Thermo-Mechanical and Structural Performances of Automobile Disc Brakes: A Review of Numerical and Experimental Studies

Disc brake system is one of the most critical components in a vehicle, which is always exposed to nonlinear transient thermoelastic conditions. Optimal design of a brake system to suit the heat transfer, weight and packing requirements is an ongoing challenge. Substantial researches have been carried out and are underway, in order to address the diverse issues related to thermal, mechanical and structural performances of automobile disc brakes. With the extensive application of numerical tools and techniques, the analyses involved became easier and effective. The present article provides an exhaustive review of the numerical and experimental studies reported so far, on the analysis and design of solid and ventilated disc brakes. The directions for future works are also described. The review reveals that, there is enough scope for extended research for realizing optimal design of disc brake system by truly emulating all the relevant practical situations.