Project: Thermal Stress Analysis in Automotive Disc Brakes

This project focuses on the design and analysis of thermal stress in automotive disc brakes to minimize high temperatures and reduce thermal deformation. The analysis involves modeling different disc brake geometries using design software like ANSYS, Solidworks, CATIA, or Pro-E, followed by importing the model into ANSYS for thermal stress analysis. Different materials, including rubber, composites, and fiber nano-composites, are considered from the ANSYS material library. Meshing is performed with validation tests to ensure accuracy. Boundary conditions, such as convective, radiative, or flux boundaries, are applied. Post-processing involves analyzing temperature and heat flux distribution. The project aims to analyze thermal stresses using FEA software, evaluate the effects of different materials like composites on thermal stresses and automotive performance, and assess the impact of disc brake shapes on thermal stress generation, along with material impact on weight changes. The project is supported by several research papers and aims to improve disc brake design and performance.

DESIGNING AND ANALYSIS OF THERMAL STRESS IN AUTOMOTIVE DISC BRAKES
Rationale
Introduction
Friction brakes are needed to convert large amounts of kinetic energy into heat
over very short time.
In the process they generate high temperatures, steep temperature gradients
and substantial thermal stresses.
If the brakes become too hot, deterioration in brake performance and ultimately
premature failure may happen from a number of causes including:
• Brake fade
• Excessive thermal distortion
• High thermal stresses at the metal rotor surface resulting in surface cracking
• Lowered mechanical strength and other property changes in the rotor material
• Enhanced wear of the friction material
• Enhanced risk of fluid vaporisation and deterioration of rubber seals in the
brake hydraulic actuation cylinders.
Generated heat in the disk brakes result in generation of stress that should be
regulated through proper design of disc brakes
Design can be attained through FEA softwares including ABAQUS or ANSYS
Effect of shape or geometry of the disc brakes may as well be used in the
analysis of the impact on the generation of thermal stress
Disk brake materials or tyres are the reason for production of high thermal
stresses that may be lowered through the use of composite materials
To analysis the thermal stresses in disc brakes with the help of FEA software.
To analysis the effects of the different materials like composites on the
generated thermal stresses and automotive performance.
To analysis the effect of disc brakes shapes or geometry on the thermal stress
generation.
Effect of different materials on the weight changes will also be analysed.
Aims
Objective:
• To conduct this analysis first, a conventional geometry of t dis brakes will be modelled either in
design module available in ANSYS or with the help of other designing software like Solidworks,
CATIA or Pro-E. Then some other geometries of disc brake will also be modelled to analyse the
effect of geometry (Belhocine and Bouchetara, 2013).
• Then this model will be imported into the ANSYS thermal stress analysis module.
• Then different materials like rubber, composites and fibre nano-composites will be allocated in
the ANSYS material library.
• Then meshing of the imported geometry will be done with the help of meshing tool. Meshing
plays a vital role in the results obtained from finite element analysis. To ensure the accurate
result, a meshing validation test will also be conducted by using different meshing methods
available in the ANSYS software.
• Then the boundary condition will be applied to the assembly imported as they plays a vital role
also. Convective boundary, radiative boundary or flux boundary will be considered as per the
problem requirement (Elangovan and Anas 2016).
• Then the post processing will be done with the help of temperature distribution and heat flux
distribution etc. in the ANSYS Module (Patel, Raval and Patel 2016).
Theoretical approach
Belhocine, A., and Bouchetara, M., 2013, Investigation of temperature and thermal stress in
ventilated disc brake based on 3D thermomechanical coupling model,
Ain Shams Engineering Journal, Vol. 4, Issue 3, pp. 475-483.
Elangovan, P., and Anas, O. V., 2015, Problems Associated With Existing Disc Brake Rotors and
Suggestion of Alternate Ways, International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering &
Technology, Vol. 3 Issue 12, pp. 198-200.
Patel, M., Raval, M., and Patel, J., 2016, Design of Disc Brake’s Rotor, International Journal of
Engineering Development and Research, Vol. 4, Issue 4, pp. 919-926.
References: