Ceramic-Coated C/C Brake Surfaces for Lower Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft brake systems experience high wear rates, leading to reduced brake life and increased maintenance costs, particularly in carbon/carbon (C/C) brake stacks and heat sinks.
Innovation Solution
Applying a thin film of ceramic oxide, specifically a tape-casted ceramic tape containing nano ceramic binary oxide, doped nano ceramic binary oxide, or nano ceramic ternary oxide particulates, to the wear surfaces of C/C substrates, followed by heating to bond the ceramic tape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a conventional brake system is used, then the brake system can perform basic stopping function, but the wear rate is high leading to reduced brake life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a ceramic coating layer onto the carbon/carbon brake substrate, creating a composite structure that combines the high-temperature resistance of carbon with the wear resistance of ceramic materials. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining the basic brake function while significantly reducing wear rate and extending brake life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the surface properties of the brake component by applying a ceramic coating with specific compositional parameters (binary oxide, ternary oxide, or quaternary oxide ceramics). This parameter change in material composition transforms the surface wear characteristics, reducing the wear rate while preserving the brake's stopping function.
2Reliability
If a ceramic coating is applied to reduce wear, then wear resistance improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic coating is applied to the brake component during the manufacturing process itself, rather than as a separate post-processing step. This preliminary action integrates the wear protection function into the base manufacturing workflow, minimizing additional process complexity while achieving improved wear resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the coating application process with the existing brake manufacturing process, merging multiple functions (structural formation and surface protection) into a single integrated manufacturing workflow. This reduces the overall device complexity by eliminating separate coating operations.
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 method significantly reduces wear rates and extends the brake life of C/C brake stacks and heat sinks by providing a wear-resistant coating that manages friction and lubricates the brake system.
Implementation Method 1
heating the coated wear surface to bond the ceramic tape to the wear surface of the C/C substrate
Implementation Method 2
heating the coated wear surface to bond the ceramic tape to the wear surface of the C/C substrate
Implementation Method 3
manages friction and lubricates the brake system
Implementation Method 4
manages friction and lubricates the brake system
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for decreasing wear rate of a brake stack or a heat sink and increasing a brake life of the brake stack or the heat sink is disclosed herein. The method includes applying a thin film to a wear surface of a C/C substrate, the thin film including a ceramic tape, thereby forming a coated wear surface, wherein the ceramic tape comprises at least one of nano ceramic binary oxide particulates, doped nano ceramic binary oxide particulates, or nano ceramic ternary oxide particulates, heating the coated wear surface to bond the ceramic tape to the wear surface of the C/C substrate, and installing the coated wear surface of the C/C substrate to a multi-disk brake system.