Research for improved brake systems

On Friday the 4th of March, Asim Rashid defended his thesis on simulation of contact problems occurring in disc brake systems and other applications. The results of his research may contribute to improved brake systems for both cars and trains.

Asim Rashid’s research has primarily focused on problems with crack formation in disc brakes. These problems are common for example in the automotive and train industries.

– Disc brakes is one of many applications where cracks may appear in the material as a result of the stresses that the material is subjected to. The problem with cracks is that they grow with time, and eventually get so big that the brakes will stop functioning, says Asim Rashid.

In today’s development of disc brakes, physical experiments are used as the main method for testing different materials and designs. However, the use of physical experiments are associated with significant costs. The methods for computer simulation that have been available so far are complicated and time-consuming.

– One of the purposes with my research therefore has been to test a new and more efficient simulation method, which has been developed specifically for simulation of fricition heat in disc brakes, says Asim Rashid.

The new method has been developed and implemented as a software by Niclas Strömberg, former Professor in the research group Simulation and Optimization at the School of Engineering, Jönköping University. Asim Rashid has used the software for investigating why cracks appear on the surface of the disc brakes.

The results of the simulations are in line with the results from physical experiments that have been made earlier and that have already been presented in the research literature. One conclusion from Asim Rashid’s research is therefore that the new simulation method works.

During braking, high temperature is generated in a ring-shaped area on the brake disc, which may result in deformation of the disc and the pad. In the research project new knowledge was developed of why this hot area arises.

– With the new knowledge developed in the project the industry will hopefully be able to develop materials and design parameters so that the disc brakes will last longer, says Asim Rashid.

The research project was a collaboration project between Jönköping University and Volvo Trucks in Gothenburg.

Read the whole thesis here Länk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster.