TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. will launch a new vacuum sensor to measure and report the level of vacuum available in the brake booster.

TRW is a supplier of brake actuation systems that consist of a brake booster and master cylinder. These systems are typically used with traditional internal combustion engines that generate significant volumes of vacuum from the intake manifold, which can then be used to help amplify the brake force to increase the pressure of the brake fluid and actuate the brakes.

With an increasing number of today's vehicle power trains being direct injection, diesel, hybrid electric or full electric, there is typically much lower levels of vacuum created. This requires the brake system to supply on/off command signals to an electric vacuum pump to maintain vacuum amplification or provide extra levels of power to stop the vehicle if vacuum is depleted. It is critical that the amount of engine vacuum available is known and that this data is transferred to the brake controller in order for sufficient amounts of brake boost to be delivered.

– "TRW's vacuum sensor has been developed using the knowledge we gained in creating satellite pressure sensors for crash sensing applications," – said Marc Bolitho, director, global sensors engineering, for TRW Automotive. – "While vacuum sensors for brake applications are not new, TRW has constructed what we believe to be a highly reliable and flexible configuration with solid performance, packaging and price competitiveness, and this allows us to offer our customers a combined actuation and sensor offering." – he said.

The first application of TRW's vacuum sensor is expected to launch in 2013.