Numerical simulation and experimental investigation on the thermal-fluid-solid multi-physical field coupling characteristics of wet friction pairs considering cavitation effect

The coupling characteristics of thermal-fluid-solid multi-physical fields are crucial in determining the operational performance and service life of wet clutches. However, the underlying mechanism behind the influence of cavitation effect on these coupling characteristics remains unclear. Therefore, we propose a numerical solution method for considering cavitation effect in the coupling characteristics based on the multi-physical field coupling platform MPCCI combined with ABAQUS and FLUENT. The distribution patterns and intercoupling relationships among temperature field, flow field, and stress-strain field are comprehensively analyze. The influence of relative speed, cross-sectional shape of oil grooves, and oil flow on the coupling characteristics is investigated. Experimental validation confirms that the proposed model accurately predicts temperature variation by accounting for cavitation effect. The temperature distribution of steel discs is notably affected by the cavitation effect, leading to an elevation in the maximum temperature and uneven distribution characterized by localized hot spots along the circumferential direction. Accounting for the cavitation effect reduces errors between calculated and experimental values of temperature rise. The convective heat transfer coefficient gradually decreases radially, with a more pronounced decrease in the cavitation region. An increase in relative speed and a decrease in oil flow both lead to greater cavitation volume, resulting in higher temperature of steel discs. Among three different cross-sectional shapes of oil grooves investigated, rectangular grooves exhibit larger areas affected by cavitation compared to triangular grooves. These research findings provide a theoretical basis and technical support for accurate prediction of thermal characteristics within high-power wet clutches.