Abstract
With the assumptions that the interface between the brake drum and the lining plates is perfect contact, that the friction coefficient is constant, that the thermal effect is neglected, that the brake drum and metal shoes are rigid, the pressure distributions of drum brakes are studied by using the boundary element method. The constant element is used in the two dimensional model of the drum brake for simplicity and economy. The pressure distributions on the metal shoe and the lining plate and the friction force versus the effective cam lift are compared and show good agreement with the available data. The effects of the Young’s modulus of elasticity, the angle of the arc length, the friction coefficient, the location and the thickness of the lining plate, the Young’s modulus of elasticity and the angle of the arc length of the metal shoe, and the angle of the actuating force on the pressure distributions of the drum brakes are then studied.
