As the world moves toward more software defined vehicles with connected technologies, automakers are taking a hard look at the components that have long been expected to be on every model and working to advance them. This, combined with new sustainability standards, is the impetus for moving toward an emissions-free future, from manufacturing to tailpipes to brake pads and everything between.
Dust from braking systems may be a bigger pollutant than tailpipe emissions and cause more harm to the environment and humans, a recent study by University of California, Irvine scientists hypothesized.
"Recent studies of individual cars suggest that brakes emit more particles than the tailpipe, but we know very little about the properties and environmental impacts of these particles," James Smith, Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Chemistry at University of California, Irvine told Newsweek.
"Some studies have shown that brake particles have a similar effect on lung inflammation as diesel and wood combustion particles, forming free radicals in lung fluids. These particles can be very small – 500 of these particles stacked up would span the thickness of a strand of your hair – so once they are released into the air, they could impact large areas ... Given their rising dominance, potential health impacts and implications on environmental justice, it's imperative that we control the emissions of these particles at the source," he said.
Mercedes-Benz is working to revolutionize how cars brake, changes that would have sustainability and health benefits if introduced into production. In a prototype shown to Newsweek during an event Germany, gone are the brake pads, calipers and disc combinations that have been mainstays on vehicles for the last 100 years. Instead, the company is proposing brakes that fit in their own housing, on the axle, attached to either side of an electric drive unit (alternately, centrally located without a unit).
The operation of the new, mechanical brake relies on an operation similar to a traditional brake setup, only the disc is squeezed on both sides to slow the vehicle. The entire unit would be developed with withstand 15 years of use and abuse, what Mercedes-Benz considers to be a vehicle's lifetime.
And, it allows for strong, consistent braking that doesn't fade under heavy loads. Brake noise becomes a thing of the past.
There would be no particulate emissions into the atmosphere with the small amount of dust the mechanism creates gathering in a sump at the bottom of the device, able to be emptied at the end of the vehicle's life.
Because there would be no need for gaps in wheels that are traditionally used to aid in brake cooling, this innovation allows for the creation of solid wheel designs, which would aid in a vehicle's aerodynamics. Without a braking system on the wheels, the corners of the car become lighter, allowing for a gentler ride.
The new braking technology is still under development and an official timeline for implementation has not been made public.
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