An Innovative Active On-board System Able to Contrast the Hydroplaning Phenomenon 2018-01-1174

Hydroplaning is a very dangerous phenomenon, which occurs more often than one can think. The difference in tire grip between dry and wet surfaces is not more than 15 to 20%, which doesn’t justify the probability increase of losing the vehicle control when it rains or when roads are simply wet. Most accidents are due to the hydroplaning phenomenon, which happens when the tires are lifted by water and their grip goes to zero, as driving on ice. Currently, no countermeasure systems on the market are yet capable of counteracting hydroplaning. ABS, ESP or TCS are still inefficient in overcoming this situation. Many car makers have developed algorithms which can detect hydroplaning conditions but only while they occur: up until now, there isn’t any action that the vehicle itself can automatically take without the risk of potentially dangerous consequences. The System is able to contrast the arising of hydroplaning, preventing a large quantity of water from touching the tire, using an intelligent high-pressure jet of water, splashed in front of or around the tires. The direction, quantity and shape of the jet are controlled to maximize performance, maintaining the vehicle on track in any hydroplaning condition the driver may find on the road. The system uses the normal car sensors to recognize the hydroplaning phenomenon, obtaining all data from the vehicle serial bus, with a very limited impact on the electronic on-board architecture. An electronic control unit is used to activate and control the high-pressure water jets. Future applications will integrate the electronic module into an existing electronic unit of the vehicle, such as body electronics or ESP.