Brake Disk Wear Plugs for Carbon-Carbon Wear Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Incorporating ceramic materials into carbon fiber-carbon matrix composite materials for aircraft brake systems is time-consuming and poses environmental and health safety issues, particularly with chemical vapor deposition methods.

Innovation Solution

The use of graphite rods or carbon pitch wear plugs within the composite material to modify friction and wear rates, which can be inserted or deposited during the manufacturing process of carbon fiber-carbon matrix composite parts, such as brake disks, to improve wear resistance without the need for extensive ceramic infiltration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If ceramic particles are incorporated into C/C composite materials using chemical vapor deposition, then friction and wear properties are improved, but manufacturing time increases and environmental and health safety issues arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidmanufacturing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state of ceramic material from vapor phase (chemical vapor deposition) to solid phase (pre-formed plugs or particulate matter), fundamentally altering the incorporation method to reduce manufacturing time and eliminate environmental hazards while maintaining wear resistance improvements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the harmful aspects of ceramic incorporation (environmental contamination and long processing time) by removing the chemical vapor deposition process entirely, replacing it with mechanical insertion of pre-prepared ceramic plugs or particulate matter that can be added quickly without hazardous byproducts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If ceramic material is incorporated into C/C composite materials, then wear rate is improved, but environmental and health safety issues are posed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewear rateVSAvoidenvironmental and health safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful chemical vapor deposition process into a beneficial mechanical insertion process, where pre-formed ceramic plugs or particulate matter are physically inserted into the C/C composite material, eliminating environmental and health hazards while maintaining the beneficial wear rate improvement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces pre-formed ceramic plugs or particulate matter as an intermediary carrier of wear-resistant properties, replacing the harmful chemical vapor deposition method with a benign physical insertion process that achieves the same functional improvement without environmental or health consequences

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11796021B2Composites and methods of forming composites having friction and wear plugs

Publication Date: 2023.10.24 GOODRICH CORP

AI summary

A friction disk may comprise a first wear surface formed from a carbon fiber-carbon matrix composite material. A wear plug may be located in an opening defined by the carbon fiber-carbon matrix composite material. The wear plug may extend axially from the wear surface. The wear plug may comprise a rod or a particulate.