FEM ANALYSIS OF WET MULTI PLATE CLUTCH BY VARYING FRICTION SURFACE MATERIAL

The important component of any automotive machine is the friction clutch. Clutch is a mechanism for transmitting rotation which can be engaged and disengaged. It is a link between engine and transmission system which conducts power in the form of torque from engine to the gear assembly. When vehicle is in motion clutch is first disengaged for the drive to allow for gear selection and then again engaged smoothly to power the vehicle to transfer torque to the driving wheels. In the present work, an attempt is made on wet multi plate clutch with varying friction material. The behavior of the clutch or brake is influenced by the friction combination when being engaged and disengaged, the permissible thermal loading and the behavior in terms of wear and tear should be considered. The friction materials which is used here represent the most important part of each friction combination, which effectively consist of the counter frictional surface and in the case of wet-running. Structural and Thermal analysis is done on the wet friction plates to verify the strength. Design of wet multiple plate clutch is carried out by using CATIA design software and Finite Element Analysis is carried out by using ANSYS v11 software. Friction materials used are Cork and Copper Powder Metal. Material used for inner disc is steel and outer disc is bronze. By observing the analysis results it indicates that the design is safe and considerable.