Development of a Model for Predicting Brake Friction Lining Thickness and Brake Temperature

Road traffic injuries and deaths are a growing public health concern worldwide, majorly in developing countries. Brake failure constitutes to be one of the primary reasons for accidents. The majority of brake failures are caused due to overheating of the brakes, while wear of lining is another big share-holder. Early detection of such causes can prevent these accidents. This study puts forth a model that can be used for onboard monitoring of drum/disc temperature & lining/pad thickness by taking velocity & road inclination in real-time as inputs. Many quantities are interdependent and vary with respect to time/temperature. Therefore, an incremental approach is used. The model is implemented in the Simulink software. Many standard profiles are also fed to compare results for different terrains and driving conditions. The drivers can also be classified based on their driving behavior. The thermal model can give us an early warning about the brake overheating. This model can be used to study the energy distribution while braking. Researchers and designers can also use this model to study & optimize the brake system.