Master's Thesis: Heat Partition Between Brake Disc and Brake Pads

Location: Göteborg, SE, 417 15

Master's Thesis: Heat Partition Between Brake Disc and Brake Pads

Location

Göteborg, SE, 417 15

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Position Type

Student

Permanent/Temporary

Temporary

Transport is at the core of modern society. Imagine using your expertise to shape sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions for the future. If you seek to make a difference on a global scale, working with next-gen technologies and the sharpest collaborative teams, then we could be a perfect match.

Would you like to kickstart your career? We are looking for two motivated master’s students to combine brake dynamometer testing, thermal calculations and finite element modelling to improve estimates of heat partition between a brake disc and its pads. Period January-June 2027.

What you will do

As the brake heats up, friction behaviors and material properties can change. In this thesis, you will investigate how these changes affect heat transfer between the disc and pads, and how accurately models can represent test results. Your main tasks will be to:

Analyse brake dynamometer measurements, including brake torque, speed, clamping force and temperature.

Investigate how temperature-dependent friction behaviour affects the clamping force needed to achieve a target brake torque.

Develop thermal calculations and a transient model of heat transfer between the disc and pads.

Use temperature-dependent material properties, such as thermal conductivity, and calibrate them if needed.

Build and assess a finite element model of the brake system or relevant components.

Compare model results with test data and evaluate uncertainty and sensitivity to key assumptions.

Summarise your findings and present recommendations for test methods and modelling.

Your future team

You will work on a technical challenge with supervision from Chalmers and Volvo Group. The project brings together experimental measurements, thermal calculations and modelling, giving you the opportunity to present recommendations based on your analyses.

Who are you?

You are pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, engineering physics, vehicle engineering or a related field. To succeed in this thesis, you:

Have a solid understanding of heat transfer and thermal calculations.

Are comfortable analysing test data and interpreting experimental measurements.

Have knowledge of the finite element method (FEM).

Work methodically, communicate results clearly and take ownership of technical challenges.

Meriting qualifications

Experience with Abaqus, preferably thermal analysis.

Experience with Python for data processing and analysis.

Knowledge of braking systems, friction materials or brake dynamometer testing.

Experience with material characterisation or temperature-dependent material data.

What’s in it for you?

You will deepen your knowledge of the interaction between friction, temperature and heat transfer in a braking system. The thesis gives you the opportunity to combine test data, thermal calculations and FEM modelling to address a practical engineering challenge and contribute recommendations for future tests and models.

Ready for the next move?

Interested in finding better ways to model heat partition in braking systems? We look forward to hearing from you.

Supervisors and contacts

Tore Vernersson, supervisor: [email protected]

Martin Petersson, Volvo Group: [email protected]

Reza Khansari, Volvo Group: [email protected]

Zafer Yuce: [email protected]

We value your data privacy and therefore do not accept applications via mail.

Who we are and what we believe in

We are committed to shaping the future landscape of efficient, safe, and sustainable transport solutions. Fulfilling our mission creates countless career opportunities for talents across the group’s leading brands and entities.

Applying to this job offers you the opportunity to join Volvo Group. Every day, you will be working with some of the sharpest and most creative brains in our field to be able to leave our society in better shape for the next generation. ​We are passionate about what we do, and we thrive on teamwork. ​We are almost 100,000 people united around the world by a culture of care, inclusiveness, and empowerment.

Trucks Technology & Industrial Division hire team players who are ready to create real customer impact. Our decentralized teams work close to our customers, with speed and autonomy, to build what they truly need.

Join us to collaborate on innovative, sustainable technologies that redefine how we design, build, and deliver value. Bring your curiosity, your expertise, and your collaborative energy, and together, we’ll turn bold ideas into tangible solutions for our customers and contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow.

Job Category

Engineering

Organization

Trucks Technology & Industrial

Travel Required

No Travel Required

Requisition ID

36321