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Abstract
Along the years, humans had the necessity to grow in many fields of the life, one of those
fields is the technology. The main purpose of the technology consists on giving the human more
tools that will make easier to view and understand the way of life. Although humans had the
curiosity to know how it felt to fly as a bird, and then many people started to begin with designs
about aircrafts and as the years passed the designs became a real machine and we are here in the
actual days.
These type of flying machines that are called airplanes requires a lot of energy and one of
those energies is the electrical energy, the electrical systems of the airplane requires a large
amount of electrical energy to work, so the people created a device called battery, the function of
this device is to maintain the electrical power that supplies all the electrical systems in case that
generator fails, or when it requires more energy.
There are a lot of types of batteries, some are rechargeable and some of them just for only one
use, in the past batteries were less effective than now due to the technology that develops more
and more every day.
Index
Chapter 1
Introduction and General Information ................................................................................1
Aircraft batteries-.................................................................................................................1
Lead-acid batteries...2
NiCd Batteries..3
Capacity....5
Chapter 2
Aircraft Battery Ratings by Specification.6
Storing and Servicing Facilities6
Battery Freezing6
Temperature Correction7
Battery Charging...8
Constant Current Charging...9
Chapter 3
Battery Maintenance.10
Lead-acid battery maintenance procedures...12
Lead-Acid Battery Inspection and Service12
Aircraft Battery Inspection14
Ventilation Systems ..14
Intallation of Aircraft Batteries..15
Conclusion 16
List of References 17
Chapter 1
Introduction and General Information
The batteries are devices that basically have the function of supplying electrical
energy to a machine that requires it, in this case an airplane, also they are known as
primary sources in technical name in the airplane industry. Batteries had been renewing
to get more energy, due to the constant demand for a variety of batteries and for a high
efficiency of electrical power. In the aerospace and airplane industry there are just two
types of batteries that are used in the different types of airplanes and aerospace machines,
is the nickel-cadmium and the lead-acid battery.
The cells that contains the battery produce DC voltage and this is produced by
chemical reactions that are contained in the cells and compounds it. Every battery that
has an airplane is determined by the performance that requires the airplane and the cost.
As I mentioned batteries has the function to deliver electrical power for the lights, radios,
instruments and motors of the airplane. In this work I describe the different types of
batteries that uses the airplanes, how they work and the maintenance they should have.
Aircraft batteries
Aircraft batteries are used for many functions such as the ground power, emergency
power, improving DC bus stability, fault clearing and many other things that requires an
electrical energy supplier. In the aircraft industry, the smaller aircrafts use lead-acid
batteries and commercial aircrafts that are bigger use nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries.
Beside this, nowadays there are other lead acid types of batteries that are becoming
available, such as the valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries. Each type of batteries
has different functions and this depends on characteristics such as weight, cost, volume,
life, discharge and charge. The aircrafts batteries use plates and the most common used
in the industry are: the lead-acid and NiCd batteries.
Lead-acid batteries
Dry Charged Cell Lead Acid, also known as wet batteries, are assembled with
electrodes (plates) that have been fully charged and dried. The electrolyte is added to the
battery when it is placed in service. The storage of an aircraft battery consists of 6 or 12
lead-acid cells that are connected in series. The circuit of the 6 cell battery gives a voltage
of 12 volts, and the circuit of the 12 cell battery gives a voltage of 24 volts. The circuit
voltage is the voltage of the battery when it is not connected to a load. When wet batteries
are on charge, the oxygen generated at the positive plates escapes from the cell, the same
occurs at the negative plates, when the hydrogen is generated from water and escapes
from the cell. As a result of this there are gases and water loss. Due to this situation, wet
batteries require a constant check and maintenance by giving water to the battery or
changing it.
[Figure 1-1].
Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid Batteries (VRLA) are batteries that contain all electrolyte
absorbed in glass-mat separators with no free electrolyte and are sometimes referred to as
sealed batteries. [Figure 1-2] The reactions for VRLA batteries are the same as wet
batteries, except for the gas recombination mechanism that is predominant in VRLA
batteries. These types of battery are used in general aviation and turbine powered aircraft
and are sometimes authorized replacements for NiCd batteries.
When the VRLA batteries are charging, oxygen combines with the lead at the negative
plates in the presence of H2SO4 to form lead sulfate and water.
Overall, there is no water loss during charging, well in fact there is a loss of water due to
the discharge, but it is a small amount. Sometimes, batteries go overcharged and this can
affect the device, to avoid this there is a pressure relief safety valve.
