Landing gear method and apparatus for braking and maneuvering

摘要

Aircraft landing gear comprised of a wheel hub motor/generator includes alternating rotors and stators mounted with respect to the wheel support and wheel. The invention in certain embodiments can provide motive force to the wheel when electrical power is applied, e.g. prior to touch-down, thus decreasing the difference in relative velocities of the tire radial velocity with that of the relative velocity of the runway and reducing the sliding friction wear of the tire. After touchdown the wheel hub motor/generator may be used as a generator thus applying a regenerative braking force and/or a motorized braking action to the wheel. The energy generated upon landing may be dissipated through a resistor and/or stored for later use in providing a source for motive power to the aircraft wheels for taxiing and ground maneuvers of the aircraft. Methods and apparatuses for nose gear steering and ABS braking using the disclosed invention are described.

主权项

1. An aircraft landing gear assembly for an aircraft, comprising:
a nose gear and a main landing gear, at least one of the nose gear and the main landing gear comprising: one or more nonrotational base portions configured to connect to an airframe of the aircraft; two or more wheels, wherein each of the two or more wheels is connected to and rotatable about a rotational axis with respect to one or more of the base portions; at least one stator connected to each of the one or more base portions; at least one rotor operably connected to each wheel and configured to rotate with respect to one or more of said stators; wherein each of said at least one stator and said at least one rotor is configured to generate a magnetic flux; and wherein the landing gear assembly is configured for steering an aircraft while ground maneuvering or braking the aircraft or both, by converting electrical energy to rotational torque energy of the wheels, by driving the wheels, of a magnitude suitable to accomplish unassisted taxiing of the aircraft, at differential rates or in different directions or both by interaction of the magnetic fluxes of the at least one stator and at least one rotor; wherein the landing gear assembly has at least two modes of motored operation: a first mode of motored operation, in which positive torque is applied to produce motor action in at least one of the two or more wheels in a first direction, and a second mode of motored operation, in which negative torque is applied to produce motor action in at least one of the two or more wheels in a direction opposite the first direction.