Goodyear Aerospace Corporation

Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation

Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation

Arnold A Beck

Edgar J Ruof

Ralph J Hurley

James Hill

Scott G Knight

James L Hill

John Nedelk

Richard P Hurst

Steven R Smithberger

Ralph Hurley

A system and associated method for achieving both force and position control of motor-driven electrical brake actuators for a brake disc stack that has, and seeks to maintain, a characteristic built-in clearance among the discs. The system employs both force feedback and motor turns position feedback associated with the actuator during a braking operation in order to obtain a motor turns position that achieves the characteristic built-in clearance following braking action or the like.

Force and position control of electrical brake actuators

A balanced brake control system is provided for use in aircraft. An embodiment of the invention is presented for an aircraft having struts with both inboard and outboard braked wheels on the struts. In the detailed embodiment, an equalizer circuit is interposed between right and left brake pedals on an input side thereof and right and left inboard and outboard brakes on an output side thereof. This equalizer circuit ensures a first equal application of brake pressure to the right inboard and outboard brakes and a second equal application of brake pressure to the left inboard and outboard brakes, dependent upon pilot control of brake pedals. The first and second equal applications of brake pressure may differ to accommodate differential braking.

Balanced brake control system

A brake control system for a wheeled vehicle includes a field programmable gate array configured to perform the algorithm of brake control subsystems in a typical brake control system for a wheeled vehicle. The brake control subsystems typically include anti-skid control, brake temperature monitoring, built-in tests, and, in the case of an aircraft, nose wheel steering. The system also includes wheel speed sensors, brake temperature monitors, brake valves and associated control circuits, and brake valve monitors respecting brake valve current and voltage. The use of field programmable gate arrays to configure a brake control system avoids the obsolescence and shortened life of control systems previously dependent upon microprocessors and the like.

Brake control system defined by field programmable gate arrey

An aircraft deceleration brake control system receives deceleration command signals from left and right brake pedals of an aircraft. An amplifier generates the difference between the two command signals while an inertial navigation system of the aircraft provides a signal corresponding to the instantaneous deceleration of the aircraft. First and second control signals, corresponding to the respective command signals, are generated as a function of the difference in value between the command signals and the amplitude of the instantaneous deceleration signal.

Aircraft deceleration brake control system

The invention is directed to a system for increasing and/or extending the operation service life of an aircraft brake disk stack by selectively limiting the number of brake assemblies which comprise the aircraft landing gear configuration and which are put into operation during the time the aircraft is on the ground and subject to low speed taxi braking cycles while also providing that all of the brake assemblies of the total available on the aircraft are operational during other portions of the landing and takeoff cycle of the aircraft.

Brake system with brake selection means

An antiskid control circuit for aircraft or other braked vehicles in which a deceleration detector determines the instantaneous rate of deceleration of the vehicle, and provides a deceleration signal to an integrator and lead network, in parallel interconnection. The outputs of the lead network and modulator are applied to an antiskid valve through a summing circuit. The deceleration detector is provided with a selectable gain, such that the gain is greater when the wheel is decelerating than when it is accelerating, allowing the integrator to obtain an average charge as a function of deceleration.

Antiskid control circuit

An antiskid control system is presented which includes variable gains to compensate for brakes which exhibit large changes in lining friction coefficient. Fundamentally, the invention includes a pressure transducer and associated amplifier which presents an output signal corresponding to brake pressure. An accelerometer is connected to a second amplifier which presents an output signal analogous to brake torque. These two signals are combined in a summing circuit and the function obtained therefrom is used to modify the control signal from the antiskid control circuit. Effectively, this function provides a modification of antiskid system gain.

Antiskid control system for brakes which exhibit large changes in lining

An antiskid brake control wherein sensitive deceleration detectors present output signals to a valve driver for releasing brake pressure. The deceleration detector output is also passed to a modulator which acts as a memory circuit to keep the average brake pressure near the skid level and also provides for a controlled reapplication of brake pressure following the release. A constant current discharge circuit is connected to the modulator to provide a linear discharge of the modulator capacitor. A fast recovery circuit is interconnected between the deceleration detector and modulator to rapidly discharge the modulator capacitor in the event that no outputs from the deceleration detector have been sensed for a predetermined period of time. The control system includes gain control circuitry to provide for at least three distinct system gains. Also provided as a portion of the invention is touchdown protection circuitry which holds brake pressure off when the aircraft is in the air and for a fixed time period following touchdown, unless the wheels have spun-up past a predetermined rotational speed. Such circuitry further controls reapplication of the antiskid system to the braking effort following a bounce of the braked wheels.

Antiskid brake control for aircraft

An antiskid brake control system for a wheeled vehicle having a second order lead network in parallel connection with a deceleration detector. The deceleration detector includes both a current threshold level and a voltage threshold level, the deceleration rate of a wheel having to exceed both thresholds to result in a brake control signal to the modulator and brake control valves. The lead network, deceleration detector, and a modulator all feed a summing circuit which includes a switching circuit providing the system with two distinct characteristic gains. Also included is a circuit for linearly discharging certain capacitors in the system. Also included are locked wheel, touchdown protection, and low speed drop-out circuitry to regulate the application and release of antiskid control and touchdown and upon the occurrence of preselected vehicle activities.

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Clinton, OH, United States of America

Arnold A Beck