Warbird Information Exchange

Ray Conner, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, described the company’s proposal.

“Working with internal and external experts in battery technology, we have proposed a comprehensive set of solutions designed to significantly minimize the potential for battery failure while ensuring that no battery event affects the continued safe operation of the airplane,” said Conner.

Boeing’s proposal includes three layers of improvements, Conner said.

“First, we’ve improved design features of the battery to prevent faults from occurring and isolating any that do,” he said. The new design adds thermal and electrical insulation materials and reflects other changes.
“Second, we’ve enhanced production, operating and testing processes to ensure the highest levels of quality and performance of the battery and its components.” Enhanced production and testing includes more stringent screening of battery cells prior to battery assembly. Operating improvements focus on tightening the system’s voltage range.
“Third, in the unlikely event of a battery failure, we’ve introduced a new enclosure system that will keep any level of battery overheating from affecting the airplane or being noticed by passengers,” Conner said. The enclosure is designed to ensure no fire can develop in the battery or in the enclosure.

Boeing said it will provide details of the new design in the days ahead.

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2619

FAA may revoke ETOPS (temporarily?)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...anyNews&rpc=43

Looks like Reuters took the article down.

FAA may clip 787′s wings — report

Item by australianaviation.com.au at 1:26 pm, Wednesday March 27 2013

Boeing is ramping up 787 production to 10 aircraft per month even as the jet remains grounded. (Boeing)

While Boeing says a test flight of its troubled 787 Dreamliner has gone according to script, the aircraft could face a new setback as the FAA reportedly mulls limiting the 787’s ETOPS limits.

A 787 took to the skies on Monday for the first time since the model was grounded in mid-January after batteries overheated on a pair of the jets. The two-hour flight, a first step in proving that Boeing has found a solution to those problems, went off without issue, Boeing said. A second test flight is scheduled for the coming days.

But while Boeing hopes to see the grounding lifted by May at the latest, the 787 may return to the skies with its wings clipped. According to Reuters, the FAA is considering temporary limits to the aircraft’s one-engine out ETOPS flying times.

The 787 had been approved for ETOPS flights up to three hours single-engine flying time away from an airport and Boeing has sought permission to extend that range to 5 1/2 hours, which would allow the 787 to fly over the North Pole. However, the FAA is now reportedly considering rolling back the 787’s ETOPS approval to two hours.

That would prove restrictive to current operators of the 50 787’s so far delivered, forcing them to take less direct routes on some long haul flights and likely pushing them to seek further compensation from Boeing. The grounding has already cost Boeing an estimated US$450 million.