http://blogs.airspacemag.com/onair/2013/01/about-those-airliner-batteries/ Ruminations on flight by George Larson. Mon, 06 May 2013 08:30:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://blogs.airspacemag.com/onair/2013/01/about-those-airliner-batteries/#comment-63 Mike in Hawaii Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:45:59 +0000 http://blogs.airspacemag.com/onair/?p=350#comment-63 With the latest WSJ reports of shorting in the battery and metal dendrites (and they also used the term "whiskers") as a possible cause, one wonders why this wasn't taken into account. NASA has long known of metallic whiskers growing on solder points in electronic circuits for a number of years now. With the elimination of lead in solder for environmental reasons, the incidences of tin whiskers growing out from solder joints and shorting circuits has been increasing. With the latest WSJ reports of shorting in the battery and metal dendrites (and they also used the term “whiskers”) as a possible cause, one wonders why this wasn’t taken into account. NASA has long known of metallic whiskers growing on solder points in electronic circuits for a number of years now. With the elimination of lead in solder for environmental reasons, the incidences of tin whiskers growing out from solder joints and shorting circuits has been increasing.

]]> http://blogs.airspacemag.com/onair/2013/01/about-those-airliner-batteries/#comment-60 Ryan James O'Connell Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:32:43 +0000 http://blogs.airspacemag.com/onair/?p=350#comment-60 Ps, Pretty sure that NiCads can suffer from a thermal runawayas well from memory. Ps, Pretty sure that NiCads can suffer from a thermal runawayas well from memory.

]]> http://blogs.airspacemag.com/onair/2013/01/about-those-airliner-batteries/#comment-59 Ryan James O'Connell Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:29:24 +0000 http://blogs.airspacemag.com/onair/?p=350#comment-59 I am a little suprised that after all the trouble that lithium batteries have been through in regards to aviation that they have been chosen for actual in service use. I use the LiPo,s for RC flying and are full aware of the risks involved with them, ie, mishandling, overcharging, explosive properties and resulting toxic fumes etc. Would be interested to see the arguement of Lithium vs NiCad and why Lithium was chosen. I can now purchase Lithium batteries for my motorcycle transfereable to ultralights etc?) but, after seing the results from this failure, it make you wonder if the benefits are worth the risk. I am a little suprised that after all the trouble that lithium batteries have been through in regards to aviation that they have been chosen for actual in service use. I use the LiPo,s for RC flying and are full aware of the risks involved with them, ie, mishandling, overcharging, explosive properties and resulting toxic fumes etc. Would be interested to see the arguement of Lithium vs NiCad and why Lithium was chosen. I can now purchase Lithium batteries for my motorcycle transfereable to ultralights etc?) but, after seing the results from this failure, it make you wonder if the benefits are worth the risk.

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