AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL

SYSTEMS
Electrical Power (ATA 24)
BATTERIES
A battery is an energy storage device that relies on electrochemical reactions to deliver energy.

PRIMARY CELL BATTERIES

The dry cell is the most common type of primary-cell battery and is
similar in its characteristics to that of an electrolytic cell
When the battery is in a discharge condition an electrochemical
reaction takes place resulting in one of the rnetals being consumed.
Because of this consumption, the charging process is not reversible.

SECONDARY CELL BATTERIES

A secondary cell is any kind of electrolytic cell in which
the electrochemical reaction that releases energy is
reversible. The lead-acid car battery is a secondary-cell
battery as are some aircraft batteries.

A typical lead-acid battery

consists of six lead-acid cells
in a case. Each cell produces
2 volts, so the whole battery
produces a total of 12 volts.

DRY CHARGED (FLOODED) LEAD ACID BATTERIES

The electrolyte is added to the battery when it is placed in service, and battery life begins when the electrolyte is
added. An aircraft storage battery consists of 6 or 12leadacid cells connected in series. The open circuit voltage of the 6
cell battery is approximately 12 volts, and the open circuit voltage of the 12-cell battery is approximately 24 volts.
 AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL
SYSTEMS
Electrical Power (ATA 24)
VALVE-REGULATED (SEALED) LEAD-ACID BATTERIES (VRLA)

VRLA batteries contain all electrolyte absorbed in glass-mat separators with no free
electrolyte and are sometimes referred to as sealed batteries. When VRLA batteries are
on charge, oxygen combines chemically with the lead at the negative plates in the
presence of HzS04 to form lead sulfate and water.
These types of battery are used in general aviation and turbine powered aircraft and are
sometimes authorized replacements for NiCd batteries.

NICKEL CADMIUM (NICD) BATTERIES

A NiCd battery consists of a metallic box, usually stainless steel, plastic-coated steel, painted steel, or
titanium containing a number of individual cells. The battery has a ventilation system to allow the
escape of the gases produced during an overcharge condition and provide cooling during normal
operation. NiCd cells installed in an aircraft battery are typical. of the vented cell type. The cells are
rechargeable and deliver a voltage of 1.2 volts during discharge.

Aircraft that are outfitted with NiCd batteries typically have a fault protection system that monitors
the condition of the battery. The battery charger is the unit that monitors the battery and the following conditions are monitored:
1. Overheat condition
2. Low temperature condition (below -40 oF)
NiCd batteries have a ventilation
3. Cell imbalance system to control the temperature of the battery.
4. Open circuit A combination of high battery temperature (in excess
of 160 oF) and overcharging can lead to a condition
5. Shorted circuit
called thermal runaway.

If the battery charger finds a fault, it turns off and sends a fault signal to the Electrical Load Management System (ELMS).

LITHIUM ION BATTERIES

The most recent type of battery to be certified in aircraft is the lithium ion battery. These batteries have greater capacity and weigh less
than NiCd or lead acid types. They have no memory as NiCd batteries have and discharge less than half as slowly when not being used.

Lithium ion aircraft batteries require built-in safety devices to prevent overheating and thermal runaway.
They are constructed with a wide variety of material choices that result in compromise between capacity, longevity, environmental
endurance and operating range, current loading, specific energy, size and weight, etc. Additional current monitoring and other safety
and alerting devices are included to warn flight crew of battery status and malfunction.