[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 6, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 19789-19791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07255]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2022-0277; Special Conditions No. 25-814-SC]
Special Conditions: Peregrine, Textron Aviation Model 400A
Airplane; Rechargeable Lithium Batteries
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Textron Aviation
(Textron) Model 400A airplane. This airplane, as modified by Peregrine,
will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state
of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport
category airplanes. This design feature is a main ship rechargeable
lithum battery. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain
adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These
special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the
Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety
equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.
DATES: This action is effective on Peregrine on April 6, 2022. Send
comments on or before May 23, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2022-0277 using
any of the following methods:
Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for sending
your comments electronically.
Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
Privacy: Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as
described in the following paragraph, and other information as
described in title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 11.35, the
FAA will post all comments received without change to https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal information you provide.
The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal
contact received about these special conditions.
Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business
Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both
customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from
public disclosure. If your comments responsive to these special
conditions contain commercial or financial information that is
customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and
that is relevant or responsive to these special conditions, it is
important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI.
Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN.''
The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the
FOIA, and the indicated comments will not be placed in the public
docket of these special conditions. Submissions containing CBI should
be sent to Nazih Khaouly, Aircraft Systems, AIR-623, Technical
Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft
Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South
216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-
3160; email [email protected]. Comments the FAA receives, which are
not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket
for these special conditions.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
https://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. Follow the online
instructions for accessing the docket or go to Docket Operations in
Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nazih Khaouly, Aircraft Systems, AIR-
623, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198;
telephone and fax 206-231-3160; email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The substance of these special conditions
has been published in the Federal Register for public comment in
several prior instances with no substantive comments received.
Therefore, the FAA finds, pursuant to Sec. 11.38(b), that new comments
are unlikely, and notice and comment prior to this publication are
unnecessary.
Comments Invited
The FAA invites interested people to take part in this rulemaking
by sending written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments
reference a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data.
The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for
comments. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the
comments received.
Background
On November 30, 2021, Peregrine applied for a supplemental type
certificate for the installation of a True Blue Power TB40 main ship
rechargeable lithium battery in the Model 400A airplane. The Textron
Model 400A airplane is a twin-engine transport category business jet,
with a maxium passenger capacity of 11, and
[[Page 19790]]
has a maximum takeoff weight of 16,300 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, Peregrine must show that the Model 400A airplane, as
changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations
listed in Type Certificate No. A16SW or the applicable regulations in
effect on the date of application for the change, except for earlier
amendments as agreed upon by the FAA.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Peregrine Model 400A airplane
because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are
prescribed under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which
they are issued. Should the applicant apply for a supplemental type
certificate to modify any other model included on the same type
certificate to incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature,
these special conditions would also apply to the other model under
Sec. 21.101.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Textron Model 400A airplane must comply with the fuel
vent and exhaust emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34 and the noise
certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36.
The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in
accordance with Sec. 11.38, and they become part of the type
certification basis under Sec. 21.101.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Textron Model 400A airplane will incorporate the following
novel or unusual design features:
Installation of True Blue Power TB40 main ship rechargeable lithium
battery.
Discussion
Rechargeable lithium batteries are considered to be a novel or
unusual design feature in transport category airplanes, with respect to
the requirements in Sec. 25.1353. This type of battery has certain
failure, operational, and maintenance characteristics that differ
significantly from those of the nickel-cadmium and lead-acid
rechargeable batteries currently approved for installation on transport
category airplanes. These batteries introduce higher energy levels into
airplane systems through new chemical compositions in various battery-
cell sizes and construction. Interconnection of these cells in battery
packs introduces failure modes that require unique design
considerations, such as provisions for thermal management.
Special Condition 1 requires that each individual cell within a
battery be designed to maintain safe temperatures and pressures.
Special Condition 2 addresses these same issues but for the entire
battery. Special Condition 2 requires that the battery be designed to
prevent propagation of a thermal event, such as self-sustained,
uncontrolled increases in temperature or pressure from one cell to
adjacent cells.
