Experimental study using infrared thermograhy on the convective heat transfer of a TGV brake disc in the actual environment

Local and mean convective heat transfer from a rotating TGV brake disc model in the actual environment and submitted to an air flow parallel to the disc surface is studied experimentally in this paper. The experimental technique is based on the use of a heated thermally thick disc combined with the technique of temperature measurement by infrared thermography. The local convective heat transfer coefficient from the disc surface is identified by solving the steady state heat equation by finite difference method using the experimental temperature distribution as boundary conditions. These tests were carried out for rotational speed omega between 325 and 2000 rpm (rotational Reynolds number Re between 88500 and 545000) so as to obtain laminar and turbulent flow on the disc, and for air flow velocity U ranging between 0 and 12 m s(-1) lair flow Reynolds number Reo between 0 and 153000).