NewsDesk Deals, Openings, Acquisitions, Partnerships, Orders, Expansions, Awards Testing Advances on 787 Battery Fix T
he Boeing Co. (Chicago, IL) continues to move quickly to solve issues surrounding the lithium-ion batteries installed in its 787 Dreamliner, which has been grounded since mid-January, and the model could be back in the air by June. On Jan. 16, the FAA issued an emergency directive that grounded all Boeing 787s in the US following two incidents, including one fire, involving lithium-ion batteries. It was the first time the FAA had issued a general grounding of an aircraft model since 1979. Several other countries, including Japan and India, followed suit.
An in-depth probe into the cause of the overheating was launched by Boeing as well as US and Japanese transportation safety officials.
On March 12, Boeing received approval from the FAA on its plan to test and certify improvements to the 787’s battery system.
Details on 787 Battery Improvements
Boeing said it has developed a set of improvements to the 787 lithium-ion batteries that add several layers of safety and reliability to the design. These improvements are undergoing
Improvements include enhanced production and operating processes, improved battery design features and a new sealed battery enclosure.
Battery system enhancements address possible causes of battery failure identified by the Boeing technical team. The technical team’s findings were verified by an independent group of lithium-ion battery experts from industry, universities and national laboratories.
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
Battery system enhancements address possible causes of battery failure identified by the Boeing technical team.
extensive certification testing. Once testing is complete and the FAA and other international regulators grant their final approval, operators will be able to safely resume commercial flights of their 787s.
tests to further reduce any 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. The batter-
May 2013 |
ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com 21
Image courtesy Boeing Co.
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