Aerospace & Electronics: Crane Brake Control System
Improvements for Commercial Transport Aircraft
200 people, 180,000 lbs., at 184 MPH, with unknown surface conditions.
From the instant a passenger aircraft touches the runway; Crane Aerospace & Electronics’ brake control system is a critical element to assuring the airplane comes to a safe and comfortable stop. Every time, under all conditions - no exceptions.
Crane designed, qualified, and certified a new Brake Control Unit (BCU) for new single and twin-aisle aircraft. This control unit is the brains of the system, taking aircraft signal inputs, such as weight on wheels (WOW), wheel speed, autobrake switch position, and other parameters, to ensure maximum braking efficiency and minimum stopping distance under all runway environmental conditions.
The BCU utilizes Crane’s latest generation brake control algorithms provide improved braking performance, especially under wet and icy runway conditions. The BCU also provides updated Autobrake deceleration levels, based on airline feedback on how this function is used to help minimize pilot workload during a landing and ensure optimum automatic braking during this critical time.
The BCU has also been designed with various provisions, to ensure long-term supportability and expandability, as new product enhancement functions are introduced on aircraft.
Working hand in hand with the new BCU, Crane also provides an updated Unigain Antiskid Control Valve. The valves are responsible for ensuring the correct amount of hydraulic pressure is transmitted to the brakes based on the commands it receives from the BCU, 200 times per second. The Unigain Antiskid Control Valve is a product enhancement over the older generation of Unigain Antiskid Control Valves. The Unigain valve provides faster valve response and more consistent brake pressure application. This ensures that modern carbon brakes will wear more evenly and combat in service issues related to thermal oxidation that have been observed.
These enhancements offer additional value to both aircraft manufacturers as well as the airlines.
The Crane Aerospace & Electronics brand is centered on advanced solutions, reliable performance and progressive innovation. This means when it comes to brake control systems, Crane is a technology leader whose customers can rest assured passengers will land safely at their destination thanks in part to Crane’s products and solutions.