Numerical simulation of heat transfer process in automotive brakes

This master thesis concerns the theoretical investigations of the heat transfer process in automotive brakes. The process of heat generation and heat transfer to ambient air in automotive brake was presented. The two–dimensional, axi-symmetrical model of transient heat conduction for the brake was applied. The relevant boundary conditions, that describe the heat generated in the brake and the heat transferred to ambient air, were used. The unsteady heat conduction problem was solved by the use of the finite element method, using computer programs developed and delivered by the tutor. The computational results concerning temperature field in car brakes of a middle-class automobile were presented (disc brake in front and rear). The achieved maximum temperatures and temperature gradients of car brakes were analyzed and presented. The results of the calculations were shown and conclusions were formulated. The computational methods concerning thermal states of brakes are effective testing tools that could be utilized in future works for the optimization of a friction brake design and for the evaluation of braking effectiveness. Outgoing