Aircraft Brake Control for Torque and Temperature Equalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Variations in brake torque and temperature across aircraft braking wheels lead to uneven loading, increased pilot workload, and prolonged aircraft turn-around time, especially in failure modes where the braking system's performance is impaired.
Innovation Solution
A braking control system that receives sensor inputs to optimize torque distribution among braking wheels, includes a health monitoring system for self-reconfiguration in case of failures, and automatically adjusts to prioritize torque or temperature equalization based on operational needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brake gain variations occur across braking wheels, then braking torque varies, but this leads to uneven undercarriage loading and increased aircraft weight requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures actual braking torque at each wheel using sensors and feeds this information back to the control system. The control system then adjusts brake commands individually for each wheel to compensate for brake gain variations, ensuring consistent braking torque across all wheels without requiring heavier undercarriage design margins
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts brake pressure parameters for each wheel based on measured brake gain characteristics. By changing the pressure parameter individually for each brake, the system compensates for manufacturing variations and ensures uniform braking torque distribution, eliminating the need for oversized undercarriage components
2Reliability
If brake gain variations occur, then braking torque varies, but this causes asymmetric braking and increased pilot workload
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors braking torque at each wheel and automatically adjusts brake pressure to maintain symmetric braking. This closed-loop control eliminates the need for pilot intervention to correct asymmetric braking, reducing workload while ensuring reliable symmetric braking performance
Solution Approach 2:
The braking system automatically compensates for asymmetric braking conditions without requiring pilot action. The control system self-adjusts brake pressure distribution based on sensor feedback, making the system self-correcting and eliminating the need for manual intervention to maintain braking symmetry
3Temperature
If brakes heat up at different rates, then temperature scatter increases, but this leads to increased aircraft turn-around time
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensors monitor brake temperature at each wheel and feed this information back to the control system. The system adjusts brake pressure to equalize cooling rates across all brakes, ensuring uniform temperature distribution that allows the aircraft to return to service faster after landing
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts brake pressure parameters during the deceleration process to control heat generation and dissipation. By modifying pressure timing and magnitude for each wheel, the system equalizes temperature across all brakes, reducing the cooling time required before the aircraft can be reused
4Temperature
If brakes heat up at different rates, then temperature scatter increases, but this results in increased wear rates of brake components
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses temperature sensor feedback to monitor and equalize brake temperatures in real-time. By adjusting brake pressure to maintain uniform temperature distribution, the system prevents excessive heat accumulation in any single brake, thereby reducing thermal stress and extending the lifespan of brake components
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
A braking control system for an aircraft having a plurality of braking wheels (14), the braking control system being configured to: receive input of signals from sensors representative of a plurality of measured aircraft parameters; output a plurality of brake commands to brakes associated with the braking wheels; and equalise one or both of: the torque applied by brake actuators to the braking wheels; the brake temperature of the braking wheels.