Exhaust brake what is

Lower costs. Exhaust Brakes help extend the service life for commercial vehicle wheel brakes. How does it work? Exhaust Brakes throttle the exhaust flow to the turbine of a charged diesel engine. By doing so, they create braking force. The Exhaust Brake has a choke flap controlled by a pneumatically operated cylinder.

Exhaust Brakes are designed to relieve the service brake, not replace it. The counter pressure provided by a conventional exhaust brake flap is proportional to the motor speed. In contrast to controllable exhaust brakes, they are equipped with a controlling mechanism that keeps the counter pressure to the turbine constant within a defined flow range. There are also different types of exhaust brakes to choose from and they have various properties and advantages.

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By preventing excess slippage, the SmartLock also reduces transmission fluid temperature while braking, which greatly prolongs transmission life. A well-engineered exhaust brake also includes safeguards to prevent any excessive exhaust system overpressure that might harm the structural integrity of either the exhaust system or the engine valvetrain. Unfortunately, not all exhaust brakes are created equal.

There are designs that bypass so much exhaust flow that they provide little or no braking effect in some circumstances. Still other designs restrict or disrupt exhaust flow downstream from the turbocharger, impeding performance during normal driving. Premium designs, such as the Banks Brake, combine both system safety and reliability with effective supplemental braking capability while simultaneously increasing normal driving performance.

An exhaust brake should be considered as a worthwhile safety enhancement for any diesel-powered vehicle, and a virtual necessity for such vehicles when they are heavily loaded or towing trailers. Because adequate braking is so important, the quality and features of a supplemental brake should be a prime consideration when purchasing such a device. And even if you never encounter such a critical situation, the extended brake life an exhaust brake can provide will reduce your vehicle maintenance and give you greater peace of mind.

You must be logged in to post a comment. Banks Power Tech Articles. Thus, you can see that simply restricting the exhaust flow can generate substantial braking. Theoretically, if we completely closed the exhaust path, we could build very high exhaust pressure to act on the piston during the exhaust stroke for even greater braking. We could, at least in theory, slam on the exhaust brake to the point of sliding the rear wheels — not a good plan when towing a trailer downhill. Consequently, we want to temper the exhaust brake action for a reasonable, controlled degree of braking.

Besides, an exhaust brake cannot close the exhaust system completely for a number of other good reasons. If the exhaust is completely closed, the pressure in the exhaust system will continue to rise until either the exhaust system ruptures or engine damage occurs.

Consequently, an exhaust brake must vent some exhaust flow through the exhaust system to keep the peak system pressure below the danger point. The pressure at which the exhaust valves can be blown open depends on the valve spring seat pressure and size area of the valve head of the valves used.

This is a carefully engineered setting on all Banks Brake applications: a careful determination is made to produce maximum practical braking without causing engine damage. First, if creating backpressure in the exhaust system generates negative torque and engine braking, then any exhaust system restriction that prevents free exhaust flow during cruise conditions or full throttle operation actually detracts from power output and fuel economy in the same way.

Secondly, when closed, an exhaust brake stalls the turbine section of the turbocharger. The exhaust brake must open before the turbo can spool up again to provide boost on demand.