by Suzanne Levac on April 22, 2013 at 11:21 am · in Suzanne's Blog
Teams of Boeing engineers and technicians began fanning out across the globe Monday to modify the battery systems of 50 of the company’s 787 Dreamliner jets and get the grounded fleet back in the air.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday approved Boeing’s plans to install modification kits intended to reduce the risk of overheating in the planes’ lithium-ion batteries. The planes have been grounded for three months, since two of the light-weight batteries erupted in smoke and fire on separate planes in January.
A team of around 30 technicians arrived in Japan over the weekend and began work on the modifications early Monday, Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, said in a telephone briefing with reporters. All Nippon Airways and Japan Air Lines are the biggest operators of the Dreamliner, with 24 of the planes between them, and were the first to fly the jets in 2011.
“We are modifying in the order in which we delivered” the planes, Mr. Loftis said, adding that Japanese regulators had also approved installation of the kits — although they have not yet formally validated the F.A.A.’s safety certification of the modifications.
Each modification kit — which includes a new steel containment box for the battery, a new venting system, battery chargers, wiring and other associated hardware built by Boeing itself — should take about five days to install, Mr. Loftis said. Modified batteries, which include better insulation between the cells, are to be shipped separately to airlines by GS Yuasa, the Japanese maker of the 787’s original batteries.
Six other carriers have 787s in their fleets: Air India, Ethiopian Airlines, LAN Airlines of Chile, LOT of Poland, Qatar Airways and United Airlines of the United States. Orders for about 800 additional 787s are in the pipeline.
Boeing said it would deploy a total of around 300 technicians to nine countries in the coming weeks and months to retrofit the fleet of 787s.
“We will be working 24 hours a day with our crews and going absolutely all out to support our customers,” Mr. Loftis said.
Investigators in the United States and Japan have not yet identified what caused the 787’s batteries to overheat. But Boeing and the F.A.A. have said that after more than 100,000 hours of tests on the modified system, they were satisfied that the changes should eliminate concerns that the batteries could ignite.
Given the size of the Japanese 787 fleet — half of all the Dreamliners that have been delivered — as well as the large role that Japanese suppliers have played in building the plane — 35 percent of all its components, including its wings — Boeing has a strong incentive to get the planes flying there as soon as possible.
The Japanese transportation minister, Akihiro Ota, said Friday that regulators there were in the final stages of evaluating the safety of the battery system changes. Analysts said Japanese regulators could require a few additional safeguards before approving the modified planes for flight.
Mr. Loftis of Boeing said he could not predict how long it might take to obtain approvals by regulators in Japan and elsewhere. The F.A.A. has primary authority to regulate and certify the safety of Boeing aircraft and, typically, its decisions are validated by other countries with few changes.
“I am not expecting anything out of the ordinary” in the recertification of the 787 by foreign regulators, Mr. Loftis said. “They have the documentation and the analysis we have done. I would expect them to grant their approvals in the near future.”
It was not immediately clear when — or where — the first 787s would return to the skies. Once Boeing’s technicians have made the modifications, the planes will be turned back over to the airlines, which will follow their own procedures to prepare them for passenger service.
For example, ANA — which operates 17 Dreamliners — is planning to make 100 to 200 test flights next month before resuming passenger service on the 787 in June, Reuters reported last week.
Analysts predicted that it would be months before the whole 787 fleet was back in the air, but said it would probably not be long before the first passenger flights resume.
“It would be unwise to believe that the process of rectification will be fully complete before the end of the summer,” said Howard Wheeldon, an independent investment strategist in London, adding, “It seems to me that we can expect the first 787 to resume flying in airline service within a matter of weeks.”
With the F.A.A.’s approval of the battery modifications, Boeing said it was also beginning discussions with airlines about rescheduling deliveries of new jets on order. The company’s assembly lines have continued to build planes over the past three months and Boeing has more than a dozen finished planes parked in hangars near its factories in Washington state and South Carolina.
Before the battery incidents in January, Boeing had hoped to double its production of 787s to 10 per month by the end of this year, from 5 per month currently. Mr. Loftis declined to say Monday when Boeing would be in a position to begin ramping up that rate or what the financial impact of the grounding and the modifications to the 787 fleet would be.
Boeing was expected to give an update on the situation Wednesday, when it reports its first-quarter results.
