Finite Element Analysis of Solid and Ventilated Disc Brake

Braking is a process which converts a vehicles kinetic energy into mechanical energy which must be dissipated in the form of heat. During the braking phase, the frictional heat generated at the interface of the disc and pads can lead to high temperatures. The frictional heat generated on the rotor surface can influence excessive temperature rise which, in turn, leads to undesirable effects such as thermal elastic instability (TEI), premature wear, brake fluid vaporization (BFV) and thermally excited vibrations (TEV). In this project, solid and ventilated type disc brake rotor of a vehicle, taken an investigation into the usage of various materials is done so as to improve the braking efficiency and provide greater stability to the vehicle. Modelling of the disc brake rotor is done using CATIA V5R18, which facilitates collaborative engineering across various disciplines. The thermal and structural analysis of disc brake rotor is done using ANSYS 14.5, which is a dedicated finite element package used for determining the temperature distribution, variation of the stresses and deformation across the disc brake profile. A comparison is made between three different materials used for both solid and ventilated type disc brakes and the best material for making disc brake and type of disc brake have been suggested based on the magnitude of Vonmises stresses, temperature distribution and deformation.