History of automobile

braking systems
By Declan Wall

Brakes are simply devices whose function it is to slow and stop
an automobile. For an automobile to increase its velocity and
acceleration, its must improve its deceleration in order to stop
the loss of control. For this to happen kinetic energy must
decrease. To do this the kinetic energy must be converted into
heat energy. This is the vital role of braking systems that is
crucial for transport and safety.

Ever since 2000 BC with the invention of the wheel and leading
onto the cart brakes have played an essential role in the safety of
humans due to the high amounts of travelling that is done each
and every day of the year.

The earliest known braking system involved the pressing of a
block of wood onto the wooden wheel due to the limitations of
technology. The problem with this braking system was that as
the wood constantly came in contact with each other this
creating a reduction in the coefficient of friction due to the
smoothening between the surfaces. This became a poor option
because the kinetic energy being converted into thermal energy
was ineffective.

A wooden block being applied to a steel wheel was the next
advancement but this system also had lack friction problems.
The conversion from steel wheel to a rubber tyre with a steel
rim meant that the contact of rubber and wood was not effective
and was dangerous. This development in the tyre meant that a
development of braking systems had to be made. So, this is how
the demand for the advancement of technology was so high.

In 1902 Louis Renault invented the external drum brake system
that is the forefather of the drum brake, as we know it in the 21
st

century. Though there was several drum brakes patented before
Renaults, his system was the most functional and was the first
to be effectively implemented in the automobile market.

Another significant advancement in 1902 was the application of
asbestos linings in braking systems invented by Herbert Frood.
Asbestos lining in brakes is excellent at heat dissipation and is
also heat resistant. Asbestos is the perfect material except for
one significant problem in the occupational health and safety
sector. Even in 2012 there is no better option for performance
with the brake lining. At the time and until the 1950s the effects
of asbestos were unknown and the use of asbestos in brake pad
linings was not banned until the 1970s. This was also during the
time when asbestos was banned in the building industry. The
inhalation of asbestos fibres causes a condition named
mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is the rare cancerous condition that is caused by
asbestos fibres just like the wearing of an asbestos brake lining
does. This cancer causes the reduction of breathing capacity and
eventually depending on dosage will mean certain death. This
condition was found in carpenters and in the automotive
industry as mechanics repaired or replaced asbestos lined
brakes. The workers wives also suffered from Mesothelioma
due to the duty of cleaning the asbestos riddled clothing. Brake
linings before the use of asbestos included leather and woven
cotton but these materials had poor thermal stability and need
replacement frequently.

The major problem with the external drum brakes system was
that the brake shoes were prone to weathering including dust,
rocks, water and the air temperature. This reduced the
effectiveness of the braking clamp and thus the internal drum
brake system was created. This advancement increased the life
of the brakes and required less frequent maintenance duties to
be carried out. In 1918 Malcom Loughead who was one of the
founders of the Lougheed Aircraft Corporation invented a
hydraulic brake system using fluids to transfer force from the
pressured brake pedal into the pistons in the drum, which then
applied pressure on the brake shoes inside the drum and hence,
stopping the vehicle. This system required less brake pedal
pressure; it increased the control of the driver and improved the
vital issue of heat dissipation. In the modern day of drum brake
linings there are a large amount of materials involved and they
vary between each producer. The exact ratios and materials are
unknown but some include mineral fibers, cellulose, aramid,
chopped glass, steel, copper fibers and Polyacrylonitrile. The
brake lining wear rate also varies between producers.

When the disc brake was originally patented Frederick
Lanchester there was a significant problem for this technology
that would eventually become popular and widely used. The
original disc brake system involved a disc revolving next to the
wheel on the axle, which converted kinetic energy to heat
energy by the application of a clamp. The clamp was pressed
against the disc by the force applied by the driver onto the brake
pedal and in turn reduced the kinetic energy of the automobile.

The problem was that at the time Copper (Cu) was the only
marginally useful metallic resource. The properties of copper
include the excellent ability to conduct electricity and more
importantly, heat. Heat dissipation is the main aspect of braking
that must be efficient and with copper this was false. This
system was not re implemented with a new disc material until
1939 when cast iron was used for the disc. Disc brakes on cars
were not tested and when they were produced on high priced
cars so the conversion to drum brakes was frequent. The first
reliable disc brake system was in a Jaguar C-type racing car in
1953. The disc was successful and was comprised of an iron
alloy. The main advantage of the disc brake compared to the
internal hydraulic drum brakes was that the system did not
effectively distribute heat across all four wheels in a car. In the
nineteen fifties the only major problem was the amount of force
the driver had to apply to the brake pedal to reduce kinetic
energy.

In nineteen sixty-four the Studebaker Avanti had the latest fix to
the disc brake problem named the Power Braking System.
This system assisted the movement of the piston in the master
cylinder, which meant that the driver was required to do
significantly less work. This system was the technological
advancement that fixed all the mistakes of the past. This was the
time when popularity of disc brakes began to increase. From
such change of braking systems from 1890 to 1970 the
evolution of braking systems has slowed dramatically in the
automotive industry.

The Anti-lock Braking System was not the most vital
improvement to the industry but this system has dramatically
increased the control of the driver and safety in an emergency
stop when brakes are heavily applied for sudden deceleration.
This system is now included in drum and disc brakes which
prevents the lock up of the wheel by an automatic modulator
that applies the correct amount of brake pressure when the
driver is applying large amounts of force on the brakes. A speed
sensor is also used to create the precise amount of on and off
pressure. The ABS also works with hydraulics just like the drum
and disc brake systems. A further advancement that is coupled
with ABS is the Electric Brake force Distribution system. This
technology automatically alters the amount of braking force
applied to each wheel based on speed, weight and road
conditions. Advancements have all been based from the
continuous high demand for improvements since 2000 BC. In
the modern automobile the industrial revolution provided the
materials that were essential to the improvements in braking
systems and life, as we know it.






Images:
1. Louis Renault 2. Herbert Frood 3. Disc brake system 4. Drum
Brake System 5. Anti lock Braking System on a car.







Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_pad

http://autorepair.about.com/od/glossary/a/def_ABS.htm

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/braking-systems-history-6933.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_brakeforce_distribution

http://www.smokinvette.com/corvette/articles/the-history-of-disc-brakes/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_brake

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-types/anti-lock-
brake.htm