It's more like," What did you do tonight?"

[Admiral]

I'd advise against using metal around the charging activity, why? I had a couple of incidents where I touched cables on my metal shelving arrangement. No injuries or damage apart from a big spark that made me jump.

I don't have the batteries directly on the steel, I have a series of LiPo bags that the different size LiPos live in and a large one that the batteries sit on to charge.

 

[D.O.G.]

My is the same way Admiral. I have lipo bags covering any metal on the in side of the ammo can and a lipo bag to put the batteries in when charging in the can. No matter what you do, you can only smother it. It must of been 3 sec after the pop before my man cave was cover with that awful smelling white smoke. That's how I knew it was my lipo battery...the smell.

 

[Tony]

It is definitely a unique smell...

 

[D.O.G.]

It is definitely a unique smell...

When the dogs, ferret or the bird pass gas...that's a unique smell. Lipo fire smell, beside being toxic, it smelled like rotten swamp water...to me anyway. Good news is that the balancing board and lead cables are on the way plus my friend donated a barbecue gill on wheels . I wanted to order those granules packed that heliman suggested but that site won't deliver to the USA .

 

[Heliman450]

My is the same way Admiral. I have lipo bags covering any metal on the in side of the ammo can and a lipo bag to put the batteries in when charging in the can. No matter what you do, you can only smother it. It must of been 3 sec after the pop before my man cave was cover with that awful smelling white smoke. That's how I knew it was my lipo battery...the smell.

After watching D.O.G.'s video, I'm thinking that whilst my boxes will help to prevent the spread of a fire, I should also return to charging inside the bag also. Up to now, I only use the bags to store/carry the batteries. My Firesafes are great for storing the batteries longer term e.g. during the winter season. I've also accumulated more variety of batteries as time's moved on so the 'unused' batteries live in the Firesafe, too.

I have to say that the guy in the video didn't inspire confidence in his approach to things. It showed dramatically what happens but I'm not sure he didn't do something stupid to set it up. Who would be videoing at that point??? In any case, my first incident will be my last as 'she who must be obeyed' would go crazy and pull the plug on my user permit

 

[D.O.G.]

Hey Heliman450. I imagine the video was stage. I agree with you on how he was able to record it. Shoot. I was less then 15' away when the fiasco happen. Matter of under 3 second from the time I heard the crackling sound and smoke filled my man cave. I would of like to record a video BUT I was a little too busy trying to keep my house from burning and clearing out the animals. The wife, she was their at the time and couldn't believe how fast everything happen. She wasn't around the last time this happen.

 

[Tony]

The dude in the video is known for making stupid AF videos. I can't stand his videos, or anyone that does things ONLY for the views. Yea, the video showed what a lipo can do, but in a friggin bathroom shower? I guess if it was spur of the moment, then okay. But I'm not sure how it is in China (where he lives), but I have a back yard, and in that backyard is two smokers and two grills, one of which I no longer use and it has severely puffed lipo's on it that I need to deplete.

 

[Heliman450]

Hi all,

Yesterday, I managed my first flight outdoors and used four batteries (6S 5200mAh - total flying time 32 minutes). One of my batteries was involved in a crash last season and seemed fine afterwards. However, during the charging session ready to fly, cell #6 was showing down on the others. The battery achieved 95% in tandem with another.

I ran the two separately through the 'Analise' cycle of my charger and it brought all six cells of both to the same voltage. Interesting was that the second battery charged in parallel with it also showed #6 down compared to the others. All eight of my batteries were bought together last year from the same supplier and have around ten cycles each. Below is the final display of the second battery. Maybe the two need a bit of extra TLC for a few cycles.

 

[Fly-n-Low]

Well, I am fixing to buy a couple bags and some kind of container to put them in. Dang DOG, glad you were on top of things. Been charging mine in a pyrex container. I heard that would work? Fixing to start charging in my garage instead of on my kitchen counter, LOL!!!

 

[D.O.G.]

I would definitely find any other place to charge your batteries beside in the house charging...it's handy charging in house but not worst it. Family, pets and of course, the house it self are more important. I'm not sure how a pyrex container will handle a lipo battery fire. I'm using now a, lipo bag in side a ammo can that's inside a portable out side grill. Maybe an over kill but I need not to worry anymore. 2 lipo fires in 8 yrs is 2 too many!

 

[RandyDSok]

The problem is that the battery pack contains all three elements to support the combustion process so it will burn to completion in any event. The sand will only cover the fire and prevent it spreading, it doesn't smother it to exclude the oxygen from the fuel. I'm only trusting that the granules actually provide another means of extinguishing the fire.

Any other technical explanations welcome.

Perhaps enough time has transpired now that me commenting now, won't diminish anything that Phil mentioned ( which is still valid )...


What we've been calling a lipo fire... isn't really a fire as in combustion, at least not at first. It's an aggressive and violent release of electricity caused by the shorting of the battery. No amount of oxygen is needed during that portion of the "fire" and no amount of smothering it will stop it from occurring once it has started. Smothering the battery only does good after the electrical charge is depleted and whatever remains of the battery or whatever is flammable that is around it can then be smothered.

 

[Admiral]

I agree with Randy, as seen in this video of a damaged battery being dropped in a swimming pool to extinguish it failed and in fact the lithium can react with water to cause a fire on its own.

 

[D.O.G.]

Oh wow Admiral. Thanks for sharing. That's just crazy, under water electrical charge combustion. Kind of makes you wonder

 

[RandyDSok]

Violent arcing .... not really combustion until later after the electrical charge is depleted.

 

[Heliman450]

Excellent continuation of the thread. As an information exchange it's great, however, the title doesn't really do it justice anymore. Almost everything I've seen in the internet seems to be someone trying to make LiPo batteries into the most dangerous thing since the mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion. Society rebels all too readily against the slightest bad press.

RandyDSok's use of 'violent arcing' is the best description of the event that I've yet heard about the process that's going on. Many just describe it as being an explosion, which is not an accurate description. It would be great to see a properly produced video by subject matter experts and have them identify the best technical solution for dealing with the phenomenon.

 

[John pratt]

Newbie here and I’ve already become a little cavalier about charging. No more! Great lesson. I have a rather strange solution for my situation— in my workshop I have a small rectangular wood stove for winter work. When it's out and all summer what an ideal place to charge! place small,platform on bottom , put batts and charger in , close it up, open the damper and go about my business. A fire is a none - event except for the loss of a batt and a charger.
Is this stupid?

 

[Heliman450]

As long as nobody else is around to see what happens it could work fine. Best to not disappear all together

 

[Fly-n-Low]

How about this? Will hold 2 6S 5000mAh. They make a larger one that will hold 4, but not so sure I'll just buy two of these, one for 6S and the other for smaller bats.

Bat-Safe LiPo Charging Box

Safely charge LiPo batteries with Bat-Safe's insulated steel box & flame arrestor. Eliminate RC plane battery fire risks during charging.

store.flitetest.com

 

[D.O.G.]

OUCH. If you want to pay the $$$$. I use a lipo carrying bag for charging and storing now since I'm using an out door gill to hold my lipo bags inside while charging. I bought 3 of these and they hold all my batteries, about 3 dozen Cyclone FPV Fire Retardant LiPo Battery Bag

 

[Fly-n-Low]

Wow, that is cheap enough. Looks like it holds a lot of 3 and 4s bats (what most of mine are). I was just thinking of that nice case that looks pretty tough. One 6S battery is more than the case cost.