Retarder work primarily by converting the vehicle's kinetic energy into heat, which is then dissipated through various means. Their main benefits are to reduce wear on the service brakes, improve safety by providing an additional layer of control, and reduce the strain on the vehicle's braking system while descending long grades.
There are several types of retarders used in trucks:
1. Engine Brakes: Also known as "jake brakes," engine brakes create resistance by closing the exhaust valve of the engine while it's still under compression, causing the piston to work against the compression rather than generating power.
2. Hydrolic Retarder: They make use of hydrolic oil to generate résistance against the vehicle's movement. The fluid transfers that energy to heat through friction of the turbine and stator blade and dissipate the heat through an oil/water heat exchanger.
3. Exhaust Brakes: These are installed in the vehicles exhaust system and utilize butterfly valve to create backpressure, restricting the exhaust gases and generating resistance
4. Eddy Current Retarder: This type uses a spinning metal disk or turbine to create an opposing magnetic field, generating frictional resistance against the spinning parts.
5. Water Retarder: A variant or variant or an engine brake,water retarder inject a small quantity of water into the engine's cylinders during the compression stroke, increasing the backpressure and generating more résistance.
