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15-Mar-2013 3:15 PM

Boeing provides details on 787 battery improvements

Boeing announced (14-Mar-2013) a comprehensive set of improvements that will add several layers of additional safety features to the lithium-ion batteries on 787 aircraft are in production and could be ready for initial installation within the next few weeks. New enclosures for 787 batteries also are being built and will be installed in aircraft in the weeks ahead. These improvements, which continue to undergo extensive certification testing, will allow operators to resume commercial service with 787s as soon as testing is complete and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other international regulators grant their final approval. The improvements include enhanced production and operating processes, improved battery design features and a new battery enclosure. Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Ray Conner said: "As soon as our testing is complete and we obtain regulatory approvals, we will be positioned to help our customers implement these changes and begin the process of getting their 787s back in the air". Battery system changes include changes to the battery itself, the battery charging unit and the battery installation. Details include:

  • Development Team Created Solution: The enhancements to the battery system address causal factors identified by the Boeing technical team as possible causes of battery failure. The technical team's findings also were verified by an independent group of lithium-ion battery experts from a number of industries, universities and national laboratories. Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP and chief project engine 787 programme Mike Sinnett said: "We've come up with a comprehensive set of solutions that result in a safer battery system. We have found a number of ways to improve the battery system and we don't let safety improvements go once they are identified. We incorporate them into our processes and products";
  • Enhanced Production Controls and Operating Processes: The first layer of improvements is taking place during the manufacture of the batteries in Japan. Boeing teamed with Thales, the provider of the integrated power conversion system, and battery maker GS Yuasa to develop and institute enhanced production standards and tests to further reduce any possibility for variation in the production of the individual cells as well as the overall battery. Four new or revised tests have been added to screen cell production, which now includes 10 distinct tests. Each cell will go through more rigorous testing in the month following its manufacture including a 14-day test during which readings of discharge rates are being taken every hour. This new procedure started in early Feb-2013 and the first cells through the process are already complete. There are more than a dozen production acceptance tests that must be completed for each battery. Boeing, Thales and GS Yuasa have also decided to narrow the acceptable level of charge for the battery, both by lowering the highest charge allowed and raising the lower level allowed for discharge. Two pieces of equipment in the battery system - the battery monitoring unit and the charger are being redesigned to the narrower definition. The battery charger will also be adapted to soften the charging cycle to put less stress on the battery during charging;
  • Improved Battery Design Features: Changes inside the battery will help to reduce the chances of a battery fault developing and help to further isolate any fault that does occur so that it won't cause issues with other parts of the battery. To better insulate each of the cells in the battery from one another and from the battery box, two kinds of insulation will be added. An electrical insulator is being wrapped around each battery cell to electrically isolate cells from each other and from the battery case, even in the event of a failure. Electrical and thermal insulation installed above, below and between the cells will help keep the heat of the cells from impacting each other. Wire sleeving and the wiring inside the battery will be upgraded to be more resistant to heat and chafing and new fasteners will attach the metallic bars that connect the eight cells of the battery. These fasteners include a locking mechanism. Finally, a set of changes is being made to the battery case that contains the battery cells and the battery management unit. Small holes at the bottom will allow moisture to drain away from the battery and larger holes on the sides will allow a failed battery to vent with less impact to other parts of the battery;
  • New Battery Enclosure: The battery case will sit in a new enclosure made of stainless steel. This enclosure will isolate the battery from the rest of the equipment in the electronic equipment bays. It also will ensure there can be no fire inside the enclosure, thus adding another layer of protection to the battery system. The enclosure features a direct vent to carry battery vapours outside the aircraft. New titanium fixtures are being installed in the electronics equipment bays to ensure the housing is properly supported;
  • Testing Status: Testing to gain FAA approval of the battery enhancements has already started, with the FAA's permission. During engineering testing, which occurs prior to certification testing, the team demonstrated that the new housing could safely contain a battery failure that included the failure of all eight cells within the battery. The "ultimate" load is the equivalent of 1.5 times the maximum force ever expected to be encountered during a battery failure. The housing easily withstood this pressure and did not fail until the pressure was more than three times the ultimate load. Through another test, the team demonstrated that fire cannot occur within the new enclosure. Its design eliminates oxygen, making the containment unit self-inerting. Inerting is a step above fire detection and extinguishing as it prevents a fire from ever occurring. The design also vents all vapors by venting directly outside of the airplane rather than into the equipment bay;
  • Working towards Resuming Flights: Boeing is following all of the necessary protocols to get the new design fully approved and properly installed to get the global 787 operational. Mr Conner said: "Completing our certification work and getting the delivered fleet flying again is our first priority". [more - original PR]

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