Analysis of Disc Brake by Modifying in Design and Material Composition
Analysis of Disc Brake by Modifying in Design and Material Composition
Abstract: Disc brake were most popular on sports cars when Disc brakes were first introduced, since these
vehicles are more demanding about brake performance. Disc brakes are more common form in most passenger
vehicles, although many (particularly light weight vehicles) use drum brakes on the rear wheels to keep costs and
weight down as well as to simplify the provisions for a parking brake. As the front brakes required most of the
braking effort, this can be a reasonable compromise. Many early implementations for automobiles located the
brakes on the inboard side of the driveshaft, near the differential, while most brakes today are located inside the
wheels. An inboard location reduces the unsparing weight and eliminates a source of heat transfer to the tires.
The presented work shows that there is wide region to be worked upon in the field of brake disc. By selecting cast
iron as a rotor material creates problems for the designer. Problem stated as being overweight of grey cast iron
disc. For same dimension of disc if disc of grey cast weights 7.5 kg, an aluminium disc will weight around 2.5 kg.
Hence this work clearly shows that there is a weight difference between both the materials. Another problem that
has been also been pointed of is corrosion, grey cast iron corrode in a humid environment. Hence the new material
is proposed that is aluminium-silicon which is having property equivalent or more appropriate than grey cast
iron.
Hence new material having high thermal conductivity than grey cast iron to reduce temperature induced stress.
In present modelling and analyzing will be performing for two design of brake rotor i.e. solid and ventilated. New
materials for brake pads to reduce the wear and increase stress handling capability.
Keywords: Brake disc, modelling, Ansys, Transient thermal analysis
1. INTRODUCTION
[1]Disc-style brakes development and use began in England in the 1890s. The first calliper-type automobile disc
brake was patented by Frederick William Lanchester in his Birmingham, UK factory in 1902 and used successfully
on Lanchester cars. However, the limited choice of metals in this period meant that he had to use copper as the
braking medium acting on the disc. The poor state of the roads at this time, no more than dusty, rough tracks,
meant that the copper wore quickly making the disc brake system non-viable (as recorded in The Lanchester
Legacy). It took another half century for his innovation to be widely adopted. Modern-style disc brakes first
appeared on the low-volume 1949 Crosley Hotshot, although disc brake made of alloy had to be discontinued in
1950 due to design problems. Chrysler's Imperial also offered a type of disc brake from 1949 through 1953, though
in this instance brakes were enclosed with dual internal-expanding, full-circle pressure plates. Reliable modern
disc brakes were developed in the UK by Dunlop and first appeared in 1953 on the Jaguar C-Type racing car. The
1955 Citroën DS featuring powered inboard front disc brakes was the first French application of this technology,
while the 1956 Triumph TR3 was the first English production car to feature modern disc brakes. The first
production car to have disc brakes at all 4 wheels was the Austin-Healey 100S in 1954. The first British company
to market a production saloon (US: sedan) fitted with disc brakes to all four wheels was Jensen Motors with the
introduction of a Deluxe version of the Jensen 541 with Dunlop disc brakes. The first German production car with
disc brakes was the 1961 Mercedes-Benz 220SE coupe featuring British-built Girling units on the front.
In present work the aim is to take the review of temperature distribution phenomena of disc rotor under baking
condition, also the solution which should be efficient than the existing model of brake disc rotor. The structural
optimization technique will be used to optimize the disc brake rotor and then validate it in thermal analysis. The
outer diameter and inner mounting position of holes on wheel hub is considered as constraint for design. The
effect of increasing surface area on the heat dissipation will be analyzed [2].
Disc brakes are widely used on cars because of their better heat dissipation ability; a direct result of the exposed
friction surface. The friction surface of a drum brake is inside and heat dissipation relies upon heat being conducted
Table 3
Sizing Properties
Relevance Center Fine
Element Size Default
Initial Size Seed Assembly
Smoothing Medium Medium
Transition Fast
Span Angle Center Coarse
Minimum Edge Length 1.885e-002 m
Statistics Quantity
Nodes 60909
Elements 34099
Ansys develops and markets finite element analysis software used to simulate engineering problems. The
software creates simulated computer models of structures, electronics, or machine components to
simulate strength, toughness, elasticity, temperature distribution, electromagnetism, fluid flow, and other
attributes. Ansys is used to determine how a product will function with different specifications, without
building test products or conducting crash tests. For example, Ansys software may simulate how a bridge
will hold up after years of traffic, how to best process salmon in a cannery to reduce waste, or how to
design a slide that uses less material without sacrificing safety.
3.2. Analysis
Most Ansys simulations are performed using the Ansys Workbench software, which is one of the
company's main products. Typically Ansys users break down larger structures into small components
that are each modelled and tested individually. A user may start by defining the dimensions of an object,
and then adding weight, pressure, temperature and other physical properties. Finally, the Ansys software
simulates and analyzes movement, fatigue, fractures, fluid flow, temperature distribution,
electromagnetic efficiency and other effects over time.
3.3. Assumptions and Boundary Conditions
The following assumptions have been taken for the analysis of the brake disc. In accordance to these
assumptions only the analysis has done.
There is no radiative heat loss & no conductive heat transfer.
Material is isotropic & demonstrate same property at all temperature i.e. there is no
polymorphism.
All the kinetic energy of vehicle is converted into heat energy when brakes are applied.
The thermal conductivity of the material is uniform throughout the analysis.
The specific heat of the material is constant throughout and does not change with the
temperature.
The analysis is based on pure thermal loading. The analysis does not determine the life of the
disc brake.
4. CALCULATIONS
4.1. Heat flux calculation:
Velocity of the vehicle = 100 km/h or 27.78 m/s
Time for stopping the vehicle = 5 sec
Mass of the vehicle = 1500 kg
Kinetic Energy (K.E.) = (½)*m*v2; ( ½)*1500*27.782
= 578796.3 Joules
This is value of the total kinetic energy developed, when the vehicle is in motion.
4.2. Total Kinetic Energy = Heat Generated
Therefore, Heat generated = 578796.3 J
Solid Disc analysis result: By comparing the value of heat flux in fig 4.5 and fig 4.6 it safe to assume
that solid disc made up of aluminium has higher heat flux value than solid disc made up of grey cast iron.
Also to proof our assumption correct Temperature probes were used on faces of solid discs which gave
favourable result. Temperature probe used on disc made of grey cast iron gave a maximum temperature
of 276.44oC whereas temperature probe used on aluminium silicon alloy alloy disc maximum
temperature is of 209.44oC. Hence heat generated due to braking is lost more efficiently in solid disc
made up of aluminium silicon alloy composite. It is to be noted that that melting point of grey cast iron
is about 1150oC whereas melting point of aluminium silicon alloy alloy is about 850oC and it also retains
its property at higher temperature.
5.1.2. Ventilated Disc: The following is a transient thermal analysis comparison of the brake disc
(ventilated discs) made of grey cast iron & Alloys