Brake squeals phenomena of disc brake for railroad cars

• Published in: Kikai Gakkai ronbunshū = Transactions of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Vol. 82; no. 844; p. 16-00337
• Main Authors: TAKAMI, Hajime, SAGA, Shinichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers 01.11.2016
• Subjects: Brake squeal; Disc brake; Friction-induced vibration; Noise; Railway; Self-excited vibration
• ISSN: 2187-9761
• DOI: 10.1299/transjsme.16-00337

Brake squeals phenomena of the disc brake system for railroad cars were reproduced and were investigated in the test stands using a full-size brake rotor, a wheel, a floating caliper and a brake pad. Brake squeals of the disc-brake apparatus occurred at a low speed of 20 km/h or less, and the magnitude of brake squeals increased as the average braking force increases until it was saturated. Frequencies of the brake squeals exceeding the background noise of the test facility are 800 Hz, 2 kHz, 3.2 kHz, and 6.3 kHz. The largest squeal of 6.3 kHz was radiated from the leading side of the pad and the rotor, and coupled vibrations between the rotor and the pad were attributed to the self-excited vibration induced by the dry friction. To measure the vibrations of the rotating disc at the time of brake squeals, vibration measuring systems operating by wireless power supply were installed in the rotating axle. As a result, one-third octave band analysis of brake squeals at 6.3 kHz and at 3.2 kHz approximately coincides with the vibration of both the rotor and pad, and the coupled vibration tends to grow larger in the high friction coefficient range. Furthermore, these frequencies agree well with the natural frequency of the rotor examined using the scanning laser doppler vibrometer. The mode shapes and amplitude of rotor vibrations at the time of brake squeals are significantly affected by the number of bolts and their fastening positions to the wheel.