A motorized vehicle includes an engine, a transmission having an input coupled to the engine and an output, and a controller for controlling at least the transmission. A braking system includes a brake sensor and a brake pack configured to reduce a speed of the vehicle. The brake sensor is disposed in electrical communication with the controller. A main hydraulic pump is operably driven by the engine and an output hydraulic pump is operably driven by the transmission output. A brake coolant valve is disposed in fluid communication with the main hydraulic pump and the output hydraulic pump. The brake coolant valve is controlled between an open position and a closed position. The main hydraulic pump and the output hydraulic pump are fluidly coupled to the brake pack when the brake coolant valve is in its open position.

A multi-disc brake assembly comprising a disc pack may desirably be liquid cooled (i.e. is wet) to dissipate the substantial heat generated from braking. In conventional assemblies, coolant fluid is generally delivered in a uniform manner to the discs in the disc pack. However, the heat distribution in the disc pack from braking is not uniform. But wear can be significantly increased where an inadequate amount of coolant is delivered, while drag can be increased unnecessarily where an excessive amount of coolant is delivered. In such an assembly, an improved coolant distribution can be obtained by appropriately varying the size of the numerous orifices which may be used to distribute coolant to the disc interfaces from an axial fluid rail provided in a rotating central shaft. Specifically, the orifices decrease in size from the middle to the ends of the disc pack.

A braking system for a road vehicle having: a brake disc; a brake caliper provided with at least one hydraulic piston; a hydraulic circuit containing a brake liquid and having: a hydraulic control unit provided with an electrically controlled pump and a delivery pipe, which connects the hydraulic control unit to the hydraulic piston; a return pipe, which is separate from and independent of the delivery pipe and connects the hydraulic piston to the hydraulic control unit; a recirculation solenoid valve, which is interposed along the return pipe and can be controlled so as to enable or forbid the circulation of the brake liquid along the return pipe; and a control unit, which, when the braking system is not used, opens the recirculation solenoid valve and operates the electrically controlled pump so as to create a circulation of the brake liquid through the first delivery pipe and through the return pipe.

A brake cooling system for a heavy-duty truck includes an air compressor mounted on a truck-cab chassis that is in fluid communication with a pressurized air reservoir. The reservoir outlet includes an automatic solenoid valve that establishes select communication between the reservoir and an air distribution system. The air distribution system is formed of a network of compressed air tubes having arteries that each extend to a designated brake drum. Whenever the vehicle is traveling above a predetermined speed and the brake pedal is applied, a microprocessor opens the solenoid to deliver cooling air to each brake drum.

In some examples, a cooling system defines a first flow path for a first gas stream and a second flow path for a second gas stream. The cooling system is configured to merge the first gas stream and the second gas stream to produce a mixed gas stream and provide the mixed gas stream to cool a brake assembly of a wheel. Control circuitry is configured to adjust a flow rate of the second gas stream based on a pressure and/or other flow parameter of the first gas stream. In examples, the control circuitry is configured to initiate and/or substantially cease cooling to the brake assembly based on a temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the brake assembly.

Provided is such control that a delivery flow rate of a cooling pump increases as the temperature of cooling oil detected by a temperature sensor increases, and, in a case in which an operation mode of a dump truck is switched from a normal mode for executing work involving an operation of a brake device to a brake test mode for determining health of the brake device, provided is such control that the rotation speed of the cooling pump is higher in the brake test mode than that in the normal mode with respect to the temperature of the cooling oil detected by the temperature sensor in at least a part of the temperature range, it is determined whether an abnormality is occurring or not in the brake device on the basis of the detection result from the pressure sensor in the brake test mode, and abnormality occurrence information is output in a case in which an abnormality is determined to be occurring. With this configuration, fuel consumption can be reduced at the normal time, and the health of a brake cooling circuit can be determined at an inspection time for the circuit.

A drive unit for construction machines and/or industrial trucks having an electric motor, a transmission, a brake and a cooling device with at least one coolant circuit for cooling the electric motor and the brake. The electric motor and the brake have directly adjacent motor interior and brake chambers that border on a common end-side cooling flange which is cooled by an end-side cooling circuit section of the cooling device.

In some examples, a cooling system defines a first flow path for a first gas stream and a second flow path for a second gas stream. The cooling system is configured to merge the first gas stream and the second gas stream to produce a mixed gas stream and provide the mixed gas stream to cool a brake assembly of a wheel. Control circuitry is configured to adjust a flow rate of the second gas stream based on a pressure and/or other flow parameter of the first gas stream. In examples, the control circuitry is configured to initiate and/or substantially cease cooling to the brake assembly based on a temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the brake assembly.