Multi-Disc Brake with Radial Wear Indication and Water Jacket Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-disc brakes face challenges in wear indication and cooling, particularly in high-speed applications where conventional solutions like axial wear pins and flow-through cooling result in increased drag and heat generation.
Innovation Solution
A multi-disc brake design incorporating a radial wear pin cartridge for external wear indication and an integrated water jacket for cooling, which allows for efficient heat transfer without fully filling the brake cavity, thereby reducing waste heat and power loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If axial wear pin configuration is used, then wear indication is visible, but the brake faces must be accessible which is not possible when sandwiched between motor and gearbox
Solution Approach 1:
The wear indication system transitions from axial dimension (conventional wear pins extending from brake faces) to radial dimension (wear pins extending through the housing side). This dimensional change allows wear indication to be visible in compact arrangements where brake faces are inaccessible, while maintaining wear detection functionality.
2Temperature
If flow-through cooling fills brake sump 100% full of oil, then cooling capacity is maximized, but drag increases exponentially causing horsepower loss
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of filling the brake sump 100% full of cooling oil (excessive action), the system uses partial filling with a fixed sump level that provides adequate cooling capacity while minimizing drag. The water jacket provides additional cooling capacity without requiring full sump filling, thus avoiding exponential drag increase.
Solution Approach 2:
A water jacket is introduced as an intermediary cooling mechanism that works in conjunction with the partial oil sump. The water jacket provides additional cooling capacity without requiring the brake sump to be filled to levels that would cause excessive drag, thus mediating between cooling requirements and energy loss.
3Temperature
If conventional cooling systems are used in high-speed applications, then cooling is provided, but the discs rotate through sump oil generating heat and causing horsepower loss
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent components: a fixed oil sump for baseline cooling and an active water jacket for additional cooling capacity. This segmentation allows the oil sump to maintain a low level that minimizes drag at high speeds, while the water jacket provides supplemental cooling without the discs rotating through large volumes of oil that would generate excessive heat and power loss.
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 proposed brake design effectively addresses wear indication and cooling challenges by providing a visible wear indication system and a cooling mechanism that minimizes drag and heat generation, even at high speeds.
Implementation Method 1
an integrated water jacket for cooling, which allows for efficient heat transfer without fully filling the brake cavity
Implementation Method 2
the first end of the body portion being acted on by a spring to thereby contact the pin nose with the wear pin guide
Implementation Method 3
As the vehicle stops, energy from the vehicle's motion is converted to heat by the disc stack
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-disc brake is provided. The brake can include a radial wear pin cartridge for wear indication. The brake can include an integrated water jacket for cooling.