Proposed Rule2023-11682
Special Conditions: Lufthansa Tecknik AG, Airbus Models A319-133 and A321-200 Series Airplanes; Supercapacitor Systems and Installation
Primary source
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Published
June 1, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
This action proposes special conditions for the Airbus Model A319-133 and A321-200 series airplanes. This airplane, as modified by Lufthansa Tecknik AG (Lufthansa), 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 the installation of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system based on supercapacitor technology. The current airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 105 (Thursday, June 1, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 35781-35783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11682]
[[Page 35781]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2022-0205; Notice No. 25-22-02-SC]
Special Conditions: Lufthansa Tecknik AG, Airbus Models A319-133
and A321-200 Series Airplanes; Supercapacitor Systems and Installation
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.
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SUMMARY: This action proposes special conditions for the Airbus Model
A319-133 and A321-200 series airplanes. This airplane, as modified by
Lufthansa Tecknik AG (Lufthansa), 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 the installation of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
system based on supercapacitor technology. The current airworthiness
regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for
this design feature. These proposed 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: Send comments on or before July 17, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2022-0205 using
any of the following methods:
Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> 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.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> 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: Daniel Poblete, Electrical Systems,
AIR-626A, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division,
Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 3960
Paramount Blvd., Suite 100, Lakewood, CA 90712-4137; telephone and fax
(562) 627-5335; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f79396999e929bd993d98798959b928392b7919696d9909881"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9afefbf4f3fff6b4feb4eaf5f8f6ffeeffdafcfbfbb4fdf5ec">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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 proposed 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, and will consider comments filed late if it is possible to do
so without incurring delay. The FAA may change these special conditions
based on the comments received.
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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>,
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. Send
submissions containing CBI to the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section above. Comments the FAA receives, which are
not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket
for these special conditions.
Background
On February 17, 2021, Lufthansa applied for a supplemental type
certificate for the installation of a UPS system in the Model A319-133
and A321-200 series airplanes. The Airbus Model A319-133 and A321-200
series airplanes are twin-engine, transport category airplanes. The
Airbus Model A319-133 airplane has a maximum passenger seating capacity
of 160, and a maximum takeoff weight of 154,322 pounds. The Airbus
Model A321-200 airplane has a maximum passenger seating capacity 230,
and a maximum takeoff weight of 213,848 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, Lufthansa must show that the Model A319-133 and A321-200
series airplanes, as changed, continue to meet the applicable
provisions of the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. A28NM 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 Airbus Model A319-133 and A321-200
series airplanes 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 Airbus Model A319-133 and A321-200 series airplanes
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
[[Page 35782]]
the type certification basis under Sec. 21.101.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Airbus Model A319-133 and A321-200 series airplanes will
incorporate the following novel or unusual design features:
This design feature for this installation of a UPS system is based
on supercapacitor technology.
Discussion
Currently, there are no regulatory or industry standards for
supercapacitors and their installation on transport category airplanes.
Supercapacitors are used to provide power to non-essential cabin
equipment when the normal power source is interrupted for a short
period of time. In this design, the supercapacitor UPS system will
allow connected equipment to be provided back-up power if normal
electrical power source is interrupted and remain operational such as
during power transfers as well as provide transient voltage surge
suppression should harmful high voltage transients occur. The UPS is
only used for systems not critical to continued safe flight and
landing.
Since the supercapacitor is being used as a high capacity
electrical storage device and functions similarly to rechargeable
batteries, the special conditions used for lithium batteries are
appropriate for supercapacitor installations and the hazardous
conditions that could be presented. These special conditions are
necessary to assist in the testing and installation of this
supercapacitor on the aircraft.
Special condition 1 requires that the supercapacitor installation
be designed to preclude propagation of a thermal event, such as self-
sustained, uncontrolled increases in temperature or pressure. Special
condition 1 is intended to ensure that the supercapacitor system is
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 supercapacitor designer. Therefore, other
special conditions are intended to protect the airplane and its
occupants if other failures occur.
Special conditions 2, 6, 8, and 9 are self-explanatory.
Special condition 3 makes it clear that the flammable fluid fire
protection requirements of Sec. 25.863 apply to supercapacitor
installations. Section 25.863 is applicable to areas of the airplane
that could be exposed to flammable fluid leakage from airplane systems.
Supercapacitors may contain an electrolyte that is a flammable fluid.
Special condition 4 requires that each supercapacitor installation
not damage surrounding structure or adjacent systems, equipment, or
electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) components from
corrosive fluids or gases that may escape in such a way as to cause a
hazardous condition.
While special condition 4 addresses corrosive fluids and gases,
special condition 5 addresses heat. Special condition 5 requires that
each supercapacitor installation have provisions to prevent any
hazardous effect on surrounding structure or adjacent systems,
equipment or EWIS components, caused by the maximum amount of heat the
supercapacitor installation can generate due to any failure of the
supercapacitor installation or any of the individual supercapacitors.
The means of meeting special conditions 4 and 5 may be the same, but
the requirements are independent and address different hazards.
Special condition 7 requires that supercapacitor be disconnected or
otherwise removed from its charging source without the need for crew
intervention should the supercapacitor become overheated or fail in a
manner that may create a safety hazard. This requirement applies to all
supercapacitor installations and is not limited to those whose proper
functioning is required for the safe operation of the airplane.
The proposed 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
Airbus Model A319-133 and A321-200 series airplanes. Should Lufthansa
apply at a later date for a change to the supplemental type certificate
to include another model incorporating the same novel or unusual design
feature included on Type Certificate No. A28NM, these special
conditions would apply to that model as well.
Conclusion
This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature
on Airbus Models A319-133 and A321-200 series airplanes. It is not a
rule of general applicability and affects only the applicant who
applied to the FAA for approval of these features 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 Proposed Special Conditions
Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes the
following special conditions as part of the type certification basis
for Airbus Model A319-133 and A321-200 series airplanes, as modified by
Lufthansa Technik AG.
Each supercapacitor installation must:
1. Be designed to preclude the occurrence of uncontrolled increases
in temperature or pressure under all foreseeable operating conditions
to prevent fire and explosion.
2. Not emit explosive or toxic gasses, in normal operation or as
the result of its failure that may accumulate in hazardous quantities
in any area of the airplane.
3. Meet the requirements of Sec. 25.863.
4. Not damage surrounding structure or adjacent systems, equipment,
or electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) components from
corrosive fluids or gases that may escape to cause a hazardous
condition.
5. Have provisions to prevent any hazardous effect on surrounding
structure or adjacent systems, equipment, or EWIS components, caused by
the maximum amount of heat it can generate during any failure including
any individual supercapacitors.
6. Have a means to prevent overheating or overcharging of the
supercapacitor.
7. Have a means to automatically disconnect it from its charging
source in the event of an over-temperature condition or failure.
8. Have a monitoring and alerting feature that alerts the
flightcrew when the capacity has fallen below acceptable levels if its
function is required for safe operation of the airplane. The flightcrew
alerting must be in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 25.1322.
9. Have a means to prevent insufficient charging if required for
safe operation of the airplane.
Note: A supercapacitor installation consists of the
supercapacitor(s) and any protective, monitoring and alerting
circuitry or hardware inside or outside of the Supercapacitor. This
includes EWIS components as defined by Sec. 25.1701. It also
includes any venting or cooling system and packaging. For the
purpose of these special conditions, a
[[Page 35783]]
supercapacitor and the supercapacitor installation is referred to as
a supercapacitor.
Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on May 26, 2023.
Suzanne A. Masterson,
Acting Manager, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-11682 Filed 5-31-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on June 1, 2023.
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