Aircraft Wheel Research Articles

Design and Application of Driving Resistance Test Device for Aircraft Tire and Soil Pavement

In view of the lack of soil bins for studying the surface interaction between aircraft wheels and soil, this study designed an indoor test bench for aircraft wheels and soil, including a soil container, loading vehicle, and intelligent measurement and control system, to test key parameters such as tire speed and wheel frictional resistance. The test system is capable of achieving speed regulation ranging from 0 to 30 km/h. The vertical load adjustment range with an adjustment interval of 10 kg spans from 90 to 140 kg. The soil type, compaction degree, and other conditions can be modified as per requirements to vary multiple test conditions, thereby enabling us to explore their influence on the driving resistance of the wheels. Moreover, the test data can be collected and processed in real time. A performance test of a wheel–soil table was carried out. The results show that the wheel–soil table test system is stable and reliable and can determine the relationship between the tire and soil, and the structural design of the test system meets the use requirements. In addition, it achieves the target test speed, data acquisition frequency, and stability. In terms of functionality and operational difficulty, the data acquisition of the entire test process is automated, and the test system achieves better informationization than previous methods. The overall operation of the wheel–soil platform is stable and powerful; thus, the model test platform design goal is achieved, and the testing requirements are met.

Investigation of high-cycle fatigue property and fatigue crack propagation behavior of a die-forged 2014 aluminum alloy aircraft wheel

The high-cycle fatigue (HCF) property and fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behavior of aircraft wheels manufactured by die forging were investigated from two sampling directions (rims and discs). The results indicate that the HCF anisotropy of the rim and disc specimens increases with decreasing stress amplitude, and the fatigue strengths are 181 MPa and 157 MPa, respectively. Based on the quantitative analysis of the fatigue fractures, a fatigue life prediction model considering the Fe/Mn-containing particles quantity factor S has been established, and the predicted values are reasonably accurate to the test values. The crack path microstructure indicates that Fe/Mn-containing particles can cause crack deflection while acting as bridges for FCP; Crack closure induced by oxides and plastic zones significantly decelerated the FCP rate. Additionally, fatigue cracks tend to propagate toward grains with smaller twist angles and higher Schmid factors (SF).

Digital Ergonomics—The Reliability of the Human Factor and Its Impact on the Maintenance of Aircraft Brakes and Wheels

This paper presents the development and use of digital tools in the maintenance processes and ergonomics of work systems in the aerospace industry. The Industry 4.0 strategy aims to ensure the reliability of the human factor throughout the entire lifecycle of the maintenance process in the aerospace industry. Based on the requirement placed on the digital model of the working environment obtained from the 3D scanner data, an advanced software solution from TECNOMATIX, namely the TX JACK software 16.1.0 module, was used. The investigated digital ergonomic model, with two variants of workers with anthropometrically different weights, is the subject of analysis and simulation of the maintenance work process in an aerospace organization. Furthermore, the research also shows how the workers of maintenance and repair organizations are willing to develop their own knowledge and skills. The aviation industry should invest in the development of reliable software and hardware, improve safety at the level of digital ergonomics and the quality of jobs involving digitalization, and offer appropriate training for safety and quality personnel. The aim of this paper is to ensure the reliability of the human factor in the maintenance process and, consequently, to ensure technical safety by means of innovative tools in practice. The findings suggest that the investigated TESTER-STEND model with high-end adjustable pistons will improve ergonomics, worker performance, and work safety as a whole.

Dynamic analysis of aircraft towing slip-out system considering vertical wheel constraints

Abstract To analyze the vertical dynamic characteristics of the aircraft towing system under different constraints on the nose landing gear wheels of the aircraft during the towing slip-out mode, a dynamic model of the towing system considering the constraints between the clamping mechanism and the aircraft nose landing gear wheels was established based on the general towing system dynamic model. On this basis, an analysis was conducted to determine whether considering the aircraft wheel constraints affects the vertical vibration acceleration of the towing vehicle and the nose landing gear in low-speed (10 km/h) and high-speed (40 km/h) operating conditions. With the consideration of constraints at both ends of the aircraft wheels, the vertical acceleration of the towing vehicle's center of mass increased by 153% and 172% at low speed and high speed, respectively, compared to not considering the aircraft wheel constraints. Additionally, with the consideration of constraints at both ends of the aircraft wheels, the vertical acceleration of the nose landing gear's center of mass decreased to 20% and 57% at low speed and high speed, respectively, compared to not considering the aircraft wheel constraints. An analysis of the vertical vibration acceleration of the towing vehicle under different wheel constraint conditions found that the RMS value of the vertical vibration acceleration of the towing vehicle's center of mass was minimized when the clamping angles of the clamping mechanism to the nose landing gear wheels were 63° and 64°, respectively. Under this clamping angle, the influence of the clamping forces at both ends of the clamping mechanism on the vertical vibration acceleration of the towing vehicle was minimal. The research results provide valuable reference for the direct constraints between the clamping mechanism and the nose landing gear wheels in the aircraft towing slip-out system.

