Quote:
Originally Posted by bwilson4web
For those worried about reliability, truck air brakes offer a solution. Truck brakes have a spring that is 'unloaded' by air pressure, much like trains. When the pressure is reduced, the spring actuates the brakes. The failure mode is to apply the brakes. A similar, magnetic latch could be used in an electro-mechanical brake. Loss of power would simply release the spring to apply the brakes and stop the vehicle.
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Would not a spring only offer a fixed deceleration rate? Basically, the strength of the spring?
BTW, going off on a tangent... My Mustang has hydraulic assist power brakes. There is no large vacuum "disc" sitting behind the master cylinder. Instead the "power" comes from the power steering pump, which has been renamed due to its now dual purpose.
Anyway, I wonder if on the hybrids they could replace the electric vacuum pump (you know, that thing you hear when you open door), with something more direct like they did with the power steering. And if so, would it be better?