Finite element analysis of transient thermoelastic behaviors in disk brakes

A transient analysis for thermoelastic contact problem of disk brakes with frictional heat generation is performed using the finite element method. To analyze the thermoelastic phenomenon occurring in disk brakes, the coupled heat conduction and elastic equations are solved with contact problems. The numerical simulation for the thermoelastic behavior of disk brake is obtained in the repeated brake condition. The computational results are presented for the distributions of pressure and temperature on each friction surface between the contacting bodies. Also. thermoelastic instability (TEI) phenomenon (the unstable growth of contact pressure and temperature) is investigated in the present study, and the influence of the material properties on the thermoelastic behaviors (the maximum temperature and contact ratio on the friction surfaces) is investigated to facilitate the conceptual design of the disk brake system. Based on these numerical results, the thermoelastic behaviors of the carbon-carbon composites with excellent mechanical and thermal properties are also discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.