Disc Brakes

Analysis
Mark Jetten
Brian Richards
Steve Weaver

Overview
Parts

of disc brake and system

Where

disc brakes are used

Materials

and performance

Analysis

Uniform Pressure
Uniform Wear

Parts of Braking System

Brake Pedalforce input to system from driver

Master Cylinderconverts force to pressure

Design gives a Mechanical Advantage

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
A

Mockup continued
D) Brake pads

E
F

E) Caliper

F) Rotor

Uses of Disc Brakes

Disc

brakes are often on the front (and

sometimes on the rear) wheels of cars

Do

the real work of braking

Unlike

drum brakes, do not selfenergize

Materials
Different

materials have different

coefficients of friction

Pad

material can be chosen for

performance or to create a balance
between performance and durability

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

Secondar
y

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

Uniform

pressure

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

2 ro

1 ri

ro

1 pr dr

Equation 1

ri

ro

fpr 2 dr d 2 1 f pr 2 dr

Equation 2

ri

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:

ro

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

1
3
3

T 2 1 fpa r dr 2 1 fpa ro ri
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
ro

1
T 2 1 f pr dr 2 1 fpa ri ro2 ri 2
2
ri
2

Questions?

References

Mechanical Engineering Design by Joseph Shigley

http://www.howstuffworks.com