Work Vehicle Brake Disc Cooling for Uniform Heat Dissipation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disc brakes in agricultural vehicles suffer from asymmetrical cooling, leading to overheating and reduced service life due to inefficient heat dissipation, particularly during harsh braking maneuvers, and result in power losses from excessive oil lubrication.
Innovation Solution
A braking assembly with counter discs and a coolant fluid system that ensures uniform cooling of the brake disc by forcing the fluid to flow through interstices and holes, providing both forced and passive cooling, while minimizing the fluid level required for effective heat dispersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the brake disc is partially immersed in a sump containing lubricant oil, then the brake disc is cooled by rotational movement and centrifugal forces causing oil to be splashed over the disc, but this causes asymmetrical cooling where the immersed portion is subjected to significantly different thermal conditions than the non-immersed portion
Solution Approach 1:
The brake disc is segmented into multiple cooling zones by providing holes at different radial positions (inner radius, intermediate radius, outer radius) that allow coolant fluid to reach different portions of the disc. This segmentation enables each zone to be cooled independently and uniformly, eliminating the asymmetrical cooling problem where only the immersed portion was cooled effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the brake disc are provided with different cooling characteristics through the strategic placement of holes at various radial positions. The inner, intermediate, and outer regions receive coolant fluid at different locations, creating local quality variations that ensure uniform cooling across the entire disc surface, particularly at the friction material interface.
2Temperature
If the level of oil contained in the sump is increased to improve cooling of the brake disc, then greater cooling is achieved, but greater power losses occur during rotation of the brake disc
Solution Approach 1:
A hydraulic cooling system is implemented where a coolant fluid is pumped through a circulation system with inlet and outlet conduits. The pump forces the coolant fluid to flow through channels in the brake disc, providing active hydraulic cooling that is independent of the disc's rotational speed and immersion depth, thereby eliminating the need for large oil levels in a sump.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is extracted from the lubrication system (oil sump) and implemented as a separate hydraulic cooling system. This extraction allows the cooling mechanism to operate independently without requiring the brake disc to be immersed in a large volume of fluid, thus reducing power losses while maintaining effective cooling.
3Device complexity
If conventional disc brakes are used without optimized cooling, then the structure is simple, but the waste heat is not sufficiently dispersed causing the brake disc to overheat and lose friction properties
Solution Approach 1:
The brake disc is divided into multiple cooling zones with holes at different radial positions, allowing segmented cooling of different regions. This segmentation approach provides effective heat dissipation without requiring a completely redesign of the braking assembly, maintaining relative structural simplicity while improving temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
A hydraulic cooling system with pump and circulation channels is integrated into the braking assembly. This hydraulic approach provides active cooling that efficiently disperses waste heat through forced circulation of coolant fluid through the disc's internal channels, maintaining friction properties even during harsh braking maneuvers.
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 solution achieves uniform cooling of the brake disc, extending its service life and improving braking performance with reduced power losses, while maintaining low manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a forced cooling of the brake disc (6) is carried out by means of a coolant fluid which is adapted to flow in a circulation system between an inlet (9) and an outlet (16) of the cavity (50)
Implementation Method 2
The brake disc is therefore cooled as a consequence of its rotational movement. More specifically, such rotational movement and the corresponding centrifugal forces cause oil to be splashed over the disc
Implementation Method 3
such rotational movement and the corresponding centrifugal forces cause oil to be splashed over the disc
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Braking assembly (10) for a work vehicle (1) comprising a brake disc (6), which is rotatable integrally with at least one wheel (3, 4, 5) of the work vehicle (1) about a rotational axis (A); a first counter disc (7), which is arranged on a first side (6a) of the brake disc (6) along the rotational axis (A) and is rotationally fixed; a second counter disc (8), which is arranged on a second side (6b) of the brake disc (6) opposite to the first side (6a) and is rotationally fixed; a first fluid opening (9) for the inlet of a fluid, which is a coolant or a cooling lubricant fluid; and actuation means, which are adapted to press the first and/or second counter discs (7, 8) against the brake disc (6); the first and second counter discs (7, 8) defining respectively first and second interstices (11, 12) with the brake disc (6); the first and second counter discs (7, 8) being respectively formed with a first hole (13) and a second hole (14), which respectively put in fluidic communication the first fluid opening (9) with the first interstices (11) and the second interstices (12).