Aircraft Brake Pressure Sensor Prognostics via Cross-Mode Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft hydraulic brake systems face integrity compromise and resulting flight delays due to failed brake pressure sensors, which require inconvenient and time-consuming inspections, leading to unscheduled maintenance and potential profit losses.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for performing prognostics on brake pressure sensors, determining their status and extent of degradation, allowing for predictive maintenance scheduling by comparing validated and reported pressures, and outputting inspection or maintenance indicators to prevent unexpected failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brake pressure sensors are monitored only after failure, then the system remains simple, but aircraft operational reliability deteriorates due to unscheduled maintenance and flight delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary status determination and degradation assessment of brake pressure sensors during normal operation. By evaluating sensor health proactively before failure occurs, the system enables scheduled maintenance planning, preventing unscheduled maintenance and flight delays while maintaining reasonable system complexity through integrated monitoring in existing braking modes.
2Loss of time
If proactive sensor degradation monitoring is implemented, then maintenance timing is optimized, but system complexity increases due to additional monitoring requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors brake pressure sensor readings and compares them against expected values during primary and park braking modes. This feedback mechanism detects degradation trends over time, providing maintenance timing information without requiring complex external monitoring systems. The feedback is integrated into the existing brake control architecture, minimizing additional complexity.
3Reliability
If multiple brake pressure sensors are used for redundancy, then system reliability improves, but the risk of sensor failure and subsequent maintenance disruptions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary health assessment of redundant brake pressure sensors during normal operation. By identifying degradation in one or more sensors before failure occurs, the system enables proactive maintenance scheduling. This prevents sudden sensor failures that would ground the aircraft, thereby maintaining high operational productivity while preserving the benefits of redundant sensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake control system performs self-diagnosis by monitoring its own sensor health during primary and park braking operations. The system automatically detects sensor degradation and generates maintenance indicators without requiring external inspection systems. This self-service capability maintains reliability through continuous monitoring while avoiding the productivity loss associated with unscheduled maintenance.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of performing prognostics on a hydraulic brake system of an aircraft may include determining, during primary braking mode and by a hydraulic brake controller, a first status of a first brake pressure sensor (126) adjacent a brake assembly. The method may also include, in response to determining that the first status of the first brake pressure sensor is valid, determining, during park braking mode and by the hydraulic brake controller, a second status of a second brake pressure sensor (136) adjacent a park valve assembly. In response to determining that the first status of the first brake pressure sensor is degraded, the method may include outputting, by the hydraulic brake controller, at least one of an inspection indicator and a maintenance indicator.