Maintenance Box for Aircraft Landing Gear Rescue Mode
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft landing gear systems lack a simple and reliable rescue mode for controlling landing gear and associated functions, particularly in cases where primary and alternative braking modes fail, leading to inadequate emergency braking and differential braking capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced that utilizes a maintenance box to selectively control actuators associated with the landing gear and braking systems, allowing for emergency actuation when the primary control unit fails, replacing mechanical rescue mechanisms and providing a backup power source from batteries or external networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a maintenance box is used to control actuators during maintenance operations, then the system can be tested and maintained selectively, but the system lacks a simple rescue mode for emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance box is designed to serve dual purposes: it functions as a maintenance control device during normal operations and automatically activates as a rescue mode control device when the primary control unit fails. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate emergency control systems while ensuring reliability in emergency situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance box is pre-configured with the capability to control all landing gear actuators before any failure occurs. In the event of control unit failure, it immediately transitions to rescue mode without requiring additional setup or configuration, ensuring rapid response in emergency situations.
2Reliability
If complex logic is implemented in sophisticated computers to ensure braking modes, then braking control is reliable, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex logic and control functions are extracted from the primary control unit and embedded in the maintenance box as a standalone backup system. This separation allows the main control unit to remain relatively simple while ensuring that reliable braking control logic is available in the maintenance box for emergency rescue operations.
3Ease of operation
If mechanical rescue mechanisms with cables and pulleys are used for parking brake, then emergency braking is possible, but the system lacks differential braking capability and anti-skid protection
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical cable and pulley system is replaced with an electronic control system where the maintenance box sends electrical signals to control the braking actuators. This substitution maintains the ease of operation for emergency braking while enabling differential braking capability through independent control of each brake actuator, and anti-skid protection through integration with the existing sensor systems.
4Reliability
If a separate emergency channel is provided for each system, then rescue operation is reliable, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple emergency control functions for landing gear and braking systems are merged into a single maintenance box. This unified approach provides reliable rescue operations for all systems through one control device, eliminating the need for separate emergency channels for each system and reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for managing an aircraft comprising landing gear with a number of braked wheels, the aircraft comprising: - a landing gear maneuvering system including maneuvering actuators (105, 205, 305) and latching actuators (106, 206, 306) for the landing gear and associated hatches, - a braking system including brake actuators for the aircraft wheels; - at least one control unit (A1, A2, B1, B2) for controlling the landing gear maneuvering and braking; - at least one maintenance box (BM1) for selectively controlling at least some of the actuators of said systems while the aircraft is in the off state during maintenance operations on one or the other of the systems.According to the invention, the method includes the step of activating the maintenance box while the aircraft is not in the switched-off state to ensure, by means of the maintenance box, the actuation of the actuators connected to the maintenance box, particularly in the event of failure of the control unit.