Semi-similarity design of motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake: strategy and

application

Fei Gao1, 2 Gang Xiao1 YUANMING Zhang1

1 College of Information Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology,
Hangzhou 310032, China
2 State Key Lab of CAD&CG, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
E-mail: gfei_jack@163.com

Abstract used in real brake design. Other researchers, such as

Semi-similarity design is a reasonable and effective
approach for motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake design,
which is an indeterminate problem because of
incomplete required parameters. First, equation of
semi-similar level scale is set up through analyzing the
design model of motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake.
Second, algorithm of semi-similarity design and a
fuzzy evaluation model for design scheme are
proposed. Third, work flowchart of semi-similarity
design based on the above strategy is given and a
software system of motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake
semi-similarity design is developed. Finally, the
proposed strategy and method are effectively
demonstrated in an instance of motorcycle-hydraulic-
disk brake semi-similarity design.
Key words: Semi-similarity Design, Fuzzy Evaluation,
Hydraulic-Disk Brake, Design System, Equation of
semi-similar level scale
1. Introduction
Brake is an important component of motorcycle.
Hydraulic-disk brake, which is excellent in many
aspects, is substituting for drum brake gradually and is
being widely used in recent years [1, 2].
Although many factories in China are founded to
produce hydraulic-disk brakes in recent years, they are
short of self-design and mainly make copies of other
hydraulic-disk brakes. Many researchers, such as
Liqun Zhou [2], Xiaobin Liu [3], Juntang Yuan et al.
[5], Difeng Xu [6][7] and Bifu Liu [8] et al., studied
the hydraulic-disk brake about its working principle,
structure characters and design methods. They mainly
focused on the checking and calculating model of
motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake. However, it is
difficult to capture the necessary parameters needed by
the checking and calculating model, so it cannot be
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978-1-4244-3701-6/09/$25.00 ©2009 IEEE
S.J.Matysiak et al. [9], Malak Naji et al. [10] and
L.Afferrante et al. [11], are focused on brake part
characteristics.
To fully use the firm’s existing product resources,
this paper investigates a method of semi-similarity
design for motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake.
2. Design characteristics
Motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake is usually
designed according to the equation as follows [3, 5]:
F ˜ iF ˜ S 2 / S1 ˜ 2 ˜ D / 2 ˜ P ˜ K M P (1-1)
Where F is the hand power, which should satisfy the
brake performance and is usually constant between
80N and 120N [2]; iF is the lever ratio of hand power;
S1 is the sectional area of brake-pump piston, m2; S2 is
the Sectional area of brake-pincers piston, m2; D/2 is
the Effective radius of brake disk, m;  is the friction
coefficient between brake disk and friction pieces and
usually between 0.3 and 0.45 [3];  is the working
efficiency of brake by considering mechanical and
hydraulic loss and usually between 0.71 and 0.78 [3].
In motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake design, given
key parameter of whole motorcycle, namely brake
torque M, four main parameters, iF, S1, S2, and D/2,
should be derived from . However, equation (1-1) is
indeterminate and it is difficult to determine iF, S1, S2,
and D/2. So, semi-similarity design is introduced to
help design motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake.
3. Strategy of semi-similarity design
Equation (1-1) is an indeterminate equation under
such circumstances that motorcycle part firms usually
only know brake torque, M, and then the brake is
designed according to designer’s experiences. To help
designers to design a reasonable scheme rapidly and


help the firm to avoid too much depending on the
designer’s experience so that the design knowledge
can be easily continued and inherited, a strategy of
how to derive the main four parameters from given
brake torque according to equation (1-1) is proposed.
3.1 Equations of semi-similar level scale
Exponent equation can be derived from equation
(1-1) according to semi-similar geometry increasing
product design principle [4] as follows:
Fe  iFe  S2e  S1e  De  Pe Ke MPe (1-2)
In brake design, hand power is usually constant,
so level scale MF=1 and level exponent Fe=0. Powder
metallurgy or semi-metal friction pieces are usually
used in motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake, of which the
friction coefficient changes little, so level scale M=1
and level exponent e=0. On the other hand, brake
efficiency also changes little, so level scale M=1 and
level exponent e=0. Then, equations can be derived as
follows:
The increasing level scale of brake torque M is as
follows:
M M M L3 (1-3)
P
Where D1/2 is the searched effective radius of brake
disk, m.
(4) The sets of the sectional area of brake-pump piston,
S10, and the sectional area of brake-pincers piston, S20,
are collected through arranging the existing brake
pump modules and brake pincers modules, respectively:
SS1= {S11, S12, …, S1i, …, S1n}
SS2= {S21, S22, …, S2j, …, S2m}
Where SS1 is the set of existing brake pump modules;
SS2 is the set of existing brake pincers modules; n is
the number of existing pump modules; m is the number
of existing brake pincers modules; S1i is the sectional
area of ith brake-pump piston, i=1, 2, …, n; S2j is the
sectional area of jth brake-pincers piston, j=1, 2, …, m.
It is difficult to design and machine brake pumps
and brake pincers since their structures are complex,
and then the cost of their dies is high. So, the existing
modules of brake pumps and brake pincers should be
chosen in brake design as possible as designers can,
namely S10ęSS1 and S20ęSS2.
4. Evaluation of design scheme
4.1 Model of fuzzy evaluation

