Enhancement of thermo-mechanical coupling interface tribological performance in high-speed train full-scale floating-type brake pad: Impact of friction block shape and braking force distribution

A full-scale thermo-mechanical coupling model of floating-type brake pad is developed to investigate braking interface tribology in high-speed trains. Effects of friction block shapes and through-hole structures on the interface tribological performance are analyzed. A piston force distribution strategy based on the minimum interference principle is proposed to reduce the interface stress gradient. The results show that the friction blocks with through-hole exhibit reduced friction-induced temperature and Von Mises stress in the global region. The stress gradient on the disc or pad surface decreased by 25.45% under the hexagonal friction block with through-hole after brake force optimization. This study helps to guide the improvement of brake pad performance.