Finite element 3D numerical simulation study of car braking systems and brake disc/drum – pad/shoe friction couple materials

¹ University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Department of Biotechnical Systems, 313 Spl. Independentei, Romania
² University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Department of Machine Elements and Tribology, 313 Spl. Independentei, Romania

^* Corresponding author: puiu.ipate@gmail.com

Abstract

Our study uses the finite element method of modeling and analyzing the functioning of a braking system for a modern vehicle, in terms of stress ditributions, structural deformation, wear and thermal gradient of the brake disc and drum. The 3D geometric model of system brake is designed using Solidworks, and the coupled thermal and structural analysis is performed with the ANSYS Workbench R16 program. The brake was applied when the car was 85.7 km / h (ω = 125 rad · s^-1), the duration of braking until the car stopped was t = 5 s. For the given example, the coefficient of average friction during braking, considering the pressure on the pad p = 7.5 MPa, is μ = 0.35. It was discovered that the relative deformations of the plate and disc are larger in the area of the outer diameter than that of the inner diameter. This is also outlined by the fact that the pressure is higher on the outer sides than on the inner sides of the plate, the highest value being in the central axis zone of the outer side. Knowing the thermophysical characteristics of the disc and the plate and the working conditions, it was possible to determine the temperature variation during braking. The results of the numerical research revealed that an increase of the contact pressure and / or the relative speed between the contact surfaces implies an increase of the amplitude of the stick-slip phenomenon.