Brake Cooling Idea would this work

[randomwalk]

Std brakes are often not up to track use due to overheating issues, rather than upgrade to larger discs, calipers etc, what about a cooling system for the existing brakes. Rather than using air to cool the brakes what about a system that sprays a very fine mist of water on the brakes? This would need to be a fine mist so as not to cause a rapid decrease in temp, also a very fine mist would immediately vaporise so leaving no water to drop on track. The water mist could be activated by a temp sensor or be manually operated.

Compared to air cooling the latent heat of vaporisation of water would add significant cooling to hot brakes.

Just wondering if this would be effective ?

[rotorheadcase]

This is a standard fitment on competition V* Supercars here in Australia. Not sure how practical it would be on a road car.

If your brakes aren't up to the job, you're better off fitting larger rotors and calipers than trying to plumb in a one-off system to a road car.

Neil

[Sam_68]

Water cooling was 'used' back in the '80's on Formula 1 cars, too, though I understand that it was more of a scam: they were allowed to have the cars weighed at scrutineering with all fluids topped up, but then run with the brake cooling tank empty, thereby dodging the minimum weight restriction.

[randomwalk]

For a road car with occasional track use, I thought it might be an option rather than go to expense of upgrading the brakes which can mean bigger rotors, calipers and maybe bigger wheels.

[6speedmanual]

IIRC some racing Jaguars used a water spray on the disc. Broadspeed? Probably worth a few minutes on Google.

P

[leorest]

Also used in truck racing. You would probably need a loud low water level alarm

[jonamacg83]

I think you would get problems with thermal shock and/or problems with localised cooling, unless the system was very well engineered. The other thing to consider is that I bet the discs are especially designed for these applications; I think constant rapid heating and localised cooling of a standard disc would prematurely fatigue the disc.

The potential effects of a disc failing/flying to pieces at speed could be pretty dire, so its well worth considering that before you start!

Jonny

[randomwalk]

jonamacg83 said:

I think you would get problems with thermal shock and/or problems with localised cooling, unless the system was very well engineered. The other thing to consider is that I bet the discs are especially designed for these applications; I think constant rapid heating and localised cooling of a standard disc would prematurely fatigue the disc.

The potential effects of a disc failing/flying to pieces at speed could be pretty dire, so its well worth considering that before you start!

Jonny

I agree with what you say, thermal shock would be a problem, thats why I suggested the water spray would need to be an atomised mist, therefore the water hitting the disk would only cool it slightly and would vaporise when it hit the hot disk.

[TallPaul]

I'm not sure I'd be too worried about damaging hot discs with the water, nobody damages discs when they drive through a puddle, do they?

[PoleDriver]

TallPaul said:

I'm not sure I'd be too worried about damaging hot discs with the water, nobody damages discs when they drive through a puddle, do they?

If there's rain about would they be driving/braking hard enough to get the discs up to high temperatures?

[randomwalk]

Driving through water with hot disks could warp them I think

[Gakes]

Hard braking through a small puddle warps brakes immediately.I proved myself wrong a few times and needed to replace discs thrice. Never had the rear ones warp though....