Comparative design analysis of a Formula Student race car’s brake disc through thermal and structural simulation

The braking system is vital for vehicle performance and safety in high-speed events like Formula Student (FS) competitions. This study investigates the thermal and structural changes experienced by a FS competition vehicle’s disc rotor under braking stress. The braking process generates significant heat through friction, necessitating efficient heat dissipation. The brake disc is designed to be lightweight and efficient to meet the standards of organizations like Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, and Federation Internationale de l’Automobile. A lap-time simulation using OptimumLap determines the vehicle’s mass, establishing key parameters for brake disc design and analysis. Calculations from the simulation, including maximum deceleration, influences the design of the brake disc. Improvements are made to boost performance and heat dissipation while reducing weight. Improvements feature holes and slots, and materials like Cast Iron, Aluminium Alloy (6061-T6), and Titanium Alloy (6Al-4 V) are explored. The design is developed in SolidWorks and assessed with a finite element analysis in ANSYS, focusing on thermal and structural performance at maximum deceleration. Key factors evaluated include maximum deformation, Von-Mises stress, temperature, and heat flow. Results confirm structural integrity, with the aluminium Model 3 exhibiting just 0.038 mm deformation and 76.54 MPa stress, both lowest among the three models. Notable thermal improvements are observed, achieving a maximum temperature of 395.56 °C, less by 73.4 °C and 115.6 °C from that of grey cast iron and titanium alloy, respectively. Structural and thermal analyses demonstrate the impact of materials and design changes in enhancing brake performance.