Performance of a carbon/carbon composite clutch during Formula One race start conditions

A single clutch-plate interface dynamometer (SCID) was designed and commissioned to facilitate friction and thermal performance testing of single clutch-plate pairs. Narrow (~2mm) high-temperature (1300-1650°C) hot bands were observed during SCID tests at high rotational speeds and clamp loads typical of race starts. Migration of the hot bands occurred between successive engagements but not during single engagements. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the thickness of the friction film formed on the friction surfaces appeared to become thicker as the amount of friction work increased. A thermomechanically coupled finite element analysis (TCFEA) was then developed by coupling Matlab and Abaqus to simulate the thermo-mechanical response of a single clutch-plate pair during SCID testing. With allowance for wear, the model predicts high degrees of contact localisation resulting in a single distinct hot band of comparable temperature and width to those recorded during SCID testing.