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Vol.4, No.4, 2025: pp.198-209
Optimization of brake disc for improved thermal and structural behavior using thermo-mechanical analysis
Authors:
Manoj Subhash Patil1,2
, Harshal Ashok Chavan3
1Mumbai Education Trust, Institute of Engineering, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007, Maharashtra, India
2Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj’s Karmaveer Baburao Thakare College of Engineering, Nashik 422013, Maharashtra, India
3Mumbai Educational Trust, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Nashik 422007, Maharashtra, India
Received: 2 September 2025
Revised: 13 October 2025
Accepted: 22 November 2025
Published: 15 December 2025
Abstract:
During braking, friction between the brake disc and pads converts the vehicle’s kinetic energy into heat, resulting in a temperature rise at the contact interface. This temperature rise induces thermal gradients and corresponding stresses within the disc material. Excessive thermal loading and stress concentration can adversely affect braking efficiency and structural integrity. The present study investigates the thermal and mechanical behavior of a ventilated brake disc subjected to frictional heating. A coupled thermo-mechanical analysis was performed to determine the peak temperature distribution and the resulting thermal stresses. Transient thermal and structural simulations were conducted using the finite element method (FEM). Subsequently, key geometric parameters influencing the thermal and stress responses were identified, and a dimensional optimization was carried out using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimized configuration revealed that an increase inboard and outboard disc thickness (from 8.5 mm to 9.497 mm), a reduction in vane thickness (from 6 mm to 4 mm), and a decrease in ventilation gap (from 7 mm to 5.194 mm), with the number of vanes held constant, led to improved thermal performance. The optimized design exhibited a 3.68% reduction in maximum temperature and an 8.86% reduction in thermal stress, without a significant increase in overall weight.
Keywords:
Brake disc, Thermal performance, Structural analysis, Optimization, Design of Experiments, Temperature, Stress, Weight
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© 2025 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Volume 4
Number 4
December 2025.
How to Cite
M.S. Patil, H.A. Chavan, Optimization of Brake Disc for Improved Thermal and Structural Behavior Using Thermo-Mechanical Analysis. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(4), 2025: 198-209.
https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.4.3
More Citation Formats
Patil, M.S., & Chavan, H.A. (2025). Optimization of Brake Disc for Improved Thermal and Structural Behavior Using Thermo-Mechanical Analysis. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(4), 198-209.
https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.4.3
Patil, Manoj Subhash, and Harshal Ashok Chavan, “Optimization of Brake Disc for Improved Thermal and Structural Behavior Using Thermo-Mechanical Analysis.“ Advanced Engineering Letters, vol. 4, no. 4, 2025, pp. 198-209.
https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.4.3
Patil, Manoj Subhash, and Harshal Ashok Chavan. 2024. “Optimization of Brake Disc for Improved Thermal and Structural Behavior Using Thermo-Mechanical Analysis.“ Advanced Engineering Letters, 4 (4): 198-209.
https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.4.3
Patil, M.S. and Chavan, H.A. (2025). Optimization of Brake Disc for Improved Thermal and Structural Behavior Using Thermo-Mechanical Analysis. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(4), pp. 198-209.
doi: 10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.4.3.