Wheel Tire Fuse Plug Sealing System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plugs and valves in wheel systems fail to maintain air sealing effectively during extreme heat and pressure conditions, leading to excessive air evacuation during landing and rejected takeoff events, as they degrade over heat cycles and rolling stresses.
Innovation Solution
A fuse plug with a cylindrical body made of aluminum, featuring a nickel-coated inner wall, a hemispherical groove for a silicone or rubber seal ring, and a fusible tin-zinc alloy that melts to allow air venting when temperatures and pressures are elevated, ensuring improved sealing and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional plugs and valves are used in wheel systems, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the sealing reliability deteriorates during extreme heat and pressure conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is divided into distinct functional segments: a cylindrical body for structural support, a groove for seal ring retention, and a fusible material for pressure relief. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall reliability under extreme conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug combines multiple materials with complementary properties: aluminum or steel for the cylindrical body provides structural strength, silicone or rubber for the seal ring provides flexible sealing, and fusible material provides automatic pressure relief. This composite approach ensures reliable sealing while managing extreme heat and pressure.
2Reliability
If conventional plugs are used, then the device complexity is low, but air retention deteriorates during landing and rejected takeoff events
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is pre-formed in the cylindrical body to receive and retain the seal ring before operation. This preliminary structural preparation ensures the seal ring is properly positioned and retained during high-stress events like landing and rejected takeoff, maintaining air retention without requiring complex active retention mechanisms.
3Stress or pressure
If plugs are used to vent pressure, then pressure control is improved, but tire-pressure maintenance deteriorates due to seal degradation from heat cycling
Solution Approach 1:
The fusible material undergoes a phase transition from solid to liquid at a predetermined temperature, automatically venting excessive pressure in the tire. This passive phase-change mechanism provides pressure control without requiring active components that could degrade from heat cycling, thereby improving tire-pressure maintenance reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug system is self-regulating: the fusible material automatically activates when temperature and pressure reach critical levels, venting pressure without external intervention. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex control systems and maintains reliability despite heat cycling and rolling stresses.
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 fuse plug effectively vents air pressure and improves air retention by allowing controlled pressure release during high-temperature events, enhancing the durability of the wheel and tire system across multiple heat cycles.
Implementation Method 1
a fusible material retained within the passage defined by the inner wall
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A sealing system is provided. The sealing system may include a wheel (104), a tire (108) disposed about the wheel (104) and defining a chamber between the wheel and the tire (108), and a first passage to the chamber through the wheel (104). A fuse plug (110) may be disposed within the first passage. The fuse plug (110) may comprise an annular body (120) having a second passage defined by an inner wall. A groove (124) may be formed circumferentially about an outer surface of the annular body (120). A seal ring (126) may be configured to settle in the groove (124) and sealably engage the first passage. A fusible material (122) may be retained within the second passage defined by the inner wall.