Water cooled brakes
11-16-2003, 08:12 PM
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Water cooled brakes
I was being a potato today and watched the truck races in Europe. I am amazed at how the blacktop holds up with the weight of those monsters hitting the corners at 80 MPH. The commentator mentioned that the front wheels steamed at the corners because of the water cooled brakes. What is that design, and why is it that their brakes don't warp? Are there discs involved at all?
11-16-2003, 09:01 PM
#2
Three Wheelin'
I have never watched those races, but I remember hearing a report years, and years ago at the 1959 Sebring 12 Hour race. The Lister team (I think)was trying water cooled brakes, but they didn't work too well. By the way, I also think that was the first year that Ferrari used disc brakes. Wasn't that a long time ago? I'm sure in the last 24 years someone has tried water cooling brakes, especially for something as big as those trucks. Was that race on Speed TV?
Bill Seifert
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11-17-2003, 12:41 AM
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I've watched the truck races a few times, fun stuff! I assumed they were drum brakes cooled by spraying water on the outside of the drum. Anyone know how it really works?
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11-18-2003, 02:33 AM
#12
"I saw a Trans Am race this year where a team described them. Apparently, it is allowed in that series."
Some race calipers have a coolant circulation passage in them to transfer heat, but most TransAm teams use "regular" 6-piston Alcon or Brembo calipers with an external water spray to help cool the brakes, especially on point and squirt street courses where the brakes have little time to recover between heavy brake applications (cars have 550 HP and weigh approx. 2500 lbs.). The water spray use the latent heat of vaporization principle to absorb heat and lower the temperature of the cooling air. It seems to work for them. Not sure how the racing trucks use it if you see a lot of steam from the brakes (steam is not as good a coolant).
Adv. plug: Our MPC water mist system is used by the Rocketsport Jag team (drivers are Scott Pruett and Randy Lewis) with pretty good success. They finished 1-2 in the 2003 TransAm Championship with it.
Sherwood
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars
www.seinesystems.com
Some race calipers have a coolant circulation passage in them to transfer heat, but most TransAm teams use "regular" 6-piston Alcon or Brembo calipers with an external water spray to help cool the brakes, especially on point and squirt street courses where the brakes have little time to recover between heavy brake applications (cars have 550 HP and weigh approx. 2500 lbs.). The water spray use the latent heat of vaporization principle to absorb heat and lower the temperature of the cooling air. It seems to work for them. Not sure how the racing trucks use it if you see a lot of steam from the brakes (steam is not as good a coolant).
Adv. plug: Our MPC water mist system is used by the Rocketsport Jag team (drivers are Scott Pruett and Randy Lewis) with pretty good success. They finished 1-2 in the 2003 TransAm Championship with it.
Sherwood
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars
www.seinesystems.com
11-18-2003, 02:47 AM
#13
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Various race formats use water cooled brakes.
Two well known ones (in Europe + ROW anyway) are WRC (rallying) and the old Supertouring format.
The calipers are simply pumped through with water which gets cooled by a radiator. That's it.
Regards, AG.
Two well known ones (in Europe + ROW anyway) are WRC (rallying) and the old Supertouring format.
The calipers are simply pumped through with water which gets cooled by a radiator. That's it.
Regards, AG.
11-18-2003, 07:37 AM
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The system mentioned by Sherwood does not just spray the rotors like a garden sprayer. It provides a fine mist of water into the brake ducts only when the brakes are applied. This helps to cool the air going to the rotors, and then this cooler moisture laden air effectively reduces the rotor temps over just the air alone. A very nice setup...
