Paper Title
Structural and Thermal Optimization of Rotor of Multi-Disc Brake of Aircraft

Abstract
The aircraft landing gear undergoes severe stress and temperature gradient within a short span of time from braking to stoppage. The kinetic and the potential energy of the aircraft are converted to the rotational energy by the wheels, which are then transformed to heat energy through braking systems. The current generation of braking systems consists of an array of stators and rotors lined up together in a T-formation incorporated within the hub of the wheel. The rotors are connected to the wheel hub via the torque tube and rotate with the wheel. When the brakes are applied, the piston housed in the brake presses the rotors against the stators and the kinetic energy of the wheels is converted into heat. The temperature of the brake linings, discs and other peripheral systems can reach from 500° C to 2000° C. Therefore, designing a robust braking is imminent to ensure safety of the plane. In this paper, a design methodology for designing brakes of an aircraft has been discussed, historical and current material selection trends for the brakes and using the accumulated data, a numerical example is solved taking in account the data of a Boeing 737 aircraft. The Boeing 737 has historically used steel brakes followed by carbon brakes in the newer versions. Here, it is simulated using a newer material: Aluminum Metal Matrix Composite (AMMA). The rotor (produced by Parker Cleveland)is modeled in SolidWorks 17 and structural and thermal analysis of the brake disc is performed using ANSYS 18.2. Keywords - Aircraft Brakes, Design Optimization, Material Selection, Finite Element