Brake Fluid Volume Estimation via Pressure Generator Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic braking systems rely on binary sensors to monitor brake fluid levels, which only indicate a drop below a limiting value but do not provide a quantified indication of the available fluid volume, lacking a complex sensor technology for precise fluid volume assessment.
Innovation Solution
Monitoring the actuation of the pressure generator to determine the hydraulic volume displaced from the tank to the brake circuit, allowing calculation of the original fill level before the drop, thereby providing a quantified indication of the available fluid volume using a binary sensor in conjunction with pressure generator data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a binary sensor is used to monitor brake fluid level, then the device complexity is reduced and cost is lowered, but the measurement precision of fluid volume is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure generator acts as an intermediary element between the binary sensor and the fluid volume measurement. By monitoring the pressure generator's actuation (stroke volume), the system indirectly calculates the fluid volume in the reservoir, transforming a binary level detection problem into a quantitative volume measurement through a mediating mechanical component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex fluid level measurement mechanisms with a mechanical actuation monitoring approach. Instead of using sophisticated level sensors or measurement systems, the invention utilizes the pressure generator's mechanical stroke to infer fluid volume, substituting a complex measurement system with a simpler mechanical indication method
2Ease of manufacture
If a binary sensor is used to monitor fill level, then the cost is reduced, but the information completeness about available fluid volume is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the pressure generator's actuation status and using this information to calculate and update the available fluid volume. The control unit processes the actuation data and provides feedback about the current fluid volume state, enabling timely alerts when volume drops below thresholds
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure generator serves dual purposes: it performs its primary braking function while simultaneously providing data for fluid volume measurement. The actuation monitoring system uses information already generated by the pressure generator's operation, eliminating the need for separate measurement infrastructure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables a simple and accurate estimation of the available fluid volume in the tank, allowing for timely alerts when the volume drops below a predefined limit, improving monitoring efficiency without requiring complex sensor technology.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure generator fluidically connected on the one hand to the tank and on the other hand to at least one brake circuit, which is activatable for generating a hydraulic pressure in the brake circuit as brake fluid is withdrawn from the tank
Data Source
AI summary
A method for ascertaining an available fluid volume in a tank for brake fluid of a braking system. The braking system includes a pressure generator fluidically connected to the tank on the one hand and to at least one brake circuit on the other hand, which is activatable for generating a hydraulic pressure in the braking system as brake fluid is withdrawn from the tank. A drop below a predefined limiting value for a fill level of the brake fluid in the tank is monitored with the aid of a binary sensor assigned to the tank. It is provided that an actuation of the pressure generator is monitored and that the available fluid volume is ascertained as a function of the actuation of the pressure generator when the instantaneous fill level drops below the limiting value.