Method to reduce carbon brake wear through residual brake force

1. A method for controlling carbon brakes of an aircraft during taxiing of the aircraft, the aircraft having a left landing gear and a right landing gear, said left and right landing gear having a plurality of wheels and a corresponding plurality of wheel brakes for the plurality of wheels, comprising the steps of:

monitoring commanded initiation of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft;

setting a residual brake clamping force to a predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force for the plurality of wheel brakes in response to said commanded initiation of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes;

applying said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force simultaneously to all of the plurality of wheel brakes despite a commanded release of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes;

determining an average wheel speed of the left landing gear;

determining an average wheel speed of the right landing gear;

comparing said average wheel speed of the left landing gear and said average wheel speed of the right landing gear and determining a lesser of the average wheel speeds of the left and right landing gear;

comparing the lesser of the average wheel speeds of the left and right landing gear with a predetermined wheel speed threshold; and

discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said lesser of the average wheel speeds of the left and right landing gear is below said predetermined wheel speed threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said predetermined wheel speed threshold is in the range of about 2 knots to about 15 knots.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said predetermined wheel speed threshold is in the range of about 2 knots to about 10 knots.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said aircraft includes at least one engine thrust lever, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring engine thrust lever position; and

discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said at least one engine thrust lever is in an advanced position.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

detecting wheel speed acceleration;

comparing said wheel speed acceleration with a predetermined acceleration threshold; and

discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said wheel speed acceleration exceeds said acceleration threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

monitoring temperature of said plurality of wheel brakes;

comparing said temperature of said plurality of wheel brakes with a temperature threshold; and

discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said temperature of said plurality of wheel brakes exceeds said temperature threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

determining distance rolled with said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force applied;

comparing said distance rolled with a predetermined distance threshold; and

discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said distance rolled exceeds said predetermined distance threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force comprises about 1 to 10% of a maximum brake clamping force of said plurality of wheel brakes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force comprises about 2 to 5 percent of a maximum brake clamping force of said plurality of wheel brakes.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force comprises setting said residual brake clamping force to zero.

11. A system for controlling carbon brakes of an aircraft during taxiing of the aircraft, the aircraft having a left landing gear and a right landing gear, said left and right landing gear having a plurality of wheels and a corresponding plurality of wheel brakes for the plurality of wheels, the system comprising:

means for monitoring commanded initiation of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft;

means for setting a residual brake clamping force to a predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force for all of the plurality of wheel brakes only in response to the commanded initiation of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes; and

means for applying the predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force simultaneously to all of the plurality of wheel brakes despite a commanded release of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes;

means for determining an average wheel speed of the left landing gear;

means for determining an average wheel speed of the right landing gear;

means for comparing said average wheel speed of the left landing gear and said average wheel speed of the right landing gear and determining a lesser of the average wheel speeds of the left and right landing gear;

means for comparing the lesser of the average wheel speeds of the left and right landing gear with a predetermined wheel speed threshold; and

means for discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said lesser of the average wheel speeds of the left and right landing gear is below said predetermined wheel speed threshold.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said aircraft includes at least one engine thrust lever, and further comprising:

means for monitoring engine thrust lever position; and

means for discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said at least one engine thrust lever is in an advanced position.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

means for detecting wheel speed acceleration;

means for comparing said wheel speed acceleration with a predetermined acceleration threshold; and

means for discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said wheel speed acceleration exceeds said acceleration threshold.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

means for monitoring temperature of said plurality of wheel brakes;

means for comparing said temperature of said plurality of wheel brakes with a temperature threshold; and

means for discontinuing said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force when said temperature of said plurality of wheel brakes exceeds said temperature threshold.