Aircraft Battery Diagnostic and Prognostic System

The current practice in the maintenance of aviation batteries is to replace batteries on a scheduled maintenance cycle. It is estimated that some batteries have a useful life of six years yet batteries are replaced after they have been in service for three years or less, resulting in unnecessary expense. Conversely, batteries that have reduced capacity and need replacing are overlooked, posing a threat to mission success, and ultimately, human life. GEM Power’s diagnostic and prognostic battery monitoring system, integrated with the aircraft’s maintenance system, will determine if the on-board batteries are airworthy, and notify the operator of the status. Batteries can then be replaced prior to failure, eliminating the current practice of battery replacement on a scheduled maintenance cycle. For Phase II, a Passive Diagnostic Device (a diagnostic and prognostic breadboard prototype) will be designed and developed. The technology, software, algorithm, and breadboard hardware will be tested and demonstrated in Boeing’s electrical simulation laboratory. All research results indicate that producing and implementing a battery monitoring system based on GEM Power methods and techniques is highly feasible, and would apply to military as well as commercial aircraft.