Over the past decade vehicle judder caused by Disc Thickness Variation (DTV) has become of major concern to automobile manufacturers worldwide. Judder is usually perceived by the driver as minor to severe vibrations transferred through the chassis during braking [1-9]. In this research, DTV is investigated via the use of a Smart Brake Pad (SBP). The SBP is a tool that will enable engineers to better understand the processes which occur in the harsh and confined environment that exists between the brake pad and disc whilst braking. It is also a tool that will enable engineers to better understand the causes of DTV and stick-slip the initiators of low and high frequency vibration in motor vehicle brakes. Furthermore, the technology can equally be used to solve many other still remaining mysteries in automotive, aerospace, rail or anywhere where two surfaces may come in contact. The SBP consists of sensors embedded into an automotive brake pad enabling it to measure pressure between the brake pad and disc whilst braking. The two sensor technologies investigated were Thick Film (TF) and Fibre Optic (FO) technologies. Each type was tested individually using a Material Testing System (MTS) at room and elevated temperatures. The chosen SBP was then successfully tested in simulated driving conditions. A preliminary mathematical model was developed and tested for the TF sensor and a novel Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model for the FO sensor. A new method called the Total Expected Error (TEE) method was also developed to simplify the sensor specification process to ensure consistent comparisons are made between sensors. Most importantly, our achievement will lead to improved comfort levels for the motorist.

Increasing environmental awareness has driven a lot of research to look into various environmentally friendly lubricants which can replace more conventional mineral oil based lubricants. This is true in particular for marine and hydropower applications where the risk of lubricant leakage can be damaging to the local environment. Glycerol is an organic compound produced as a byproduct when producing Biodiesel. It is environmentally friendly and has been used by the pharmaceutical and food industries for a long time. Recent research has shown that glycerol has very good tribological properties and can be used as a lubricant in some applications. However, its high viscosity and high static friction are disadvantageous and needs improvement. The purpose of this study is to investigate possible surface active environmentally adapted additives in glycerol and water solutions. 14 additives have been selected for testing and were tested in a pin-on-disc start-stop friction test to see their effect on the static and dynamic friction coefficients. From these 14 additives two were selected due to their superior performance and were further studied. The effect of concentration of water and additive in glycerol was also investigated using the same test conditions. A phosphor based additive has been found to be the best performing.