EWB Electronic Wedge Brakes
 

Attachment 365

Super Binders
Electronic wedge brakes will change the way we stop

By GREG KABLE

AutoWeek | Published 11/09/06, 8:37 am et

Never heard of the EWB or electronic wedge brake? Don’t worry. Chances are you’ll be hearing a lot about it in coming years.

That’s the opinion of German electronics specialist Siemens, which claims the high-tech stoppers, currently being tested for use on upcoming models by Europe’s leading carmakers, will revolutionize the safety standards of future generations of road cars by dramatically shortening stopping distances compared with more traditional hydraulic braking systems.

Efforts to improve the efficiency of braking systems have led to some interesting innovations in recent years, including the use of ceramic carbon materials in brake discs and electronic activation of parking brakes. But those developments will seem minor compared to the leap Siemens is claiming for its new electronic wedge brake.

Not to be confused with the electrohydraulic Sensotronic brakes introduced by Mercedes-Benz in 2001 but subsequently removed from sale early this year due to unsolved reliability issues, the electronic wedge brake represents a bigger breakthrough. The idea behind the system is not exactly new, with similarities to the arrangement found on horse-drawn carriages from the 18th century, where a wedge was used to bring the wheel to a standstill. But rather than relying on a hardened piece of wood for a binder, the electronic wedge uses state-of-the-art electronics and an innovative wedge-shaped connection to provide the sort of stopping ability that existing hydraulic units cannot match.

Unlike today’s traditional hydraulic brake, which requires the buildup of forces before the caliper is able to grip the disc, the electronic wedge brake uses a series of interlocking triangular teeth that offset between the caliper and the disc. In all, it is claimed to require just one-tenth the energy used by hydraulic braking. A small electric motor pushes the pad toward the rotor by a lateral movement—much like how a watermelon seed can be ejected at high velocity by squishing it between your fingers. The entire system runs on the standard 12-volt electrical system found in most cars.

Really clever, however, is that the kinetic energy of the car automatically increases the braking performance. In theory, the faster you are traveling when the brakes are applied, the more powerful they become. When the pad is applied to the disc, the momentum of the rotating disc draws the pad farther up an interlocking series of wedges, applying greater braking pressure and increasing stopping efficiency.

A series of electric motors push in and pull out at an extremely high frequency, while a torque sensor controls the braking force and keeps the wheels from locking up, thus alleviating the need for a conventional antilock braking system. With each brake unit operating independently from the others, it also means the electronic stability control can be programmed to operate on a much finer calibration, without the typical pulsating effect evident in some cars today.

In tests, a prototype with the wedge brakes regularly required less than half the distance to come to a complete stop than the prototype with the standard brakes, a company official said.

As well as providing greatly improved braking ability, wedge brakes are significantly lighter than today’s most advanced hydraulic units. With fewer moving parts, they also could be more reliable and last longer.

When will we see the new brakes begin filtering through to the road? Sources say the first car with wedge brakes, an Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Porsche, is planned for launch in 2008.

:eek:

One thing we know about hydraulic brakes is that they will always be there. Power or no power. With electronic, complete power failure could equal....well, total loss of the vehicle and major injury if not death.:eek:

This sounds like a break through in technology. I'm 100% for it if a 100% guarantee can be given that a power failure resulting in total brake loss will never occur. I'll be honest. IMO, this sounds like it's seriously going to replace the braking system as we know it. I'm just concerned w/ power failure. Crap...now I gotta learn how to change...wedge brakes? :confused:

Wow pretty amazing read, great article. I agree on the power failure issue, I'm assuming the manufacturers will be smart and not use this technology in its current form, but rather integrate it into their own cars. What I mean is they will use this technology but also include certain backup systems to make sure it works, be it an independant power source, secondary power source, or even keep a traditional hydralic backup pump to activate the wedge.

Nice look!!! I also am concerned with the power failure issue.
Anyone remember the original anti-lock brake systems (96 chevy s-10 brand new had to be recalled and fixed 4 times because of break failure and also my grandfathers 98 ford ranger did not stop once and caused me to hit a car in front of me at a traffic light, no brakes = death and carnage.) imo I want the choice of braking systems and safety systems like airbags that kill just as many people as they save should be optional .many women are killed everyday because they are more likely to sit more closer to the steering wheel and are not likely to realize the danger of air bag deployment.

I like the flintstone brakes ---LOL

Another thing "Siemens"

huh huh beavis and butthead would be proud:headbang:

OK...I know, my response is just a little ... :offtopic:
I hate seeing those little women hunched ON the steering wheel. I'm sitting there like, "do you have any idea what's going to happen to your freakin head if you get into an accident?!?!?!?!" My stepmom is 4'11", very short IMO (I'm 6'3" w/ shoes on). She has the seat up so far that there's barely any room between her and the steering wheel. Kinda sad really. You give them the heads up and then they don't fix it because they are afraid of change....ugh.

whats going to happen when new cars get these and can stop SIG faster than older cars behind them?

This...

:eek:

followed by

:iono:

and after they hit my brand new 5th gen

:slice:

can we say whiplash?

ABS stops just about the same as non-ABS. ABS works best in wet weather. That's the main benefit (along w/ still being able to turn when on full braking w/ ABS). This wedge design claims to stop in half the distance. Is it just the extra pressure that regular brakes cannot apply w/out locking up? That's how I'm seeing it.