Wireless Brake and Tire Monitoring System

Impact Technologies, with cooperation from the University of Louisville and the Rochester Institute of Technology and with oversight from Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems, proposes an end to end wireless solution for aircraft tire and brake monitoring. The proposed system will serve to reduce safety risks and increase efficiency during flight and ground testing by providing wireless transmission of tire temperature, tire pressure, and brake temperature to a distance of at least 300 feet from the tires. The system will provide intelligent data fusion and diagnostic capability in support of automating the go / no go for test personnel to approach the aircraft. Key tasks of this Phase II effort include: 1) Development of a temperature patch technology to directly measure the hottest parts of the aircraft tire; 2) Development of local ‘nodes’ that read the temperature from the patches and transmit the data through a wireless mesh; and 3) Development of a controller computing module that receives and interprets data and provides a clear output to aid decision-making. The system will be tested for EMI/EMC at Edwards prior to a final demonstration at the Landing Gear Test Facility at Wright-Patterson AFB. BENEFIT: Immediate benefits to the Air Force would be recognized in the form of reduced safety risks and increased flight and ground test efficiency. Overheated brakes pose the risk of fire, and incorrect tire pressure or overheated tires increases the risk of a blowout. Long range transmission of critical tire and brake data means personnel need not approach the aircraft to check tire and brake condition, reducing personnel safety risks. There is significant commercialization potential for this technology in the military and commercial arenas. The largest potential would be development of a system for permanent on-aircraft installation to provide vital information about brake and tire condition in real time. In addition, the fundamental harsh environment wireless temperature and pressure measurement and transmission technologies developed in the project will have a variety of applications across multiple machinery and vehicle types for enabling advanced condition monitoring and prognostics.