Brake Pad Sensor Detection for Heavy Vehicle Hot Runner Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy vehicle braking systems often experience unintended continuous braking, leading to excessive heating and potential damage due to 'hot runner' conditions, especially in demanding scenarios like descending steep grades, which existing technologies fail to effectively detect and prevent.
Innovation Solution
A braking system with piezoceramic sensors integrated into the brake pads to detect mechanical stress and temperature, featuring a control unit that compares temperatures across brake pads, emitting alarms and pre-alarms to prevent overheating, and utilizing ancillary sensors for correlation validation, all connected through a CAN-bus network for real-time monitoring and response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional braking systems are used without advanced detection, then the system structure remains simple, but the ability to detect and prevent hot runner conditions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical temperature measurement methods with piezoceramic sensors that convert mechanical stress into electrical signals. These sensors detect the mechanical stress between the brake pad and disk, providing indirect temperature detection without direct thermal contact, thereby improving reliability while maintaining relative system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves as an intermediary that processes signals from multiple piezoceramic sensors and correlates them with braking parameters. It validates temperature conditions by comparing sensor signals against expected stress-temperature relationships, enabling reliable hot runner detection through intermediate signal processing rather than direct measurement.
2Measurement precision
If piezoceramic sensors are integrated into brake pads, then temperature detection capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the piezoceramic sensors directly into the brake pad structure, combining the friction material, support, and sensing elements into a single integrated component. This merging approach improves measurement precision by placing sensors at the exact interface where stress occurs, while the integrated design actually simplifies manufacturing compared to separate sensor installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake pad is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as the friction element for braking and as the housing for temperature detection sensors. The same structural components that provide mechanical function also support the sensing elements, eliminating the need for separate sensor mounting structures and simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
3Reliability
If multiple sensors and control units are deployed, then detection reliability is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection system by placing multiple piezoceramic sensors at different locations within the brake pad structure. This segmentation allows validation through correlation - if multiple sensors detect consistent stress patterns matching expected temperature relationships, the detection is validated as reliable, reducing false positives without requiring a single complex sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit implements feedback by continuously monitoring signals from multiple sensors and comparing them against each other and against expected braking parameters. The system validates temperature detections by checking whether sensor signals correlate with actual braking intensity and duration, providing self-verifying feedback that improves reliability without proportionally increasing system complexity.
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
The system effectively detects and prevents overheating in heavy vehicle braking systems, enhancing road safety by providing timely warnings and reducing the risk of damage from 'hot runner' conditions, even in challenging operational environments.
Implementation Method 1
the brake pad can include at least one piezoceramic sensor that is configured to operate at high temperatures and/or to emit an electrical signal when subjected to mechanical stress
Implementation Method 2
The brake pad can include at least one temperature sensor located between the block of friction material and the support
Implementation Method 3
The constant friction between the disk and the brake pad can result in excessive heating
Data Source
AI summary
Various systems, devices, and methods for detecting and/or responding to the temperature of brakes are disclosed. Certain embodiments relate to inhibiting or preventing the overheating of the brakes of such vehicles, such as could occur when a hot runner condition is present.