Cellular Piston Engaging Member for Aircraft Brake Heat Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft brake systems face challenges in managing heat transfer from friction elements to piston assembly components during braking, leading to potential damage and reduced braking performance due to inadequate heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A piston engaging member with a cellular structure is designed, featuring a body with a first side for engaging the pressure plate and a mount on the second side for attaching to the piston, where the body includes a plurality of walls and cavities arranged in a regular pattern to minimize thermal conductivity and distribute forces effectively, and is manufactured using additive manufacturing to enhance structural integrity and heat management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a solid piston engaging member is used to engage the pressure plate, then structural strength and load-bearing capacity are sufficient, but heat transfer from the friction elements to the piston assembly components increases, causing overheating and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The piston engaging member incorporates a cellular structure with closed cells containing gas or vacuum, creating a porous material that reduces thermal conductivity while maintaining structural integrity. The cellular structure acts as a thermal barrier, reducing heat transfer from the pressure plate engagement surface to the piston assembly components, while the cell walls provide the necessary mechanical strength to withstand braking loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston engaging member uses a composite structure combining solid cell walls with gas-filled or vacuum-filled cell cavities. This composite material approach creates a low thermal conductivity material while maintaining adequate mechanical properties. The combination of solid and gaseous/vacuum phases provides both structural strength and thermal insulation in a single integrated component.
2Temperature
If the piston engaging member uses a cellular structure to reduce heat transfer, then thermal insulation is improved, but the density and weight of the component may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cellular structure with closed cells provides thermal insulation while the cell walls are designed with optimized thickness and distribution to minimize material usage. The gas-filled or vacuum-filled cells provide thermal insulation without adding significant weight, as gases and vacuums have negligible mass compared to solid materials.
3Temperature
If the piston engaging member uses a cellular structure to reduce heat transfer, then thermal insulation is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cellular structure parameters such as cell size, cell wall thickness, and cell density are optimized to achieve the desired thermal insulation performance. By adjusting these parameters, the structure provides effective heat transfer reduction while maintaining manufacturability and structural integrity for the specific application requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cellular structure effectively reduces heat transfer to piston assembly components, preventing overheating and allowing for increased braking force without component damage, while also providing weight savings and improved load distribution.
Implementation Method 1
the body comprises a cellular structure between the first and second sides... the cellular structure effectively reduces heat transfer to piston assembly components
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A piston engaging member (14) of a piston assembly (6) for engaging a pressure plate (8) of an aircraft brake system (2), the engaging member comprising a body (16) having a first side (24) configured to selectably engage with the pressure plate (8), and a mount (18) on a second side (26) of the body (16) configured to mount the piston engaging member (14) with a piston (12) of the piston assembly (6) wherein the body (16) comprises a cellular structure (30) between the first and second sides (24, 26).