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| Know Your Car : Car Steering |
Since the power-steering pump on most cars today runs constantly, pumping fluid all the time, it wastes horsepower. This wasted power translates into wasted fuel. We can expect to see several innovations that will improve fuel economy :
- Variable Displacement Power Steering Pump : Some cars already utilize this pump. It reduces the volume of fluid being pumped (thereby reducing the power being used) at higher speeds and when the power steering is not needed.
- Electro-Hydraulic Systems : The next step would be to use an electric motor to power the steering pump. The speed of the motor can be varied, or the motor can be turned off altogether, to reduce the power consumption.
- Electric Power Steering : The next step would be eliminating the hydraulics. An electric motor, mounted to the rack, for example, would assist the steering wheel. Sensors on the steering wheel would tell a control system what the driver is doing, and the electric motor would provide assistance accordingly.
- Steer-By-Wire Systems : Going one step further, these systems would completely eliminate the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering, replacing it with a purely electronic control system. It would contain sensors that tell the car what the driver is doing with the wheel, and have some motors in it to provide the driver with feedback on what the car is doing. The output of these sensors would be used to control a motorized steering system. This would free up space in the engine compartment by eliminating the steering shaft. It would also reduce vibration inside the car.
In the past fifty years, car steering systems haven't changed much. But in the next decade, we'll see advances in car steering that will result in more efficient cars and a more comfortable ride.
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