Braking Impact of Normal Dither Signals

Dither control is a method of introducing high-frequency control efforts into a system to suppress a lower-frequency disturbance. One application of dither control is the suppression of automotive brake squeal. Brake squeal is a problem that has plagued the automotive industry for years. Placing a piezoceramic stack actuator in the piston of a floating caliper brake creates an experimental normal dither system. Many theoretical models indicate a reduction in the braking torque due to the normal dither signal. Using a Hertzian contact stiffness model, the loss in friction is due to lowering the average normal force. There are also theories that the dither signal eliminates the “stick-slip” oscillation causing an effective decrease in the friction force. Yet another theory indicates that the effective contact area is reduced, lowering the mean coefficient of friction. A particular approach considering a single-degree-of-freedom friction oscillator predicts a maximum friction reduction of 10%, occurring at the primary resonance of the system. This paper will concentrate on validating this claim by experimentally determining braking torque reduction for a variety of dither control signals. Several dither control frequencies were chosen at system resonances, while others were chosen at frequencies most likely to provide control of the system. These frequencies were chosen based on previous squeal suppression research. The results indicate that dither control frequencies at system resonances have a greater impact on the braking system’s performance. In general, dither control reduces braking torque by no more than 2%.