicle; the auxiliary braking system further includes a vehicle controller, the vehicle controller being used to control the start and stop of the front air valve and the rear air valve.

2. The auxiliary braking system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas storage cylinder is used to store high-pressure gas and exhaust it through the front gas valve and the rear gas valve. The gas storage cylinder is connected to the front gas valve and the rear gas valve through a gas passage.

3. The auxiliary braking system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front air valve and the rear air valve are respectively located on both sides of the vehicle frame, and both are connected to the vehicle brakes via brake air pipes.

4. The auxiliary braking system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front air valve and the rear air valve are located on opposite sides of the vehicle frame.

5. The auxiliary braking system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The vehicle brake is provided with a connection hole, and the brake air pipe passes through the connection hole to release air to the tire. A flexible seal is provided at the connection hole.

6. An auxiliary braking method, characterized in that, Applied to the auxiliary braking system as described in any one of claims 1-5, The auxiliary braking system also includes a pressure gauge. The vehicle controller is connected to the pressure gauge via a CAN bus to obtain pressure information and determine whether the current pressure is greater than a preset pressure based on the pressure information.

7. The auxiliary braking method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The preset air pressure includes a preset working air pressure, and the method further includes: determining whether the exhaust butterfly valve is open; if the exhaust butterfly valve is open, detecting whether the air pressure of the air storage cylinder is greater than the preset working air pressure; if the air pressure is greater than the preset working air pressure, opening the front air valve and the rear air valve.

8. The auxiliary braking method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The preset air pressure includes a preset ventilation air pressure. The method further includes: determining whether the current air pressure is greater than the preset activation air pressure. If so, controlling the air handling unit to connect with the air storage tank and to introduce air into the air storage tank. The preset ventilation pressure is lower than the preset working pressure.

9. The auxiliary braking method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The preset working pressure is 8 bar, and the preset ventilation pressure is 5.5 bar.

10. A vehicle provided with a braking assist system as described in any one of claims 1-5.

Images