A Theoretical Prediction of Disc Brake Temperatures and a Comparison with Experimental Data

Disc brake temperatures are predicted by considering the heat flow in two dimensions, allowing for losses by convection and conduction. Heat transfer coefficients are presented from earlier laboratory experiments which studied the effects of air crossflow velocity, rotational speed, and caliper angle, and their interaction.

The theoretical results are compared with experimental data from vehicle tests, the differences being a measure of the magnitude of the effects caused by dirt shields, wheels, and body.