The U.S. Air Force announced it has revised outdated procedures for testing the condition of aircraft batteries on the KC-135 Stratotanker and C-130 Hercules to prevent the premature disposal and replacement of batteries.
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| KC-135 Stratotanker (Courtesy U.S.Air Force) |
The solution, found with help from airmen at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio, and Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, reduces unnecessary equipment costs and maintenance delays. The team anticipates the updated procedures will decrease the rate of condemned batteries enterprise-wide, saving the U.S. Air Force an estimated $436,000 in battery-replacement costs annually and approximately 5,280 maintenance hours.
The batteries serve as the aircraft’s backup to power essential equipment should engine generators fail. To date, the Air Force C-130 and KC-135 fleets, more than 600 aircraft globally, operate with the batteries.
The airmen determined by updating the technical guidance and adjusting the required voltage and charging settings for specific processes, the legacy charging equipment can now sync with the modern battery and provide accurate test results. A draft Technical Order is authorized for testing by select field and depot maintenance units. The Air Force Research Laboratory expects to release a formal TO later this year, which will allow all bases to be able to implement the change.
The battery testing issue came to light in mid-2017 when depot personnel at Tinker AFB discover the sealed lead-acid batteries were failing periodic maintenance tests at a rate three times faster than expected. These batteries, manufactured by Teledyne Technologies, Inc., were required to be rejected and replaced before the end of their service life as a result.
When the depot notified Supply Chain management and AFRL Materials and Manufacturing directorate, they found the 121st Maintenance Squadron was having similar issues.
According to Defense Logistics Agency data, procurement of battery replacements increased by 50% since the installation of the Teledyne battery.
"We noticed that we had condemned more batteries in six months, than we had in the previous year,” said Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Frey, 121st Maintenance Squadron electrical and environmental specialist. “The battery is coded as an expendability item, so if they fail maintenance tests, they are thrown away."
Research found there was only an issue during the maintenance checks, as there was no evidence of battery failures in flight.
Through ground testing and data capture, the team discovered that the maintenance procedures were incompatible with the legacy model of charging equipment and worked with Teledyne and subject matter experts to update technical interim instructions to charge and maintain the batteries. The update instructs airmen to sync the existing equipment and successfully charge and maintain the batteries without requiring any physical modifications to the battery itself.
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