DETERMINING INTEGRITY OF BRAKING CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20160016576A1
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: HOWELL, George, NAVE, Matthieu Della
• Granted Patent: US 9,969,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1703 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/325 Systems specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry

Abstract

A method of determining the integrity of an electric or hydraulic braking control system. A reduction rate of a voltage or hydraulic pressure in the braking control system is determined, and the integrity of the braking control system is determined by comparing the reduction rate with a threshold. The braking control system may be an aircraft braking control system, and the method may be performed during flight of the aircraft—typically during cruise.

Claims

1. A method of determining the integrity of an electric or hydraulic braking control system comprising an energy storage device, the method comprising:

determining a reduction rate of a voltage or hydraulic pressure in the braking control system caused by a discharge of the energy storage device; and

determining the integrity of the braking control system in accordance with the reduction rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the braking control system is an aircraft braking control system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is performed during flight of the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising determining that the aircraft is in cruise, and determining the integrity of the braking control system in response to a determination that the aircraft is in cruise.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeatedly charging the energy storage device in response to the voltage or hydraulic pressure in the braking control system dropping below an acceptable threshold, wherein the reduction rate is determined in accordance with a duration between adjacent repeats of the charging of the energy storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reduction rate is a reduction rate of a hydraulic pressure in the braking control system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the energy storage device is a hydraulic accumulator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reduction rate is a reduction rate of a voltage in the braking control system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the energy storage device is an electric battery.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device has an output line, and the reduction rate of a voltage or hydraulic pressure in the braking control system is a reduction rate of a voltage or hydraulic pressure in the output line of the energy storage device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the braking control system comprises a primary energy source and a refill valve or switch, and the method further comprises:

opening the refill valve so that the primary energy source charges the energy storage device, and closing the refill valve after the primary energy source has charged the energy storage device to isolate the primary energy source from the energy storage device, wherein the discharge of the energy storage device occurs with the refill valve closed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the integrity of the braking control system in accordance with the reduction rate comprises comparing the reduction rate with a threshold.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises coupling a primary energy source to a brake, and decoupling the energy storage device from the brake, wherein the discharge of the energy storage device occurs at a time that the energy storage device is decoupled from the brake.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises supplying voltage or hydraulic pressure to a brake with a primary energy source, isolating the energy storage device from the brake so that the voltage or hydraulic pressure is supplied to the brake by the primary energy source and not by the energy storage device, and determining the reduction rate of voltage or hydraulic pressure in the braking control system caused by a discharge of the energy storage device when it is isolated from the brake.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises supplying voltage or hydraulic pressure to a brake with a primary energy source;

and when a fault is detected, decoupling the primary energy source from the brake and coupling the energy storage device to the brake.

16. A controller configured to determine the integrity of an electric or hydraulic braking control system by the method of claim 1.

17. A braking system comprising a brake;

an electric or hydraulic braking control system arranged to control the brake, the braking control system comprising an energy storage device; and

a controller according to claim 16 configured to determine the integrity of the electric or hydraulic braking control system.

18. The braking system of claim 17, wherein the energy storage device is a hydraulic accumulator, and the braking system further comprises a pump for supplying hydraulic pressure to the brake, and an accumulator selector valve for isolating the hydraulic accumulator from the brake so that the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the brake by the pump and not by the hydraulic accumulator.

19. The braking system of claim 18, further comprising a normal selector valve which can be deactivated to decouple the pump from the brake, wherein the accumulator selector valve can be activated to couple the hydraulic accumulator to the brake when the pump is decoupled from the brake by the normal selector valve.

20. The braking system of claim 17, wherein the energy storage device has an output line arranged to supply voltage or hydraulic pressure to the brake, and the controller comprises a sensor arranged to take measurements of voltage or hydraulic pressure from the output line.