Frictional-Contact Axial Clutches

The Disk Clutch is used to transmit torque from an input to an

output shaft via circular plates (disks).  One of each pair of
plates is coated with a friction lining material.  As the input and
output shafts are fixed the clutch should include a method of
allowing the driving plates to move axially against the driven
plates which are fixed to the driven shaft (or vice versa).

Exploded view (Wikipedia)

Animation
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 2
 Frictional-Contact Axial Clutches

Animation

Figure 16–15
An oil-actuated multiple-disk clutch-brake for operation in an oil bath or spray. It is
specially useful for rapid cycling.
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 3
 Frictional-Contact Axial Clutches

F F F d

Driver Driven ti on
R ot a

D
pa

pa
F F F
F

pa

Constant Wear Model Constant Pressure Model

Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Iyad Zaharna and Dr. S. Pashah 4
 Frictional-Contact Axial Clutches
 The friction disk has an outside diameter D
and an inside diameter d. dr T
 We are interested in obtaining the axial force F
necessary to produce a certain torque T and F r d
pressure p.
 As the friction disc rotates relative to the
mating plate (not shown) with the axial force F ta tion
Ro
pressing them together, the friction force acts
in tangential direction producing braking or
D
clutch torque.
D2
 The normal force at any point is the local
pressure times the differential area at that point.
F  p  2 r dr 
d2
 The frictional force is normal force times coefficient of friction  Ff  f  F
D2
 The total braking/clutch torque can be obtained by
integrating the friction force over the entire contact area  T   f   p  2 r dr    r
d2
 Two models are used for solving the integrals of F and T
 Uniform wear model
 Uniform pressure model
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Iyad Zaharna and Dr. S. Pashah 5
 Uniform Wear Model
 The linear measure of wear w is expressed
in inches or millimeters dr T

F r d

ta tion
Ro
w
w ∝ p V t ⇒ w = f1 f2 K p V t D

where K is the proportionality factor, which includes f

Modifying factor f 1 depending on motion type, load, and speed
Environment factor f 2 to account for temperature and cleanliness conditions
Only p and V vary from place to place in the rubbing surfaces

By definition uniform wear is  pV = (constant) = C1

constant from place to place;  prω = C2
 pmaxri = pa ri = pa(d/2)

Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 6

 Uniform Wear Model
Normal Force:
D2 dr T
F  p  2 r dr  pa
d2
F r d
For uniform wear pr = pa(d/2) = constant
pa
D2
 pa d
F   pa d  dr  F   Dd Ro
ta tion
d2 2
w
Braking Torque: D
D2 Pressure Distribution
T  f   p  2 r dr    r Since V =  d n
d2
D2
 f pa d 2 2  V  linearly from d toward D
  f pa d  r dr  T 
8
 D d  Therefore,
d2
Constant pV
By substituting the value of F  p from d toward D
Ff d
T  Dd  p r  pa
4 2
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 7
 Uniform Pressure Model
Normal Force:
D2 dr T
F  p  2 r dr 
d2
F r d
When uniform pressure pa can be assumed over
the area of the disk, the actuating force F is
simply the product of the pressure and the area: tion
ta
p Ro
F  a  D 2 d 2  pa
4
D
Braking Torque:
D2

T  f   p  2 r d r    r
d2
D2 Note:
 f pa 3 3
 2 f pad 2 
r2 d r  T 
12
D d  It should be noted that the torque is for
both constant wear and constant pressure
Substituting pa in terms of F models; a single pair of mating surfaces.
This value must therefore be multiplied by
F f D 3 d 3 the number of pairs of surfaces in contact.
T
3 D 2 d 2
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 8
 Uniform Wear Vs Uniform Pressure Model
Uniform Pressure Model:
New Clutch fall under this category
 
3
F f D d
3 3
T 1 1  d D
T  
3 D d
2 2
f F D 3 1  d D 2
Uniform Wear Model:
Old Clutches fall under this category
Ff T 1 d D
T Dd  D d  
2 2