NiCd Batteries
A NiCd battery is composed by a metallic box, made by stainless steel, plastic-coated
steel, painted steel, or titanium that contains a number of individual cells. [Figure 1-3]
These cells are connected in series to produce 12 volts or 24 volts. The connections of
the cells are nickel copper links. The cells are placed by partitions, liners, spacers, and a
cover assembly. Theres a ventilation system where the gases produced during an
overcharge escape and provides cooling.
NiCd cells installed in an aircraft battery are typical of the vented cell type. The
vented cells have a vent or low pressure release
valve that releases any generated oxygen
Figure 1-3. NiCd battery installation.
and hydrogen gases when overcharged or discharged rapidly. This also means the battery
is not normally damaged by excessive rates of overcharge, discharge, or even negative
charge. The cells are rechargeable and deliver a voltage of 1.2 volts during discharge.
Aircraft that uses NiCd batteries typically have a fault protection system that monitors the
state of the battery. The battery charger monitors the state of the battery by this
parameters:
Overheat condition
Low temperature condition (below 40 F)
Cell imbalance
Open circuit
Shorted circuit
If there is something wrong with the battery, the charger turns off and send a signal to the
Electrical Load Management System (ELMS).
NiCd batteries performs to its full capacity when the ambient temperature of the battery is
in the range of 6090 F. A variation in temperature from this range means the reduction
of capacity. NiCd batteries have a ventilation system to control the temperature of the
battery. A combination of high temperature and overcharging can drive to a condition
called thermal runaway. [Figure 1-4]
The temperature of the battery has to be monitored to ensure safe operation. Thermal
runaway can drive to a chemical fire and/or explosion of the NiCd battery under recharge
by a constant-voltage source and is due to cyclical, ever-increasing temperature and
charging current. One or more shorted cells or an existing high temperature and low
charge can produce the following cyclical sequence of events:
Excessive current,
Increased temperature,
Decreased cell(s) resistance,
Further increased current, and
Further increased temperature.
Capacity
Cell design (cell geometry, plate thickness, hardware, and terminal design govern
from the 60 F (16 C) to 90 F (32 C) range toward the high and low extremes).
Charge rate (higher charge rates generally yield greater capacity).
Chapter 2
Aircraft Battery Ratings by Specification
The one-hour rate is the rate of discharge a battery can endure for 1 hour with the
battery voltage at or above 1.67 volts per cell, or 20 volts for a 24-volt lead-acid battery,
or 10 volts for a 12-volt lead-acid battery. The one-hour capacity, measured in ampere
hours (Ah), is the product of the discharge rate and time (in hours) to the specified end
voltage.
The emergency rate is the total essential load, measured in amperes, required to
support the essential bus for 30 minutes. This is the rate of discharge a battery can endure
for 30 minutes with the battery voltage at or above 1.67 volts per cell, or 20 volts for a 24
volt lead-acid battery, or 10 volts for a 12 volt lead-acid battery.
Storing and Servicing Facilities
Separate facilities for storing and/or servicing flooded electrolyte lead-acid and NiCd
batteries must be maintained. Introduction of acid electrolyte into alkaline electrolyte
causes permanent damage to vented (flooded electrolyte) NiCd batteries and vice versa.
However, batteries that are sealed can be charged and capacity checked in the same area.
Because the electrolyte in a valve-regulated lead-acid battery is absorbed in the separators
and porous plates, it cannot contaminate a NiCd battery even when they are serviced in
the same area.
Battery Freezing
Discharged lead-acid batteries exposed to cold temperatures can have damages due to
freezing of the electrolyte. To prevent freezing damage, each cell must be at a specific
gravity of 1.275 or, for sealed lead-acid batteries, check open circuit voltage. [Figure 1-5]
NiCd battery electrolyte is not as susceptible to freezing because no appreciable chemical
change takes place between the charged and discharged states. Each type of battery has
their specifications of the freezing ranges and only a load check can determine the state
of the battery.
Specific
Gravi
Freezing
Point
SOC
12 volt
24 volt
70
95
100%
12.9
25.8
ty
1.30
0
1.27
62
80
75%
12.7
25.4
5
1.25
52
62
50%
12.4
24.8
0
1.22
37
35
25%
12.0
24.0
5
1.20
26
16
0
1.17
20
04
5
1.15
15
+05
0
1.12
10
+13
5
1.10
08
+19
0
Figure 1-5. Lead-acid battery electrolyte freezing points
Temperature Correction
Lead-acid batteries are considered fully charged when the specific gravity reading is
between 1.275 and 1.300. A 1 3 discharged battery reads about 1.240 and a 2 3
discharged battery shows a specific gravity reading of about 1.200 when tested by a
hydrometer at an electrolyte temperature of 80 F. An effective method to determine
precise specific gravity readings, a temperature correction should be applied to the
hydrometer indication. [Figure 1-6] As an example, for a hydrometer reading of 1.260
and electrolyte temperature of 40 F, the corrected specific gravity reading of the
electrolyte is 1.244.
