CMC Brake Wear Debris Injection for Cold Wear and Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft brake systems using ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) face challenges in managing wear debris, particularly at cooler temperatures, leading to increased wear and vibration issues.
Innovation Solution
A wear debris delivery system that incorporates a CMC brake component with a stator disk and torque plate barrel, featuring stator splines to support the stator disk, and an injector to deliver wear debris through the torque plate barrel to the stator disk, thereby reducing wear and vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If CMC brake components are used to increase heat capacity, then heat absorption and dissipation improve, but wear increases at cooler temperatures due to high friction coefficient and poor wear debris adherence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful wear debris that would normally be discarded into a beneficial lubricant by injecting it onto the brake component surface. The wear debris, which is naturally generated during braking, is now utilized to reduce friction and wear at cooler temperatures, transforming a harmful byproduct into a protective element that extends brake life and maintains reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance (wear debris) delivered through an injection system to mediate between the brake component surfaces. This intermediary layer of wear debris acts as a solid lubricant, reducing direct contact and friction between mating surfaces during cold taxi conditions, thereby preventing excessive wear while maintaining the high heat capacity benefits of CMC materials.
2Temperature
If CMC brake components are used to increase heat capacity, then heat absorption and dissipation improve, but vibration increases due to grabby braking characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful vibration and grabby braking characteristics into a beneficial effect by using the injected wear debris to create a more consistent friction interface. The wear debris layer moderates the friction coefficient variations, smoothing out the grabby behavior and reducing vibrations while preserving the high heat capacity advantage of CMC brake components.
3Reliability
If wear debris is injected to reduce wear, then friction coefficient stability improves, but system complexity increases due to injection system requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service system where the brake component's own wear debris is harvested and reused as lubricant. The injection system draws from the naturally generated wear debris within the brake assembly itself, creating a self-sustaining lubrication system that reduces wear and stabilizes friction without requiring external lubricant supplies or complex delivery mechanisms.
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 system effectively reduces wear on CMC brake components by continuously injecting wear debris, which acts as a lubricant, thereby improving the brake's performance and reducing vibration during braking events.
Implementation Method 1
an injector to deliver wear debris through the torque plate barrel to the stator disk, thereby reducing wear and vibration
Data Source
AI summary
A wear debris delivery system includes a brake component fabricated from a ceramic matrix composite (CMC). The brake component includes a stator disk, the stator disk having at least one wear surface, and a torque plate barrel having a series of axially extending stator splines, wherein the stator splines are configured to support the stator disk. The wear debris delivery system includes an injector configured to inject wear debris into the brake component such that the wear debris travels through the torque plate barrel to the stator disk via the stator splines.