| Text By Jason
Ang
Photos by motioncars.com |
Technology Guide |
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| If you've been driving long enough, you've probably experienced that
most dreaded moment: the Panic Stop. You're driving down the Ortigas-Rosario
flyover and when you reach the ground level, a very slow car suddenly cuts
in. You're keeping to 30 km/h in a school zone, when, without looking,
a kid steps into your path just a few meters ahead. In these situations,
you would be fortunate if you can call on something to help you stop in
the shortest distance possible while still allowing you to steer the car.
No it's not your guardian angel-it's the electronic-hydraulic safety device
known as the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).
How it works ABS consists of rotation sensors on each wheel, and a hydraulic pump integrated into the brake system, and a computer. The sensors tell the computer if a wheel has locked up-that is, stopped rotating-and the computer tells the hydraulic pump to release the pressure in the brake line to allow the wheel to rotate again, then applies and releases pressure repeatedly. In short, the ABS pumps your brakes for you, but at a rate beyond what is possible for any human, even the Michael Schumachers among you-as much as 30 times per second. Also, the ABS pumps each wheel individually, which not even Commander Data can do, unless he has four brake pedals to activate. 4-sensor 3-channel ABS means that there's a sensor on each of the four wheels, while the system can actuate three hydraulic lines: the front wheels are pumped individually, while the rear wheels are pumped together. No, the spare tire doesn't get one, no matter how prominently you display it on your tailgate. Nowadays, most systems are 4-sensor, 4-channel. ABS is effective in decreasing stopping distances, as it allows the
driver to use the full braking potential of the car. Maximum stopping
power of the tires occurs when they are at imminent lock-up: just about
to lock up but still rotating. ABS allows the driver to achieve this
when he uses the system. Since it doesn't allow the tires to lockup,
the driver retains control of the steering.
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