Title: Reducing disc brake squeal through FEM approach and experimental design technique

Authors: Jamil Abdo, M. Nouby, D. Mathivanan, K. Srinivasan

Addresses: Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33, Al-Khoud 123, Muscat, Oman. ' AU/FRG Institute for CAD/CAM, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, Chennai – 600025, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, Chennai – 600025, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, Chennai – 600025, India

Abstract: This paper presents a novel approach to understand the influencing factors of the brake pad on the disc brake squeal by integrating finite element simulations with statistical regression techniques. The complex eigenvalue analysis has been widely used to predict unstable frequencies in brake system models and to provide design guidance. The |input-output| relationships between the brake squeal and the brake pad geometry is constructed for possible prediction of the squeal using various geometrical configurations of the disc brake. Influences of the various factors, namely back plate Young|s modulus, back plate thickness, chamfer, distance between two slots, slots width and angle of slots, are investigated using design of experiments technique. The proposed approach is aimed towards prediction of optimal pad design to reduce the damping ratio of the dominant unstable modes through the various factors of the brake pad geometrical construction. The damping ratio is analysed and a non-linear mathematical prediction model is developed based on the most influencing factors.

Keywords: disc brakes; brake squeal; finite element method; FEM; complex eigenvalue; design of experiments; DOE; simulation; vehicle noise; vehicle braking; experimental design; brake pads; optimal design; brake pad design; damping ratio; mathematical modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVNV.2010.036688

International Journal of Vehicle Noise and Vibration, 2010 Vol.6 No.2/3/4, pp.230 - 246

Published online: 05 Nov 2010 *

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