Lithium Ion Batteries + Airplanes

[Neelix]

Okay folks, we all know that we can't take the Saphion brand Lithium Ion batteries on airplanes when we travel with our Segs. So, when my dad and I read the following paragraph in the July 11th 2005 issue of Aviation Weekly:

Thales will incorporate lithium-ion battery technology from GS Yuasa of Japan in the electrical power conversion system for the Boeing's 787. The French electronics contractor says this will be the first use of Li-ion in a commercial aviation application. The batteries, which offer double the energy capacity as comparable nickel-cadmium units and can charge from 0 to 90% in just 75 min., will be used for Auxiliary Power Unit and emergency power backup.

we obviously though, "Wah? So, if the plane crashes, you don't only have to worry about the fuel igniting, but also the lithium packs blowing up. Awesome job, airplane manufacturer!"

Which leads us to the questions: How can they do this legally? Will this be the first step to recognizing the capabilities of different types of lithium ion batteries?

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Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[W9GFO]

There are tons of things that are part of the aircraft systems which you would not be permitted to bring aboard. Pyrotechnic valves are the first to come to mind...

Rich H

[Neelix]

I understand this, but when there are obvious alternatives (NI-cads, NIMHS, etc) which are safer, why are they allowed to use them? I can't take gasoline on board, but it has it in it's tanks, right? But there's no alternative. It's how it flies. A battery system on board, while crucial, it probably doesn't require lithium technology.

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Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[legpain]

If you owned that plane it would be your responsibility to protect the passengers, it would be your liability to pay for ANYTHING that went wrong. You’re ONLY the passenger, not responsible for anyone but yourself. So, NO batteries for you!

John

[yosgof]

Plus the environment of the aircraft installation would be properly controled (cooling, ventilation, monitoring and so forth) as may be required by the installation whereas the cargo bay is nothing like.

- Yossi
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3365119-lg.jpg

[Dragan]

I've been in the aviaiton business a very long time, and there are literally hundreds of things on a commercial aircraft that under any other circumstance (i.e. being an installed component) would not be allowed to fly. Heck, sit in any seat on a jet, and you have an incendiary device (the O2 generators) right over your head.

Yossi's right, the checks and balances employed in the design, manufacture,sign off and install process are such that even something as inherently dangerous as those O2 generators become safe enough to use. The baggage handling process is somewhat indelicate (they aren't called baggage smashers for nothing) and given the volume of cargo and baggage they have to load, the timeframes it has to be done in, things get tossed, dropped, bashed and rendered unsafe.

Even with an inherently safe system like the Segway, if it's banged around enough will become damaged and potentially hazardous. They just can't and won't take the chance, no matter how slim.

There are ways of having a product reclassified and certified for carriage on a passenger aircraft without restrictions, but it takes a VERY long time, is VERY costly, and requires a lot of hoop-jumping. Given the nature of the product, and the relative level of demands us users place on it, I don't know if there's sufficient bang for the buck for Segway to undertake the process.
Wayne

Segway of Alberta - Calgary
www.mysegway.ca

[Desert_Seg]

Chris,

Having spent many hours (weeks, months, years) working on / flying big planes, I can assure you that wherever those batteries are located they will likely have a very good fire suppression / cooling system nearby. Also, the fear isn't that the L-Ion batteries are going to explode for a random reason, it is that an error by a Segway owner / shipper will create a fault and, therefore, an unsafe condition.

Although the chance of failure is likely slim, I can understand the airlines position.....but in my part of the world the response was "Huh, what'cha mean you can't take that battery on the plane?"....and this from a very large cargo carrier and a very large commercial airline.

As the saying goes - Although the rules apply everywhere they are applied differently everywhere.

Steven

Segway of UAE - The Segway product line distributors to Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen