# Braking force required to slow doen a merry-go-round

1. ### hi_im_fil

1
For a college assignment I am designing a centrifugal braking system which will limit the rotational speed of a merry-go-round to a pre determined value. I am using a system similar to the picture shown below. The brake will be using on the central shaft of the merry-go-round and a drum will be locked solid in the ground.

I have calculated the friction force that the centrifugal brake will apply to the drum at any given angular velocity and also the torque that the brake can apply to the drum. I am unsure however if this braking force will be enough to slow down the merry-go-round. It's angular momentum could possibly be too high for the brake to slow it down...

Is there any way I could caclulate if the torque that the centrifugal brake is high enough to slow down the merry-go-round?

2. ### Q_Goest

2,991
Welcome to the board,
Are you familiar with how angular acceleration, torque and rotational inertia are related? Take a look at this example and see if it helps.
http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/tutorials/torque/Q.torque.example.angacc.html