Wheel Brake Cylinder Redundancy for Hydraulic Failure Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle braking systems lack complete functional redundancy, making them unreliable for fully automated driving functions, especially in cases of hydraulic system failures or leaks, where driver intervention is often necessary to prevent accidents.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an electromechanical or electromagnetic wheel brake cylinder with a motorized brake pressure buildup apparatus and control apparatus that allows for autonomous braking by switching between hydraulic and electromechanical/electromagnetic braking systems, ensuring continued functionality even with component failures, using the motorized system as a secondary actuator in fault situations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a hydraulic braking system is used, then braking performance is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential hydraulic failures and leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The braking system is divided into two independent subsystems: a hydraulic braking subsystem and an electromechanical backup subsystem. Each subsystem can independently provide braking function, allowing the system to segment the braking task between two different technological approaches to ensure continuity of function even when one subsystem fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameters and control mode based on system state. Under normal conditions, the hydraulic system operates at full capability. When hydraulic failure is detected, the system transitions to electromechanical actuation, changing the fundamental operating parameter from hydraulic pressure-driven to electric motor-driven, thereby maintaining braking functionality despite parameter degradation.
2Productivity
If hydraulic braking components are used, then braking efficiency is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to driver intervention requirements during failures
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus continuously monitors the hydraulic system state and automatically switches to the electromechanical backup system when failures are detected, without requiring driver awareness or intervention. The system serves itself by detecting its own degradation and autonomously transitioning to an alternative operating mode, maintaining ease of operation throughout the failure scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The electromechanical backup subsystem is pre-positioned and pre-configured within the braking system, ready to immediately take over if hydraulic failure occurs. This beforehand preparation ensures that when hydraulic efficiency degrades due to failure, the backup system is already in place to compensate, preventing any interruption in ease of operation.
3Reliability
If complete functional redundancy is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brake cylinders are designed with multi-functionality, serving dual purposes: they can be actuated by hydraulic pressure during normal operation and by electromechanical actuators during backup operation. This universal design allows a single brake cylinder to fulfill multiple functional roles, reducing the need for completely separate redundant systems and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic actuation mechanism and electromechanical actuation mechanism are merged into a unified braking system architecture, sharing common components such as brake cylinders, calipers, and friction elements. This merging approach allows functional redundancy to be achieved while minimizing complexity by avoiding complete duplication of the entire braking system.
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
This solution enables vehicles to maintain autonomous braking capabilities without driver intervention, even in complete hydraulic system failures, enhancing safety and convenience for fully automated driving by providing a redundant braking system that can operate for extended periods without manual assistance.
Implementation Method 1
a motorized brake pressure buildup apparatus (18) linked to the at least one hydraulic braking circuit (12), by operation of which apparatus at least a pressure present in at least one sub-volume of the at least one hydraulic braking circuit (12) is increasable
Implementation Method 2
an electromechanical or electromagnetic actuator with which a second brake piston is displaceable
Implementation Method 3
the brake piston being pressed against a brake disk (16) of an associated wheel (10) in such a way that a braking torque counteracts a rotation of the associated wheel (10)
Data Source
AI summary
An electromechanical or electromagnetic wheel brake cylinder for a braking system, embodied with at least one hydraulic braking circuit, of a vehicle, including a pressure chamber that is embodied in the electromechanical or electromagnetic wheel brake cylinder and is delimited by a displaceable first brake piston of the electromechanical or electromagnetic wheel brake cylinder, and is linkable to a sub-volume of the at least one hydraulic braking circuit of the braking system in such a way that the first brake piston is displaceable by way of a pressure that is increased at least in in the respective sub-volume. The electromechanical or electromagnetic wheel brake cylinder encompasses an electromechanical or electromagnetic actuator and a second brake piston which is displaceable by operation of the electromechanical or electromagnetic actuator.