Minimal model identification of drum brake squeal via SINDy

The industrial standard in the design and development process of NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) characteristic of brakes is the application of Finite Element (FE) models with a high number of degrees of freedom in the range of one or several millions. Nevertheless, parallel experimental investigations are still indispensable. On the other hand, minimal models with, due to the inclusion of the self-excitation process, at least two degrees of freedom are well known to be capable to explain qualitatively phenomena as instability of the desired non-vibrating solution or limit cycle oscillation but are in general very inaccurate in predicting the dynamics of a specific real brake. This is because the underlying physical assumptions are already too restrictive and model parameters (especially those referring to nonlinearities) are widely unknown. To overcome this problem, the data-driven modeling approach SINDy (Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamics) is applied to identify appropriate nonlinear functions for a brake squeal minimal model. A problem thereby is the limited database. It turns out that the naive implementation of the method yielding the lowest possible residuum does not necessarily provide physically meaningful models and results, respectively. Instead, a constrained model that incorporates physical knowledge is used to robustly identify parameters and reproduce realistic dynamic behavior. Thereby, several appropriate models with coexisting limit cycles and stationary equilibrium are identified. In particular, it was found that the angular position of the brake drum has a significant influence on the model parameters and therefore must be taken into account in a model with long-term validity.