Key Elements of Wet Brake and Clutch Design

Disk type brakes and clutches are important components of many automotive and off-highway drivetrains. Wet brakes and clutches are becoming widely used for heavy duty applications where durability is important. Traditionally, brakes and clutches are designed to provide adequate torque capacity using simple and well known techniques, but other variables need to be considered. While the design analysis of brakes and clutches for energy capacity and chatter can be extremely complex, for most applications there are some relatively simple relationships that can be applied to obtain an adequate design.