LI-po battery safety

[a64pilot]

I'm sure you guys have heard this already but in case you haven't Lipo, or LI-Ion batteries have a very high power density which makes them small and powerful, but they have a nasty habit of catching fire when being recharged, as a model airplane flyer we have them catch fire more often that average as physical damage is one thing that may cause them to go off, so I have learned the hard way, they burn like a magnesieum flare, really hot. It's prudent to charge your batteries in a fireproof container of some kind, ceramic flower pots and corning ware comes to mind for smaller batteries, airplane hobby shops even sell some kind of fire proof plastic bag. when travelling, the bathtub if it's an old fashioned ceramic one is a good place.
Just don't trust the things, even the ones in your cell phone and your laptop.

[FW]

There have some very notable fires caused by Lithium batteries. A dive scooter in Australia burned, and took out a SUV, and the dive gear of several divers. Another scooter fire in Florida nearly burned down a motel. There have been some dive lights burn as well. FWIW, it would take a pretty big fireproof container to contain a scooter fire. Even dive light batteries are big, compared to RC planes, and cellphones.

Thanks.

[a64pilot]

Yeah something the size of a scooter would I assume pretty much have to be outside, that is a BIG battery, your not putting that thing in the wifes ceramic cookware. For some reason we don't "balance" charge or monitor battery temp to shut down the charger before a fire. Both are done with the model thing, and some of the model batteries are pretty big, have to be to hover ten lbs of helicopter.
I only brought this up in light of a recent occurence, and the assumption of new equipment being bought being this time of year and all.
It would suck pretty bad to lose your house to a battery fire.

[kwinter]

Hence the reason I bought a NiMH can light, even though they're getting hard to find. It seems even SS is abandoning nickel batteries and going only Lithium in their scooters. Scares the bejeebers out of me because I'm lazy and like to plug in my batts and walk away.

[deepairmike]

Look for lithium iron phosphate batteries. they give great power to weight ratio but don't burn. Even at max charge in a 600 deg environment.

[FW]

Yeah something the size of a scooter would I assume pretty much have to be outside...

For me, that might even be worse. I might contain a house fire, but if I set the woods on fire, several houses would go up along with mine

[skip]

For me, that might even be worse. I might contain a house fire, but if I set the woods on fire, several houses would go up along with mine

I like all my stuff in one room. So when it goes, it goes big. A house fire? ha. When mine goes it will take out half the block at least. The family fire plan is to run like hell as fast and as far away as possible. Some family's may plan to meet in the yard, or across the street in the neighbor's yard, but my kids have practiced the run to the hospital three blocks away where the plan is to meet in front of the emergency room entrance! Last one there is a rotten egg! The neighbors have been warned too.

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[a64pilot]

Look for lithium iron phosphate batteries. they give great power to weight ratio but don't burn. Even at max charge in a 600 deg environment.

I've heard of those, but haven't seen them yet. They are the cats ass for bush planes up in AK, work when it's really cold, are safe and light, from what I hear, but I haven't seen them, I gues they aren't common yet?

[Greenwood_60]

Just charge you Lithium Ion batteries with your cave filled, double burst disked LP cylinders. That way the exploding tank will blow the fire out (just like a birthday candle, right).

[John Ploegert]

Might be whistling in the dark but I built this all metal battery charging bench for our cave diver rental after reading about some of the battery fires.
John Ploegert