6

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

In Automobile Vehicles, Brake Boosters are used only on power brakes, not
Manual Brakes. The Booster’s Function is to give more Braking Power with
minimum pressure on the Brake pedal.If the Booster is not working properly ,you
will still have Brakes, but the Brake pedal will be very hard to Push.The Brake
Booster is located between the Brake pedal and the Master cylinder .The basic
principle of the Brake Booster is pressure differential.

The Brake Booster is made of Five Parts: - Body - Booster piston - Booster Return
spring - Reaction valve - Control valve The Body has Two Chambers —The
variable pressure chamber and the constant pressure chamber separated by a
diaphragm.

As the driver steps on the brake pedal, atmospheric air is introduced in the variable
pressure chamber, producing a pressure differential between the variable and the
constant pressure chamber. The force generated by the pressure differential on the
plate is transmitted to the push rod via the booster piston which pushes the piston of
the brake master cylinder. When the pedal is depressed, All components return to its
original positions through the return springs.
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The booster's size and whether it has a single or more than one diaphragm depend
on the year, make and model of the vehicle. When ordering a new booster, tell the
auto parts store or dealer the year, make and model of your vehicle, and they will
give you the correct one.
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CHAPTER 2

CONSTRUCTION

A brake booster has body, piston return spring, control valve mechanism,
reaction mechanism and booster piston as its important parts, while the body itself
is divided into two chambers-constant pressure chamber and variable pressure
chamber-each separated by a diaphragm; and the pressure inside the variable
pressure chamber is controlled by the control valve mechanism.
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CHAPTER 3

WORKING PRINCIPLE

When you press your brake pedal, that force is transmitted to the brakes
through a liquid. But then, the actual brakes require a force still bigger than what
your leg applies for its effectiveness; this force multiplication which is generally 2-4
times the size of the diaphragm, is achieved in two different ways- leverage
(mechanical advantage) and hydraulic force multiplication.

As you press the brake pedal, a shaft is pushed forward which is attached to
the power brake booster which uses the engine vacuum to help give the pedal
increased force, helping in turn to balance the high pressures of the braking
system. Together with your foot effort on the pedal, this shaft then moves to push a
piston into the main brake cylinder, displacing as a consequence, brake liquid
through the braking system.

Fig. 3.1 brake booster

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This liquid enters forcefully into the brake cylinder through a rationing valve
such that correct liquid quantities reach the respective wheels to act on the brake
slave cylinders which clamp the pads on the brake rotors, slowing down your
vehicle. For transmitting the force from the brakes to the tyres and then to the road,
frictional force comes into play.
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CHAPTER 4

VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER WORKS

A vacuum brake booster provides power assist to the brake system. As

anyone who has experience a booster failure knows, the booster greatly reduces
the effortrequired to stop the vehicle. Brake booster problems misdiagnosed, often
set off a series of expensive events.

Vacuum brake boosters may be mysterious to the average person, but are
quite simple in operation. The vacuum operated brake booster works much today as
it did sixty-years ago. A combination of atmospheric pressure pushing
and vacuum pulling on a diaphragm, multiplies the force a driver applies with
the brake pedal.

Most brake boosters, have two or more chambers, divided by flexible

diaphragms. The chamber is normally steel and the diaphragm is usually some form
of rubber. They attach a metal push rod to the diaphragms and it moves with
them. Vacuum, usually supplied by the engine and atmospheric pressure combine to
provide the assistance during braking.
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4.1 booster at rest

Fig. 4.1 booster at rest

When we are not applying the brakes, a two-way valve

allows vacuum application on both sides of the diaphragm. An equal vacuum on
both sides, causes a balance, and the diaphragm remains stationery. In this state we
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say that the booster is at rest. The shell of the booster acts as a reservoir, to store the
engine vacuum. A check valve, in the inlet fitting, helps to maintain a vacuum when
the engine accelerates.

4.2 Applying the brakes

Fig. 4.2 Applying the brake

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When we press the brake pedal, the two-way valve also moves. This
movement closes the passage to the rear of the diaphragm and vacuum applies only
to the front. Simultaneously atmospheric pressure flows into the rear.
Atmospheric pressure pushes the diaphragm and vacuum pulls it forward. The push
rod also moves to apply the brakes, through the master cylinder, attached to the
front of the booster.

Releasing the brake pedal allow the internal spring to push the diaphragm
and push rod back and operates the two-way valve. This valve blocks
atmospheric pressure to the rear chamber. Simultaneously, it opens the chamber
to vacuum. This evacuates the rear chamber and assist in returning the booster to a
state of rest.

