Analysis of braking performance and heat dissipation characteristics of multi-disc magnetorheological brake with an inner water-cooling mechanism

In order to improve the braking performance and reduce temperature rising of the magnetorheological (MR) brake during working condition, a multi-disc MR brake with an inner water-cooling mechanism is developed in this paper. The effective damping gaps are increased to eight sections by the four brake discs, which enhance the braking performance. An inner water-cooling mechanism is designed in the MR brake to improve the heat dissipation. The structure and working principle of the multi-disc MR brake are introduced, and the mathematical model of the braking torque and transient temperature field are established. The electromagnetic field simulation and the heat-flow coupling simulation are conducted by COMSOL software. A test rig is setup to investigate the braking performance and heat dissipation characteristics. The experimental results indicate the maximum braking torque can reach 96.24 N·m. Additionally, after 20 s of continuous braking, the temperature rise of the MR brake with cooling water input is lower than that without cooling water input. Compared with the braking torque reduction without cooling water input, the braking torque reduction with cooling water input is smaller. It is shown that cooling structures in the MR brake have a positive impact on improving braking performance.