System Safety in the Dreamliner: Containing Battery Fires
Designing a long-haul, twin-engine airliner that impressed both operator and passenger was the goal of Boeing when they launched the 7E7 program in 2003. Sweptback wings, higher-humidity in cabins, composite fuselage, ultra-high thrust engines and a simulated sky interior were just a few improvements since air transportation of an earlier generation (“Boeing 787 Dreamliner long-range,” n.d.). The aircraft plagued by launch delays, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, was positioned to set a precedence for a lighter-weight, fuel-efficient, higher-powered aircraft through the use of lithium ion batteries. Unfortunately, the rollout proved extremely troublesome after a string of fire-related battery events, most notably the 2013 Japan Airlines fire on the ground in Boston, the aircraft was temporarily grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and several aircraft operators. …show more content…
A lighter and more powerful electrical system would allow the Dreamliner to operate more efficiently by weighing thirty percent less, charging quicker and using less onboard space than earlier generations of Boeing aircraft. Nickel cadmium (NiCd) had been used on the Boeing 777, 747 and MD-11, but they were known to carry extra weight and be less powerful. With two lithium-ion batteries, a main battery and an auxiliary power unit (APU) battery, the Dreamliner would be like no other aircraft in operation at the time. The main battery is able to power up the onboard systems and support ground operations while the APU battery is be capable of starting the APU generators, engine generators and navigation lights. The lithium ion battery had already been used within the aerospace industry and other industries prior to the Dreamliner rollout, including satellites, consumer electronics, and power tools (“Batteries and advanced airplanes,”
Designing a long-haul, twin-engine airliner that impressed both operator and passenger was the goal of Boeing when they launched the 7E7 program in 2003. Sweptback wings, higher-humidity in cabins, composite fuselage, ultra-high thrust engines and a simulated sky interior were just a few improvements since air transportation of an earlier generation (“Boeing 787 Dreamliner long-range,” n.d.). The aircraft plagued by launch delays, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, was positioned to set a precedence for a lighter-weight, fuel-efficient, higher-powered aircraft through the use of lithium ion batteries. Unfortunately, the rollout proved extremely troublesome after a string of fire-related battery events, most notably the 2013 Japan Airlines fire on the ground in Boston, the aircraft was temporarily grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and several aircraft operators. …show more content…
A lighter and more powerful electrical system would allow the Dreamliner to operate more efficiently by weighing thirty percent less, charging quicker and using less onboard space than earlier generations of Boeing aircraft. Nickel cadmium (NiCd) had been used on the Boeing 777, 747 and MD-11, but they were known to carry extra weight and be less powerful. With two lithium-ion batteries, a main battery and an auxiliary power unit (APU) battery, the Dreamliner would be like no other aircraft in operation at the time. The main battery is able to power up the onboard systems and support ground operations while the APU battery is be capable of starting the APU generators, engine generators and navigation lights. The lithium ion battery had already been used within the aerospace industry and other industries prior to the Dreamliner rollout, including satellites, consumer electronics, and power tools (“Batteries and advanced airplanes,”