Design and Numerical Evaluation of a Forced-Air Duct Cooling System for the Thermal Management of Brake Discs in a Heavy-Duty Van

Medina L.F.; Mollo C.T.; Vidal Y.S.; Ccama M.S.; Canazas J. · International Journal of Heat and Technology (2026) · DOI: 10.18280/ijht.440227

Resumen

Efficient thermal management of braking systems is essential to ensure vehicle safety and maintain braking performance under severe operating conditions. In this study, the aerothermal behavior of a brake cooling duct and its influence on the convective heat transfer characteristics of a ventilated brake disc were investigated numerically using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The simulations considered different inlet air flow velocities representing typical vehicle operating conditions, as well as three imposed surface temperatures for the brake disc: 600 K, 700 K, and 800 K. The results show that increasing the inlet air flow velocity significantly improves the duct's convective cooling capacity, reducing the air temperature within the flow domain by more than 100 K compared to the condition with the lowest velocity. However, this improvement is accompanied by higher aerodynamic losses due to the increase in pressure drop along the duct. It was observed that the spatial distribution of the wall heat transfer coefficient over the disc surface is primarily controlled by the local airflow structure, with typical values ranging from 90 to 140 W m⁻² K⁻¹ and maximum values reaching approximately 180 W m⁻² K⁻¹ near the ventilation ducts. The brake disc was modeled as stationary; therefore, the reported cooling performance may be conservative, as rotational effects that enhance internal airflow were not considered.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa