Structural Deformation & Temperature Analysis of An Automotive Disc Brake

The research study focuses on analyzing the temperature of rotors made from different materials used in the front disc brake of the APACHE RTR 160 motorbike. The objective is to evaluate their performance under severe or hard braking conditions with continuous braking until the vehicle comes to a stop, assuming no wheel locking occurs. The materials considered for the disc brake rotor are Grey Cast Iron, Ductile Cast Iron, Aluminium Metal Matrix Composite, and Martensitic Stainless Steel. The investigation utilizes a model developed using ABACUS software and performs dynamic temperature displacement explicit analysis. The simulation results are compared analytically for a solid rotor. The study aims to identify the most suitable material for the disc based on factors such as cost, maximum temperature reached, disc mass, heat distribution, temperature distribution, hot spots, and temperature gradients. During severe braking, there is a significant rise in temperature due to the short duration of braking, resulting in higher braking power and rapid heat generation. The majority of the braking power is absorbed by the disc brake system, with the thermal energy mainly absorbed by the disc and pad surfaces in contact. This requires assessing whether the brake system materials and components can withstand the fast temperature increase without failure. The analysis follows the principle of energy conservation, where the energy possessed by the vehicle at the start of braking should be mostly absorbed by the disc brake system, with minimal heat loss to the surroundings due to the brief braking time. The study considers the distribution of heat energy between the disc and pad, considering properties such as thermal conductivity, density, specific heat, and thermal diffusivity. The findings indicate that the maximum temperature occurs at the frictional contact region of the disc and pad, with higher temperatures on the disc surface compared to the inner portions. The temperature in the contact region follows a saw-tooth pattern, increasing to a maximum value and then decreasing over time, consistent with experimental results.