The Moscow Aviation Institute has developed an automated system for monitoring the condition of aircraft brake pads, allowing their wear to be tracked without manual checks and additional inspections. The development is already aimed at implementation in industrial aviation electronics and can significantly speed up aircraft preparation for flights.
The system is based on a network of linear displacement sensors installed on each brake pad. They record changes in the thickness of the friction material during operation. The data is then collected into a single digital network, processed, and compared with permissible parameters. If the values go beyond the norm, the information is automatically transmitted to the onboard equipment control system.
The institute notes that currently, brake condition monitoring largely depends on manual inspections, which require time and increased personnel attention. The new technology automates the process and increases the accuracy of resource assessment, which is especially important for maintenance planning.
According to the developers, the system can simultaneously process data from 16 sensors, while the architecture allows scaling the solution for a larger number of measuring units. MAI emphasizes that similar functions are already found in the premium automotive industry, but in aviation, such solutions are still used very limitedly.
