Seal/Groove Performance Analysis Models

Maximum fluid displacement and drag are among the major performance requirements in a brake caliper design. Among the factors that affect displacement and drag, the seal-groove provides the cheapest design option for modifying the caliper performance. However, full use of the flexibility in seal groove design is limited by the current industry reliance on engineering experience and prototype testing. In this paper, two numerical models are presented for evaluating the effects of the seal groove, housing, and lining on caliper performance. These models provide reliable and timely design predictions for a brake caliper design with considerable savings in product development time and costs.