Rail Vehicle Shaft Brake Disc Centering Ring Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing centering rings for rail vehicle shaft brake discs impede cooling air flow, leading to asymmetrical air flow and increased thermal loads on connecting elements, which can cause bending stresses and premature failure of screws.
Innovation Solution
A centering ring with a flat, wavy outer edge and circular inner edge, featuring recesses and projections that allow for increased cooling air flow and a symmetrical distribution, reducing thermal expansion and bending loads on connecting elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a solid centering ring is used to fasten friction rings to the hub, then the mechanical connection is strengthened, but the cooling air flow is blocked and thermal loads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The centering ring incorporates through-going recesses that create a porous-like structure, allowing cooling air to pass through the ring body. This maintains the mechanical fastening function while enabling thermal management through improved airflow to the friction rings.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering ring is segmented with multiple through-going recesses distributed around its circumference. These recesses divide the ring structure into sections while maintaining overall structural integrity, allowing cooling air to flow through multiple paths simultaneously.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a centering ring is placed radially inward on friction rings, then the friction rings are centered on the hub, but the cooling air flow becomes asymmetrical and cooling capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The through-going recesses create flow channels that allow cooling air to pass through the centering ring, transforming it from a flow-blocking component into a flow-facilitating structure. This restores symmetrical cooling airflow while maintaining the centering function.
Solution Approach 2:
The recesses act as intermediary flow passages that mediate between the cooling air source and the friction rings. The centering ring becomes a mediator that simultaneously performs mechanical centering and enables thermal cooling through controlled airflow.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional centering rings are used, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but bending stresses cause connecting bolts to fail and break
Solution Approach 1:
The through-going recesses reduce the material cross-section of the centering ring, lowering its mass and the inertial and thermal loads it experiences during operation. This reduces bending stresses on the connecting bolts while maintaining sufficient structural strength for centering functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The design changes the geometric parameters of the centering ring by introducing recesses with specific dimensions and distributions. This modifies the stress distribution and load characteristics, reducing peak bending stresses on connecting bolts while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances cooling efficiency by increasing cooling air volume flow by up to 20%, reducing maximum temperature and thermal expansion, and providing a stable connection through strategically placed fastening holes.
Implementation Method 1
cooling air can flow past the centering ring through the recesses and flow into an intermediate space between the friction rings
Implementation Method 2
The thermal expansion of the friction rings must be centered on the hub. Furthermore, the thermal expansion of the friction rings leads to bending stresses on the screws connecting the friction rings to the hub.
Implementation Method 3
Due to the material-related elasticity, the tabs act as spring elements in the radial direction in order to be able to compensate for the radial thermal expansion of the friction ring.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
In order to provide a centering ring for a shaft brake disc of a rail vehicle, with which the ventilation of a shaft brake disc is significantly improved and a more symmetrical cooling airflow inside the shaft brake disc is obtained, a centering ring (100) for a shaft brake disc (150) of a rail vehicle is proposed, comprising a ring body (10) with an outer rim (11) and an inner rim (12), wherein the ring body (10) is planar, and wherein the ring body (10) has recesses (13) and projections (14) distributed over the outer rim (11).