Thermal analysis of solid and vented disc brake during the braking process

Abstract

Braking system is one of the most important components of a vehicle on the road. This system has the task to bring the vehicle to stop or slow down. Friction brakes, during the braking process, convert the kinetic and potential energy into the thermal energy (heat). The basic components of braking systems, brake discs and brake pads, in a short period of time absorb a large amount of heat release (Travaglia et al. 2014). The absorbed heat must be, as far as possible, effectively dissipated in order to ensure the normal operation of the braking system (Day et al. 1984). High temperature during the braking process may cause many problems such as thermal cracks, premature wear, brake fade and thermally-excited vibration (Lee 1999). In this study, a typical disc brake system was modeled including brake disc and pads. Using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.0, we investigated thermal behavior of two types of discs - solid and vented dics. The results show that the vented disc is a much better solution than the solid disc, because the greater amount of heat is released for the same amount of time.