When I was returning from an international trip earlier this month, I became curious about how the airplane was able to stop itself at the end of the runway. When I got home, I decided to do some in depth research on the internet in order to find out what kind of brakes airplanes use and how the entire process works.
What kind of brakes do airplanes use? Airplanes can use a variety of different braking systems when it comes to stopping the aircraft. The main categories of airplane brakes mostly fall under the category of disc brakes, with different quantities throughout each different type. On the other hand, some airplanes use carbon brakes and expander tube brakes to stop the aircraft.
While traveling on an airplane, most people never think about what helps the aircraft to stop at the end of the runway after landing. The braking systems that are used in airplanes are very versatile, and can vary from each aircraft.
In this article, we will be going over all of the different types of brakes that can be used within airplanes, along with the individual processes that each of them go through. If you were just as curious as I was to find out how airplanes brake, keep reading to find out the answers to all of your questions.
The Types Of Brakes That Airplanes Use
When it comes to identifying the braking system in an airplane, there are several possibilities for what could be inside of the aircraft.
With so many possibilities of braking systems that can work to stop an aircraft, the easiest way to introduce them will be to separate them into categories.
In this aspect, there are three main categories for airplane braking systems, which are outlined below. We will be getting into a more detailed explanation of the individual braking options that exist under each expanded category, but for now, we will simply be covering these classifications alone with a brief description of each.
Airplane Braking System Categories:
- Disc Brakes
- Carbon Brakes
- Expander Tube Brakes
The first, and most common, category of airplane braking systems is defined as disc brakes. If you are familiar with the processes that automobiles go through in order to stop themselves, you might have already heard of the term disc brakes.
Disc brakes in a car will deploy brake fluid throughout the different components in order to apply pressure to certain areas of the braking system. When the mass of the liquid pushes up against the rotor during this process, it will create friction against the brake pads and cause the wheels of the vehicle to stop completely.
This is somewhat similar to the process that disc brakes go through in airplanes, which will be discussed within the remaining sections of this article.
The next types of airplane braking system is known as carbon brakes. Carbon brakes are technically another form of disc brakes, only they use carbon fiber materials in the rotor component in order to stop the wheels of the plane.
Expander tube brakes, on the other hand, is fashioned in the form of a tube. Highly pressurized hydraulic fluid travels through this system in order to apply pressure to the interior torque bars, which is also very similar to the disc braking process in automobiles.
Subcategories Of Airplane Brakes
Now that we have established the names of the different categories of braking systems that exist in airplanes, you might be curious about the expansions of the list that was outlined in the previous section.
To answer all of these questions, I have put together a more detailed compilation of each of these systems, as outlined down below. In this next list, you will find all of the subcategories of airplane braking systems that are under the disc brake category.
Subcategories Of Airplane Disc Brakes:
- Single disc brakes
- Floating disc brakes
- Fixed-disc brakes
- Dual-disc brakes
- Multiple-disc brakes
- Segmented rotor-disc brakes
The broad category of airplane disc brakes is inclusive of all of the individual systems that are outlined in the list above. To give you a brief idea of how these systems work in general, they all consist of an operating medium that is pushed through the brakes to stop the wheels.
This operating medium can be hydraulic fluid or compressed air pressure. Very similar to the disc braking system in a car, this operating medium is used to apply pressure to the individual braking components, ultimately stopping the wheels of the aircraft.
Airplane Emergency Braking Systems
Along with the normal braking system that is used within the airplane, there is also the need for some kind of emergency brake. Just like you need an emergency brake on your car for parking or unexpected situations where your brakes give out, the same considerations must go into the design of an aircraft.
As a result, there are more categories of airplane brakes that fall specifically into the emergency braking category. Take a look at the list below to find an outline of these types of brakes, with a more detailed explanation to follow.
Airplane Emergency Braking Systems:
- Parking brake
- Brake deboosters
The first emergency braking system that is used in airplanes is the parking brake. The process that this type of brake goes through is very similar to the automobile emergency brake that was previously mentioned.
It is basically used to close the valve between he brakes and the hydraulic system that powers them. It keeps the fluid in once place, holding the rotors completely still. When the pedal is depressed once more, the return line valve will be open again and all functions will resume as usual.
Brake deboosters, on the other hand, is meant to reduce the pressure that comes form the control valve within the braking system. This occurs within the working range of the components of the actual brakes, bringing the pressure levels all the way down on the small end of the braking system’s piston.
Airplane Anti-Skid Braking Systems
After reading all about the various braking systems that are present in airplanes, from the regular disc brakes to the emergency systems, there is one more category to cover before we conclude this discussion.
The final braking system that is used in airplanes is known as the anti-skid braking system. Similar to the emergency braking functions, these particular brakes will help the airplane to travel on a steady course once it reaches the runway, preventing any sliding or skidding, just like the name suggests.
The list down below will provide you with a brief outline of the different types of anti-skid braking systems, with an explanation to follow.
Airplane Anti-Skid Braking Systems:
- Anti-skid system
- Wheel speed sensors
- Control units
- Anti-skid control valves
- Touchdown and lock wheel protection
- Auto brakes
- Anti-skid system tests
Anti-skid braking systems are very important to use while operating an aircraft, especially due to the fact that a skid that is not immediately controlled will result in a blown out tire.
The systems that are listed above serve a variety of purposes, from detecting when a wheel skid is occurring to controlling the speed, locking and protecting the wheels, and even testing the system for accuracy and efficiency.
As you can see, there are so many individual and complex braking systems that can be used by an airplane. From the time that it takes off to when it lands, there are special processes in place to make sure that it can stop adequately and make it safely to the final destination.