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Boeing has conducted the first of two test flights to demonstrate that the new lithium-ion battery system complies with regulatory safety standards on its wide-body, twin-engine 787 Dreamliner.

Designed to validate that all the systems of the aircraft are functioning correctly, the two-hour functional check flight took-off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington on 25 March, with six crew aboard.

Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel said that the two-hour 787 test flight went according to plan.

The company stated that it would analyse data from the 25 March flight, and conduct ground testing followed by one certification demonstration flight.

Boeing then plans to seek approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the new battery system.

The successful test flight of 787 Dreamliner is a important step for the company to end a nearly two-month long grounding of the wide-body aircraft.

"The two-hour 787 test flight went according to plan."

This month, the FAA approved Boeing’s certification plan for the redesigned 787 battery system. This redesign includes increased spacing between the eight lithium-ion cells, improved insulation of the cells, a redesign of the internal battery components to lower initiation of a short circuit within the battery, and a new containment and venting system.

In order to verify the new containment and venting systems, the critical ground test will be conducted on one of Boeing’s original 787 test jetliner and see the battery forced to destruction, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Once approved by the FAA and other global regulators, Boeing plans to install the modifications on the 50 787s, which have been temporarily grounded since mid-January.

Image: Boeing stated that it would analyse the data from the 25 March test flight, and conduct ground testing followed by one certification demonstration flight. Photo: courtesy of Boeing.

Defence Technology