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- Path: sparky!uunet!gatech!darwin.sura.net!dtix!oasys!smennitt
- From: smennitt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Stuart Mennitt)
- Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
- Subject: Re: disc braks again
- Message-ID: <24930@oasys.dt.navy.mil>
- Date: 11 Sep 92 15:01:02 GMT
- References: <1992Sep10.224850.10150@bohra.cpg.oz.au> <1992Sep11.133425.6844@infonode.ingr.com>
- Reply-To: smennitt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Stuart Mennitt)
- Organization: NavSurfWarCen, CarderockDiv (ex-"Taylor Model Basin")
- Lines: 28
-
-
- I follow motorcycle technology closely, mainly because a couple
- of friends roadrace. Production sportbikes, for years, have come with
- dual >9" disks with multi piston calipers on the front wheel. On race
- bikes, the rear brake is not an issue, because under hard braking the
- rear wheel has near zero weight on it (if it's on the ground at all).
- It's no trouble to do "brakies" on sportbikes: clamp the front brake
- on until the bike pitches forward with the rear wheel a foot or two
- off the ground.
- Several top racers have experimented with carbon fiber discs and
- pads. The advantage is they can operate at extreme temperatures without
- fade. The disadvantage is they must be completely warmed up before
- they are effective. For this reason, carbon fiber setups are completely
- enclosed (to retain heat), and the racer must take several laps dragging
- the brakes before racing.
- I read some car article where a person was looking at a innovative
- way to cool metal brake discs. Engine coolant was pumped in through
- a hole in the axle and was flung into passages in the discs by centrifugal
- force. The heat from the brakes flashed the coolant to steam. Because
- of the density difference, the steam was forced towards the center of
- the disc by the heaver liquid coolant, and the steam/condensate was
- returned to the system.
- --____________________________________________________
- ] Stu Mennitt smennitt@oasys.dt.navy.mil [
- ] NavSurfWarCen, CarderockDiv Bethesda, Maryland [
- ] was: David Taylor Research Center [
- ] was: David Taylor Naval Ship R&D Center [
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