Boeing Dreamliner battery fire hot enough to melt fuselage, tests show

mcclatchchy.com ^ | 1-15-13 | Curtis Tate

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A fire that broke out last week in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner could have been hot enough to melt the carbon-fiber reinforced plastic that makes up the plane’s shell, according to the results of tests the Federal Aviation Administration performed last year.

In the FAA tests, which the agency performed at its site in Atlantic City a year after it certified the Dreamliner, the temperature of the battery fires reached as high as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The plane’s polymer skin melts at 649 degrees, according to its manufacturer, Victrex Energy of West Conshohocken, Pa.

It also burns at high temperatures. In two lithium battery fire tests last year, temperatures peaked between 1,400 and 2,000 degrees, according to a report of the test results. Some of the battery cells exploded and landed more than 100 feet from the fire, and one of the fires burned for more than an hour.

A Boeing safety document from last year shows the location of the battery in a lower compartment near the plane’s tail section. The compartment, which is not protected by the plane’s fire-suppression system, contains key electrical systems. The battery, which powers the plane’s auxiliary power unit, is close to the plane’s fuselage.

In a separate test last year, the FAA exposed a section of the composite material to fire, and photos in the report show a result that looks like Swiss cheese. Jonas said that 400 degrees is enough to degrade the material. A fire as hot as those in the FAA tests would burn it away.

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Interesting answer to your question: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/business/tv-show-mirrors-a-japanese-battery-makers-bind.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[dfwgator]

Has Rosie O’Donnell weighed in on this yet?

[Colorado Cowgirl]

Since 1972, a variety of lithium batteries have been used. These include Li/SOCI2, Lithium-silver chromate cell [Li/Ag2CrO4], lithium copper-sulfide cell[ Li/CuS], lithium – thionyl chloride cell, Li/I2-Polyvinylpyridine (PVP), Li/LiI(Al2)3/PbI2,PbS, Pb., lithium iodine, lithium silver vanadium oxide, lithium carbon monofluoride (CFx), lithium-polycarbon fluoride, lithium-cupric sulfide, lithium-thionyl chloride, Lithium-sulfide, Lithium Manganese Oxide (LiMn2O4), Lithium Cobalt Oxide(LiCoO2), Lithium Iron Phosphate(LiFePO4), Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2), Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (LiNiCoAlO2), Lithium Titanate (Li4Ti5O12), and last but not least lithium air. Boeing Engineering pressed the “Easy Button” by selecting the Lithium ion invented by Sony (Japan)in 1991, there are dozens of types to choose from!

[babygene]

So... what are you getting at, spit it out.

[ltc8k6]

Pretty much any onboard fire would be hot enough to melt any typical airliner fuselage, as we’ve seen many times, unfortunately.

[Colorado Cowgirl]

Some types of Lithium batteries are more prone to catching on fire, whether it’s in a laptop computer or a jet liner. Maybe do a little more research into other lithium-composite batteries. Some of the ones mentioned are installed in heart pacemakers, so a fire or dead short could be fatal. A 2000 Deg. fire at 40,000 ft could also be fatal for hundreds of passengers.

[Thebaddog]

I’m thinking that the lower melting point of the carbon fiber fuselage is another risk altogether.

[driftdiver]

I’d agree its a factor which should be considered. Would a small fire compromise the aircraft? A large fire would be fatal for both metal and the carbon fiber.

[PilotDave]

So they were able to determine that fire is hot, I feel so much safer now.

[babygene]

“Some types of Lithium batteries are more prone to catching on fire, whether it’s in a laptop computer or a jet liner. Maybe do a little more research into other lithium-composite batteries. Some of the ones mentioned are installed in heart pacemakers, so a fire or dead short could be fatal. A 2000 Deg. fire at 40,000 ft could also be fatal for hundreds of passengers.”

The batteries in question are s fire risk for one reason; internal or external shorts combined with the ability of the battery to source extremely high currents. External short risks are easy to manage with just a fuse. Internal shorts are not so easy to handle.

BTW, my wife has two pacemakers and the batteries are not rechargeable...

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I’m curious who the manufacturer is, too. It’s pretty telling that we’ve never heard them named. The media sure is having fun cracking Boeing for a VENDOR problem.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I’m curious who the manufacturer is, too. It’s pretty telling that we’ve never heard them named. The media sure is having fun cracking Boeing for a VENDOR problem.