Aerodynamic Wheel Prerotation Cage for Brake Cooling on Landing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airplane wheel prerotation and disc brake systems often result in tire smoking and skidding during landing due to high frictional forces, leading to safety and economic concerns, and there is a need for improved systems that can prerotate wheels and cool brake components effectively.
Innovation Solution
A detachable airplane wheel prerotation/landing brake cooling device featuring an outer and inner circular cage rim with slanted arcuate blades that rotate the wheels forward and funnel air to cool the disc brake assembly by directing airflow into annular spaces adjacent to heat shields during landing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wheels are not prerotated before landing, then the structure remains simple, but the tire friction causes rapid heat release leading to tire smoking and skidding
Solution Approach 1:
The cage structure serves multiple functions: it prerotates the wheel by aerodynamic drag on the blades, cools the brake discs through airflow channels, and provides structural support. This single device addresses both the prerotation need and brake cooling requirement, reducing overall system complexity while improving landing safety
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses aerodynamic forces from the airstream impinging on the arcuate blades to generate rotational motion for wheel prerotation. The same airflow is channeled through the cage structure to cool the brake discs, utilizing pneumatic principles to achieve both functions without mechanical moving parts
2Force
If multi-disc brakes are applied during landing, then stopping power is improved, but significant heat energy is generated that can damage brake components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful hot airflow that would normally contribute to brake heating into a beneficial cooling resource. The cage structure captures and directs this hot airflow through channels adjacent to the brake discs, using the kinetic energy of the airstream to remove heat from the brake components during landing
Solution Approach 2:
The cage structure acts as an intermediary between the airstream and the brake discs, channeling airflow through specific paths that maximize heat removal. The heat shields and airflow channels serve as intermediate structures that facilitate efficient thermal management of the brake system
3Strength
If the tire contacts the ground stationary, then no prerotation mechanism is needed, but frictional forces cause rapid heat release and tire damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cage structure with its aerodynamic blades performs preliminary action by prerotating the wheel before ground contact. As the airplane descends, the airstream impinges on the blades, spinning the wheel up to appropriate rotational speed before the tire touches the runway, thereby preventing stationary tire contact and reducing frictional heat generation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses dynamic aerodynamic forces to achieve prerotation without mechanical complexity. The arcuate blades are designed to capture airflow and convert it into rotational motion, allowing the wheel to dynamically adjust its rotation based on the airstream conditions during approach and landing
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 solution reduces frictional resistance upon landing and effectively cools the disc brake assembly, thereby extending tire life and enhancing safety by reducing heat buildup and preventing tire smoking and skidding.
Implementation Method 1
Each arcuate blade includes a first section connected to the outer circular cage rim and to inner circular cage rim such that each blade is slanted. The plurality of arcuate blades are, when the detachable airplane wheel prerotation/landing brake cooling device is being impinged by an airstream during the landing of the airplane, configured to rotate the wheel about the axle in a forward direction
Implementation Method 2
The plurality of arcuate blades are configured to funnel air into the plurality of annular spaces adjacent to the plurality of heat shields to thereby remove heat away from the disc brake assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A detachable airplane wheel prerotation/landing brake cooling device is disclosed that comprises: an outer circular cage rim, an inner circular cage rim confronting and spaced apart from the outer circular cage rim, and a plurality of spaced apart arcuate blades spanning across and connecting the outer circular cage rim to the inner circular cage rim at a slant. Each arcuate blade includes a first section connected to the outer circular cage rim and a second section connected to inner circular cage rim. The plurality of slanted arcuate blades are, when the detachable airplane wheel prerotation/landing brake cooling device is being impinged by an airstream during the landing of the airplane, configured to (i) rotate the wheel about the axle in a forward direction, and (ii) funnel air into the plurality of annular spaces adjacent to the plurality of heat shields to thereby remove heat away from the disc brake assembly.