Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2014-2015 - 53

But the educational opportunity remains a necessity from Winter's
perspective .
"Each chemistry using lithium has different reaction characteristics
to being damaged, to a short, to over-charging," Winter explained . "It's
important to the safe handling of these batteries that the people working with them understand the differences ."
Lithium, most people don't know, is a metal, and the alloys used in
batteries have their own specific damage responses .
For example, a lithium-oxide-chemistry battery generates oxygen as
the lithium burns further feeding the fire's fury and continuing until combustion exhausts the fuel . In the process, temperatures of the failed
battery quickly escalate to more than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit - far
above the melting point of aircraft aluminum .
True Blue Power's batteries employ a cell design and chemistry, created by and licensed from the company A123 Systems, that reacts differently to the same test . The breached cell generates steam and heat
- but no fire - and the temperatures decline after peaking at about the
boiling point of water at sea level, or about 218 degrees Fahrenheit .
Beyond the reduced heat and steam, the temperatures peak well
below a point that propagates the failure, as more-typical lithium-ion
battery chemistries can propagate .
A Small Time Investment Toward Big Benefits
Today, lithium-ion-chemistry batteries, with the few exceptions already mentioned, are largely absent from aviation in general and from
general aviation, specifically .
Lead-acid batteries, both conventional and recombinant-gas sealed
technologies, dominate general aviation aircraft, with NiCad batteries
more common in business-turbine aircraft .
That dominance by lead-acid and NiCad technologies is already
changing, with Cessna pursuing lithium-ion batteries for four of its
Citation models - the CJ4, and the developmental M2, Latitude and
Longitude models . With True Blue Power poised to announce initial
customers for its TB44 and TB17, expect the shift toward Nanophosphate Lithium-ion battery chemistry to continue - with the biggest
possible shift waiting for True Blue Power to offer its products to the
after-market .
But in the interim, educating industry is True Blue Power's second
priority to help make sure there's time to prepare operators, maintainers and technicians who handle flying and working on the aircraft .
"We want the people in the field to understand the safety aspects
of our design before they consider using a True Blue Power battery,"
Slater noted .
Added Winter, "We want to inform and educate the community in
a way that satisfies their understandable concerns - it's important
considering the news other chemistries have helped produce . Then,
if they see the benefits of our products, they'll be more likely to appreciate the benefits and understand that their safety is not going to
be put at risk because they changed battery types ." q

- 53 -

Specialists
In Avionics!
* Avionics Upgrades, Service and Installations
* Custom Panel Design
* Handling All Major Brands Of Avionics
* Competitive Pricing

G500 GTN750 GTN650 STEC55X
Custom IFR Panel

A Part 145 Repair Station P49R490N
Professional avionics installations for all types of piston
and turbine aircraft including Gov't agencies, news helicopters, private owners, charter co's, flight schools and more.
Authorized Service Center
Agusta Westland, AIRBUS Helicopters, Cessna,
Robinson Helicopters
Manufacturer and PCA Discounts Available!
Call for a Quote

1 888 732-7324
w w w. p o r t c i t y a i r. c o m

OVER 225 YEARS OF COMBINED MAINTENANCE
AND AVIONICS EXPERIENCE!

AVIATION SUPPLIES & ACADEMICS, INC.

PILOT TRAINING
MAINTENANCE TRAINING
AVIATOR'S LIBRARY
PILOT SUPPLIES

Training Starts Here.
www.asa2fly.com

http://www.portcityair.com http://www.asa2fly.com

Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2014-2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2014-2015