Corrugated Brake Disc Bell for Thermal Misalignment Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Disc brake systems face issues with thermal expansion leading to deformation, uneven wear, and vibrations, particularly due to the conical deformation of the support bell, which affects the coupling between the braking band and the hub, causing geometric misalignments and increased noise.
Innovation Solution
A brake disc with a bell featuring a corrugated element made of fiber-reinforced polymer or carbon-ceramic material, allowing for elastic deformation and rotation, which compensates for misalignments and vibrations, and maintains torque transmission while reducing weight and thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the support bell is made of lightweight polymer material, then the weight of the disc is reduced, but the bell deforms under thermal stress causing conical configuration and warping
Solution Approach 1:
The bell is segmented into multiple zones with different material compositions. The composite structure includes a polymer matrix reinforced with ceramic particles or fibers in specific regions, creating zones with varying thermal and mechanical properties that prevent uniform conical deformation while maintaining lightweight characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The support bell is made from composite materials combining polymer matrix with ceramic reinforcements (such as alumina, silica, or carbon fibers). This composite structure provides both the lightweight property of polymers and the thermal stability of ceramics, preventing warping under thermal stress while reducing overall weight.
2Force
If the braking band and bell are coupled rigidly, then torque transmission is maintained, but thermal expansion causes geometric misalignment and uneven wear
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling between braking band and bell transitions from rigid to dynamic, allowing relative movement. Expansion joints or flexible coupling elements are introduced that maintain torque transmission while accommodating thermal expansion differences, preventing geometric misalignment and ensuring continuous contact between braking surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism incorporates elements that change their physical parameters (such as stiffness or dimension) in response to temperature changes. This allows the coupling to maintain optimal torque transmission characteristics across varying thermal conditions while compensating for differential expansion between the braking band and bell.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the bell is made to deform radially to accommodate thermal stress, then thermal stress is reduced, but coplanarity with the braking band is lost causing warping
Solution Approach 1:
The bell's deformation capability is extended from purely radial to include axial and tangential dimensions. This multi-dimensional deformation capacity allows the bell to accommodate thermal stress through controlled warping in multiple directions while maintaining the coplanarity of the braking band through compensating deformations in opposite directions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bell are designed with different deformation characteristics. The inner regions near the hub are made more rigid to maintain overall shape, while outer regions are designed with controlled flexibility to accommodate thermal expansion. This localized variation in mechanical properties allows stress relief without compromising coplanarity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the coupling geometry is simplified for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but torque transmission reliability under thermal excursion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling geometry is pre-designed with built-in compensation features for thermal expansion and contraction. Expansion joints, flexible elements, or adjustable mechanisms are incorporated during manufacturing to anticipate and accommodate future thermal excursions, ensuring reliable torque transmission without requiring complex real-time adjustments.
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 effectively minimizes wear, reduces vibrations, and maintains the braking performance by allowing the disc to adapt to thermal changes and misalignments, while being lighter and more resistant to thermal stresses.
Implementation Method 1
A brake disc with a bell featuring a corrugated element made of fiber-reinforced polymer or carbon-ceramic material, allowing for elastic deformation and rotation
Implementation Method 2
made of fiber-reinforced polymer or carbon-ceramic material, allowing for elastic deformation and rotation, which compensates for misalignments and vibrations, and maintains torque transmission while reducing weight and thermal stress
Data Source
AI summary
A brake disc for disc brake comprising a braking band rotating about the rotation axis; a bell rigidly and torsionally connected to the hub of a vehicle and functionally constrained to said braking band and adapted to transmit the rotational motion to said brake disc; wherein said bell comprises at least one corrugated element made of a fiber-reinforced polymer or carbon-ceramic material, adapted to allow a rotation of said bell, which is integral with said hub about said rotation axis, a rotation of the disc constrained thereto, about an axis normal to said rotation axis through elastic deformation, and a translation along said rotation axis through elastic deformation.