Enhanced Disc Brake Thermo-Kinetics for Better Wear Test Reproducibility

Abstract

Brake discs are an important part of the braking system, which are subject to a lot of friction. The principle of a braking system is to convert kinetic energy into heat through friction, in order to allow a vehicle to be stopped by pressing the brake pedal. In fact, one of the key factors of its conception is related to her thermo-mechanical deformation that is especially affected by the thermal factor. Therefore, they are designed to withstand heat, but problems can arise when the temperature gets too high for the brake pads that reduces the effectiveness of the braking system. In this study, a reflection on the disc thickness effect on the thermo-kinetics of braking systems at higher solicitation is discussed. For that, the disc brake is modeled and simulated and analysis with Finite Elements software. For this purpose, different samples of brake material having the form of pad and disc made from cast iron steel were considered with varied disc thickness. Results show that the 15 mm thick of brake disc provides good thermal kinetic even for the disc and for the brake lining materials. Thus, grey cast iron with thickness of 15 mm is preferred for disc brake to achieve better thermal performance.