Signs of runaway heat seen in Boeing 787 Dreamliner batteries

TOKYO An investigation into a lithium ion battery that overheated on a Boeing 787 flight in Japan last month found evidence of the same type of "thermal runaway" seen in a similar incident in Boston, officials said Tuesday.

The Japan Transportation Safety Board said that CAT scans and other analysis found damage to all eight cells in the battery that overheated on the All Nippon Airways 787 on Jan. 16, which prompted an emergency landing and probes by both U.S. and Japanese aviation safety regulators.

They also found signs of short-circuiting and "thermal runaway," a chemical reaction in which rising temperature causes progressively hotter temperatures. U.S. investigators found similar evidence in the battery that caught fire last month on a Japan Airlines 787 parked in Boston.

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Photos distributed by the Japanese investigators show severe charring of six of the eight cells in the ANA 787's battery and a frayed and broken earthing wire — meant to minimize the risk of electric shock.

All 50 Boeing 787s in operation are grounded as regulators and Boeing investigate the problem. The Japanese probe is focusing on flight data records and on the charger and other electrical systems connected to the damaged battery.

Lithium ion batteries are more susceptible to catching fire when they overheat or to short-circuit than other types of batteries. Boeing built in safeguards to gain safety certification for use of the relatively light and powerful batteries to power various electrical systems on the 787, the world's first airliner made mostly from lightweight composite materials.

Investigators earlier said they found no evidence of quality problems with production of the 787's batteries by Kyoto, Japan-based, GS Yuasa, whose own aerospace ambitions are on the line.

[tudognight]

Better connections and fail safe wiring along with redundant temperature sensors at the battery should be a simple engineering fix. We need better and more frequent FAA inspections. This is a proper function of government....stop the removal of safety in the name of corporate profit. We have to save our corporations from themselves and blind, short sighted CEO.s Skipping union workers for younger inexperienced workers is self defeating. How much garbage do we have to see produced? Planes, like food can kill people when careless, penny pinching takes place. Do you want to pay for safe food or just eat whatever is cheapest? It is the old penny wise and pound foolish argument.

[twmat311]

Well said. We live in a culture where huge portions of program budgets are spent on up-front admin "planning" (i.e., social calls and travel) - when it comes to design and safeguards, the constant litany is "does it have to cost THAT much?"