Easy and efficient driving is a must for the comfort and safety of driving. To achieve this, 2 types of units are used: electric or hydraulic power steering.
The vast majority of cars produced from a modern conveyor are equipped with a device that facilitates control - a hydraulic (GUR) or electric (EUR) power steering. Both devices have the same task - to make it easier to control a vehicle, especially in a parking lot. Both amplifiers cope with their task successfully, but each has features that are worth knowing in more detail. Systems differ not only in the principle of operation, but also in operational characteristics.
Design features of the hydraulic and electric booster
The power steering is a closed system that works by circulating fluid in it. The design includes a pump, reservoir and connecting hoses. The system works thanks to the action of a piston pump, which is driven from the car's crankshaft. As a result, a high pressure is created, which, through the liquid (oil), transfers the force to the distribution mechanism. The latter is a torsion bar built into the steering shaft. As soon as the steering wheel starts to rotate, oil channels open in the system, the pump rod starts to move and a force is created, which is transmitted to the wheels through a complex system of levers.
The electric booster, thanks to the presence of the sensor, starts to work at the slightest turn of the steering wheel. In this case, a voltage of different polarity is supplied to the electric motor, depending on the direction of rotation (to the right or to the left). The task of the second sensor is to adjust the current strength depending on the force applied to the steering wheel, which helps to avoid emergency situations. When cornering slowly, the electric motor almost "sleeps", but when sudden movements are immediately switched on, helping the driver to cope more efficiently with control.
Comparative characteristics
The hydraulic booster guarantees the road feedback you will feel. However, the power steering, unlike the EUR, will not save you from a sharp accidental eversion of the steering wheel at speed. In operational terms, the hydraulic booster also loses: at negative temperatures, the oil in it thickens, and the control efficiency decreases.
Due to the fact that the power steering is powered by the crankshaft, fuel consumption will be somewhat higher, plus periodic replacement of the drive belt and oil will be required. The design of the hydraulic booster has many moving parts, which is why frequent breakdowns are possible. Obviously, the electric power steering outperforms the power steering in most positions.
