Component Contribution and Eigenvalue Sensitivity Analysis for Brake Squeal

Brake squeal is a self-excited vibration caused by the dynamic instability of the brake system. Extensive research effort has been undertaken on understanding and elimination of brake squeal. However, due to the complexity of the brake system and the fugitive nature of the phenomenon, there is no systematic prevention method. Brake squeal continues to be a major warranty cost to automotive OEM and suppliers.

Complex eigenvalue analysis is a widely used analytical tool to tackle brake squeal. In this paper, based on this method, a new approach combining component contribution and eigenvalue sensitivity analysis is proposed for brake squeal. The modal contribution factor is used to quantify the influence of different real system modes on the unstable mode. The real system modes are projected in component mode sub-vectors to identify the most contributing components. Real and complex eigenvalue sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the most critical design parameters for brake squeal.