By NICOLA CLARK
Published: April 22, 2013 New York Times
by James Henry, CDGT, CET on September 4, 2012 at 9:40 am · in Jim's Blog
Based on the information available to date, the following are some of the changes that will be in the 2013 editions of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and the IMDG Code.
lithium ion batteries > 100 Wh but < 160 Wh may be carried as spare batteries in carry-on baggage
portable electronic devices containing batteries should be in carry-on baggage and be protected to prevent short circuits
medical devices or equipment that contains or may contain infectious substances are not subject to the regulations provided that the item is packed so that there will not be any leakage
packages containing medical devices or equipment must be marked “Used Medical Device” or “Used Medical Equipment”
lithium cells and batteries must be of a type proved to meet the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria
dangerous goods list additions:
UN3496 batteries, nickel metal hydride
UN3497 krill meal
UN3498 iodine monochloride, liquid
UN3499 capacitor
UN3500 chemical under pressure, n.o.s.
UN3501 chemical under pressure, flammable, n.o.s.
UN3502 chemical under pressure, toxic, n.o.s.
UN3503 chemical under pressure, corrosive, n.o.s.
UN3504 chemical under pressure, flammable, toxic, n.o.s.
UN3505 chemical under pressure, flammable, corrosive, n.o.s.
UN3506 mercury contained in manufactured articles
dangerous goods list deletions:
UN3492 toxic by inhalation liquid, corrosive, flammable, n.o.s.
UN3493 toxic by inhalation liquid, corrosive, flammable, n.o.s.
the excepted quantity code for the various silanes has changed to E0
special provision 240 applies to vehicles powered by batteries, such as, scooters, e-bikes, wheelchairs, etc. Hybrid vehicles must be consigned under one of the following: UN 3166 Vehicle, flammable gas powered or UN 3166 Vehicle, flammable liquid powered, as appropriate. Vehicles which contain a fuel cell shall be consigned under the entries UN 3166 Vehicle, fuel cell, flammable gas powered or UN 3166 Vehicle, fuel cell, flammable liquid powered, as appropriate.
special provision 304 is now about transporting non-activated batteries
special provision 360 is for lithium battery powered vehicles consigned under UN3171
special provision 361 is for electric double layer capacitors with energy storage capacity > 0.3 Wh
special provision 362 is for liquids, pastes or powders that are pressurized with a propellant
special provision 363 is for dangerous goods in equipment where the dangerous goods are in excess of the limited quantity index
new packing instructions for chemicals under pressure (et al) UN3500 – UN3505
the marking of the identification number on packages must be a minimum of 12 mm in height, including the prefix UN, except for packages of < 30 L/ kg, where the info must be 6 mm in height
new warning mark for containers that use dangerous goods for cooling or conditioning purposes
for UN0336 and UN0337, the shipping document must include the classification reference issued by the competent authority
in addition, there are editorial updates – i.e. punctuation changes, spelling corrections, etc. that are too numerous to list.
Please keep in mind that as of January 1, 2013, the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, 54th Edition, will come into force – no transition period. The IMDG Code, Amendment 35-10 will still be in force for 2013. Amendment 36-12 is optional for 2013, but becomes mandatory in 2014. In other words, 2013 is the transition period for Amendment 36-12.
This addendum consists of additions and changes to state and operator variations.
The following states have added variations:
BR -Brazil: 8 variations dealing with the state Civil Aviation Regulations, monthly reporting, exemptions/approvals, use of Portuguese for domestic shipping, training requirements and radioactive approvals,
HR – Croatia: 5 variations dealing with dangerous goods approvals, Croatian Civil Aviation Agency approvals, approvals for radioactive materials, and prior approvals for explosives.
OM – Oman: 1 variation re: prohibition to/from/over Oman unless approved, required to apply 5 days prior to transport.
The following states have changed variations:
CA – Canada: the link to the TDG web page has changed
IR – Islamic Republic of Iran: radioactive material is subject to prior approval, segregation rules for Class 6.1 from Class 8, Class 4.1 from Class 4.3, SP A1 or A2 require prior permission
NL – Netherlands: NL2 Not used, prior permission required from the Civil Aviation Authority, application for a dangerous goods licence to be 6 weeks before first flight
RO – Romania: permit required for cargo of weapons, ammunition, explosives, radioactive materials and other dangerous goods, RO4 Not used.