4 f FD 4
 New Clutch → Constant pressure;
 Old Clutch → Constant Wear
 Which approach should be used for design?
 Problem is in form of 5 variables
(T, f, F, D, and d)
 Using Buckingham-pi theorem, three  The difference between two models is
dimensionless groups are obtained minimum in the range 0.6 d/D  1
therefore more convenient to analyze.  The recommended ratio for design is
1  T F D  2  f  3  d D d/D ≥ 0.6
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 9
 Problem 16-16

Given: D = 250 mm, d = 150 mm, f = 0.30, F = 4 kN

Reqd: (a) pa, T
Solution:
For uniform-wear model For uniform pressure model

Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 10

 Problem 16-17

Given: D = 165 mm, d = 100 mm, f = 0.24, pa = 830 kPa, N = 6 planes

Reqd: (a) F, T using uniform-wear model
Solution:
Note: The sketch is not from the text
For uniform-wear model
book and included for illustration. It
has 5 friction surfaces (not 6)

For N sliding planes:

Animation
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 11
 Problem 16-17

Given: D = 165 mm, f = 0.24, pa = 830 kPa, N = 6 planes

Reqd: (a) T = ϕ (d) using uniform-wear model
Solution:
For uniform-wear model with N planes

Substituting the given data:

(c) The torque-diameter curve exhibits a stationary point maximum in the range of
diameter 75 mm  d  125 mm.
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 12
 Problem 16-18

Given: D = 165 mm, f = 0.24, pa = 830 kPa, N = 6 planes

Reqd: (a) Optimal value of inner diameter d * for a given outer diamater D
Solution:
For uniform-wear model with N planes

Differentiating with respect to d and equating

to zero gives: The corresponding torque is:

 

Now we check if the optimal is maximum or

minimum.

Which is negative for all positive d. We have a

stationary point maximum.
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 13
 Cone Clutches and Brakes
From Wikipedia

1. Cones: Cup (green),Cone(blue)
2. Shaft: Cone is sliding on splines
3. Friction material: on cone Animation
4. Spring: brings the cone back after using the clutch control
5. Clutch control: separating both cones by pressing
6. Rotating direction: both direction of the axis are possible
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 14
 Frictional-Contact Axial Clutches
 The cone diameters D and d and cone angle  pdA  dr/sin
 We are interested in obtaining the
actuation force F necessary to produce a dr
certain torque T. 
Uniform Wear Model
 The pressure distribution is the p r  p d r F
a
same as for the axial clutch 2 d D
 The force normal to contact surface on
a differential element would be pdA
 The axial force can be estimated as:
D2 D2
 d  2 r d r 
F   p d A sin     pa    sin     pa d  d r  F   pa d  D  d 
d 2
2 r   sin   d 2 2
 The torque can be estimated as:
D2
 d   2  r d r   f pa d
D2
 f pa d 2 2
T    f p d A  r    r f   pa     rdr  T   D d 
 2 r   sin   sin  d 2 8sin 
d2

Substituting value of F T   f F 4sin    D  d 

Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 15
 Frictional-Contact Axial Clutches
Uniform Pressure Model pdA  dr/sin
 The pressure distribution is p  pa
dr
D2
F   pa d A sin    2 r d r 

 a
p    sin   
d2  sin  
p r F
F  a  D2  d 2 
2 d D
 The torque can be estimated as:
D2
T    f pa d A  r   2 r d r 
d 2  a   sin  
r f p

 f pa 3 3
T
12sin 
 D d 
Substituting value of F

F f D 3 d 3
T
3sin  D 2  d 2
Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 16
 Problem 16-19

Given: D = 330 mm, d = 306 mm, L = 60 mm, f = 0.26, T = 200 N Reqd: pa and F
Solution:
First we find cone angle 

Uniform Pressure:

Uniform Wear

Lecture Notes ME308 Dr. Sulaiman Pashah 17