MM P M D3 (1-4) How satisfactory in brake design is a fuzzy

M Pe 3 ˜ De (1-5) concept given only key parameters of whole
motorcycle. So, fuzzy evaluation [12] is introduced as
MS 1
MS 2
M L2 M D2 (1-6) follows:
S1e S2e 2 ˜ De (1-7)
4.1.1 Evaluation of rationality of lever ratio of
3 / 2 ˜ iFe 3 ˜ De M Pe (1-8)
hand power
M i3 / 2
F
M D3 MM P (1-9)
Where ML is the effective radius of brake disk. It is necessary to choose a reasonable lever ratio
of hand power. How reasonable the lever ratio of hand
power is is a fuzzy set. The membership grade function
3.2 Algorithm of reasoning design scheme can be determined according to frequency of use of all
existing types of lever ratio of hand power scaled by a
Suppose the brake torque of a motorcycle is M0, step, s. Suppose all intervals of lever ratio of hand
N·m, the main four parameters can be determined power be a set as follows:
using equations from (1-3) to (1-9) as follows: U S ^u s1 , us 2 , ", u si , ", usn `
(1) Search a brake whose brake torque is M1 which is
most close to M0, where M1ıM0. Where usi=(asiˈcsi] denotes ith interval of lever ratio
(2) The lever ratio of hand power, i F , is derived from of hand power and s= csi – asi, so
0
usi as1 ˜ Os ˜ (i  1), as1 ˜ Os ˜ i @
equation (1-9):
Suppose the set of frequency of use of all intervals of
iF0 iF1 ˜ 3 / 2 M 0 / M 1 (1-10)
lever ratio of hand power be
Where i F1 is the searched lever ratio of hand power. BS ^bs1 , bs 2 , ", bsi , ", bsn ` . The corresponding
(3) The effective radius of brake disk, D0/2, is derived relation between Us and Bs is usi to bsi.Let fuzzy set
from equation (1-9): defined in US be
A1= {Reasonable lever ratio of hand power}
D0 / 2 D1 / 2 ˜ 3 M 0 / M 1 (1-11)
Where how reasonable the lever ratio of hand power is
can be denoted as follows:


 A1 (usi ) bsi / max(U s )
4.1.2 Evaluation of hand bar stiffness
The requirement about hand bar stiffness means
that elastic deformation of hand bar is less than 3mm
when it is put on 200N hand power. How good the
stiffness performance of hand bar is a fuzzy set:
A2={Good stiffness performance of hand bar}
And the membership grade function is
­1  u g / 3, 0 d u g  3
A2 (u g ) ®
¯0, u g t 3
Where ug is the elastic deformation of hand bar.
4.1.3 Evaluation of redundancy of hand bar
design scheme
The coefficient of redundancy of hand bar design
can be defined as KF=[Fb]/F, 1KF, Where [Fb]
denotes admissible flexural stress of material of hand
bar and F is the maximum of flexural stress of hand
bar design. A fuzzy set is defined as follows under the
circumstances that F is smaller than [Fb]:
A3={Lower redundancy of hand bar design }
Where the membership grade function is
°­0, K F  1
A3 ( K F ) ®
°̄1 / K F , 1 d K F d f
Smaller KF is, closer to 1 A3(KF) is, which means that
the design is closer to ‘lower redundancy of hand bar
design’.
4.1.4 Evaluation of rationality of hydraulic
magni-scale
Reasonable hydraulic magni-scale is a fuzzy set,
of which the membership grade function can be
determined through analyzing existing frequency of
use of each combination of brake pump and brake
pincers. Let set of all hydraulic magni-scale
be U Y {u y1 , u y 2 , ", u yi , ", u yn } , and set of frequency
of use be BY {by1 , by 2 , " , byi , " , byn } .
corresponding relation between UY and BY is uyi to
byi.A fuzzy set is defined in UY as follows:
A4= {Reasonable hydraulic magni-scale}
Where the membership grade function is:
A4 (u yi ) byi / max( BY )
4.1.5 Evaluation of brake efficiency

