Conceptual Design of a New Test Setup to Simulate Aircraft tyre Spin-up Dynamics

The first touchdown moment of aircraft tires on a runway is the critical phase where maximum of the vertical and horizontal ground loads is produced. Some valuable drop tests have been performed on the Langley research center to simulate the touchdown and the spin-up dynamics. However, a long impact basin and a huge power source to accelerate and decelerate of the landing gear mechanism have been used. Based on a centrifugal mechanism, this paper proposes the conceptual design of a new experimental setup to simulate the spin-up dynamics. A Schematic view of the proposed mechanism is presented and its components are introduced. Operating condition of the system and the test procedure are discussed in detail. Finally, spin-up dynamic of Boeing ۷۴۷ is considered as a case study and operating condition of the system and the related test parameters are extracted. It is shown that the aircraft spin-up dynamics can be simulated in a limited laboratory space with low energy consumption. The proposed setup is such that the approach velocity, sink rate, and vertical ground load can be adjusted by low power actuators. The proposed experimental setup could be constructed in a limited space and at a relatively low cost. Low power actuators are used in the proposed system. Hence, in addition to the performance tests, fatigue tests of the landing gear mechanism will also be possible.