Antilock Braking Systems

 Antilock Braking Systems Many modern cars have braking systems designed to prevent the wheels from locking during braking applications (antilock braking systems). In theory, antilock braking systems serve two purposes. First, they prevent the coefficient of road adhesion from dropping to slide values. Second, they have the potential to raise the braking efficiency to 100%. In practice, designing an antilock braking system that avoids slide coefficients of adhesion and achieves 100% braking efficiency (ηb = 1.0) is a difficult task. This is because most antilock braking system technologies detect which wheels have locked and release them momentarily before reapplying the brake on the locking wheel. The wheel lock detection speed, speed of brake force reallocation, and braking system design (the amount of braking forces that can be accommodated by the vehicle’s front and rear brake discs and calipers) all impact the overall effectiveness of the antilock braking system. Early antilock braking systems often fell short of achieving 100% braking efficiency, and in many cases, an expert driver operating a non-antilock braking car could modulate the brakes to achieve shorter stopping distances than cars equipped with antilock brakes. However, advances in antilock braking system technology continue to bring us closer to 100% braking efficiency.