Boeing 787 could be grounded until 2014

Recently in news (outside of Geeks Hut) there’s been a lot of coverage about Boeing 787 planes being grounded due to a battery issue. According to a battery expert and chemistry professor, the Boeing 787 could be grounded until 2014 due to these battery issues.

“In a large format battery, heat can be generated faster than it dissipates to the surroundings with the result that the temperature of the battery can rise to dangerously high levels which leads to bloating and ultimately fire,” he said, adding that lithium-ion batteries (the type used in the Boeing 787) were prone to combustion due to “organic electrolyte which makes it volatile and flammable.”

The battery expert said that designing and building a new control system for the battery could take a year, meaning a lot of planes and money is going to be grounded for a long time.

Sources :

CNET: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57566066-76/boeing-battery-solution-may-keep-787-grounded-until-2014
Washington Post for Image: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-01-11/local/36272164_1_dreamliner-faa-administrator-ray-conner