2025 UWFE Brakes

I am the lead for the brake subsystem for the 2025 UW Formula Electric Formula SAE open wheel racecar. I am responsible for the redesign and optimization of custom-manufactured parts including brake rotors, and the sizing of off-the-shelf components such as our master cylinders. I designed the brake rotors using SolidWorks and I used ANSYS Mechanical to conduct structural and thermal analyses.

Firstly, master cylinders were sized from first principles, using the maximum deceleration due to tire limitations and dynamic weight transfer, and the required braking torque to achieve this deceleration. I chose master cylinders which can provide this torque with a comfortable driver input, improving drivability.

From there, the structural forces on the brake rotors were determined from the clamping force and the friction of the brake pads. The rotors were analyzed using ANSYS Mechanical. The rotors are designed with a safety factor of 2.0 with regards to yielding under the maximum observed pedal force. Additionally, fatigue life was defined for the rotors using Marin fatigue factors to define an acceptable lifespan for the rotors.

Finally, the thermal performance of the brake rotors was analyzed with a transient thermal study using ANSYS Mechanical. The heat flow into the rotors was taken from testing data and our target was based on the temperature-friction characteristics of the brake pads.