Applications of design and reverse engineering for the development of digital and smart tools for composite additive manufacturing

This paper presents a study dedicated to the development of Digital and Smart Tools, based on solved applications of design engineering and reverse engineering. This approach is justified by the fact as well as the need for preparations prior to Composite Additive Manufacturing. Future integration of Digital Smart Tools with Composite Additive Manufacturing will significantly contribute to the efficient and effective support of the green economy, the active, responsible, safe and resilient protection of environment, life and climate. The research involved in this paper contributes to develop Digital and Smart Tools Applications, intended for integrated digital design, development, manufacturing and further predictive maintenance and services, based on robotic systems, extended automatic control, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, including Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Simulations for Performance Prediction at Design Regime and Off-Design Regimes for jet engines, with the best capabilities to generate and integrate improvements, optimizations and potential innovative solutions. This paper presents significant applications of design, concept engineering development and reverse engineering design, as: 1/ the design of a transonic axial compressor rotor blade, 2/ the design of a swept axial compressor rotor, 3/ concept design engineering developments in case of a swept fan rotor blade, 4/ concept design developments and reverse engineering in case of a HP axial compressor rotor blade, part of Spey 512-14 DW turbofan engine, 5/ reverse engineering design of a Cessna 182 Skylane N223IF light aircraft wheel cover. In line with Europe´s vision for sustainable aviation, this research study and INCAS´ TGA Project "Technological Development Platform for "Green" Technologies in Aviation and Ecological Manufacturing with Superior Added Value; TGA - Technologies for Green Aviation" will significantly contribute to the Green Deal, as a production center using "Green" Technologies in aviation and ecological manufacturing, as well as collaborative developer of Digital and Smart Tools for Composite Additive Manufacturing.

Fatigue Damage and the Life of Aircraft Wheels under a Nonstationary Load

Fatigue Damage and the Life of Aircraft Wheels under a Nonstationary Load

Application of carbon nanotube composite materials in aviation

Carbon nanotube has unique structure, excellent performance, unique one-dimensional hollow structure, and extremely low density. These advantages determine that carbon nanotube has mechanical properties, electrical properties, and adsorption properties that other materials cannot match. Carbon nanotube, as one of the popular research projects of scientists in the world today, has very broad and attractive application prospects in the fields of semiconductor devices, hydrogen storage, sensors, adsorption materials, battery electrodes, catalyst carriers, etc. The field of science and technology also shows great application prospects. Combined with the urgent needs of aircraft in light and high-strength structures, lightweight cables and efficient thermal control, the carbon nanotube is considered to be the booster of the next generation of aerospace and is expected to become an important pillar in the future of aviation. This paper comprehensively analyzes the application of carbon nanotubes in aircraft wheels, aircraft engine blades, aircraft avionics systems and electromechanical system displays and looks forward to its application prospects and feasibility in the aviation field. Developments in aviation present challenges and opportunities.

Strength design optimization of sandwich composite structures under heavy dynamic loads

Recent researches have witnessed an increased interest in the Rapid Runway Repair (RRR) methods to rehabilitate damages that may be caused by different incidents, such as: natural disasters of earthquakes, floods or man-made vandalism in civil wars. RRR is a strategic process for airport operations for civil and peace-making missions. The current RRR techniques like precast concrete slabs, metal mats, and fiberglass mats have different pros and cons. The current study numerically investigates CFRP sandwich composite structure for RRR usage, where its strength is maximized by design optimization to reach the possible carrying aircraft wheel capacity and safety factors. The proposed composite structure is advantageous of no corrosion, low erection time, high capacity-to-weight ratio, same finish of runway surface and repaired area, and can be applied over spots of unlevelled or inadequate bearing capacity of 60 cm diameter. The strength of the basic design of composite sandwich structure is first assessed to its maximum allowed carrying aircraft wheel capacity by FE modelling. Secondly, The Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization technique is applied for maximizing the strength of the composite structure webs satisfying the minimum safety factor of five failure criteria of Tsai-Wu, Tsai-hill, Hoffman, Hashin and maximum stress. Finally, the achieved results promoted the usage of the composite structure to operate at the taxiways, runways, and theoretically, landing and take-off areas.

