Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #53395
From: Colyn Case at earthlink <colyncase@earthlink.net>
Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [LML] Re: L-IVP Battery Cooling
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:35:11 -0500
To: <lml@lancair.net>
Re: L-IVP Battery Cooling
Bill said,   I may be missing something but I don't understand how a fuse between the cable and the power buss(es) would provide protection.
 
In a rear mount installation, it would be hard to protect the long wires during starter operation.  However, assuming a front mounted power grid,
you could limit the amount of current the long wires see in flight by inserting a fuse between the long wires and e.g. the battery  bus bar that
feeds the airplane in flight.
 
My goal was simply to protect the installed wire.   My strategy was fairly simple:
1) for each bus figure out what max continuous load is
2) size the main feed wire based on a continuous rating of that load
3) size the anl on that bus to blow at the current for which that wire is rated for the 2-minute limit
 
So for example, if you wanted 70A capacity on your main bus you would pick at least a #8 wire.
The #8 wire has a 2-minute rating of 90A.  A 40A ANL will blow after about 30 secs at about 90A but will run forever at 70A.
A 40A anl will also tolerate about 130A for 5 secs, enough to get your hydr pump started.
 
The anl's are mostly mounted on the side of the battery box, easily inspectable and away from passenger activity.
 
One test for reasonableness is "What is the probability of this happening?"
Another test, and I think a more meaningful one is "What is the worst damage that could occur if this thing does happen?"
 
I had a friend fill a new T210 with smoke because of a misbehaving battery in the back.   IMC.  He had to shut down all electrics.  Fortunately for him, all the relays opened and his AI was vacuum driven.
 
I had my own Nissan Stanza fry its entire wire harness and burn a hole through the fender.   Nothing stopped it until we ripped the terminal off the battery.  That was a serious amount of smoke!
 
I'm sure both of these designs passed rigorous design reviews and in both cases what actually happened was a low probability event.
The problem with low probability events is that when they are happening to you, they are 100% happening to you.
 
Colyn
 
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