Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/12/19/2013-30232/special-conditions-boeing-model-777-200--300-and--300er-series-airplanes-rechargeable-lithium-ion
Timestamp: 2018-07-21 03:13:46
Document Index: 336063303

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 25', '§\u200925', 'art 34', 'art 36', '§\u200925', '§\u200925', '§\u200925', '§\u200925', '§\u200925']

76731-76734 (4 pages)
Special Conditions No. 25-511-SC
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-30232 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-30232
These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes. These airplanes as modified by the ARINC Aerospace Company will have a novel or unusual design feature, specifically the installation of rechargeable lithium ion batteries and battery system that will be used on an International Communications Group (ICG) ePhone cordless cabin handset. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety Start Printed Page 76732equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.101, the ARINC Aerospace Company must show that the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes, as changed, continue to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations incorporated by reference in Type Certificate No. T00001SE or the applicable regulations in effect on the date of application for the change. The regulations incorporated by reference in the type certificate are commonly referred to as the “original type certification basis.” The regulations incorporated by reference in Type Certificate No. T00001SE are as follows: Part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-82, except for § 25.571(e)(1), which remains at Amendment 25-71 level. In addition, the certification basis includes special conditions and exemptions that are not relevant to these special conditions.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special conditions, the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes must comply with the fuel-vent and exhaust-emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34, and the noise-certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36.
Increased use of nickel cadmium batteries in small airplanes resulted in increased incidents of battery fires and failures which led to additional rulemaking affecting large transport category airplanes as well as small airplanes. On September 1, 1977 and March 1, 1978, respectively, the FAA issued § 25.1353(c)(5) and (c)(6), governing nickel cadmium battery installations on large transport-category airplanes.
Discharge of some types of lithium ion batteries and battery systems beyond a certain voltage (typically 2.4 volts) can cause corrosion of the electrodes of the cell, resulting in loss of battery capacity that cannot be reversed by recharging. This loss of capacity may not be detected by the simple voltage measurements commonly available to Start Printed Page 76733flightcrews as a means of checking battery status—a problem shared with nickel cadmium batteries.
These problems experienced by users of lithium ion batteries and battery systems raise concern about the use of these batteries in commercial aviation. The intent of the special conditions is to establish appropriate airworthiness standards for lithium ion battery installations in the Boeing 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes and to ensure, as required by §§ 25.1309 and 25.601, that these lithium ion batteries and battery systems are not hazardous or unreliable. To address these concerns, these special conditions adopt the following requirements:
Notice of proposed special conditions no. 25-13-03-SC, for the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes, was published in the Federal Register on August 22, 2013 (78 FR 52107). No comments were received, and the special conditions are adopted as proposed.
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of the type certification basis for Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes modified by the ARINC Aerospace Company.
These special conditions require that (1) all characteristics of the rechargeable lithium ion batteries and battery systems and their installation that could affect safe operation of the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes are addressed, and (2) appropriate instructions for continued airworthiness, which include maintenance requirements, are established to ensure the availability of electrical power from the batteries when needed.
(9) The instructions for continued airworthiness required by § 25.1529 must contain maintenance requirements to assure that the lithium ion batteries are sufficiently charged at appropriate intervals specified by the battery manufacturer and the equipment manufacturer. The instructions for continued airworthiness must also contain procedures for the maintenance of batteries in spares storage to prevent the replacement of batteries with batteries that have experienced degraded charge retention ability or other damage due to prolonged storage Start Printed Page 76734at a low state of charge. Replacement batteries must be of the same manufacturer and part number as approved by the FAA. Precautions should be included in the instructions for continued airworthiness maintenance instructions to prevent mishandling of the rechargeable lithium ion batteries and battery systems, which could result in short-circuit or other unintentional impact damage caused by dropping or other destructive means.
These special conditions are not intended to replace § 25.1353(b) at Amendment 25-113 in the certification basis of Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes. These special conditions apply only to rechargeable lithium ion batteries and battery systems and their installations. The requirements of § 25.1353(b) at Amendment 25-113 remain in effect for batteries and battery installations on Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes that do not use rechargeable lithium ion batteries.
[FR Doc. 2013-30232 Filed 12-18-13; 8:45 am]