ABS vs Non-ABS

Car manufacturers can design fast automobiles; however, speed is not important until the safety of drivers and pedestrians is ensured. This can be achieved with a quality braking system. Imagine driving your car at 120 kph and suddenly realizing there's an obstacle ahead on the road. If you are careful enough to notice the danger, you would press the brake pedal in 0.7 to 1.0 seconds. This time is known as the perception-reaction time, whereas a typical driver takes about 1.5 seconds. After the driver initiates braking, the braking system takes over the task of deceleration. Thus, a reliable and efficient braking system maintains high safety standards in all vehicles.

What is ABS?

ABS stands for Anti-lock braking system and is a safety feature in a vehicle. It is activated in emergency braking situations and allows the driver to stop in the shortest distance possible. So, consider the previous scenario where you pushed the brake pedal, and ABS is activated. The rotation of the wheels, then, would be locked in a moment and released again. It prevents the wheels from skidding over the road. But how exactly does this cause an automobile to stop faster?

The traction force between the wheel and the road is the main element that stops the car. It reaches its maximum value, provided that the wheel does not slide on the road. The fully locked wheel can cause the car to slide on the road, and it leads traction effort to reduce. What ABS does is modulate brake pressure by locking and releasing the brake multiple times per second. Releasing the brake after locking up allows the automobile to reach its maximum traction effort and avoids loss of grip.

Components

ABS mainly contains four parts: speed sensors (encoders), valves, pump, and controller.

Speed Sensors (Encoders) are located on each wheel and determine the acceleration and deceleration.

Valves regulate the pressure of braking fluid to each wheel. It rapidly modulates pressure by either increasing, decreasing, or holding it to apply and release brakes rapidly.

Pumps restore the brake fluid pressure after being released by valves. It ensures a continuous cycle of braking and releasing.

Controller is the brain of ABS. It processes data from speed sensors and decides when to apply and release the brakes by regulating valves and pumps together.

Performance Comparison in ABS and Non-ABS Vehicles

Now, let’s visualize our first case scenario where the driver encounters an obstacle, applying brake and rotating the steering wheel to avoid going through the unexpected obstacle.

The non-ABS vehicle’s braking distance would be longer than a vehicle with a working ABS. Additionally, the driver of the vehicle without ABS would be unable to steer due to the wheels being continuously locked. On the other hand, ABS would allow the driver to retain the control of the steering wheel and turn the vehicle in the desired direction.

In conclusion, ABS plays a crucial role in the safety and reliability of automobiles. It mainly contains 4 main components: speed sensors (encoders), valves, pumps, and controller. It ensures that the shortest braking distance is provided by applying and releasing the brakes in a continuous cycle. This action leads to the maximum traction force between the wheel and the road to occur, thanks to these 4 components. When compared to non-ABS vehicles, those with ABS perform much better and are safer for both drivers and pedestrians.

Eren Erden