Lipo battery went up

[Pete.]

The "Electrical Stuff" section was in response to requests for a section on buildings wiring and electrical installations. The Brew Room is for sensible technical discussions (or at least those that start out being sensible ).

Ok, fair enough. Perhaps the forum descriptor could be better worded because until I went to post about the battery in the Brew Room I didn't even realise there WAS an electrical section. When I read that it was for ALL discussion about electrical stuff it seemed like the right place to put it.

 

[HughF]

I've just installed 9.6kWh of LiFePo4 at home. Safer chemistry than LiCoO2 or LiMnCo but it still needs care.

Lucky escape Pete. I'll be more careful charging the wife's 18650's from now on

 

[Pete.]

I'll be more careful charging the wife's 18650's from now on

I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere but I just can't see it

 

[HughF]

A

I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere but I just can't see it

You know me Pete...

 

[ibrooks]

Place I used to work were developing a big piece of kit that used a serious battery pack (think 40' container mostly batteries). They were well aware that these things could bite if mis-treated. One day one of the guys on the project walked into the office with an IBM desktop that they used to use to monitor the batteries and asked if we could salvage anything. The batteries had "dumped" their charge through it and before the protection on the test leads had reacted the PC had got enough juice that the heatsink on the processor had dribbled into the bottom of the case.

I shudder to think of the things that'll go on when squaddies get their hands on the thing.

 

[heldtogetherwithblutack]

https://www.energyfm.net/cms/news_story_532500.html

 

[Wozzaaah]

Not that it bothers me in the slightest but why would you move a thread about the dangers of charging batteries out of a forum that has the heading "Please post all discussions about electrical stuff in here."?

Seems a bit of a pointless exercise at the very least.

The electrical section is meant for discussions about electrical supplies etc., that was why it was asked for in the first place.
Maybe I’ll reword the heading so there’s no confusion.

Edit: Missed RTB’s post

 

[R-D-R]

Slightly on topic and a warning for all users of Battery Tools aside from near misses with RC Car LIPOs going up I have also had a very close call with a Dewalt NiCad battery. I dropped it on the concrete floor in the garage and when trying to charge I got the dead battery light. I thought nothing of it and threw it in the wheelie bin. Short while later and sitting down to Sunday dinner the kids pointed out the flames leaping up from the other side of the car! Garage guttering melted but thankfully the Disco (which was 1month old and less than a metre away) was fine. The wheelie bin wasn't fine though....

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Similar close call with a dewalt nicad.
Terminal pins in my skill saw must have been bent and I didnt notice.
Plugged a battery In and it was working as usual until I noticed the smell/heat.
Unplugged and slung outside.
I put it down to the flouren bats I had bought as it just came off charge and popped another in before realising the real cause.
Retired all my nicad ex radio after that

 

[bricol]

The lipo RC batteries don't like knocks, over-charging, over-discharging, being left fully charged, being left under charged. Always connect mine back to the charger to get them to storage voltage - mostly discharging to, but sometimes if I've been playing in the garden, charging back up to it.

However, I've not seen any issues with them since returning to racing them on and off 6-7 years ago. Back in the '80's when I raced them properly, it wasn't a proper race meeting if you didn't hear a ni-cad pack go up somewhere in the pits. Batteries were expensive, only just lasted for the 5min races and if you only owned one, needed to be put back on fast charge as soon as you finished a race to be able to do the next one. they used to get rather hot in use with the current draw, and hotter still when you were trying to ram 5A back into them.

With the lipo I take two batteries to a meeting, charged, and they each last long enough to get three races out of them - and with modern brushless motors and speed controllers, the cars accelerated faster, to a higher top speed, than they ever used to.

 

[Hopefuldave]

Similar close call with a dewalt nicad.
Terminal pins in my skill saw must have been bent and I didnt notice.
Plugged a battery In and it was working as usual until I noticed the smell/heat.
Unplugged and slung outside.
I put it down to the flouren bats I had bought as it just came off charge and popped another in before realising the real cause.
Retired all my nicad ex radio after that

Indirectly related, I used to go out shooting with a fellow radio ham, NiCd battery packs and 12-bore cartridges don't mix well in the Family Jewels pocket - came close to a non-fatal Darwin Award...

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Barlidge]

Thanks for posting this up Pete, one of my kids has a lipo powered rc car, I read some of the warnings about the batteries and stored it in a metal quality street tin but didn't realise how dangerous they actually are, will be investing in a decent charging bag and charging outside in future