Grounded Dreamliners could resume flights within weeks
Commercial flights of Boeing’s grounded 787 Dreamliners could resume within weeks following changes to the design of the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries the company has claimed.
The entire fleet of fifty 787s was grounded by regulators in January following a battery fire on a aircraft parked in the US, and a smoking battery on an aircraft flying over Japan.
Boeing’s plan to address these battery problems - which has been approved by the FAA - includes enhanced testing and monitoring during the manufacturing process, changes to the design of the battery itself, and the development of a new battery enclosure, designed to further reduce the risk of fire.
‘We’ve come up with a comprehensive set of solutions that result in a safer battery system,’ said Mike Sinnett, vice president and chief project engineer, 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
To optimise the manufacturing process, Boeing worked with Thales, the provider of the integrated power conversion system, and battery maker GS Yuasa to develop rigorous new testing and monitoring procedures designed to reduce the possibility for variation in the production of the batteries.
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