Analysis of thermomechanical phenomena in multidisc clutches and brakes

The paper presents a model of transient thermomechanical phenomena occurring in a pack of friction discs of a multidisc wet clutch or a brake. Account is taken of the couplings between phenomena appearing on various friction surfaces. Numerical methods permitting an effective investigation of these are described.

Results of calculations are presented for the case when the thermoelastic instability effect appears. A mechanism for the growth of non-uniformities in normal pressure distributions on friction surfaces as well as couplings between phenomena occurring on various surfaces are discussed. It is also shown that the phenomena arising on friction surfaces strongly affect the thermal stresses inside the discs.