Mechanistic Study of Groove Parameters on the Thermoelastic Instability of Wet Clutch

The groove parameters on the friction base of wet clutches significantly affect the temperature distribution of the steel plates. However, existing methods have not thoroughly investigated the mechanisms by which these parameters influence the thermoelastic instability of wet clutches. To address this gap, a comprehensive co-simulation model of the friction sub-multi-physical field was developed to systematically examine the effects of groove inclination, groove density, and groove depth on the surface temperature and mechanical response of the steel plates. The results indicate that both the tilt angle of the grooves and the number of grooves substantially influence the surface temperature distribution of the steel plates. Specifically, increasing the number of grooves leads to a more concentrated distribution of high-temperature hot spots in the circumferential direction, gradually transitioning the surface temperature–hot spot pattern from isolated hot spots to a more uniform high-temperature tropical distribution, which subsequently reduces the maximum surface temperature. On the other hand, increasing the groove inclination angle causes the high-temperature distribution to shift from localized hot spots to a more tropical pattern, with a relatively minor impact on the peak surface temperature. Furthermore, increasing the groove depth results in the dispersion of the high-temperature tropical zone in the circumferential direction, causing the maximum temperature to initially decrease and then increase.