Materials Science and Engineering A 483–484 (2008) 456–459

Thermal stress analysis for a disk brake of railway

vehicles with consideration of the pressure
distribution on a frictional surface
Dae-Jin Kim, Young-Min Lee, Jae-Sil Park, Chang-Sung Seok ∗
School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, 300 Cheoncheon-Dong,
Jangan-Gu, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
Received 6 June 2006; received in revised form 7 January 2007; accepted 31 January 2007

Abstract
In this study, we performed thermal stress analyses on a ventilated disk brake with a three-dimensional model for two cases (whether the pressure
distribution on a contact surface is uniform or not). A pressure distribution analysis was performed to determine the pressure distribution on the
contact surface. Then, by using the results that were obtained from the pressure distribution analyses, we performed thermal stress analyses for
each case. Finally, we have found that the spots where the maximum thermal stresses occur in the case with a variable pressure distribution are
similar with the region where fatigue cracks exist in an actual disk brake.
© 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Keywords: Pressure distribution analysis; Thermal stress analysis; Thermal fatigue crack

1. Introduction 2. Pressure distribution analysis

A disk brake stops a vehicle by converting kinetic energy into
thermal energy. In this conversion, thermal stresses are gener-
ated by the cyclic frictional heat and thermal fatigue cracks are
generated by the thermal stress on a frictional plate. Therefore,
in order to secure the braking stability and to improve the fatigue
life of a disk brake, it is necessary to research the thermal stress
on a disk brake. However, it is not easy to experimentally obtain
the pressure distribution of a contact surface between a disk
brake and a pad, so many researchers generally assume that
the pressure distribution will be uniform throughout the contact
area. The study that was performed by Thuresson [1] reported
that the contact pressure is clustered at the middle of the contact
surface. In our study, we first conducted a pressure distribution
analysis to obtain the pressure distribution on a contact surface
and then thermal stress analyses were performed with using the
pressure distributions that we had obtained.
∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +82 31 290 7446; fax: +82 31 290 7482.
E-mail address: seok@skku.edu (C.-S. Seok).
2.1. Properties and initial condition
Fig. 1 shows a three-dimensional (3D) model for the
pressure distribution analysis. The mechanical and thermal
properties of the disc brake and the pad that were used in
this study are presented in Table 1. A 1.6 Tonf braking force
was applied on the top surface of the pad and the analysis
was completed when the revolution speed became 97.7 rad/s
(150 km/h).
2.2. Analysis results
During the analysis, the pressure distribution on the con-
tact area was almost constant regardless of the change of time.
Figs. 2 and 3 show the analysis results with an angular veloc-
ity of 97.7 rad/s. The contact pressure on the middle region was
higher than on the other regions in the radial direction as shown
in Fig. 2. We converted the contact pressure (Fig. 3) into variable
and uniform distributions along the radial direction (Fig. 4) for
the thermal stress analysis.

0921-5093/$ – see front matter © 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

doi:10.1016/j.msea.2007.01.170
 D.-J. Kim et al. / Materials Science and Engineering A 483–484 (2008) 456–459 457

Table 1
Mechanical and thermal properties of the disk brake and the pad
Mechanical property Thermal property

Elastic modulus (N/m2 ) Poisson’s Mass density Coefficient of Coefficient of Specific heat Convection Thermal
ratio (kg/m3 ) friction thermal expansion (J/kgK) coefficient conductivity
(m/mK) (W/m2 K) (W/mK)

Disk
108 × 109 0.35 7150 0.35 10.5 × 10−6 460.0 50 64.1 (100 ◦ C)
100 68.8 (200 ◦ C)
69.8 (300 ◦ C)
Pad
1.029 × 109 0.25 2150 0.35 – – – –

Fig. 1. 3D model for pressure distribution analysis.

Fig. 3. Pressure distribution on the contact surface of the pad.

Fig. 2. Pressure contour plot of the pad.

3. Thermal stress analysis

3.1. Initial conditions

Fig. 5 shows a 3D model for the thermal stress analysis. We

assumed that the disk temperature is 30 ◦ C at the stationary state
and that it becomes 100 ◦ C before starting to brake at the speed
Fig. 4. Assumed pressure distribution in the radial direction.
of 150 km/h. The deceleration rate of a train is constant and the
time that is required for a complete stop is 40 s. We calculated the
heat flux that acts on the disk by converting the whole kinetic applied the pressure that we obtained (Fig. 4) and the calculated
energy (2.62 MJ) of a train into thermal energy with consid- heat flux for 40 s on the contact area. The convection coefficients
ering the obtained radial pressure distribution that we obtained. are 0 W/m2 K at the cross section of the middle plate, 50 W/m2 K
After raising the temperature of the contact surface to 100 ◦ C, we at the ventilated holes and 100 W/m2 K at the other regions [2].
458 D.-J. Kim et al. / Materials Science and Engineering A 483–484 (2008) 456–459

Fig. 5. Finite element mesh for the thermal stress analysis.

Fig. 7. Thermal stress contour plots, σ 11 , variable pressure case.
Table 2
Thermal stress analysis results
Pressure distribution Maximum temperature Maximum von-Mises
stress of a frictional
plate/location

Variable 159 ◦ C/middle 100 MPa/middle

Uniform 151 ◦ C/inner 103 MPa/inner

3.2. Analysis results

For the case with a variable pressure distribution, the max-

imum temperature occurs in the middle of the plate (Table 2),
which is consistent with the results of previous studies [3,4].
Also, it can be seen that the maximum von-Mises stress occurs
(Fig. 6) where actual cracks are located as shown in Fig. 8 and
that the direction that is perpendicular to the maximum prin-

Fig. 8. Thermal fatigue cracks on a disk brake.

cipal stress (Fig. 7) is the same as that of the actual crack

propagation. So, we have concluded that applying a variable
pressure on a contact surface is more reliable than applying
a uniform stress for the thermal stress analysis. We have also
concluded that the cause of cracks on the frictional plate is ther-
mal stress that is caused by the closed round shape of the disk
(Fig. 8).

4. Conclusion

The following conclusions are made from the thermal

stress analyses for the disk brake with considering the vari-
able and uniform pressure distribution on the contact surface,
respectively.

(i) The region of the maximum von-Mises stress in the thermal

stress analysis coincides with the region where actual cracks
are located on a frictional plate in the case with a variable
Fig. 6. Thermal stress contour plots, σ von-Mises . pressure distribution.
 D.-J. Kim et al. / Materials Science and Engineering A 483–484 (2008) 456–459 459

(ii) As for the thermal analysis of the disk brake, applying a
variable pressure on a contact surface is more reliable than
applying a uniform pressure.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the support that was provided by
Korea Railway Research Institute (KRRI) and the Brain Korea
21 Project (BK21).
References
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[2] Y. Choi, J.W. Choi, H.M. Kim, Y.W. Seo, J. Korean Soc. Precision Eng. 21
(2004) 117–123.
[3] J.H. Choi, I. Lee, Wear 257 (2004) 47–58.
[4] C.H. Gao, X.Z. Lin, J. Mater. Process. Technol. 129 (2002) 513–
517.