BrakeBetter – Brake Systems Experts
A typical brake system found in a contemporary passenger car might weigh up to 80kg. Of that figure, the foundation brake dominates, at over 80% of the weight. A typical “brake down” is shown in Table 1. Actuation 6% Modulation 11% Foundation 83% (of which) Discs 51% Callipers 31% Pads 7% Table 1: Brake system …
In mid June 2024, the annual EuroBrake conference was held in the German city of Mainz, with over 1100 delegates in attendance. As usual, the three days included a tightly packed technical program, and the conference venue hosted a large exhibition of braking technology from leading suppliers. In preparing the technical content, the programme development …
This St. Patrick’s Day, lets’ take a look back at a pioneering electric vehicle project, built around a breakthrough battery technology that allowed the nascent Irish government to open a whole new frontier of green transport. In preparing this entry, the support and contributions of The Irish Railways Records Society have been invaluable, and the …
The job of a brake system is to slow a vehicle by converting kinetic energy into other forms – typically heat and electricity. To do this job repeatedly and reliably, the brake system relies on its thermal capacity to soak up and subsequently dissipate the vehicles’ maximum kinetic energy at the limit of available grip …
An overview of brake technology developments from 1920 to 2019.
An article covering the birth of automotive braking, and technical developments over the first 100 years.
A detailed look at a brake event, where the power and torque are used, and what needs to be done by friction brakes to sync the vehicle.
An introduction to the fundamentals of regenerative braking. How electric motors generate torque, and how this can be used to decelerate vehicles. How regenerative braking is implemented, and how the available torques are blended. What responses does a vehicle make to driver inputs.