SAE AIR5372

A panel of the SAE A-5A Committee prepared this SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR). The document describes the design approaches used for current applications of Brake-by-Wire (BBW) control systems that are used on commercial and military airplanes. The document also discusses the experience gained during service in the commercial and military environments, and covers system, ergonomic, hardware, and development aspects. The treatment includes the lessons that have been learned during application of the technology.

Although there are a variety of approaches that have been used in the design of BBW systems, the main focus of this document is on systems that use the electro-hydraulic method of control. The overall range of implementations is briefly described in 2.3. Sections 3, 4, and 5 describe the electro-hydraulic method in detail.

Although the designers and users of BBW systems are familiar with their functions, features, components, and limitations, there is no readily available documentation that describes the field in breadth. This document seeks to address this need by providing a compendium of field experience. The experience that has accumulated from existing BBW systems is presented as an aid to those who are embarking on the design of a new application or who are preparing specifications for a BBW system. The information is arranged under the headings of Functions and Requirements, System Architecture, Hardware Components, System Development Process, and Lessons Learned.