IEEE Spectrum announced on August 23, 2019 that lithium batteries ground flights every ten days on average in the U.S. They say we need to urgently attend to this problem. That’s because it hobbles “the advance of … by far the most promising battery technology to emerge in our lifetimes”. They believe dendrite formation is a major contributor. Battery suppliers are out on a limb until they find a solution.
Industry Knock-Ons After Lithium Batteries Ground Flights
Tim Powers, vice president, Business Development of ZPower unpacked this for us in EPS News on September 24, 2019. He wrote about the impact the fire hazard has on small device builders. And naturally the effect on small device users too, that is you and we.
Lithium-ion batteries carry a hazardous classification, at least as far as aircraft operators and their customers go. There are new, stringent regulations in place regarding their handling and transport, Powers explains. Some of these came about due to a Federal Aviation Administration report. This found lithium batteries ground flights in the United States on average every ten days.
Three Logistical Challenges in the Small Device Supply Chain
Federal Aviation Administration rules require lithium batteries to be below 30% of potential charge when shipping in bulk. Device manufacturers therefore need to be diligent about their products aging. That’s because if they enter a deep-discharge state, then they could suffer irreparable damage.
Furthermore, IATA expects all shipping personnel to undertake lithium-ion battery packaging training every three years. Moreover, the training cycle shortens to every two years if transporting the batteries by air. This adds a further complication to scheduling shift personnel. Finally, these strict rules apply to devices returning with battery faults.
Customers are unlikely to consider shipping times reasonable via land and sea, especially returns to overseas countries. Explaining how lithium batteries ground flights is unlikely to placate them. Therefore, we need to replace lithium-ion technology with something else. Powers believes this is especially true in the case of medical devices.
Related
Federal Aviation Administration Li Update
Apple Macbook Pros under FAA Lock Down
Preview Image: Lithium Dendrite in Lithium-Ion Battery
