Influence of asymmetric airflow on the cooling performance of brake disc of railway vehicle

Abstract

Abstract The main objective of this article is to discuss the influence of asymmetric airflow on the cooling performance of the brake disc. This asymmetry might be caused by the air inlet pipe curvature of the UIC test bench for frictional components, whereas in reality this asymmetry might be caused by various factors. In the first part of the paper, a brief summary of effects of heat and temperature changes on the brake disc is presented. Additional information about UIC test bench is given with the focus on cooling effects of airflow on the disc. In the second part, a CFD simulation was made, and its settings and results are presented in detail. In the last part, temperature differences in various time points and positions on the brake disc are compared graphically in order to assess the influence of airflow from the inlet pipe and its curvature on the cooling performance of the brake disc.