Disc Brakes Analysis

Mark Jetten Brian Richards Steve Weaver

Overview
Parts

of disc brake and system disc brakes are used and performance

Where

Materials Analysis

Uniform Pressure Uniform Wear

Parts of Braking System

Brake Pedalforce input to system from driver

Design gives a Mechanical Advantage

Master Cylinderconverts force to pressure

Pressure is used to move brake pads into place

Brake Padsprovide friction force when in contact with rotor

Works to slow or stop vehicle

Caliperholds pads and squeezes them against rotor Rotorspins with wheel

When used in conjunction with brake pads, slows vehicle

Ventshelp provide cooling to brake

Mockup
A) Master cylinder
B
C

B) Pedal

C) Vents

Mockup continued
E F

D) Brake pads

E) Caliper

F) Rotor

Uses of Disc Brakes

Disc

brakes are often on the front (and sometimes on the rear) wheels of cars the real work of braking drum brakes, do not self-energize

Do

Unlike

Materials
Different

materials have different coefficients of friction material can be chosen for performance or to create a balance between performance and durability

Pad

Materials Continued

Asbestos brakes were used for years because of their extremely high friction coefficient, but advances in science has shown that it is a cancer causing substance. Performance pads often include small pieces of metal in the pads to aid in the pads stopping power. The metal needs to be softer than the rotor, to ensure that the rotor is not damaged over long periods of use. The friction coefficients in the table are representative of dry conditions. If the rotor and pad are moist, the systems stopping power is greatly reduced until the moisture can be burned off.

Caliper Operation
Caliper Brake Fluid

Pads

Rotor

Step 1: Force is applied to by driver to the master cylinder Step 2: Pressure from the master cylinder causes one brake pad to contact rotor Step 3: The caliper then self-centers, causing second pad to contact rotor

Master Cylinder

Secondary

Primary

Fapplied
Force is applied to brake pedal by driver Primary piston moves, which in turn pressurizes fluid in front of the first piston. The secondary piston and primary piston are connected through a spring. As the primary piston moves, it causes the secondary piston to move and pressurize fluid in front of it. The pressurized fluid in the brake lines then causes the brake pads to move into contact with the rotor. The secondary and primary pistons are used to give the car essentially two braking systems. Each controls two wheels. If one of the systems were the fail, the other can still stop the car.

Animation

Analysis
Brakes

analyzed similarly to clutches pressure

Uniform

Valid for new brakes Actuating force is product of pressure and area
Uniform

wear

Valid after initial wear occurs

Geometry of Contact Area

F = Force on pads 1, 2, r1, r0 = Dimensions of brake pad

Force and Torque Equations

F
2 ro

pr dr d
1 ri

1 pr dr
ri

ro

Equation 1

2 ro

1 ri

fpr2 dr d 2 1 f pr 2 dr
ri

ro

Equation 2

p = pressure ri,o = inner, outer radius 1,2 = initial, final contact angle f = friction coefficient

F=Force on pads T=Torque generated by pads

Uniform Pressure

When brakes are new, p = pa = allowable pressure. The equations thus look like this:

1 F 2 1 pa r dr 2 1 pa ro2 ri 2 2 ri
ro

ro

1 T 2 1 fpa r dr 2 1 fpa ro3 ri3 3 ri

2

Uniform Wear

With older brake pads, axial wear can be assumed constant. The pressure is expressed as the maximum allowable pressure pa, which occurs at ri. Thus, p = pari/r

F 2 1 pa ri ro ri 1 T 2 1 f pr dr 2 1 fpa ri ro2 ri 2 2 ri
2 ro

Questions?

References

Mechanical Engineering Design by Joseph Shigley

http://www.howstuffworks.com