Aircraft Brake Control with Priority-Based Yaw and Deceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current brake control systems for aircraft struggle to simultaneously achieve desired longitudinal deceleration and yaw moment control due to limited brake force and friction, requiring external prioritization of control axes and lacking active control over total yaw moments generated by braked wheels.
Innovation Solution
A brake control method that includes a brake control unit receiving external demand signals and a priority signal to prioritize between longitudinal deceleration and yaw moment control, using a brake command distributor to generate weighted brake command signals based on internal demand signals and priority factors, ensuring optimal use of available brake force across multiple brake devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If individual anti-skid controllers are used for each wheel to maximize brake force, then deceleration capability is improved, but yaw moment control is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines individual wheel brake force control with group-level yaw moment control by introducing a central controller that coordinates all individual anti-skid controllers. This merging allows the system to simultaneously achieve maximum deceleration through individual wheel optimization and precise yaw moment control through coordinated differential braking, resolving the contradiction between the two control objectives.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring wheel slip conditions, brake force application, and aircraft yaw moment, then adjusting individual wheel brake commands accordingly. This closed-loop feedback enables the controller to balance between maximizing total brake force for deceleration and distributing brake force differentially for yaw moment control.
2Ease of operation
If grouped wheel control is used to control yaw moment, then lateral control is improved, but total brake force utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the brake force distribution strategy based on real-time operating conditions. When yaw moment control is prioritized, the controller applies differential braking to affected wheels while maintaining adequate braking on other wheels. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to achieve precise yaw control without completely sacrificing total brake force utilization, as the controller continuously optimizes the balance between the two objectives.
3Productivity
If brake force is increased beyond maximum friction force, then deceleration is improved, but wheel locking occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-skid system applies partial braking action by modulating brake force to maintain wheel slip at an optimal level rather than applying maximum brake force. This controlled partial action prevents wheel locking while maintaining brake force close to the maximum friction limit, achieving near-optimal deceleration without sacrificing wheel rotation and control authority.
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to enable an improved braking performance and simultaneous control authority in braking systems, especially for aircraft (10), the invention proposes a brake control method for controlling a braking system of a vehicle, preferably an aircraft (10). The aircraft (10) has a plurality of brake device groups (23), and a brake control unit (34) receives a plurality of external brake demand signals each of which determines a brake target, such as longitudinal deceleration and/or lateral control. Furthermore, the brake control unit (34) receives a priority demand signal that controls the priority or importance of the first brake target over the second brake target. If it is not possible to achieve the demanded level of longitudinal deceleration and lateral control authority simultaneously, one of the two is prioritized with an amount that is given by the priority demand signal.