Thermal analysis of brake disc of an automobile

Abstract

One of the most effective protective features of modern vehicles is the braking system. The brake absorbs kinetic energy of the rotating parts (Wheels) and dissipates this energy into the surrounding atmosphere in the form of heat energy. Disc brake is the recent trend in automobile which dissipates the heat faster than the conventional brakes but if hard braking is done, thermal stresses in the brake disc are induced, leading to excessive heat generation, which further produces distortion and thermal cracking of the disc leading to disc failure. The main objective of this work is to compare four different materials viz. Aluminium Alloy, Ceramics, Grey Cast Iron and Titanium Alloy for disc brake and to identify the most suitable material for brake disc. The model of disc was prepared using the dimensions of an existing Maruti car and its transient state analysis is done using SOLIDWORKS. After the analysis the value of heat flux distribution and von-Mises stress for the selected profile was 1.577e+05 W/m2 and 7.920e+09 N/mm2 for Aluminium alloy, 4.358e+05 W/m2 and 9.806e+09 N/mm2 for Ceramics, 9.747e+05 W/m2 and 1.218e+10 N/mm2 for Grey Cast Iron and 9.224e+05 W/m2 and 8.292e+09 N/mm2 for Titanium alloy. It was noted that the heat flux dissipation is more and von-Mises stress is less for the Grey Cast Iron and it is suitable for the manufacturing purpose.