Know About Aircraft Battery Maintenance and Storage

With the growing number of electronics on modern aircraft, Electrical systems are becoming ever more demanding. With a battery, an aircraft can start its engine, power up its electrical system, and kick-start generator operation to begin recharging. As such, batteries are crucial elements to many aircraft and their operations, providing power for a number of procedures from start to finish. Due to their importance, it is paramount that one ensure that their batteries are well maintained and stored, guaranteeing that they provide as long of a service life as possible.

In general, aircraft batteries are dictated by the materials that are used to construct their plates, and such materials affect performance, maintenance needs, storage, and more. Across most aircraft, the two most common batteries include vented and sealed lead-acid and nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries. For smaller aircraft, the lead-acid battery serves as the most commonly used type, while many commercial aircraft rely on the nickel-cadmium type. Despite this, other aircraft may utilize batteries such as lithium-ion or nickel metal hydride, and choosing the correct battery for an aircraft may depend upon certain factors such as weight, discharge rate, cost, shelf life, maintenance, and more. Additionally, operators may also utilize Rechargeable batteries or nonrechargeable batteries depending on the application.

No matter which battery one chooses to implement within their aircraft, regular maintenance will often make the difference between a healthy battery and a dead one. Typically, failures of batteries are caused by factors such as insufficient water levels, faulty connections, irregular charge states, and other issues. While inspections may be conducted on an annual basis, such an interval may not provide enough inspection to ensure that the battery is always operating at peak performance and may cause underlying issues to go unnoticed for too long. As such, regular maintenance should be conducted and carried out based on the type of chemicals present, the physical construction of the battery, and temperatures that the battery operates in. When conducting maintenance and inspection, one should also remember to check the physical condition of the battery, as cables, connections, and other parts may be subject to corrosion and oxidation. Furthermore, operators and maintenance workers may refer to manufacturer recommendations for battery maintenance which is often found in maintenance manuals.

Beyond providing thorough maintenance and inspection, having safe storage solutions in place is also critical for the wellbeing of the battery. When procuring or setting up battery storage, it is important to know that they still may discharge and lose their effectiveness through chemical breakdown or the drying of electrolytes. As such, a dry, non-corrosive battery storage solution that is temperature controlled is most beneficial. With box assembly battery storage and an adapter battery charger, an aircraft battery can be kept safe while also preserving its life. If you have multiple battery types, such as lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries, one should always have their battery storage separate as to ensure that there is no damage caused by cross-contamination. This is due to the chemical differences between each battery that may cause damages, thus increasing the need for separate box assembly battery storage.

Due to the heavily important roles that batteries play for a number of aircraft, ensuring that they are well maintained, inspected, and stored can greatly affect their service lives and performance. When you are in need of adapter battery parts, adapter battery chargers, or battery storage products, look no further than ASAP 3Sixty. ASAP 3Sixty is a leading online distributor of aircraft parts, offering customers access to an unrivaled inventory consisting of over 2 billion new, used, and obsolete components. Get started on the purchasing process today by filling out and submitting an Instant RFQ form and receive a personalized quote in 15 minutes or less.

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1. craig lewis
2. Posted on November 12, 2020
aviation

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