Autoliv, Inc has announced the development of a new vacuum braking system – the Torricelli brake
12 Jun 2015 | 5783 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Autoliv, Inc has announced the development of a new vacuum braking system – the Torricelli brake – developed for significantly reducing stopping distance for Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). Autoliv says the innovation could revolutionise traffic safety in urban environments.
Tests have proven the so-called Torricelli brake – a vacuum-induced ...
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Autoliv, Inc has announced the development of a new vacuum braking system – the Torricelli brake – developed for significantly reducing stopping distance for Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). Autoliv says the innovation could revolutionise traffic safety in urban environments.
Tests have proven the so-called Torricelli brake – a vacuum-induced plate below a vehicle which sucks down into the track during emergency braking situation – decreases braking distances with ~40 percent in speeds up to 70kph.
The technology, developed at Autoliv's research plant in Vårgårda, Sweden., is named after 17th century Italian physicist Evangelista Torricelli, known for clinically accounting the vacuum and for inventing the barometer.
Many car accidents are caused by late braking with insufficient force. A driver may brake too late for several reasons: He or she is distracted or inattentive; visibility is poor or a pedestrian crosses the street without paying attention. Therefore, several car manufacturers today offer Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems. Autoliv's revolutionary Torricelli Brake will radically enhance the efficiency of AEB systems by dramatically reducing the braking distances.
Technically, the Torricelli brake is connected to the automatic breaking system, which in turn is rigged to detect hazards ahead. The patented solution uses a 0.3 m2 vacuum plate below the vehicle that activates in merely 0.1 sec and produces a downforce of 15 000 N – independently from the tyre-to-track friction. This reduces stopping distances with up to ~40% on wet and dry asphalt, as well as ice surfaces.
Autoliv has put a maximum speed limit for activating the system at 70kph, due to the effectiveness and force of the system. This in turn means that the Torricelli brake will mainly be applicable in urban environments, where for instance inattentive children and cyclists could be avoided.
“Even if there are several steps ahead before the Torricelli brake can be put into full-scale production, this is undoubtedly an example of how future innovations can revolutionise traffic safety and save more lives, in particular in urban environments,” says Ola Boström, head of Autoliv Research.
“The main hindrance for car manufacturer implementation of the Torricelli brake is simply that it is too efficient. In order to complement existing safety equipment, other safety details such as belt tighteners also need to be updated – due to the major braking force of the Torricelli brake system,” adds Ola.
“I don´t want to speculate on whether the industry is ready to embrace the Torricelli brake, but so far we have showcased the system for a small number of manufacturers and we have gained substantial interest with this latest innovation. A reason pointing towards a short term, rather than long term, industry adaption is that car manufacturers today increasingly compete and gain market share based on the qualities of their safety systems,” concludes Ola.