Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/12/19/2013-30231/special-conditions-airbus-model-a350-900-airplanes-permanently-installed-rechargeable-lithium-ion
Timestamp: 2018-03-23 00:22:06
Document Index: 351999063

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 25', 'art 34', 'art 36', '§\u2009611', '§\u200925', '§\u200925', '§\u200925', '§\u200925']

A Proposed Rule by the Federal Aviation Administration on 12/19/2013
Send your comments on or before January 21, 2014.
76772-76775 (4 pages)
Notice No. 25-13-41-SC
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-30231 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-30231
This action proposes special conditions for Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with permanently installed rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and battery systems. These batteries have certain failure, operational, and maintenance characteristics that differ significantly from those of the nickel-cadmium and lead-acid rechargeable batteries currently approved for installation on large transport-category airplanes. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.
Send comments, identified by docket number FAA-2013-0801, using any of the following methods:
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at http://www.regulations.gov/​ at any time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go to the Docket Start Printed Page 76773Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
On August 25, 2008, Airbus applied for a type certificate for their new Model A350-900 series airplane. Later, Airbus requested, and the FAA approved, an extension to the application for FAA type certification to June 28, 2009. The Model A350-900 series has a conventional layout with twin wing-mounted Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. It features a twin aisle, 9-abreast, economy-class layout, and accommodates side-by-side placement of LD-3 containers in the cargo compartment. The basic Model A350-900 series configuration accommodates 315 passengers in a standard two-class arrangement. The design cruise speed is Mach 0.85 with a maximum take-off weight of 602,000 lbs. Airbus proposes the Model A350-900 series to be certified for extended operations (ETOPS) beyond 180 minutes at entry into service for up to a 420-minute maximum diversion time.
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Airbus must show that the Model A350-900 series meets the applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-128.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special conditions, the Airbus Model A350-900 airplane must comply with the fuel-vent and exhaust-emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34, the noise-certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36, and the FAA must issue a finding of regulatory adequacy under § 611 of Public Law 92-574, the “Noise Control Act of 1972.”
Discharge of some types of lithium-ion batteries and battery systems, beyond a certain voltage (typically 2.4 volts), can cause corrosion of the Start Printed Page 76774electrodes 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 flightcrews as a means of checking battery status—a problem shared with nickel-cadmium batteries.
These special conditions are similar to lithium-ion batteries and battery systems special conditions adopted for the Boeing Model 787 (72 FR 57842; October 11, 2007).
Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes the following special conditions as part of the type certification basis for Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes.
These proposed 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 Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes, are addressed, and (2) appropriate Instructions for Continued Airworthiness, which include maintenance requirements, are established to ensure the availability of electrical power, when needed, from the batteries.
The FAA proposes that the following special conditions apply to all rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and battery systems on Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes, in lieu of the requirements of § 25.1353(b)(1) through (b)(4) at Amendment 25-113:
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 of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery or rechargeable lithium-ion battery system. This is required to ensure that rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and battery systems will not degrade below specified ampere-hour levels sufficient to power the aircraft system, for intended applications. The Instructions for Continued Airworthiness must also contain procedures for the maintenance of batteries in spares storage to prevent Start Printed Page 76775the replacement of batteries with batteries that have experienced degraded charge-retention ability or other damage due to prolonged storage at 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.
The term “sufficiently charged” means that the battery will retain enough of a charge, expressed in ampere-hours, to ensure that the battery cells will not be damaged. A battery cell may be damaged by lowering the charge below a point where the battery experiences a reduction in the ability to charge and retain a full charge. This reduction would be greater than the reduction that may result from normal operational degradation.
These special conditions are not intended to replace § 25.1353(b) at Amendment 25-113 in the certification basis for Airbus Model A350-900 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 Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes that do not use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on December 10, 2013.
[FR Doc. 2013-30231 Filed 12-18-13; 8:45 am]