Thermomechanical performance of carbon fiber reinforced polymer synchronizer friction liners

Abstract

To improve the ability of a thermomechanical simulation model for carbon fiber reinforced polymer lined synchronizers to predict synchronization performance and reliability, temperature dependent material data for the specific carbon fiber reinforced polymer lining is needed. The compressive modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion, specific heat and thermal conductivity are determined experimentally. The effect of each material property on the focal surface temperature is analyzed, and it is shown that the compressive modulus has the largest influence for all analyzed load cases. Physical tests show that surface hot spots begin to appear at a simulated focal surface temperature of 200 ${}^{\circ }$ C, while performance degradation occurs at a simulated focal surface temperature of 230 ${}^{\circ }$ C–250 ${}^{\circ }$ C.