Design of an aircraft autonomous traction taxiing system based on hydraulic secondary control

At present, aircraft taxiing at ground airports needs to be provided with a thrust by the main engine. The taxiing process is inefficient, has high fuel consumption and serious pollution, and is prone to safety risks. In this paper, a new configuration of aircraft autonomous traction taxiing system is proposed based on the principle of hydraulic secondary control, in which a hydraulic motor drive device is installed at the front wheels of the aircraft to drive the wheels to rotate forward or backward. Based on this, autonomous taxiing can be realized without relying on the main engines, thus greatly improving airport operation efficiency. Meanwhile, this paper analyzes the influencing factors of the autonomous traction taxiing process, and investigates the parameter matching design of the new configuration system. Besides, this paper develops the ground principle prototype, designs the aircraft longitudinal bonding force observer and the aircraft wheel disturbance moment observer, and proposes the speed control method of the aircraft front wheel autonomous traction taxiing by considering the ground bonding force saturation characteristics. Finally, the ground taxiing test is conducted, and the results show that the new configuration proposed in this paper presents a new solution for aircraft autonomous traction taxiing.

Research on Aircraft Wheel Hub Pose Detection Method Based on Machine Vision

In order to achieve the action of lifting and clamping the aircraft wheel by the wheel holding device, machine vision is innovatively introduced to detect the position and pose of the wheel hub during the wheel holding process. The overall process design was systematically carried out, and an industrial camera was selected and calibrated. Then, the generalized Hough transform was used to extract the target from the processed image, and its center position was calculated. Based on the data of the number and position of the target’s center, it was determined whether the wheel hub was intact. If it was incomplete, more photos were taken. If the number of targets met the standard and the wheel hub was intact, the PnP pose calculation algorithm was adopted to calculate the position and pose of the wheel hub. The results showed that the calculated position and pose met the requirements proposed by the project design.

Predictive Hybrid Redundancy for Aircraft Wheel Braking System - A Design Study

Aircraft brake system plays an important role in safe take-off and landing phases of flight. In order to meet safety requirements, regulatory guidelines like ARP 4761 suggest duo duplex architecture for the aircraft Wheel Braking System (WBS). Safe and efficient braking systems for ground-based vehicles in the name of Brake By Wire (BBW) are also becoming very common resulting in significant research activity in the recent past. In order to reduce number of hardware components and to improve reliability further of BBW systems, Kim and team of Korean university came up with introduction of analytical redundancy for measurement of wheel angular velocity sensors. The scheme involves Predictive Hybrid Redundancy (PHR) for fault detection using a double exponential smoothing method. Since, such systems are not readily suitable for aircraft WBS, the present study is an attempt to extend this approach to aircraft WBS with appropriate modifications to integrate with normal mode, standby mode and emergency modes of aircraft WBS. Simulation studies for synthetic sensor signals show possibility of continued operation, with one sensor being operational, in the presence of transient, intermittent and hard over faults.

Study on distress of airport pavement foundation and solution applied to Noi Bai international airport

The service quality and life of the runway, taxiway and apron pavement system heavily depends on the condition of its foundation, including base and/or subbase layers and subgrade. In the state of water-saturated condition, the strength of foundation would decline significantly, then inducing the downgrade of overall strength of the pavement. In the long term, the impacts from adverse environmental conditions and aircraft wheel loading will mix-up the materials of foundation layers, leading to the degradation of the original physical and mechanical properties of the original designed material. Furthermore, the accumulation of residual deformation and appearance of voids in the granular material can formulate the large holes beneath cement concrete slab. That, in turn, changes the load bearing model of the slab compared to the original design and causes the structural damage of the slab and threatens flight safety. Due to the complication of pavement foundation, the traditional treatment countermeasures usually need a long time for completion, while the airfield system often requires short and high-quality repair time. Therefore, there should be special solutions to satisfy the practical application. The article analyzes the cause, proposes the solutions for pavement foundation treatment and presents an initial application to Noi Bai International Airport. The findings of this study could be critical and significance basis for both academic and practical applications to maintain the service quality of airport construction infrastructure in Vietnam.

