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HotSpotter: Software for evaluating multi-disk brakes and clutches
HotSpotter is a finite element software tool for evaluating the susceptibility of axisymmetric multi-disk brakes and clutches to thermoelastic instability (TEI).
TEI can occur in brakes and clutches as a result of an unstable interaction between frictional heating, thermoelastic distortion and elastic contact. It results in high local temperatures known as "Hot Spots". These can cause low frequency noise and vibration (NVH) also known as "Hot Roughness"or "Hot Judder". High temperatures can also cause permanent plastic deformation of clutch disks (e.g. "Coning") and fade or excessive wear of brakes. This places operating limits on high performance aircraft brakes.
The HotSpotter software will be useful to design engineers of clutches and brakes for the automotive and aircraft industry as well as researchers in the field of contact mechanics. The program is an interactive windows based software package that runs in the PC and UNIX operating systems. HotSpotter is currently available for licensing from the University for $8,000.
HotSpotter was developed under the direction of Professor James R. Barber of the University of Michigan's College of Engineering. For more detailed information, including research references, an application demonstration and access to a demo program, please visit the following web site.
http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~jbarber/hotspotter.html
Printed from: http://www.techtransfer.umich.edu/news_events/news/article_16.php