Fernandez, Ryan Kristoffer A.

February 14, 2021

ENG13/A2 Prof. Juan Edmund Martinez
CO1-ES-How Something Works(Revise)

Electrical Power Steering (EPS)

For generations now, driving cars has been a necessity for any people that wants to go
someplace. The cars in the old era, around 1980-1990s was built for a single purpose, that is to carry
passengers that wants to go from point A to B. With that being said, the comfort of the drivers that time
was compromised because it is the least of their worry. For as long as the car is running and moving fine
then they consider it okay. Thankfully, there is now an advancement to the technology that would help
the people to use a car with ease. Nowadays, cars that are produced have an electric power steering
that help the drivers maneuver their cars easily and help for the fuel economy. Also, in technical and
performance aspect of the car, it will help to be more capable at a track racing and set a fast, flying
timed lap.

Before the Electric Power Steering was develop, the earlier technology that was produce was
the Hydraulic Power Steering. A brief explanation of the hydraulic power steering is that it uses hydraulic
fluid inside the cylinder-shaped pipe. It is pressurized by a pump and will be driven off by the engine.
Using the hydraulic fluids inside, when a driver maneuvers the cars into a certain direction, will be
assisted so that the heavy turn from the wheel will be countered.

Now how does the Electric Power Steering works? Using the information and knowledge they
have gathered from the old version of the technology; they now further develop the design so that it will
be more efficient and bring more advantage. The electrical power steering, as its name indicates, uses
an electric motor that may or may not be directly connected to the steering rack, which is the bar that
helps turn the steering wheel from left to right. The electrical motor could also be connected in the
steering column of the vehicle. This is a bar where your steering wheel is connected. The torque then,
that the driver applied in the steering wheel will be sent to the electric motor that operates the steering.
This will assist the driver when it is turning to a certain direction. The whole system uses a sensor to
detect the torque reading that a driver applied. The whole process works in a short amount of time and
since it was done by a computer and a motor, the lag that the old design has when it operates, has been
eliminated. Also, by eliminating the use of the vehicle’s engine to pump the hydraulic fluids, the vehicle
uses less fuel and has become more efficient. Another advantage that this technology produces.

Ultimately, the electrical power steering has a lot of benefits that could give to the drivers. As a
regular consumer who uses a car with an EPS technology, that device will not only help going from point
A to point B with ease, but it can also help with the fuel economy to be higher. For the other people who
uses that technology in term of the car’s performance, the fact that it is using a motor and is controlled
by a computer, reprogramming it can help the car’s behavior on a track to be better and more precise.
 Figure 1. Electronic Power Steering

Figure 2. How electronic power steering works

Steering
Rack

Figure 3. Vehicle Parts

References:

https://www.carsales.com.au/editorial/details/how-it-works-electric-power-steering-eps-
103538/#:~:text=EPS%20uses%20an%20electric%20motor,is%20being%20turned%20or%20not.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a27888229/power-steering/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkgp64e-
nNQ&list=PL4GlaxdCN5fcxwVIaTezoCAGDb7IQ6kYg&index=10&t=0s&ab_channel=Autof%C3%A1cil
https://www.cars.com/auto-repair/glossary/steering-rack/
https://www.knowyourparts.com/technical-resources/electrical/electronic-power-steering/