Heat transfer and flow analysis through a new brake disc design: a CFD approach

Choosing the right disc geometry carefully is essential for enhancing brake disc thermo-mechanical performances. The present investigation examines the crucial effect of automotive brake disc designs on their thermal and aerodynamic performance utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A thorough investigation was carried out on four different configurations: the Standard Full Rotor (SFR), the Circular Pillared Rotor (CP), the Standard straight Radial Vane Rotor with round Vanes (SRV-R), and a revolutionary Y-shaped design instead of the traditional geometry. The study aims to compare the heat released by friction following the braking process for a variety of disc brake rotor types. The results highlight the importance of disc geometry on thermo-mechanical behaviour, which in turn depends on the heat transfer coefficient (HTC). In contrast to previous disc brake rotors, the new proposed design demonstrated an improved heat dissipation rate, with significant HTC outperforming previous designs by up to 10%, and it showed its superiority over the ventilated disc as the mean air velocity increased by 23%. This assessment is important because such a new design can resist material degradation and the possibility of brake disc failure, particularly for the disc-pad contact zone's inboard and outboard surfaces. The automotive industry can benefit from the conclusions derived from these studies, which can aid in the creation of brake disc designs that are more effective in dissipating heat and, as a result, can enhance mechanical performance.