Assessing the Impact of Rutting Depth of Bituminous Airport Runway Pavements on Aircraft Landing Braking Distance during Intense Precipitation

A runway pavement during its useful life is subject to a series of deteriorations because of repeated load cycles and environmental conditions. One of the most common deteriorations is the formation of rutting (surface depression in the wheel path) on the runway surface. Rutting negatively affects aircraft performance during landings and will behave even worse during precipitation or with the existence of fluid contaminations on the surface. This paper aims to develop a model for calculating aircraft braking distance during landing on wet-pavement runways affected by rutting based on dynamic skid resistances generated by tire–fluid–pavement interactions. Intense precipitation, variable rutting depths for a 100 m length step, water film depths (e.g., 1 to 26 mm), and aircraft wheel loads (e.g., 10 to 140 kN) are considered as the boundary conditions of the developed model. The output is a model that can estimate aircraft braking distance as a function of rutting depth and can perform further assessment of the probability of the occurrence of landing overrun. After validating the model with existing methodologies and calibrating it according to the actual landing distance required for each type of aircraft, an Italian airport is simulated using a model with real data regarding the level of service of its pavement surface characteristics.

Prediction of Permanent Deformation of Granular Layers in Asphalt Pavements with Pavement Analysis Using the Nonlinear Damage Approach—Airfield Pavements

The prediction of stress, strain, and permanent deformation (rutting) in granular layers is a challenging task and requires sophisticated constitutive relationships. This paper uses a mechanistic-based model to predict the rutting of granular layers in airfield pavements when subjected to different tire pressures. This model incorporates Drucker–Prager (D-P) plasticity and includes an evolving hardening function that accounts for the changes in the hardening function in cyclic loading. The developed model is implemented in Pavement Analysis Using the Nonlinear Damage Approach—Airfield Pavements software developed for performance prediction of airfield pavements. Using this model, it was possible to predict the permanent deformation of airfield pavements when subjected to C-17 and C-130 aircraft wheels. The model was validated against the test sections tested at the Engineering Research and Development Center for two different wheel loads.

Low‐cycle fatigue characteristics and fracture behavior of the die‐forged 2014 aircraft wheel

AbstractIn order to provide a sufficient theoretical basis for the fatigue‐resistant design of the aircraft wheels, strain‐controlled low‐cycle fatigue (LCF) tests were carried out on specimens machined in the extrusion direction (ED) and transverse direction (TD) of die‐forged 2014 aluminum alloy wheels. Although the TD specimens have lower tensile strength and yield strength, the fatigue test results show that the TD specimens have superior fatigue life compared with the ED specimens at total strain amplitudes of 0.5–0.8%. This is predominantly caused by the coarse Al12(MnSi)2(FeCu) intermetallic particles close to the surface layer, which results in a relatively short crack initiation stage for the ED specimens. In contrast, TD specimens with finer and more uniform recrystallized grains exhibit more excellent resistance to fatigue crack initiation (FCI) and propagation (FCP). Moreover, the fatigue life of alloys could be accurately predicted via a Manson–Coffin–Basquin (MCB) model based on total strain.

Numerical Analysis on the Mechanical Properties of the Concrete Precast Pavement of Runways under the Wheel Load

This study aims to investigate the mechanical characteristics of precast concrete runway cement pavement under the wheel load of aircraft, and to promote the construction of precast concrete pavement. In this study, based on the elastic layered Boussinesq calculation theory and ABAQUS finite element numerical model, the distribution law of stress, the displacement of the aircraft wheel load acting on different positions of the pavement slab, the influence of the added dowel bar on the pavement slab, and the load transfer between adjacent slabs are obtained. The results revealed that when the wheel load of the aircraft acts on the edge and joint of the slab, the vertical stress of the adjacent slab edge is largest, followed by the middle of the slab, and then the joint; the maximum vertical stress is 0.295 MPa. Furthermore, the aircraft wheel load on the slab edge, and the joint vertical displacement, is larger than that of the slab middle, and the adjacent slab edge transverse displacement attenuation coefficient is approximate. Moreover, the load transfer efficiency of the dowel bar was lower when the wheel load of the aircraft was closer to another unloaded slab. Finally, the validity and sensitivity of the simulation results are verified by laboratory test data. These results can provide a reference and suggestions for the design and production of the precast concrete pavement of airport runways.

