Standing Up The Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing 787 - Out of the Smoke

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has become a bit of a nightmare to the Boeing company recently, with its high power electrical system, backed up by its big Lithium Ion batteries. The dawn is apparently coming with the recent FAA permission given to Boeing to test and certify the solutions to the Lithium Ion batteries problems of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The FAA and NTSB has become overly cautious to the point of grounding even the flight test Boeing 787 Dreamliners of the Boeing company. Flight test pilots and engineers are very aware of the risks of their jobs and they are paid for this. If the flight test Boeing 787 Dreamliners have been permitted to fly, more data could have been collected to get to the bottom of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner electrical system battery problems. It might possibly have expedited the provision of solutions.

Dreamliner Taking Off, Again

As far as fire is concerned, the biggest fire in an airliner occurs continuously in its big turbofan engines. But as it is designed to be contained and controlled, it does no harm to the airliner. Thus, I think the FAA and NTSB is overacting on the battery issue with its '1,000% safety requirement' pronouncements. And possibly, they might never pinpoint the actual causes of the two different JAL and ANA Boeing 787 Dreamliner battery fires.

Dreamliner over calm waters

From recent media reports, it seems Boeing will provide these solutions to stand up the Boeing 787 Dreamliner soonest to put it on service safely:

1. Safe Batteries - design, materials, fabrication, quality assurance, maintenance, more granular monitoring
2. Safe Electrical System - proper algorithms, safe electrical components, additional battery electrical isolation and protection
3. Safe Containment - fireproof case, gas venting to outside, no damage to surrounding components and structure

Dreamliner Future - Boeing 787-10

I will suggest the following additional measures:

1. Easy removal of battery case if it's on fire
2. Built in fire suppression system for the batteries
3. Fly the flight test Boeing 787 Dreamliners as airliners to monitor the aging process specially the high power electrical system, and composite main structures
4. Heavier monitoring of the first 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners built, and those that were laid up for a long time and underwent repeated modifications before delivery
5. Add more physical switches able to isolate major electrical sub systems

I hope to see the Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying again carrying passengers safely in direct long-range city to city routes. No more plane changes in congested airport hubs.

B787 Dreamliner Off To Bright Future

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Safety Review

JAL B787 JA829J at Logan Airport, Boston

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has in the past week suffered an electrical fire that resulted in major mass media hoopla. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is now under the microscope that magnifies even minor events such as a brake sensor computer glitch.

Smoke from cargo compartment

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner's high electrical power consumption system that uses Lithium ion batteries is something that is new on an airliner. Couple this to a computerized control system based on million lines of code makes the Boeing 787 Dreamliner pushing way outside the current airliner design envelope.

Electrical System Bay

Charred Battery

NTSB Pictures

Factors:

1. Long layover and unuse due to production problems - we know that electrical devices loss quality more to unuse than regular use

2. Aircraft teething problems

3. Discontinuous assembly - some procedures might have been missed or misapplied

4. Net connected world that even minor events such as minor windshield cracks get mass media exposure

Solutions:

1. Externalize engine start-up batteries to airport support, or redesign it as a jettisonable pack

2. More strict battery manufacture quality assurance - materials, assembly, quality control, maintenance
3. Review algorithms using the B787 Iron Bird
4. Heavier monitoring of the first 50 B787 built, specially those that were laid up for a long time and underwent repeated modifications
5. Fly the flight test Dreamliners as airliners to monitor aging process

777-X Overhead Cockpit for More High Revenue Seats

B-777-X concept   (Kaktusdigital)

The planned Boeing 777-X series airliner can be made more competitive to the all new Airbus A350-1000 by relocating the cockpit to an overhead position, similar to the old B-47 Stratojet. This will result in at least 12 additional higher revenue First Class seats, in an excellent undisturbed position as in the B747-8.

B-47 Stratojet   (from Wikipedia)

Of course it will not be as open and narrow as in the old B-47 Stratojet. Such a new configuration will have a higher vantage point as in the B-747. Blind spots can easily be alleviated by closed circuit TV cameras. that can be integrated on the HUD, the cockpit panel screens, or its own dedicated LCD screens.

B-777-X wingspan comparison (Flightglobal)

This configuration may take advantage of the Boeing 747 hump aerodynamic effect that may lower drag and thus fuel burn.

Another configuration is to retain the upper fuselage lines and embed the cockpit where the front pilot and crew rest area is now located. This will take advantage of the B-777 large fuselage diameter and leverage the B-747-8 Skyloft technology to provide more revenue space.

The long wingspan of the planned B-777-X series will put it in the airport fees class with the A-380 and B-747-8. A folding wingtip is being studied specially on mechanical complexity and aerodynamic drag of components. It can be implemented electrically to reduce mechanical complexity and may have other aerodynamic functions.

B-777-X folding wing concept (Seattle Times)

The big disadvantage in relocating the cockpit is the engineering resources that will be needed to implement this. Incremental material costs will be minimal. Design tradition in cockpit location is also a mental barrier.

B-777-X concept (Raydon Designs)