Aircraft Wheel Spindown Envelope Dragging Brake Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft braking systems face challenges in detecting a dragging brake, which can lead to increased risk of wheel failure and damage due to excessive heat during retraction, as existing methods fail to effectively identify abnormal deceleration patterns post-takeoff.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that measure spindown data of aircraft wheels, compare it to a spindown envelope, and provide notifications if the data falls outside the expected range, indicating a dragging brake, utilizing sensors and control systems to alert crew and maintenance teams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a brake is dragging (partially engaged), then the brake and wheel components heat to very high temperatures, but existing detection methods fail to identify the abnormal condition
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of wheel spindown characteristics after takeoff to identify dragging brakes before they cause overheating and failure. By measuring wheel speed during the natural spindown phase and comparing it against expected envelopes, the system detects abnormal conditions early, allowing preventive action before the brake reaches dangerous temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical inspection or temperature sensing with an indirect measurement approach using wheel speed sensors and computational analysis. Instead of mechanically checking brake engagement or directly measuring brake temperature, the system uses non-contact wheel speed measurement combined with spindown envelope comparison to detect dragging brake conditions.
2Measurement precision
If spindown data is compared to a spindown envelope to detect dragging brakes, then detection accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the wheel's own spindown characteristics as the measurement basis, requiring no external test equipment or additional actuators. The natural deceleration process after takeoff provides the test condition, and the existing wheel speed sensors serve the dual purpose of normal operation monitoring and dragging brake detection, eliminating the need for separate test hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the detection problem from direct brake condition measurement to wheel speed parameter analysis. By monitoring changes in wheel speed over time during spindown and comparing these parameter changes against expected envelopes, the system achieves accurate dragging brake detection using standard sensor data and computational methods.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods to determine whether a brake is dragging based on post-takeoff spindown data are provided. The method comprises measuring spindown of a wheel to obtain spindown data. The spindown data is compared with a spindown envelope, and notification is provided if the spindown data indicates a wheel is spinning down outside a spindown envelope.