Design and Validation of the Brake Disc Assembly of a Formula Student Prototype.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse all the phases necessary to realize the brake disc assembly of a Formula Student prototype. This thesis was written because, following the analysis of the data collected during previous track tests, the maximum deceleration target was increased. Another objective is to provide support for future members of the Squadra Corse PoliTo Team who will have to design and manufacture a new braking system, to further improve not only the physical components but also the process behind them. The design phase was carried out starting from the existing components and using both analytical calculations and numerical models based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). The latter were essential to guarantee the desired performance and reliability of the vehicle, which is often the critical aspect of these single seaters. The brake disc assemblies were later bench tested using, as input, data acquired from both track tests of the prototype and virtual simulations. The opportunity to bench test the brake disc assemblies was used mainly to verify that the design and the manufacturing process were adequate to achieve the required characteristics. Using the data measured it was possible to calibrate the numerical model and estimate the temperature of the discs under any working condition, since there was no temperature sensor in the prototype. The temperatures obtained through numerical analyses were similar to the ones measured, with a root mean square error of 12.9 °C for the front brake disc and 8.5 °C for the rear one. Furthermore, thanks to the bench test, additional fundamental parameters were collected, such as the friction coefficients of the brake pads. These parameters are instrumental in designing the components correctly and in characterising the dynamic behaviour of the vehicle. Even though it was possible to calibrate the numerical model and estimate the temperature of the discs, it was found that the limits of the numerical analyses were the high computational time and the inability to use all the parameters available, such as the heat transfer coefficients. For this reason, in addition to the methods previously mentioned and used for this thesis, it would be useful to have another one that simulates the behaviour of the components through the numerical resolution of the differential equations that characterise them.