Analysis of Heat Generation on Unipolar Axial Eddy Current Brake Disc and Its Effect on Braking Performance

Abstract

The braking system is one of the most important components of a vehicle. In general, the brakes will generate heat due to the braking process. The heat generated must be released into the environment to maintain braking performance at optimal conditions. In extreme conditions, braking will fail. The braking system can be developed as a braking support system is a non-contact braking system. One form of the non-contact braking system is the eddy current brake (ECB). ECB is an electric braking system with the principle of eddy current. In the ECB, overheating will result in decreased performance. The approach that can be taken to determine braking performance during heat generation is the modeling process using FEM. This study uses FEM to analyze the heat generated during braking. In addition to using FEM, research was carried out using experiments as a comparison. Analysis of heat generation in braking is needed to determine whether braking with ECB can be a backup and its potential as a substitute for friction brakes. The results show that the ECB heat generation event that affects the temperature rise reduces the braking torque performance. Research indicates that when overheating occurs, braking performance will decrease by up to 10% when the disk surface temperature rises more than 20 °C. It shows the importance of managing heat that occurs in the ECB.