A computational fluid dynamic analysis on the effect of front row pin geometry on the aerothermodynamic properties of a pin-vented brake disc

Increasing demand from the consumer for higher levels of refinement from their passenger vehicles has put considerable pressure on the automotive industry to produce ever quieter cars. In order to prevent the occurrence of many forms of brake noise, especially judder and drone, excessive heating of the brake disc must be avoided, while minimizing temperature variations across the rotor. In order for this to be achieved the brake rotor must be designed such that it ensures sufficient uniform heat dissipation and thermal capacity. In high-demand braking applications, vented discs consisting of two rubbing surfaces separated by straight radial vanes are normally employed, as they utilize a greater surface area to dissipate heat. Within this paper the effects of changing the geometry of the first row of pins on aerothermodynamic properties of a pin-vented brake rotor are investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The validated CFD model shows that decreasing the thickness of the first row of pins by 10 per cent improves the mass flowrate through the rotor by 14 per cent and the heat transfer rate by 6 per cent. The results obtained can be used for the design of brake discs which are efficient with respect to heat dissipation.