A system for monitoring usage of rail car brake equipment and determining whether the actual lifespan of the brake equipment is shorter than an expected lifespan had the brake equipment been used under normal or constant parameters. The system includes a sensor for collecting and outputting data indicating how the brake equipment has been actually used. A controller is programmed to receive the data regarding how the brake system component has been used and to calculate whether the brake system component has an estimated lifespan that is shorter than the expected lifespan. The sensor may comprise an ambient temperature sensor, a flow sensor that determines the air used by the braking system that includes the brake system component, and/or a pressure sensor that can determines how frequently and in what manner the brake system has been used.

A system for use in connection with a wheel torque generating component in a heavy-duty vehicle. The system comprises a fluid conduit, a compressor configured to provide a pressurized air flow through the fluid conduit, a mass flow adding arrangement configured to add a fluid to the pressurized air flow in the fluid conduit, thereby increasing the mass flow of the pressurized air flow, and a flow directing device arranged downstream of the mass flow adding arrangement and configured to direct the pressurized air flow, including the added fluid, from the fluid conduit to the wheel torque generating component so as to control the temperature of the wheel torque generating component. The invention also relates to a method for use in connection with a wheel torque generating component in a heavy-duty vehicle.

A method of operating a brake redundancy device including a main braking controller and a backup braking controller, includes: confirming whether or not a command signal for deceleration of the vehicle has been received, by the backup braking controller; executing a front-wheel braking mode by the backup braking controller when the command signal has been received; determining whether or not an allowable condition for providing the hydraulic pressure to wheel cylinders of rear wheels has been satisfied; and executing a rear-wheel braking mode through a cooperative control of the main braking controller and the backup braking controller when the allowable condition has been satisfied, wherein in the executing of the rear-wheel braking mode, the hydraulic pressure is provided from the backup braking controller to a portion of the main braking controller.

Various examples of a controller, method and system for monitoring a tractor-trailer vehicle train are disclosed. In one example a tractor controller is manually-initiated or a user-initiated tractor controller and includes an electrical control port for receiving an electrical sync signal and an electrical start signal, and a communications port for receiving data. A processing unit of the tractor controller includes control logic and is in communication with the electrical control port. The control logic is capable of receiving a data signal at the communications port which includes a time value and a unique identification which corresponds to the towed vehicle in response to the electrical start signal. At a predetermined response time, the tractor controller determines the position of the towed vehicle in the tractor-trailer vehicle train based on the data received from the towed vehicles.

A control device is for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle in order to modify a steering angle of a steered wheel of the autonomous motor vehicle and/or a braking force generated by the brake fitted to a wheel of the autonomous motor vehicle. The control device includes an automatic piloting system, which is configured to generate an automatic driving instruction for automatically driving the vehicle, a primary command chain, which includes a primary controller configured to generate a primary command according to the automatic driving instruction, and at least one primary actuator configured to generate a torque that confers a steering angle to the steered wheel, or configured to actuate the brake based on the primary command obtained directly from the primary controller. A secondary command chain is also included.

A wear volume estimation device estimates a wear volume of a brake pad of a vehicle. A wear volume function expresses the wear volume as a function of a vehicle speed, a brake pressure, and a brake duration. The wear volume estimation device calculates the wear volume by using the wear volume function. Moreover, the wear volume estimation device estimates a temperature of a contact surface of the brake pad that comes in contact with a brake rotor, and updates temperature history information indicating at least a temperature history of the contact surface based on the temperature of the contact surface. The wear volume estimation device variably sets the wear volume function according to the temperature history of the contact surface indicated by the temperature history information acquired at a time of previous braking.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling one or more brakes of the vehicle. The system may include a processor and a memory in communication with the processor with a brake control module. The brake control module includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the one or more brakes of the vehicle when the vehicle is in a first mode using a brake-by-wire system. When the vehicle is in a second mode, control the brake-by-wire system such that the one or more brakes of the vehicle are controlled using a mechanical braking system and the brake-by-wire system.

A method for decelerating a vehicle combination including a towing vehicle having a towing vehicle brake system and at least one trailer vehicle having a trailer brake system with an anti-lock brake system includes applying, by the towing vehicle brake system, a brake pressure to pneumatically operable wheel brakes of the towing vehicle according to a desired deceleration specified by a driver, and providing, by the towing vehicle brake system, a trailer brake pressure for the trailer brake system of the at least one trailer vehicle. An electronic brake control unit of the towing vehicle brake system: detects a current actual vehicle deceleration value continuously compares the current actual vehicle deceleration actual value with a maximum deceleration, and, when the current actual vehicle deceleration value reaches or exceeds the maximum deceleration, limits the brake pressure and provides an information signal.

An electropneumatic rail brake system configured to provide emergency braking including an emergency magnet valve which controls air flow into an emergency regulator valve, which valve has an emergency back-up chamber. The emergency regulator provides an output pressure nominally equal to the variable load pressure and no lower than the tare back-up. The magnet valve is closed when energized and when de-energized, pressure is allowed into the emergency back-up chamber, Regulation of the brake cylinder pressure continues during an emergency application such that the brake cylinder pressure applied during an emergency stop does not drop below a predetermined level. In the event of power-loss during an emergency brake stop, the nominal emergency brake pressure is applied to the brake cylinders.

Monitoring the brake performance of a brake system of a machine and a control systems for performing such monitoring. The machine's brake system is monitored by detecting a brake engagement for decelerating the machine. When a brake engagement is detected, a parasitic loss decelerating the machine during the brake engagement is determined. The parasitic loss is used to predict deceleration of the machine during the brake engagement Brake performance of the brake system of the machine is processed from the predicted deceleration.