Considering real adhesive coefficient of a road in a
case of anti-lock and letting Mmin=m1·a·r1· and
Mmax=m1·M ·g·r1·, the brake negative acceleration
must satisfy M min d M P d M max , where M is the
esigned brake torque, N·m, m1 is the mass of whole
motorcycle, kg, r1 is the effective radius of wheels of
motorcycle, m,  is the partition coefficient of front-
wheel brake torque,M is the adhesive coefficient of a
road,g is the Acceleration of gravity, 9.8 m/s2. Then, A
fuzzy set is defined as follows:
A5= {Good brake efficiency}
Where the membership grade function is:
­0, M P  M min
°° M  M
A5 ( M P ) ® P min
, M min d M P d M max
M
° max  M min
°¯0, M P ! M max
4.1.6 Evaluation of size of brake disk
Outer radius R3 of a brake disk is usually
between 0.4 and 0.45 times of motorcycle wheel
hub radius R4. The ratio of inner radius to
outer radius of brake pieces is R1=0.7·R2, and
R3=R2+2. So, there is an experience equation about
the effective radius of brake disk as follows:
0.34·R4-1.7Re0.39·R4-1.7
Let Remin=0.34·R4-1.7 and Remax=0.39·R4-1.7, a fuzzy
set is defined as follows:
A6= {Smaller size of brake disk}
Where the membership grade function is
­0, Re  Re min
°° R  Re min
A6 ( Re ) ®1  e , Re min d Re d Re max
° Re max  Re min
¯°0, Re ! Re max
4.2 Optimization model
Suppose i is the weight corresponding to Ai, which
can be determined using Analytic Hierarchy Process
[12]. Then, the optimization target is
The 6
max{Fsat ¦Z
i 1
i ˜ Ai }
5. Case study
Information about more than 200 motorcycles and
brikes is collected in a motorcycle-hydraulic-disk
brake firm of Zhejiang province and is inputted into
the PDM system. Modular design is also executed.
According to modules base, membership grade curves
of lever ratio of hand bar and hydraulic magni-scale
are also gathered.
An instance of motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake
semi-similarity design in a motorcycle firm is given.
The motorcycle model is GS125 and its key
parameters are shown in table 1.
Table 1 Key parameters of GS125
Item Value
Fully loaded mass of motorcycle(kg) 178
Front-wheel outer diameter(m) 0.613
Outer diameter of wheel hub(m) 0.4
Designed brake negative acceleration(m/s2) 4.96
Required lowest brake torque(N·m) 200
Hand power(N) 100
Elastic ratio of hand bar material(GPa) 73
Tensile strength of hand bar material(MPa) 195
Friction coefficient of brake pieces 0.3
Seven feasible design schemes are obtained
through reasoning in the semi-similarity design system
and descending ordered by satisfactory degree. One of
the feasible design schemes is chosen as the final
scheme, and then, other main performance and
structure parameters will be reasoned and shown in
form of parametric picture, as depicted in Figure 1 and
Figure 2, respectively.
Figure 1 Main performance Figure 2 Main parameters of
parameters of brake hand bar
7. Closing remarks
This paper investigates a method of semi-
similarity design for motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake
and also advances a strategy of fuzzy evaluation of
design scheme. Then, based on PDM and knowledge
base of information about whole motorcycles, software
of motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake semi-similarity
design is developed. The proposed methodology can
not only fully use existing product resources, but also
change the actuality that motorcycle-hydraulic-disk
brake design depends too much on designers’
experiences. Finally, the proposed methodology is
demonstrated to be effective in an instance of
motorcycle-hydraulic-disk brake design in a factory of
Zhejiang Province of China.
Acknowledgments
This work is being supported by the National Natural
Science Foundation of China under Grant No.
50705087 and the Open Project Program of the State
Key Lab of CAD&CG (Grant No. A0903), Zhejiang
University.
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