Numerical Simulation of Drum Brake Cooling for Heavy Trucks

Braking performance of a vehicle is affected by the temperature rise in the wheel end components. In this study, the brake cooling performance of drum brake assembly for a heavy truck has been simulated using a three-dimensional time-transient CFD model. The predicted brake drum temperatures were compared with the indoor dynamometer test results. The agreement between the predictions and the test data was within 8°C for the braking cycle analyzed. The validated model was used to asses the effect of air flow angle of attack on the brake drum and rim temperatures.