Modeling and Analysis of Thermal Processes in Mechanical Friction Clutch — Numerical and Experimental Investigations

Thermal processes occurring in the mechanical clutch or brake systems have a great influence on the strength of elements of these systems as well as on their dynamics. The contact problems exhibited by such systems include heat generated by dry friction contact surfaces. The contact dynamics in general depends on many system parameters, and it attracted attention of many researches focused on analysis of the mentioned phenomena in different kinds of mechanical systems like clutches, brakes, and others. In this work a mathematical model describing the processes of heat generation and its propagation in the mechanical friction clutch is presented. The presented model takes into account the unequal distribution of flux density of produced heat in the clutch, the thermal conductivity of materials of friction linings, and the heat transfer between the friction linings of clutch and its environments. The analyzed object is described by a set of algebraic linear homo- and heterogeneous equations, and it is derived using a computer numerical method. Many interesting numerical and experimental results are obtained, illustrated and discussed. Presented numerical results coincide with experimental data.