DETROIT, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The first Electronic Brake System -- the
ABS MK 20 -- was launched by Continental Teves in 1984. Since then, EBS
systems have lost roughly 80 percent in weight and costs have come down as
much as 90 percent. Modern systems also boast dramatically improved
performance -- as demonstrated by the state-of-the-art Electronic Stability
Program (ESP). And that trend is set to continue.
Active Rollover Protection (ARP): Less risk of rolling
Rollover accidents often have very serious consequences. As rollover is
normally the result of skidding and losing control of the vehicle, ESP
provides a good primary source of protection. But SUVs, minivans and pickups
with their specific design characteristics -- high center of gravity, narrow
track and long suspension travel -- can reach a critical rollover situation
before ESP is able to measure hazardous lateral acceleration values. So for
vehicles like these, Continental Teves developed ARP (Active Rollover
Protection) -- a system which automakers are now installing more and more
frequently.
Using signals from the ESP sensors, ARP continuously analyzes the
vehicle's dynamic situation and steering-wheel movements, plots potential
emergency scenarios and implements them lightning fast when danger threatens.
If ARP detects a rapid steering movement typical of evasive action, it brakes
the front wheel on the outside of the bend, reducing the forces acting on the
side of the vehicle, cutting lateral acceleration, and reducing speed. This
way, ARP counteracts critical body roll before it starts to cause the kind of
dynamic changes in wheel load that lead to rollover.
New EBS generations: Analog valves and added functionalities
In the new MK 60 EBS generation, Continental Teves has replaced digital
hydraulic valves -- which can be either fully open or fully closed -- with
valves with analog control, which are infinitely variable. This makes for
shorter stopping distances, minimized pedal vibrations and finely tuned
pressure build-up for the automatic Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) braking
function. The MK 60 can also use the ABS pump for brake boosting, not least
to prevent a dramatic increase in the required pedal force caused by brake
fading and to support the driver in the event of a brake booster failure.
In combination with the analog valves, the ABS hydraulic system's brake
booster function also helps when the engine does not generate enough vacuum to
ensure reliable brake boosting. This is the case immediately after a cold
start, as well as with direct-injection engines optimized for high efficiency.
Further potential for improving stopping distances and stability is created by
adding brake pressure sensors on all wheels. With these sensors, ABS need no
longer be controlled indirectly -- based on wheel speed and slip -- but can be
governed directly as a function of the brake pressure measured. Continental
Teves is set to launch its new EBS generation this year.
ESP II: Networked steering and brakes
Today, brake systems are already being networked with intelligent air-
sprung chassis with adaptive dampers. In the next step down the road to
Global Chassis Control (GCC) which will involve a central control unit for all
safety and comfort/convenience-related chassis functions, Continental Teves is
extending ESP II to include external steering control. The outcome, when
parking or cornering at speed, will be a very direct steering ratio, reducing
the required movement of the steering wheel to a minimum.
The vehicle thus becomes much more responsive when cornering, particularly
when ESP II enhances performance by turning the wheels further into the bend
for an instant than actually called for by the steering wheel movement.
For fast, straight driving, the steering is less direct, reducing the risk
of swerving as a result of rapid movement of the steering wheel. With its
ability to influence the brakes, steering and engine simultaneously, ESP II
also makes a highly effective dynamic handling control system, capable of
substantially enhancing directional stability through targeted intervention at
the front wheels. As a result, automatic brake operation by ESP can cut in
later and more gently.
Optionally, if the vehicle is equipped with air springs and/or adaptive
dampers, the system can also control the chassis. The key advantages here are
that, with its dynamic limits no longer so narrowly defined, the vehicle is
easier to control at the limit, while load changes are offset for much more
effectively and comfortably. When braking on roads with different grip on
either side of the vehicle (u-split braking), ESP II also makes for much
shorter stopping distances with minimum steering intervention and optimized
directional stability.
With 2002 sales of approximately $12 billion (US), Continental AG is a
major supplier of brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics,
tires and technical rubber products. Continental Automotive Systems' North
American operation is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich. For additional
information, visit these websites: http://www.conti-online.com and
http://www.contitevesna.com .
SOURCE Continental Teves
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Related links:
http://www.conti-online.com
http://www.contitevesna.com
CONTACT:
Jim Gill, M.S., APR of Continental Teves,
+1-248-393-5210, cell: +1-248-882-6309, or
jim.gill@usa.contiteves.com
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