APPLICATION OF FAA METHOD FOR EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF AIRFIELD PAVEMENT ROUGHNESS ON AIRCRAFT WHEEL DYNAMIC LOADING

The paper presents the researched content to apply BBI (Boeing Bump Index) method of ICAO, FAA to evaluate the influence of airfield pavement roughness on the dynamic load of aircraft wheel with measured data in Cam Ranh International Airport, thereby proposing to apply to the actual design and operation of the airports in Vietnam.

ANALISIS PENINGKATAN TEBAL PERKERASAN RUNWAY DI LANUD RADEN SADJAD RANAI KABUPATEN NATUNA

The Riau Islands Province is currently one of the provinces in Indonesia which is experiencing significantdevelopment, especially in the tourism sector. This condition affects the number of use of commercial aviationservices that will enter and leave our area both now and in the future. Raden Sadjad Ranai Lanud, Natuna Regency isthe gateway to Natuna Island and is the main airport which currently serves international standard domestic flights.The airport uses a single runway which is the simplest configuration. Analysis of the flexible pavement thickness ofthe runway at Raden Sadjad Ranai Air Force Base in Natuna Regency aims to determine the thickness of the flexiblepavement layer of the runway at the airport. The planning method used is the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)method. The first step that needs to be considered is the CBR (California Bearing Ratio) value of the subgrade, thedetermination of the modulus of subgrade value, the selection of the plan plane, the MTOW of the aircraft, the loadof one aircraft wheel (W2), corrected departure (R2), the load of one wheel of the aircraft plan (W1 ) and theequivalent annual deparature of the planned aircraft (R1). This pavement thickness analysis uses the plan C-130Hercules and Boeing 737-500 aircraft. Based on the data obtained, then the plan aircraft MTOW value, thesubgrade classification value according to the FAA is plotted on the FAA flexible pavement thickness evaluationcurve so that the pavement thickness is obtained, the results of this study indicate that for plan aircraft C-130Hercules and Boeing 737-500 required surface coarse thickness 21.59 cm by 41.91 cm coarse subbase layer. Theresults with this comparison COMFAA application required a surface coarse pavement thickness of 20 cm with 30cm of base coarse layer and 12.24 cm of subbase layer

Migrating Landscapes

Abstract This article, one element in a multifaceted art research project, explores the agency of the aircraft landing gear compartment (wheel bay) in global transfer. It takes as its beginning histories of human and other-than-human actors falling from aircraft wheel bays as aircraft descend into London Heathrow and asks what art research can bring to the problem of their political and ethical framing. Its theoretical touchstones include John Ruskin on dust and the object-oriented philosophies of new materialism. These are brought into conversation with an account of the process of modeling and exhibiting a wheel bay, as well as extracts from a microstratigraphic survey conducted on the original. The article ultimately contends that the wheel bay gives shape to otherwise intangible aeromobilities, knowledge of which is integral to a nuanced understanding of the political geography of airspace at London Heathrow.

Study on nonlinear dynamic behavior and stability of aviation pressure servo valve-controlled cylinder system

In this paper, aiming at the phenomenon of self-excited oscillation caused by nonlinear factors in a large aircraft wheel brake control system, the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the pressure servo valve-controlled cylinder system (PSVCS) is studied, and the influence law of the key parameters on the nonlinear self-excitation behavior is obtained. On this basis, the stability of the PSVCS is analyzed both in time domain and frequency domain, and it is proved in principle that the PSVCS is a stable self-closed-loop control system. Firstly, the nonlinear dynamics model of the PSVCS is established in this paper. Secondly, using the method of phase plane analysis, the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the PSVCS and the influence law of key parameters on the system are studied. Thirdly, the nonlinear system of the PSVCS is transformed into a segmented local linear system, and the stability of the prestage and the power stage is analyzed, respectively. Finally, through a performance test platform, which is used to simulate the load of PSVCS, the theoretical analysis results of this paper are verified experimentally under different working conditions. The final experimental results show that both the nonlinear dynamic model established in this paper and the influence law of the key parameters obtained by the phase plane analysis on the nonlinear self-excited oscillation behavior are correct, and the relevant conclusions can provide a reference for the design of the braking system control system.