In this paper a 2D coupled thermal-stress finite element model is established and used to predict thermal phenomena at the disc-pad interface of a disc brake system. The importance of certain critical settings and parameters for the 2D FE model has been identified (such as, a limited degree of freedom for a brake pad in place of accepted practice that considers uniform contact), here a non-uniform pressure distribution resulting from friction bending moment effects due to the introduction of a pivot point. These parameters affect the distributions of both interface temperature and pressure. The simulation results show that when the interface conductance ℎ is 106 W/m2K or higher, the interface temperature distribution is no longer sensitive to friction bending moment effects. However, when ℎ is 30000 W/m2K or lower, the interface temperature distribution and heat partition ratio are significantly affected by the setting used for the rotational degree of freedom of the pad. The simulation results provide a useful reference for optimizing the design of a disc brake system for different applications.

Le Qiu, Hongsheng Qi, Alastair Wood - University of Bradford