Search Results

A high fidelity system for estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) for Li-ion batteries for aerospace applications is presented. The system employs particle filtering coupled with outlier detection to predict RUL. Calculations of RUL are based on autonomous measurements of the battery state-of-health by onboard electronics. Predictions for RUL are fed into a maintenance advisor which allows operators to more effectively plan battery removal. The RUL algorithm has been exercised under stressful conditions to assert robustness.

Rechargeable lithium batteries are essentially ubiquitous in our daily lives and in virtually every industry from pocket key fobs to billion dollar space programs, in benign as well as extreme environments. Cell production in 2012 was estimated at 4.4 billion cells and expected to double by 2016. However within civil aviation, lithium batteries are still in the early stages of deployment. The general consensus within the industry is that the use of lithium batteries within civil aviation will increase substantially in the coming years. This paper focuses on design considerations with respect to deployment of rechargeable, or secondary, lithium batteries within civil aviation.