Aeronautical battery course
Online course of 300 hours in aircraft batteries. 6 modules covering battery electrochemistry, performance and ageing, safety and thermal runaway, battery management systems and integration and certification with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the electrochemistry of batteries used in aviation.
Characterise cell performance and ageing.
Analyse thermal runaway mechanisms and containment measures.
Design battery management systems with state estimation.
Apply certification and transport requirements for lithium batteries.
Plan qualification tests for battery packs.
Design a complete battery pack for an aerospace application.
Who it's for
- Battery systems engineers.
- Electrochemistry engineers.
- BMS developers.
- Equipment certification engineers.
- Battery safety engineers.
- Electrical test engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to join aircraft manufacturers.
What you'll work with
- RTCA DO-311A (rechargeable lithium battery systems)
- EASA CS-25.1353 (electrical equipment and installations, including batteries)
- FAA TSO-C179b (rechargeable lithium cells and batteries)
- RTCA DO-347 (certification test guidance for small and medium lithium batteries)
- UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, section 38.3 (lithium battery transport testing)
- IEC 62133-2:2017 (safety of portable lithium systems)
- RTCA DO-160G / EUROCAE ED-14G (environmental conditions and test procedures for airborne equipment)
- IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (air transport of dangerous goods)
- MATLAB/Simulink
- PyBaMM
- COMSOL Multiphysics
- Battery Design Studio
- Ansys Fluent
6 modules
1.1Cells, modules and packs1.2Oxidation and reduction reactions1.3Lithium-ion chemistry and its variants1.4NMC, NCA and LFP cathodes1.5Graphite and silicon anodes1.6Liquid and solid electrolytes1.7Nickel-cadmium and lead-acid batteries in aviation1.8Emerging lithium-sulphur technologies1.9Charge and discharge curves1.10Practical exercise: comparing chemistries for an emergency system
2.1Specific capacity, energy and power2.2Internal resistance and thermal effects2.3State of charge and state of health2.4Cycle and calendar ageing2.5Effect of temperature and altitude2.6Cell characterisation tests2.7Equivalent circuit models2.8Pseudo-two-dimensional electrochemical models2.9Service life prediction2.10Workshop: fitting an equivalent circuit model
3.1Thermal runaway mechanisms3.2Cell-to-cell propagation3.3Electrical, thermal and mechanical abuse3.4Vent gases and their toxicity3.5Containment and venting3.6Propagation tests under DO-311A3.7Incidents in commercial aviation3.8Transport of batteries as dangerous goods3.9Inherently safe design measures3.10Lab: analysing data from a propagation test
4.1Architecture of a BMS4.2Voltage, current and temperature measurement4.3Cell balancing4.4State estimation with Kalman filters4.5Protection and disconnection4.6Communications with the aircraft4.7BMS software under DO-178C4.8Diagnostics and data logging4.9Active and passive thermal management4.10Case study: state-of-charge estimator with a Kalman filter
5.1CS-25.1353 requirements5.2TSO-C179b and equivalent ETSO standards5.3DO-347 requirements5.4Installation in compartments5.5Environmental and vibration testing5.6Batteries for electric propulsion5.7Maintenance and storage5.8Recycling and second life5.9UN 38.3 transport requirements5.10Practical exercise: test plan for a battery pack
6.1Application and requirements6.2Selection of chemistry and cell6.3Electrical design of the pack6.4Thermal and containment design6.5BMS architecture6.6Safety analysis6.7Certification and test plan6.8Service life estimation6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MATLAB/Simulink, PyBaMM, COMSOL Multiphysics, Battery Design Studio and Ansys Fluent, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: cell characterisation and model fitting, analysis of thermal propagation tests and design of state estimation algorithms. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final capstone project.
Standards covered: RTCA DO-311A, EASA CS-25.1353, FAA TSO-C179b, RTCA DO-347, UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, section 38.3, IEC 62133-2:2017, RTCA DO-160G / EUROCAE ED-14G, IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with MATLAB/Simulink, PyBaMM, COMSOL Multiphysics, Battery Design Studio, Ansys Fluent, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and enough English to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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