Influence of buckled separate plate on the contact pressure and thermal properties in a multi-disc clutch

The wet multi-disc clutch is the core component of heavy-duty vehicles and off-highway machineries. Because of the buckling deformation in the clutch, the attempt of increasing the energy density of the transmission system is restricted. Though the buckling deformation directly affects the clutch thermodynamic characteristics, studies on the buckled friction components on the performance of clutches are inadequate. Therefore, in this investigation, by establishing numerical methods, the influence of the buckled separate plate on the clutch contact pressure and thermal properties is investigated. The coupling effect of the buckling angle and the applied pressure are revealed to be the decisive factor, which is also verified by the experiment. The results indicate that with the increasing buckling angle and decreasing applied pressure, the radial contact pressure distribution in a three-friction-pair system changes from the “W/M/Line” to the “U/N/N” shape. The buckled plate not only changes the contact and temperature distribution of itself but also affect the adjacent plate. The reduced thermal stress and thermal bending moment of the adjacent plate indicate that increasing the overall applied pressure while decreasing the contact pressure at outer radius can recede the thermal load and reduce the possibility of further deformation. This investigation extends the studies of buckling deformation and provides insights to the failure monitoring and detecting.