A brake cooling period prediction system for predicting a brake cooling period following a braking event, comprising a sensor apparatus in communication with a prediction apparatus. The sensor apparatus includes a torque sensor for measuring the torque reacted by a brake during a braking event; a wear sensor for measuring a wear state of the brake; and an environmental sensor for measuring at least one ambient condition of the environment of the brake. The prediction apparatus includes a memory storing information relating to the thermal behaviour of the brake; and a controller configured to receive a torque measurement, a wear measurement and an ambient condition measurement from the sensor apparatus; and predict a cooling period based on the received torque, wear and ambient condition measurements, and the information relating to the thermal behaviour of the brake.

A hydraulic apparatus comprising a casing (1) having arranged therein a hydraulic machine (2), a shaft (4) mounted to rotate relative to the casing (1) by means of a bearing (5), a braking system (3) having a plurality of brake disks (31, 34) configured to prevent the shaft (4) rotating relative to the casing (1) in selective manner, and a control system (6, 7) for controlling said braking disks (31, 34), the hydraulic system including an irrigation system adapted to cool said brake disks (31, 34) by means of a fluid, the irrigation system including a fluid inlet (81) and a fluid outlet (82), the hydraulic system being characterized in that the fluid inlet and outlet (81, 82) of the irrigation system define a fluid flow within the casing in which the braking system (3) is downstream from the hydraulic machine (2).

A method for estimating the temperature of a component being monitored is described herein, comprising: inputting data related to the component being monitored into a brake thermal model; using said brake thermal model to predict a temperature of the component based on said input data; inputting a) actual temperature sensor measurement data of said component and b) said predicted temperature into an estimation algorithm, wherein said estimation algorithm combines said a) actual temperature sensor data and b) predicted temperature and generates an estimated brake temperature of said component based on said combined inputs. A computer-implemented system is also described.

A brake assembly for landing gear of an aircraft includes a caliper member and a carrier member. The caliper member includes a gas inlet configured to receive a cooling gas supplied by an on board fuel inerting gas supply system of the aircraft, and a manifold fluidly coupled to the gas inlet. The manifold is configured to distribute the cooling gas to one or more outlet ports of the caliper member. The carrier member is configured to be coupled to the caliper member. The carrier member includes a cylindrical section configured to receive a stacked arrangement of stators and rotors. The cylindrical section defines one or more interior passages configured to fluidly couple the outlet ports of the caliper member to one or more outlet ports of the cylindrical section. The outlet ports of the cylindrical section are arranged proximate the stacked arrangement of stators and rotors to facilitate forced convective cooling of the stacked arrangement of stators and rotors with the cooling gas supplied by the on board fuel inerting gas supply system.

An air duct system for a vehicle including at least one active air scoop configured to control air flow to the wheel wells of a vehicle. In some examples, the active air scoop can be positioned at the underbody of the vehicle. In some examples, the air duct system can include a first and second branch directing air to first and second areas of the wheel well. In some examples, the amount of air directed to the first and second branch are controlled by the active scoop and/or one or more valves in the air duct. In some examples, the active air scoop can be controlled based on one or more temperature measurements in the wheel well.

A system, and associated method, for reducing oxidation of a friction disk may include a braking assembly comprising the friction disk and a coolant loop coupled to the braking assembly, with the coolant loop being configured to circulate liquid coolant from the braking assembly. That is, the coolant loop may be configured to reduce the temperature of the braking assembly, thus reducing the rate/extent of oxidation of the friction disks and potentially enabling the concentration of oxygen around the braking assembly to be reduced.

A vehicle brake cooling system is provided. The vehicle brake cooling system is configured to actively cool brake elements affecting one or more wheels of the vehicle during the periods of vigorous or prolonged application of a vehicle's brakes to prevent overheating. The system is filled with a suitable coolant fluid which is pressurized to flow through a nozzle or a system of nozzles onto a brake element during active braking, cooling the brake element. Manual or automatic operation is disclosed, including use of temperature or pressure sensors. A method of use of a vehicle brake cooling system is also disclosed.

A method for cooling a brake system is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes determining a turnaround time parameter; determining a time to cool parameter; determining a parameter difference between the time to cool parameter and the turnaround time parameter; and adjusting a flow of air directed at the brake system based on the parameter difference.

A shield assembly is employed for a friction brake used to decelerate a road wheel of a vehicle. The vehicle has a body with a first body end configured to face an incident ambient airflow, a second body end opposite of the first body end, and an underbody section spanning a distance between the first and second ends. The shield assembly includes a first shield component arranged proximate the brake and rotationally fixed relative to the vehicle body. The shield assembly also includes a second shield component operatively connected to the first shield component for shifting relative thereto. The shield assembly additionally includes an actuator employing a shape memory alloy element to shift the second shield component relative to the first shield component in response to a temperature of the brake to thereby direct at least a portion of the airflow to the brake and control temperature thereof.

In some examples, a brake cooling system including a brake assembly including at least one brake pad configured to deaccelerate the vehicle during an active braking procedure, a controller configured to monitor a temperature of the at least one brake pad, an onboard inert gas generation system (OBIGGS) configured to receive air and produce a nitrogen enriched air (NEA), a NEA supply conduit connected to the OBIGGS and configured to deliver the NEA from the OBIGGS to the brake assembly, and a NEA control valve coupled to the NEA supply conduit. The controller, in response to detecting the temperature of the at least one brake pad exceeds a threshold value during the active braking procedure, operates the NEA control valve to control the flow of the NEA passing through the NEA supply conduit and delivered to the at least one brake pad.