Posted on 01/30/2013 4:45:49 PM PST by jazusamo
Industrial policy: After lithium-ion batteries caught fire on Boeing's new Dreamliner, stories popped up about how dangerous they are. Turns out they're the same kind of batteries President Obama is forcing into U.S. cars.
This month, a Boeing 787 battery caught fire while the plane was sitting at Logan Airport in Boston. Another 787 was forced to land while flying over Japan, forcing Boeing to ground its fleet of state-of-the-art 787s.
In the wake of these events, the press suddenly took notice of the risks posed by lithium-ion batteries.
USA Today complained that the FAA should have been more cautious about letting Boeing use the batteries, given their "long-known vulnerabilities."
The New York Times reported that "the lithium-ion batteries used on the aircraft had experienced multiple problems that raised questions about their reliability," adding that "regulators have long known about the risks of lithium-ion batteries."
Another news story noted that "lithium-ion batteries are more dangerous because they store more energy" than traditional batteries.
Indeed, despite their advantages over traditional battery technology longer life, more energy storage, less weight and their widespread use in consumer products, lithium-ion batteries have something of a checkered past.
As USA Today notes, they've "set off explosions in some consumer products" and resulted in millions of laptop battery recalls.
In 2010, a UPS cargo plane crashed near Dubai, killing both pilots, after its cargo of lithium-ion batteries started burning.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
....and the sale of A123 battery to China...
Exactly, that’s a real head slapper.
Boeing has no choice. These batteries have to be replaced with the older more stable batteries. No choice!
These guys at Boeing are suppose to be engineers. They surely would have known.
That’s correct, if they don’t this will more than likely bankrupt them.
Boeing up to this fiasco has had a stellar safety reputation and they knew of this lithium ion battery problem, I don’t understand this.
Obama and his minions would approve of them going bankrupt.
These things have been igniting or exploding since their inception. If they’re shorted or their internal cell walls leak, they can cause catistopic failures.
Another case of doing what the boss says. Remember they did not make the move to South Carolina. They were told not to probably and also told to use batteries. All speculation on my part.
There are research success's and indications that these batteries may eventually be constructed in a size that is necessary for the Volt or 787 to met specs, but they don't exist now.
I’ll bet they got some kind of feral tax credit for buying them.
I understand a replacement battery for a Tesla is 40K.
That’s about what I’ve paid for all the cars I have owned.
(and I’m an old fart.)
Tesla proves the “one born every minute” thesis.
My buddy’s daughter put down 5 grand deposit for one that won’t even be manufactured until 2014.
And the nearest dealer is 3 hrs away.
Just as we have been forced to abandon DDT, Nuclear Energy, Freon (Foam on the Space Shuttle Main Tank) and other common sense technology for lesser and even deadly substitutes we have here, another casualty of the progressive agenda.
I will add that I think the Dreamliner will be the best commercial craft ever conceived after they shake out the issues. It’s hull is made of composites that are far stronger and lighter than anything to date and it’ll save a huge amount of $’s in fuel costs. Carbon is an AMAZING compound - guess that’s why God invented it and used it to create us...
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