The system is robust and inherently failure resistant. If the valve, diaphragm
orvacuum source fail, they have mechanically connected the push rod to
the brakepedal and master cylinder. A damaged system reverts to manual brakes,
with nopower assist.
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CHAPTER 5

NEED FOR USING BRAKE BOOSTERS

Earlier, cars had mostly only drum brakes, not needing any power
braking features as it already had some best advantages. However, when
disc brakes became the order particularly on the front wheels, the need
for power braking system using boosters was keenly felt for helping the
drivers from strenuous exertion while applying brakes.

Fig. 5.1 brake Booster Section View

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For constantly driving people and persons with poor physique,

applying more pedal force frequently may become a nightmare resulting
in safety issues; so the Brake Booster have become a blessing in disguise
for easy braking for drivers applying just a little of pedal effort to stop
vehicles when needed.
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CHAPTER 6

TO WORK EVEN UNDER BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE

However should there be any vacuum failure due to any reason,

you see, the brake has to still work. In such a failure condition, there will
be no pressure difference between the constant pressure chamber and
variable pressure chamber. When the brake is “OFF,” the piston comes
back to the right by the action of the piston return spring.

Upon the brake pedal being pressed, the valve operating arm extends to the
left pushing the reaction disc, booster push rod and the air valve. This action results
in the master cylinder piston applying the braking force on the braking system, still
making the braking system work, and stopping the vehicle.
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CHAPTER 7

TESTS FOR FUNCTIONING OF BRAKE BOOSTER

A test called “Air tightness test under load” for confirming its working
condition is described here. When the engine is running, press the brake pedal and
then stop the engine, and wait for some 30 seconds. If no change is observed in the
position of the brake pedal, it indicates healthy functioning of the brake booster.

Fig. 7.1 pedal position

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CHAPTER 8

ADVANTAGES OF BRAKE BOOSTER

The chief function of a brake booster is to multiply the force given on the
pedal to the master brake cylinder by making use of engine vacuum and pressure.
Thus a brake booster cares for cars making brake working great. In the absence of
brake booster, slowing down of your car may require enormous amount of effort
resulting in physical strain and fatigue for the driver.

A brake booster, be it hydraulic or vacuum, allows the driver to create more

braking force at the wheels with less pressure on the pedal. Most gasoline engine
vehicles use the vacuum boost design, as vacuum is readily available at the intake
manifold. Hydraulic booster are used where a diesel engine is an option, where
vacuum is not a good choice because the intake manifolds run under pressure when
the engine is loaded. Either way you go, if the engine shuts down on you at speed
and you lose the booster assistance at the pedal, you might find yourself standing on
that brake pedal with both feet get get slowed down. Be prepared for that.

Even when the engine is running, vacuum stored in a pneumatic-type booster

is only enough to provide full boost for a few strokes of the brake pedal .

Hydraulic boost is available whenever the engine is running and the

hydraulic pressure accumulator provides boost for 8–10 applications of the brakes
with the engine off.
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In diesel vehicles (which do not generate vacuum), a vacuum pump is needed

for pneumatic (vacuum boosters) but these same vehicles usually have power
steering and that pump provides the needed hydraulic pressure so there’s no need
for the expense or complication of an additional vacuum pump.
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CHAPTER 9

CONCLUSION

A brake booster is an enhanced master cylinder setup used to reduce the

amount of pedal pressure needed for braking. It employs a booster set up to act with
the master cylinder to give higher hydraulic pressure to the brakes and/or lower
force applied on the brake pedal through a brake booster push-rod. The brake
booster usually uses vacuum from the engine intake to boost the force applied by
the pedal onto the master cylinder or may employ an extra vacuum pump to enable
it. Without the engine running the brake pedal feels very hard and ineffective on the
braking capability. An "active" booster is a non "conventional" booster where a
solenoid is used to open the booster air valve to automatically push the master
cylinder forward to perform some forms of dynamic stability control. Brake
boosters come in either a single diaphragm or tandem diaphragm (which is
generally used for bigger vehicles and trucks). They can be "cabin-breathers"
(taking clean filtered air from inside the cabin thus may be noisier) or "engine-
breathers" (less noisy but more at risk for becoming clogged with mud/ice if not
protected properly).
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CHAPTER 10

REFERENCE

1 ‘Vacuum Brake Boosters’ Http://Www.Agcoauto.Com

2 ‘Brake Booster’ Http://Www.Brakebooster.Net