It looks like the industry didn’t learn anything from all the years of NiCad thermal runaway issues.
“It looks like the industry didn’t learn anything from all the years of NiCad thermal runaway issues.”
http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/AVwebInsider_DreamlinerFire_207979-1.html
“The Dreamliner’s Battery Fire”
I had a thermal run-away with a ni-cad installed in a Bell Jet Ranger. I made a night emergency landing in the bush in Uganda, spent the night while it cooled and managed to get it started in the morning. I made a safe 10 minute flight with the batt switched off to my base camp.
My problem was too infrequent deep cycling of the battery. Thankfully, that was something I could do in the bush with a bit of brass shear wire and a Honda 24v generator.
Aviation is always in search for a lighter way to store energy. Some older aircraft used a compressed air bottle. The Sikorsky CH-53 uses a hydraulic accumulator (Compressed nitrogen “spring”). I’m surprised that super-capacitors have not been used. I guess that the instant discharge if damaged in a crash is the problem.