Aircraft taxiing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815550-B2
Application number	US-201514865924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Oct 3, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A taxiing system for an aircraft including an undercarriage having a wheel, includes an electric motor associated with the wheel, an electric controller of the electric motor, connected to an output of an electrical power supply, and a taxiing control computer configured to determine control instructions for the electric motor and to transmit these instructions to the electric controller. The taxiing control computer is configured to receive braking of the aircraft commands during the taxiing of the aircraft and to determine control instructions for the electric motor corresponding to operation of the motor in generator mode when it receives a braking command. The electric controller is connected to an energy absorber making it possible to absorb the electric energy produced by the electric motor when the latter is operating in generator mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A taxiing system for an aircraft, said aircraft comprising at least one undercarriage comprising at least one wheel, the taxiing system being configured to be installed onboard the aircraft and comprising:
an electrical power supply;
at least one electric motor associated with said at least one wheel;
an electric controller of said at least one electric motor, electrically connected to said at least one electric motor, said electric controller being electrically connected to an output of said electrical power supply; and
a taxiing control computer connected to the electric controller and configured to determine control instructions for said at least one electric motor and to transmit the control instructions to the electric controller, wherein:
the taxiing control computer is configured to receive braking of the aircraft commands during the taxiing of the aircraft;
the taxiing control computer is configured to determine control instructions for said at least one electric motor corresponding to operation of said electric motor in generator mode when the taxiing control computer receives a braking of the aircraft command; and
the electric controller of said at least one electric motor is connected to an energy absorber making it possible to absorb the electric energy produced by said at least one electric motor when the at least one electric motor is operating in generator mode,
and wherein the taxiing system comprises a heat absorber associated with the energy absorber, the heat absorber comprising at least one phase change material.

2. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat absorber comprises a plurality of partitions disposed substantially vertically, the partitions delimiting a plurality of volumes containing said at least one phase change material.

3. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 2 ,
wherein the heat absorber comprises a first type of phase change material and a second type of phase change material, and
wherein a first part of said plurality of volumes contains the first type of phase change material and a second part of said plurality of volumes contains the second type of phase change material.

4. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first type of phase change material is contained in a first volume, the second type of phase change material is contained in a second volume, and the second volume is included in the first volume.

5. The taxiing system as claimed in one of claim 1 , wherein the heat absorber comprises a first type of phase change material and a second type of phase change material.

6. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one phase change material is contained inside the energy absorber.

7. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said at least one phase change material is in contact with electrical components of the energy absorber.

8. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said at least one phase change material is at least partially contained in a volume situated between two layers of electrical components of the energy absorber.

9. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one phase change material is contained in an enclosure at least partially surrounding the energy absorber.

10. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one phase change material of the heat absorber is contained in an enclosure outside of the energy absorber, the heat absorber being connected to a part of the energy absorber containing electrical components by a heat bridge or by a heat pipe.

11. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one phase change material is contained in an enclosure comprising at least one flexible part capable of being deformed in order to absorb an increase of volume of said at least one phase change material under the effect of an increase of its temperature.

12. The taxiing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one phase change material is contained in an enclosure comprising an upper face comprising at least one vent.

13. An aircraft comprising:
at least one undercarriage comprising at least one wheel; and
a taxiing system comprising:
an electrical power supply;
at least one electric motor associated with said at least one wheel;
an electric controller of said at least one electric motor, electrically connected to said at least one electric motor, said electric controller being electrically connected to an output of said electrical power supply; and
a taxiing control computer connected to the electric controller and configured to determine control instructions for said at least one electric motor and to transmit the control instructions to the electric controller, wherein:

the taxiing control computer is configured to receive braking of the aircraft commands during the taxiing of the aircraft;
the taxiing control computer is configured to determine control instructions for said at least one electric motor corresponding to operation of said electric motor in generator mode when the taxiing control computer receives a braking of the aircraft command; and
the electric controller of said at least one electric motor is connected to an energy absorber making it possible to absorb the electric energy produced by said at least one electric motor when the at least one electric motor is operating in generator mode,
and wherein the taxiing system comprises a heat absorber associated with the energy absorber, the heat absorber comprising at least one phase change material.

Assignees

• Airbus Sas
• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Nicolas Yann
• Tatry Philippe
• Bradier Matthieu
• Sanz Nicolas

Classifications

• Y02T50/80

  Energy efficient operational measures, e.g. ground operations or mission management · CPC title

• B64C25/405 Primary

  Powered wheels, e.g. for taxing · CPC title

• B64C25/34 Primary

  wheeled type, e.g. multi-wheeled bogies · CPC title

• Y02T50/823

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C25/02

  Undercarriages · CPC title