Analysis of a Lightweight Brake Master Cylinder for Formula Student Vehicle

The function of a Braking system is to bring the vehicle to rest by converting the kinetic energy of the vehicle into heat energy, which is then dissipated into air. This Energy conversion is facilitated by displacing the caliper pistons equipped with brake pads and pressing them against the surface of the brake rotor. Hydraulic fluid, which is an incompressible fluid, serves as a medium in displacing the pistons. A brake master cylinder is used to generate hydraulic pressure by taking the input from the brake pedal, via a pushrod. The paper explores the design and analysis of a brake master cylinder tailored for a formula student vehicle. It is a single-circuit spherical bearing mounted type master cylinder, equipped with a bore diameter of 5/8”. The objective was to design a compact master cylinder that is lighter in weight compared to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) master cylinders. The design was made using 3D CAD Modelling software and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was applied to conduct the structural analysis. Two Aluminium grades, Al 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 were finalized on the basis of their strength-to-weight ratio and thermal conductivity. Results showed that Al 7075-T6 had a higher FOS of 4.3 compared to 6061- T6. Hence, Al 7075-T6 was selected as the material for the master cylinder and the design also showcased a weight reduction of 39.89% as compared to an OEM master cylinder. Major Findings: Six materials, namely Aluminium Alloys 6061-T6 and 7075-T6, Gray Cast Iron, AISI 316, Acrylic, and Acetal Copolymer were evaluated for the master cylinder using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Based on a comprehensive analysis, Aluminium Alloy 7075-T6 emerged as the most suitable material for developing the master cylinder. This selection resulted in a weight reduction of 39.89%.