Chapter 8 Air Breaks Flashcards
Why do we use air breaks as opposed to hydraulics for trucks
- Air breaks use a much greater force to apply the brakes than hydraulic braking systems do, which is needed to cope with heavy loads of commercials vehicles
- Are more tolerant to small leaks, which in brake failure (an air brake system includes a compressor to generate more compressed air as needed)
- Are capable of stopping heavy comercial vehicles safely
What is compressed air
squeezing air into a small space
10psi on 1 sq inch is 10 pounds of air resistance
What is a compressor used in a airbreak
pump air into the air break system
What does a governor do
controls the air compressor so when the reservoir is low it loads air in and when the reservoir is full it stops the discharge valve
what do air lines do
to allow pressurized air to flow between the air brake system components
what does a reservoir do
store compressed air
Brake pedal or foot valve
apply brakes by directing compressed air from the reservoir to the brakes
What are foundation brakes and what are they made up of
including brake chambers, slack adjusters, brake linings and drums or rotors to transfer the force generated by compressed air through a mechanical linkage to apply the brakes.
What is force multipliers
the force generated at the wheel to stop is gonna be greater then the force of you pushing on the brake pedal
How does the air brake chamber help stop the vehicle
It converts the force of compressed air into a strong mechanical force through the push rod and slack adjuster.
what is inside the air brake chamber
a rubber diaphragm in between two steel housing units
What happens when we push our brake pedal down in the braking component
the compressed air opens into the brake chamber pushing on the rubber diaphragm which pushes on the push rod.
What is the most common size air chamber used on trucks
type 30 regular chamber with 30 sq inches of effective diaphragm area. If its a type 15 air break its gonna have 15 sq inch of are and so on.
how much psi to make a normal stop
20 psi or less
What is the foundation brake
mechanical parts of the braking system inside the wheel
What is the most common part foundation brake
s-cam drum brake
What happens after the pushrod is being pushed on with an s-cam brake
pushrod pushes on the leaver arm called a slack adjuster which is connected to a cam shaft shaped like an s which the s-cam to rotate causing the brake lining to press against the brake drum.
What is the slack adjuster and what happens if it isnt adjusted poroperly
it wont properly rotate the scam causing less friction between the the brake lining to the brake drums
what is the purpose of the return spring
to keep the brake linings away from the drum when the air pressure is released from the air chamber
What makes up a basic airbrakes system
Compressor Airlines Reservoir Brake Pedal Foundation Brakes
Air compressor is located where on the truck
Mounted on the engine or the side of the engine as long as the engine is running the compressor will be running
what type of air compressors do all trucks use
piston type air compressors they can have 1, 2 or 4 cylinders depending on vehicle demands
Whats the operating pressure and temperature of a truck air compressor?
120 psi and air temperature of 204 degrees celsius
What two types of cooling systems are used to prevent the compressor from overheating
- Circulating engine coolant through the compressor
- Lighter units use air cooling
What role does oil have in the engine
Lubircation
Why is there an air filter for the compressor
so it only intakes clean air check your filter regularly so it doesn’t get clogged
what does the intake stroke do in the air compressor
piston moves down in the cylinder tit creates a vaccum within the cylinder than the atmospheric pressure outside of the compressor. with the inlet valve open, air is drawn into the cylinder to fill the vaccum
What is a compression stroke in the compressor
When the piston reaches the bottom of the cylinder it begins to rise. closing the inlet valve causing the air to compress as it goes up and the discharge valve opens and the pressurized air goes through the line and into the reservoir