SG – Singapore: operators must obtain a dangerous goods permit, Air Navigation Order defines munitions of war (MOW) – permit required for MOW
VC – Sri Lanka: application for permission must be made at least 10 days before first flight
The following operators have filed variations:
Air Caraibes – TX
Air Caraibes Atlantique – 8X
Air Tahiti – VT
Air India – AI
JSC Siberia Airlines – S7
Llc GloBus – GH
SriLankan airllines – UL
TAM Linhas Aereas – JJ is now TAM Airlines – JJ
Operators that have removed their variations:
Continental Airlines – CO
Indian Airlines – IC
Mexicana Airlines – MX
Southern Air Transport – SJ
There are 35 changes to the operator variations which include the above. Issues that are common to these variations are:
New lithium mines planned for Canada may challenge pollution rules
By Dean Beeby, The Canadian Press July 2, 2012
OTTAWA – Canada’s environmental regulations have lagged behind the global rush to develop deposits of lithium, a rare metal found in the rechargeable batteries that power millions of iPads, smartphones and laptops, says a new report.
The recent surge in lithium exploration, driven by a consumer electronics explosion and limited world supplies, includes several companies developing Canadian sites.
But Canada has little historical experience of lithium extraction, and existing environmental regulations are not well-tailored to the burgeoning industry.
“The Metal Mining Effluent Regulations do not specifically regulate all of the individual substances of concern that might be released from the mining or processing of rare earth elements and lithium,” says the report.
The regulations “were not specifically designed to manage the environmental aspects of these mining processes.”
The March 2012 report, commissioned by Environment Canada, was obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.
Canada has just one functioning lithium operation, the underground Tanco Mine at Bernic Lake, Man., that produces a lithium-containing ore known as spodumene, along with other minerals.
But soaring world demand for lithium, largely for use in the lithium-ion batteries that power a constellation of electronic devices and some vehicles, has sent more prospectors into the field.
Canada Lithium Corp. (TSX:CLQ) has been rejuvenating an old lithium mine 60 kilometres north of Val d’Or, Que. Production is slated to begin later this year, with on-site refining of the spodumene ore into lithium carbonate early in 2013.
The Quebec government issued a mining licence in June for the $207-million open-pit mine, though an environmental assessment is still underway.
And at least three companies are considering lithium-extraction operations using a brine-water process in an area of Alberta about 200 kilometres west of Edmonton. Those plans are in the early stages, and no environmental assessments have been completed, says the report.
Last summer, Environment Canada ordered a review of the lithium and rare earths sector in anticipation of surging interest and “to ensure that the current requirements of the (regulations) are adequate.”
Rare earths are exotic elements such as scandium and yttrium that are also vital to the electronics industry, including their use in flat-screen technology.
The $17,600 study by Cheminfo Services Inc. says that radioactive thorium is the byproduct of most concern in rare-earth mining and processing, still in its infancy in Canada.
Lithium extraction is somewhat more advanced in Canada. Hard-rock mining of lithium may have a lesser environmental impact than lithium produced through evaporation of brine, as proposed in Alberta.
Neither process is specifically referred to in the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations, and the consultants suggest the regulations may need to be changed to include brine processes. Provincial regulations may also apply.
Cheminfo also says one federal backstop to the mining regulations is a section of the Fisheries Act, which prohibits the deposit of deleterious substances into waters frequented by fish.
But the report was completed in March, a month before the Conservative government watered down many environmental protections in the Fisheries Act, through the omnibus C-38 budget bill, raising questions about its continued effectiveness. A spokesman for Environment Canada said the department has no plans to revise the mining effluent regulations.
“There are currently no plans to have new requirements outside of the existing provisions of the regulations,” Mark Johnson said in an email.
He noted that the report cited a regulatory gap for brine extraction, which is not currently practised in Canada.
“(Hard-rock) lithium mining from spodumene, which is the most common approach to lithium mining, is quite similar to other mining processes already covered by the MMER.”
The Cheminfo report notes Canada has reserves of some 360,000 tonnes of lithium, a fraction of reserves in the top three countries, Bolivia (5.4 million tonnes), Chile (three million tonnes) and China (1.1 million tonnes).
The study also cites forecasts suggesting there may be a world oversupply by 2020 as more players develop lithium mines and extraction facilities.
Global use of lithium, the lightest metal in the periodic table, has doubled since 2000 while prices have tripled.
On April 11, 2012, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the US Federal Register relating to transportation of lithium batteries by air. PHMSA is considering harmonizing the current hazardous materials regulations (HMR) with the requirements that are found in the 2013-2014 ICAO Technical Instructions. PHMSA published an NPRM in January 2010 addressing harmonization to the 2011-2012 ICAO Technical Instructions, but a final rulemaking was not published in relation to that previous NPRM. The new NPRM will incorporate the additional or revised requirements found in the newer Technical Instructions, and will allow interested persons to supplement comments that were submitted previously. The lithium battery provisions recently adopted by ICAO will become effective for international air transport on January 1, 2013. Comments relating to this NPRM are due by May 11, 2012.
