Distributed architecture of aircraft braking system
A braking system architecture for aircraft includes a brake including electromechanical actuators, each electromechanical actuator including a digital communication module, a power supply, two controllers, each being connected to a distinct group of one or more electromechanical actuators and including an upstream digital communication module, a control module arranged to generate digital control signals, and a downstream digital communication module connected to the digital communication modules of the electromechanical actuators of the group in order to transmit the digital control signals to the power modules of the electromechanical actuators, and a digital communication network to which the upstream digital communication modules of both controllers are connected.
1 . An architecture for an aircraft braking system, the architecture comprising:
a plurality of brakes, each brake for braking a distinct wheel of the aircraft and each brake comprising friction members and a plurality of electromechanical actuators for applying a braking force to the friction members and thus exerting a braking torque on the distinct wheel, each electromechanical actuator comprising an electric motor, a power module for generating power supply current for the electric motor, and a digital communication module;
the architecture further comprising at least one power supply unit, in a fuselage of the aircraft, for powering the power modules by delivering a power supply voltage thereto;
the architecture further comprising, for each brake, a pair of control units associated with each brake, in the fuselage of the aircraft, each control unit being connected to a distinct group of one or more electromechanical actuators and comprising an upstream digital communication module, a control module arranged to generate digital control signals, and a downstream digital communication module connected to the digital communication modules of the electromechanical actuators of said group in order to transmit the digital control signals to the power modules of said electromechanical actuators, such that each power module generates power supply current based on the digital control signals and taken from the power supply voltage;
the architecture further comprising a digital communication network to which the upstream digital communication modules of the control units are connected; and
the architecture further comprising a plurality of housings in the fuselage configured to house the control units, the plurality of housings being arranged such that:
each housing of the plurality of housings incorporates two control units, and
each control unit of the pair of control units associated with each brake are incorporated in two different housings among the plurality of housings.
2 . An architecture according to claim 1 , wherein each brake comprises two distinct groups, each of two electromechanical actuators, and wherein each control unit is connected to the two electromechanical actuators of a respective one of the two distinct groups in order to control them.
3 . An architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the two control units incorporated in each housing are of hardware and/or software designs that are dissimilar, at least in part.
4 . An architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of control units associated with each brake are of hardware and/or software designs that are dissimilar, at least in part.
5 . An architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the electromechanical actuators of the brake are arranged to transmit digital measurement signals to the control modules of the control units via the digital communication modules of the electromechanical actuators and the downstream digital communication modules of the control units.
6 . An architecture according to claim 1 , wherein a first control unit of the pair of control units associated with each brake is incorporated into one housing of the plurality of housings, and a second control unit of the pair of control units associated with each brake is incorporated into a housing of the plurality of housings different than the one housing of the plurality of housings in which the first control unit is incorporated.