A battery is a device containing single or multiple cells that convert chemical energy into electrical energy. An aircraft has a main battery and auxiliary power unit (APU) battery. The main battery activates the aircraft even before the aircraft engine has started. Main batteries are also used in refueling the plane. The main battery provides backup power to the aircraft in case of emergency power failure.
Aircraft batteries help to power the electrical system in an aircraft. When the APU or engine starts, they drive the aircraft generator which power the aircraft’s electrical system and also recharges the aircraft batteries. APU also acts as redundancies in case of emergency power failure. Lithium ion batteries are used in main and APU batteries. These batteries are made of eight cells that produce ~32-V DC. Lithium ion batteries contain redundancies that help the aircraft to fly even in case of battery fault.
Rising demand for lithium ion based battery compared to nickel cadmium batteries are increasing the market size of the global aircraft battery market. For instance, aircraft manufacturer Boeing has selected 787 Lithium ion batteries for both main and APU batteries. This is expected to increase the demand for Lithium ion batteries that further drives the aircraft battery market.
Nickel cadmium batteries are larger and heavier and less efficient than Lithium ion batteries. Rising demand for military aircraft batteries are also driving the size of the aircraft battery market. With rise in demand for highly sophisticated aircrafts for defense forces, there is a need for advanced, light weight batteries for aircrafts. This is subsequently driving the demand for light weight aircraft batteries and increasing the market size of the global aircraft battery market.
In terms of type, the global aircraft battery market has been segmented into Lithium based battery, Nickel based battery, and Lead acid battery. Lithium based batteries are also known as secondary batteries and can be recharged. Lithium battery cells consist of a graphite anode and a cathode that can accept and release lithium ion repeatedly for battery recharging. Nickel based batteries are of two types: Nickel Cadmium based battery and Nickel Metal Hydride.
Nickel Cadmium batteries consists of cadmium hydroxide anode and nickel hydroxide cathode. Nickel Cadmium batteries are used in the main battery of the aircraft and other applications. Lead acid battery consists of lead oxide anode and element lead cathode. By application, the aircraft battery market is fragmented into engine operation, hydraulic operation, navigation, and lighting among others.
Geographically, the aircraft battery market has been classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. North America is a prominent market with the U.S. expected to be the largest aircraft battery market for both commercial and military aircrafts followed by Canada and Mexico. Europe is a major market for aircraft batteries. The major markets in Europe are Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, and Spain. Asia Pacific is one of the dominant markets with China expected to the largest aircraft battery market in the region. Other significant markets in the region are Japan, South Korea, and India. Middle East & Africa is a significant market. GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) is expected to be a major market in the region followed by South Africa. GCC consists of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. South America is another significant market with Brazil expected to the largest aircraft battery market in the region.
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