Story ID: 593
True Blue Power Outfits Alaska Operator
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: Ravn Alaska will upgrade its DHC-8 fleet to the True Blue Power TB44 advanced iithium-ion battery.
Word Count: 227
Lithium-ion battery manufacturer True Blue Power has been tapped to install its TB44 advanced Li-ion batteries on de Havilland DHC-8 operator Ravn Alaska’s fleet. Ravn will install the batteries, which earned an FAA STC on the DHC-8 in 2015, during routine C-check maintenance through the remainder of this year.

“We operate in very remote environments and require efficient, dependable engine-start batteries,” said Devin Miles, Ravn’s manager of technical services, adding the company is experiencing increased dispatch reliability as a result of the battery upgrade. “Our crews flying the upgraded Dash 8 aircraft found they don’t need auxiliary power units. We are recording faster, cooler engine starts and the avionics don’t drop offline due to low voltage like they do with NiCad batteries.”

The TB44 offers extreme weather performance ranging from -40 degrees F to 158 degrees F, according to the Mid-Continent Instrument subsidiary, and features a built-in heater and rapid recharge capability. It uses the company’s proprietary Li-ion cell chemistry, which results in a unit that provides superior energy density in a package that is 56 to 80 pounds lighter than competing NiCad or lead-acid batteries. The company is the first to achieve EASA European Technical Standard Order (ETSO) and FAA TSO certifications and STC approval for Li-ion main ship batteries. The TB44 is on display at the company’s booth (2265).