The Boeing Company

Levi Aren Mulkey

David T Yamamoto

Nima Forghani

A brake system control unit includes one or more sensor interfaces configured to receive a brake torque signal from a brake torque sensor. The brake system control unit also includes a torque estimator configured to generate an estimated brake torque signal based, at least in part, on a brake model and a brake actuator command. The brake system control unit further includes control circuitry configured to generate the brake actuator command to actuate a brake actuator of a brake system. The brake actuator command is generated based on a brake pedal command and a load alleviation command. The load alleviation command is based on the brake torque or the estimated brake torque signal, depending on whether a sensor fault condition associated with the brake torque sensor is detected.

Fault-tolerant brake load alleviation

There is provided a pivot turn load alleviation (PTLA) brake system for alleviating structural loads on a pivoting main landing gear of an aircraft in a pivot turn maneuver. The PTLA brake system includes a brake control system operatively coupled to at least two main landing gear, each having two or more wheels. The PTLA brake system further includes a PTLA brake inhibit subsystem coupled to the brake control system. The subsystem inhibits braking of one or more of the two or more wheels of the pivoting main landing gear, in the pivot turn maneuver, so that at least one wheel of the two or more wheels is in an unbraked state, and a remaining number of the two or more wheels are in a braked state. The PTLA brake system alleviates structural loads, and reduces wear on the at least one wheel that is in the unbraked state.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Levi Aren Mulkey