Similar to RTCA DO-227, Technical Standard Order (TSO) C142 (Revision B) prescribes the minimum performance standard that primary Lithium cells and batteries must meet to receive the applicable TSO marking.  This TSO applies to Lithium cells and batteries intended to provide power for aircraft equipment including emergency and standby systems.

Unlike UN 38.3 certification (which qualifies batteries for shipment on aircraft), TSO-C142 provides design, testing, and installation guidance for primary Lithium batteries that are permanently installed on aircraft.  These types of batteries typically power emergency lighting, underwater locater beacons, Emergency Locater Transmitters (ELT), emergency batteries (i.e. EXIT signs), and Automatic External Defibrillators (AED’s) installed on aircraft.

TSO-C142 references the RTCA DO-227 specification and test procedures, which contains both requirements and guidance covering chemical composition, quantity of potentially hazardous substances, cell size, cell construction, interconnection of cells into batteries, fusing, venting, current limiting, operational and storage environments, packaging, handling, tests, and disposal.  Failure to meet these requirements is a hazardous failure condition, and batteries under test must provide design assurance level commensurate with any failure.  Additionally, TSO-C142 specifies that each lithium cell or battery must be marked and labeled in accordance with 14 CFR 21.607(d) and RTCA DO-227.

MPS has the staff, test facilities, and the accreditation to perform TSO-C142 approvals in-house. Mobile Power Solutions (MPS) can perform;

• TSO-C142 Testing on third party cell and batteries,
• TSO-C142 Pre-testing within our development process at the prototype phase, and
• Formal TSO-C142 testing at the pre-production launch phase.