Another 787 electrical/smoke incident (on ground)

[Chris Scott]

I wonder if this is the battery type in question. If so, it’s presumably based on the larger cell, the LVP65. (They might have used the smaller LVP10 elsewhere?) The data sheet shows that each cell is rated at 65Ah, with a nominal voltage of 3.7V. Can someone confirm that the low-power DC electrics are the standard 28V DC, implying a 24V battery? If so, would they need a battery pack consisting of 6, 7 or 8 of these cells, connected in series? Each cell is 2” thick, and weighs just over 6lb.

Interesting that they went for Li-ion cells that use “Lithium Cobalt Oxide cathode material”, providing “the best combination of high reliability [sic], high energy storage, and long life”. Knowing nothing about this, I wonder if anyone might comment on this extract from a website giving consumer advice on batteries, dating from 2011:

“There are two basic types of lithium-ion chemistries: cobalt and manganese (spinel). To achieve maximum runtime, cell phones, digital cameras and laptops use cobalt-based lithium-ion. Manganese is the newer of the two chemistries and offers superior thermal stability. It can sustain temperatures of up to 250°C (482°F) before becoming unstable. In addition, manganese has avery low internal resistance and can deliver high current on demand. Increasingly, these batteries are used for power tools and medical devices. Hybrid and electric vehicles will be next.

“The drawback of spinel is lower energy density. Typically, a cell made of a pure manganese cathode provides only about half the capacity of cobalt.”