Special Conditions 1 and 2 are intended to ensure that the cells
and battery are designed to eliminate the potential for uncontrollable
failures. However, a certain number of failures will occur due to
various factors beyond the control of the designer. Therefore, other
special conditions are intended to protect the airplane and its
occupants if failure occurs.
Special Conditions 3, 7, and 8 are self-explanatory. Special
Condition 4 clarifies that the flammable-fluid fire-protection
requirements of Sec. 25.863 apply to rechargeable lithium battery
installations. Section 25.863 is applicable to areas of the airplane
that could be exposed to flammable fluid leakage from airplane systems.
Rechargeable lithium batteries contain electrolyte that is a flammable
fluid.
Special Condition 5 requires each rechargeable lithium battery
installation to not damage surrounding structure or adjacent systems,
equipment, or electrical wiring from corrosive fluids or gases that may
escape in such a way as to cause a major or more severe failure
condition. Special Condition 6 requires each rechargeable lithium
battery installation to have provisions to prevent any hazardous effect
on airplane structure or systems caused by the maximum amount of heat
it can generate due to any failure of it or its individual cells. The
means of meeting special conditions 5 and 6 may be the same, but they
are independent requirements addressing different hazards. Special
Condition 5 addresses corrosive fluids and gases, whereas special
condition 6 addresses heat.
Special Condition 9 requires rechargeable lithium batteries to have
``automatic'' means, for charge rate and disconnect, due to the fast-
acting nature of lithium battery chemical reactions. Manual
intervention would not be timely or effective in mitigating the hazards
associated with these batteries.
These special conditions apply to all rechargeable lithium battery
installations in lieu of Sec. 25.1353(b)(1) through (4) at Amendment
25-123 or Sec. 25.1353(c)(1) through (4) at earlier amendments. Those
regulations remain in effect for other battery installations.
These special conditions contain the additional safety standards
that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of
safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness
standards.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Textron Model 400A airplane. Should Peregrine apply at a later date for
a supplemental type certificate to modify any other model included on
Type Certificate No. A16SW to incorporate the same novel or unusual
design feature, these special conditions would apply to that model as
well.
Conclusion
This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature
on one model of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability and
affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of this
feature on the airplane.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Authority Citation
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.
The Special Conditions
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of
the type certification basis for Textron Aviation Model 400A airplanes,
as modified by Peregrine.
In lieu of Sec. 25.1353(b)(1) through (4) at amendment 25-123, or
Sec. 25.1353(c)(1) through (4) at earlier amendments, each
rechargeable lithium battery installation must:
1. Be designed to maintain safe cell temperatures and pressures
under all foreseeable operating conditions to prevent fire and
explosion.
2. Be designed to prevent the occurrence of self-sustaining,
uncontrollable increases in temperature or pressure, and automatically
control the charge rate of each cell to protect against adverse
operating conditions, such as cell imbalance, back charging,
overcharging and overheating.
3. Not emit explosive or toxic gases, either in normal operation or
as a result
[[Page 19791]]
of its failure that may accumulate in hazardous quantities within the
airplane.
4. Meet the requirements of Sec. 25.863.
5. Not damage surrounding structure or adjacent systems, equipment,
or electrical wiring from corrosive fluids or gases that may escape in
such a way as to cause a major or more-severe failure condition.
6. Have provisions to prevent any hazardous effect on airplane
structure or systems caused by the maximum amount of heat it can
generate due to any failure of it or its individual cells.
7. Have a failure sensing and warning system to alert the flight
crew if its failure affects safe operation of the airplane.
8. Have a monitoring and warning feature that alerts the flightcrew
when its charge state falls below acceptable levels if its function is
required for safe operation of the airplane.
9. Have a means to automatically disconnect from its charging
source in the event of an over-temperature condition, cell failure or
battery failure.
Note: A battery system consists of the battery, battery charger,
and any protective monitoring and alerting circuitry or hardware
inside or outside of the battery. It also includes vents (where
necessary) and packaging. For the purpose of these special
conditions, a battery and the battery system is referred to as a
battery.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 1, 2022.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-07255 Filed 4-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P