Brake assist

As applied to a front drive or 4WD vehicle: at the inboard end of each front drive shaft is a simple disc clutch which, when engaged drives through gears to a high speed centrifuge fan. The fan is arranged to draw air from a hovercraft style skirt ('inside out' to contain vacuum) which occupies a space between and immediatly behind the front wheels, exhausting into the front wheel arches. The skirt is normally supported off the ground, but is allowed to drop down on application of the brakes, creating a substantial area of low pressure under the car and pulling it down onto the road, increasing friction available at the front tyres for braking. The system would be self - balancing in that greater braking produces greater downforce. The clutches could have auxilliary brke pads to provide conventional braking at very low speeds. The clutches themselves could be much smaller than conventional brakes, as most of the braking energy will be dissapated in the accelleration of air. Possible add-ons could include partial redirection of exhasut air to blast surface water from immediately ahead of the tyre contatct patches, or use of exhaust airflow in conjunction with a diffuser type undertray to create low pressure under the whole of the floorpan.