Electrolyte
Temperature
12 volt
+60
+55
+140
+130
+0.024
+0.020
+49
+43
+38
+33
+27
+23
+15
+10
+05
02
07
13
18
+120
+110
+100
+90
+80
+70
+60
+50
+40
+30
+20
+10
0
+0.016
+0.012
+0.008
+0.004
0
0.004
0.008
0.012
0.016
0.020
0.024
0.028
0.032
23
28
35
10
20
30
0.036
0.040
0.044
Battery Charging
Operation of aircraft batteries can result in excessive cell temperatures leading to
electrolyte boiling, rapid deterioration of the cells, and battery failure. The relationship
between maximum charging voltage and the number of cells in the battery is also
significant because this determines the rate at which energy is absorbed as heat within the
battery. For lead-acid batteries, the voltage per cell must not exceed 2.35 volt and for
NiCd batteries, the charging voltage limit varies with design and construction. Values of
1.4 and 1.5 volts per cell are generally used, even though each battery has their
recommendations on the manual that should be followed to get an efficient battery
charge.
electrical system directly to the battery. A battery switch is in the system so that the
battery stay disconnected when the airplane is not working.
The voltage of the generator is controlled by a voltage regulator connected in the field
circuit of the generator. For a 12-volt system, the voltage of the generator is transformed
to 14.25. On 24-volt systems, is transformed in the range between 28 and 28.5 volts.
When these conditions exist, the initial charging current through the battery is high. As
the state of charge increases, the battery voltage also increases, causing the current to
taper down. When the battery is fully charged, its voltage is almost equal to the generator
voltage, and very little current flows into the battery. When the charging current is low,
the battery may remain connected to the generator without damage.
A higher capacity battery (for example: 42 Ah) has a lower resistance than a lower
capacity battery (for example: 33 Ah). Hence, a high-capacity battery has a higher
charging current than a low-capacity battery, when both are in the same state of charge
and when the charging voltages are equal. The constant voltage method is the preferred
charging method for lead-acid batteries.
Constant Current Charging
Constant current charging is the most convenient for charging batteries outside the
airplane because several batteries of varying voltages may be charged at once on the
same system. A constant current charging system consists on a rectifier to change the
normal AC supply to DC. A transformer is used to reduce the available 110-volt or 220volt AC supply to the desired level before it is passed through the rectifier. If a constant
current charging system is used, multiple batteries may be connected in series, provided
that the charging current is kept at such a level that the battery does not overheat or gas
excessively.
This method is used to charge NiCd batteries. Normally, a NiCd battery is constant
current charged at a rate of 1CA until all the cells have reached at least 1.55V. Another
charge cycle follows at 0.1CA, again until all cells have reached 1.55V. The charge is
finished with an overcharge or top-up charge, typically for not less than 4 hours at a rate
of 0.1CA. The purpose of the overcharge is to expel as much, if not all the gases collected
on the electrodes, hydrogen on the anode, and oxygen on the cathode; some of these
gases recombine to form water that, in turn, raises the electrolyte level to its highest level
after which it is safe to adjust the electrolyte levels. During the overcharge or top-up
charge, the cell voltages go beyond 1.6V and then slowly start to drop. No cell should rise
above 1.71V (dry cell) or drop below 1.55V (gas barrier broken).
Charging is done with vent caps loosened or open. A stuck vent might increase the
pressure in the cell. It also allows for refilling of water to correct levels before the end of
the top-up charge while the charge current is still on. However, cells should be closed
again as soon as the vents have been cleaned and checked since carbon dioxide dissolved
from outside air carbonates the cells and ages the battery.
Chapter 3
Battery Maintenance
Battery maintenance procedures vary with the type of chemical technology and the
physical construction. Always follow the battery manufacturers approved procedures.
Battery performance depends on many factors such as: the batterys age, state of health,
state of charge, and mechanical integrity that can be determined by:
Life and age of the battery: by recording the install date of the battery and during normal
maintenance, the battery age must be documented in the aircraft maintenance log or in
overcharge condition.
