Implicit–explicit co-simulation of brake noise

The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method has long been used as a means of reliable simulation of brake noise. In the simulation and analysis of brake noise, computational time is a significant factor. Complex Eigenvalue Analysis (CEA) is the most common brake noise analysis method since it can provide a quick prediction of the frequency of the instability [19]. However, most non-linear behaviours of the system are simplified in order to achieve a quick analysis result in the frequency domain. The explicit analysis can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the system by taking into account non-linear variables of the system in time domain. However, performing an explicit analysis is expensive in terms of computing time and costs.
This study investigates effectiveness of a hybrid implicit/explicit FEA method which combines frequency domain and time domain solution schemes. The time/frequency domain co-simulation analysis simulates the brake unit partly in implicit and partly in explicit, and combines the results. The aim of the study is to investigate the suitability of implicit-explicit co-simulation for brake Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) evaluations. The simulation results are correlated with the vehicle test results. The rotation of the disc is simulated in explicit domain while the rest of the loadings are based in the frequency domain using CEA implicit method. The performance of the co-simulation solution scheme is evaluated and compared to the implicit CEA analysis.