After several incidents related to faults in the 787 Dreamliner aircraft belonging to Boeing, the American company has proposed that the transport ministry of Japan should attend to and fix the battery systems aboard its aircraft. However the aircraft will remain grounded for some time, as the changes require approval from the US.
The company explained that it will redesign the battery module, which is a unit comprising of lithium-ion storage cells and charging circuits. The same proposal has already sent to the US Federal Aviation Administration as well.
The head of commercial airplanes for Boeing – Raymond Conner, on February 28, 2013, visited the ministry and explained about the proposal to Akihiro Ota, the transport minister. Conner, at a news conference said that the fix would not be temporary, but will be permanent. Every system has eight cells and the proposal from Boeing indicated that the change will prevent every cell from overheating.
Boeing also aims to reduce the risk of heat from any one cell which affects its neighbor and due to this, multiple cells overheat. The company also aims to ensure no smoke or fire breaks out on the plane. According to the proposal by the aircraft maker, all central elements of the battery, including the lithium-ion cells will be redesigned.
