Aircraft Electric Autobrake Master Channel Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft brake systems lack sufficient independent and redundant processing for reliable and synchronous autobrake control, which is crucial for ensuring safety and robustness in automated brake applications.
Innovation Solution
An electric autobrake system with a master autobrake channel generating a synchronized command for all brake actuators, ensuring simultaneous brake application across all aircraft wheels by computing and transmitting a common autobrake master command to slave channels, while allowing each slave channel to control its respective brake actuators without further processing, except for antiskid adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional cable actuated or hydraulic actuated brake systems are used, then the brake system structure is simple, but the brake control precision and synchronization are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional cable actuated or hydraulic actuated brake systems with an electrically actuated and electrically controlled brake system. This substitution enables precise control of brake application through electrical signals while maintaining system reliability, directly addressing the need for improved brake control precision in automated autobrake functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the brake control system into multiple independent channels (first channel, second channel, third channel, fourth channel), each capable of independently computing and controlling brake application. This segmentation provides redundant processing paths that ensure synchronous and reliable brake control, resolving the contradiction between control precision and system complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple independent channels are used for redundant processing, then the reliability is improved, but the brake application synchronization becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the brake control commands from multiple independent channels by having each channel compute a brake command based on the same input data (autobrake command actuation data). The channels are designed to produce identical autobrake command outputs, ensuring that all channels apply brakes to all wheels simultaneously while maintaining independent redundant processing for enhanced reliability.
3Reliability
If each slave channel processes the autobrake command independently, then the processing redundancy is increased, but the brake application symmetry may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent assigns different roles to different channels: the first channel computes the master autobrake command, while the second, third, and fourth channels receive and execute this master command. Each channel maintains independent processing capability but follows a coordinated hierarchy that ensures symmetric brake application across all wheels while preserving processing redundancy for safety.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and methods for an electric autobrake function suitable for use with an aircraft is disclosed. The system includes a single master autobrake channel configured to generate a master autobrake command and a plurality of slave autobrake channels configured to receive the autobrake master command. The methods receive autobrake command actuation data, compute a common autobrake master command based upon the autobrake command actuation data, and synchronize brake application by utilizing the common autobrake master command to actuate all brake actuators.