Transient temperature field analysis of a brake in a non-axisymmetric three-dimensional model

The disk-pad brake used in an automobile is divided into two parts: the disk, geometrically axisymmetric; and the pad, of which the geometry is three-dimensional. Using a two-dimensional model for thermal analysis implies that the contact conditions and frictional heat flux transfer are independent of theta. This may lead to false thermal elastic distortions and unrealistic contact conditions. An analytical model is presented in this paper for the determination of the contact temperature distribution on the working surface of a brake. To consider the effects of the moving heat source (the pad) with relative sliding speed variation, a transient finite element technique is used to characterize the temperature fields of the solid rotor with appropriate thermal boundary conditions. Numerical results shows that the operating characteristics of the brake exert an essentially influence on the surface temperature distribution and the maximal contact temperature. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.