The Structural Design of a High-Performance WBD Brake Disc

Abstract

A high performance, newly-developed wire-woven bulk diamond (WBD) ventilated brake disc is introduced to reduce the operating temperatures and mass of conventional brake discs. The use of the highly porous material requires a deeper understanding of the mechanical stresses developed within a brake disc to be developed to improve the disc core strength to withstand the high stresses developed during braking. In this study, experimentally determined solid brake disc stress distribution results, separated into the compressive stresses due to the pad clamping force and the shear stresses due to the applied brake torque, were applied to the
reinforcement of the WBD core brake disc. The analysis was based on the maximum predicted deceleration conditions of a medium sized truck (Mercedes-Benz Atego). While the WBD core material possessed sufficient strength to withstand the shearing due to the braking torque, the pad clamping load was predicted to cause disc failure. Consequently, straight radial ribs were designed to reinforce the ventilated core, with final rib dimensions of 74×14×2.5 mm, manufactured from mild steel (SAE1006). A total of 10 ribs at 36° intervals were added to reinforce the core, increasing the mass by 0.20 kg compared to the original disc. The newly reinforced WBD brake disc remains lighter than a commercially available pin-finned disc, and is expected to maintain superior thermal performance while possessing the required mechanical strength.