Specific gravity of the lead-acid battery electrolyte: It should be used a hydrometer, this
factor is the weight of the electrolyte compared to the weight of pure water. When a
specific gravity difference of 0.050 or more exists between cells of a battery, the battery
is approaching the end of its useful life and replacement should be considered. Electrolyte
Precautions
Follow these precautions when servicing aircraft batteries:
that none of the solution enters the battery cells. If it does, the solution will
neutralize the electrolyte and the battery would be useless. After cleaning the
battery with soda solution, rinse it with clean water and dry the top of the battery.
If a large amount of corrosion is found in the battery case, the battery should be
removed and case cleaned thoroughly. If appreciable damage has been done,
either to the battery case or to the battery mounting structure, the damaged parts
should be repaired or replaced.
3. Check the electrolyte level in the battery. If the liquid is below the plates of the
battery cell, add clean distilled water until it is approximately 3/8 in. (0.95 cm)
above the plates. Some batteries have an electrolyte should be filled at this level.
The proper level should be above the plates and about 1 in. Below the top the
battery.
4. If the battery is suspected of being defective, perform a battery load test or a
hydrometer test (lead-acid batteries only). If the battery indicates that it is weak
during either test, recharge the battery and retest the battery has stabilized (about
1 h). Remember, a hydrometer test should never be performed on lead-acid
batteries after water is added to the cells.
5. Inspect the terminal connections. See that they are tight and free from corrosion.
If a quick-disconnect plug is used on the battery, remove it and inspect the
contacts. If they are dirty or corroded, clean them thoroughly and apply a small
amount of terminal lubricant. Replace the plug, making sure that the hand wheel
is tight.
6. Inspect the battery cables for condition of insulation and security of connections.
7. Replace the cover on the battery case, making sure that the hold-down nuts are
tightened sufficiently.
8. Inspect the ventilation system of the aircraft and battery box. Be sure the vent
tubes are clean and without damage. If a sump jar is used in the aircraft battery
box ventilation system, see that the felt pad is covered with a soda solution. Check
that all fittings are tight and free from leaks. Inspect the airplane near the area of
the discharge tube exit. This area often corrodes and must be cleaned neutralized
periodically.
9. When it comes the placing of New Lead-Acid Batteries in Service, the principal
rule to observe is to follow the manufacturers instructions, because each model
has their manual specifications.
Aircraft Battery Inspection
Aircraft battery inspection consists of the following steps:
Inspect battery sump jar and lines for condition and security.
Inspect battery terminals and quickly disconnect plugs and pins for evidence of
inside of the compartment must be coated with a paint that will prevent corrosion caused
by electrolyte.
The battery must be so installed that spilled electrolyte is drained or absorbed without
coming into contact with the airplane structure. The shelf or base upon which the battery
rests must be strong enough to support the battery under all flying and landing conditions.
The battery must be held firmly in place with bolts secured to the aircraft structure
.metal-case batteries are held down by means of bolts that extend through ears on the
battery cover. Nonmetallic batteries are held excessive liquid on top of or around the
cells. Therefore, if an excessive electrical leakage is detected, it must proceed to remove,
clean, and dry all cells and the battery case. During this procedure, inspect each cell for a
liquid leak that may have caused the excess liquid around the cells.
Recharging the battery during reconditioning can be performed by a constant current
or constant voltage charger. In both cases, the battery will require a charge of 120 to 140
% of its 5-h capacity rating if a constant-current charger is used for recharging a 40-Ah
battery, the applied charge should be 8 A for 7 h. This is determined as follows: 40 Ah=8
A for 5 h(8A x 5h=40-Ah)times 140 percent= 8 A for 7h=56Ah.
Conclusion
Concluding with this work, first I think that this work gave me a more complete view
of the electrical components that has an airplane. In my report I presented the different
types of batteries that can use an airplane, depending on the specifications that requires it,
this reason force me to search for information about the two types that use the airplane
industry, and what I found was impressive because it showed me the importance about
the battery in the airplane, because is a source to the electrical system of the airplane.
Although I think that this work gave me the opportunity to know more about the
batteries, their components and the function that they have. Even though nowadays
batteries are effective, sometimes pollute a lot the atmosphere and this work wake up my
interest about finding new renewable sources, in this case to create new types of batteries,
ecological batteries to reduce the pollution and get efficiency in the airplanes. I think that
we must create new technologies for a better future with less pollution and more
effectiveness in the industry of airplanes.
List of References
Pallet, EHJ. (1991). Los sistemas elctricos en aviacin (2da edicin). Paraninfo
Editorial.
Eismin, T. K. (1995). Aircraft electricity and electronics (5th edition). Glencoe:
McGrawHill.
Tooley, M. (2009). Aircraft electrical and electronic systems. Elsevier Ltd.