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Aircraft still using lead acid

32 volt boater

32 volt boater

Solar Enthusiast
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Aug 7, 2022
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Heres a surprise: An aircraft lead-acid battery is designed to last 10 to 12 years, not the two to three years most of use as a replacement cycle. https://www.aviationconsumer.com/maintenance/extending-battery-life/

May 13, 2012 — Although lead-acid is old battery technology, having been invented in 1859, it may be soon the only one available for aviation use. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-...tteries-are-old-effective-technology-aviation

Wile aircraft and lead might seem like a contradiction I will take the Pb instead of worrying about some little chip in a lithium's BMS buggin out and shutting me down at 20,000 feet.
 
There are (flooded) lead acid telecom batteries that are well over 70 years old; it is all about what you design it for.
 
Boeing and airbus are using LiFePO4 in their latest aircraft

Lithium is less likely to fail then lead acid.
 
32 volt boater said:
Heres a surprise: An aircraft lead-acid battery is designed to last 10 to 12 years, not the two to three years most of use as a replacement cycle. https://www.aviationconsumer.com/maintenance/extending-battery-life/

May 13, 2012 — Although lead-acid is old battery technology, having been invented in 1859, it may be soon the only one available for aviation use. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-...tteries-are-old-effective-technology-aviation

Wile aircraft and lead might seem like a contradiction I will take the Pb instead of worrying about some little chip in a lithium's BMS buggin out and shutting me down at 20,000 feet.
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you're quoting an 10 year old article ?
i would think they have been swapped out by now
 
Goboatingnow said:
No too of those actually left these days.
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It might be 10 years since I was in a central office with them, but as far as I know there were no plans to replace them. They are literally 100-year batteries. The only thing that would get them replaced is if the Telcos could not find the techs to manage the DC banks anymore.

I don't think they have been built in 35 years, but many will be around for a long time.
 
Shimmy said:
There are (flooded) lead acid telecom batteries that are well over 70 years old; it is all about what you design it for.
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Just saw this,

"Rare flooded-plate NiCd battery type. These are famous for being essentially immortal. They can be left fully discharged for decades and charge right back up to full capacity. Even if so badly abused they dry out their electrolyte, they can be fully restored simply by adding distilled water. If electrolyte is contaminated you can mix up new electrolyte with potassium hydroxide and water." https://www.ebay.com/itm/283831103054

Don't know much about it.
 
Goboatingnow said:
Boeing and airbus are using LiFePO4 in their latest aircraft

Lithium is less likely to fail then lead acid.
Click to expand...
I haven’t seen any indications that Boeing or Airbus would be using LiFePO4.

I’d also take the reliability claims with pinch of salt after the 787’s batteries catching on fire. Airbus also had delays with 350 lithium batteries and initially started the deliveries with NiCd-batteries in fears of what happened to dreamliner.
 
Yes, we use AGM in aircraft. $450 Earth-X li-ion battery bms failed after one year. Went back to the old heavy, reliable $200 AGM. Airlines can afford to buy high priced batteries when customers will take loans out and prioritize vacations over most everything else in the USA. Gotta post it all on Fakebook.
 
I seriously thought about those 50 year submarine batteries on eBay…but it’s would cost close to $100k to make a 48v set and probably some industrial pumps designed for acid that I have no clue about and I don’t know if my inverters would have enough in the rear end to charge them.
 
MattiFin said:
I haven’t seen any indications that Boeing or Airbus would be using LiFePO4.

I’d also take the reliability claims with pinch of salt after the 787’s batteries catching on fire. Airbus also had delays with 350 lithium batteries and initially started the deliveries with NiCd-batteries in fears of what happened to dreamliner.
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Yes but they sent back to Saft supplied lithium in 2016 https://www.flightglobal.com/lithium-ion-batteries-fly-again-on-a350-900/120746.article

Also 787s are flying today with lithium ion
 
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We fly with two of these:

Mobile 28V DC Lithium Aircraft Starting Unit | START PAC

28v DC starting & portable ground power unit. Lithium ion technology ensures long lasting power with significant weight reduction over traditional lead acid GPU
startpac.com startpac.com

we use this

START PAC Quick Change “Y” Connector | START PAC

Quickly double your Aircraft battery capacity. Convert two Quick Change aircraft engine starting batteries into a twin pac with this easy adaptor.
startpac.com startpac.com
So we can use both in parallel for our starts, saves paying lots of money for a power cart start at remote airports
 
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