Commercial Vehicle Brake Disc Recess Design for Heat Dissipation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing commercial vehicle brake discs face challenges in achieving high stability while maintaining excellent thermal behavior, as prior configurations often result in increased weight, pad wear, and inefficient heat dissipation.

Innovation Solution

A brake disc design featuring a friction disc with strategically positioned recesses and indentations that disrupt the contour, increasing the surface area for heat radiation and inducing turbulence for enhanced heat dissipation, while maintaining stability through precise positioning and depth control of these features.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If ventilation channels are provided in the brake disc, then heat dissipation is improved, but structural stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The brake disc incorporates a porous metal matrix composite structure with controlled porosity (5-30% volume fraction). The pores are distributed throughout the disc body, providing internal ventilation channels that facilitate heat dissipation while the surrounding metal matrix maintains structural integrity and stability during braking operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The brake disc is constructed as a composite material system combining a metal matrix (such as cast iron or aluminum alloy) with a porous structure. This composite design allows the material to simultaneously provide mechanical strength for stability and thermal conductivity for heat dissipation, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and thermal management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Temperature

If the brake disc width is increased for better heat dissipation, then thermal behavior is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal behaviorVSAvoidbrake disc weight
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The porous structure reduces the density of the brake disc material while maintaining adequate mechanical properties. The void spaces within the porous matrix reduce overall mass, allowing for improved thermal behavior through enhanced heat dissipation surface area and internal convection channels without proportionally increasing weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical parameters of the brake disc by introducing controlled porosity and modifying the density distribution. This allows optimization of the weight-to-heat-dissipation ratio, where the porous structure provides increased surface area for heat transfer while reducing material mass, thereby improving thermal behavior without linear weight increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

The design achieves a balance between stability and heat dissipation, reducing pad wear and improving thermal management by maximizing heat radiation and natural frequency control.

Implementation Method 1

increase the surface area for dissipating the heat to the air and generates an air flow due to the centrifugal force when the brake disc rotates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 2

generates an air flow due to the centrifugal force when the brake disc rotates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Data Source

PatentEP3246590B1Brake disc of a commercial vehicle and brake system
Publication Date: 2020.03.04 SAF HOLLAND GMBH
  • EP3246590B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3246590B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3246590B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Brake disc, in particular for commercial vehicles, comprising at least one friction disc which has a friction surface, wherein the friction disc comprises at least one recess which forms a contour on the friction surface, and wherein the contour or the course of the contour is interrupted by at least one recess.