Model Boat Mayhem

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Author Topic: LiPo Fire  (Read 8482 times)

Taranis

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LiPo Fire
« on: July 07, 2019, 04:39:08 pm »

I'm away in the motorhome at a vintage vehicle rally and the van next door just experienced a Bicycle battery catch fire in his storage locker. This was not on charge at the time.
It's very fortunate that this has happened when it has rather than at night or if the van was unattended.
Initially just smoke gave the warning and the battery was placed outside on a concrete block adjacent.
After several minutes the internal fire flared through the rest of the cells creating a huge cloud of smoke and pressure release.


Very many people have electric assisted bicycles so be warned!

A point worth noting is that these do not come with a sophisticated charger that has a storage charge setting






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Paul2407

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2019, 07:41:40 pm »

Quite moderate fire really considering..... Lipo's are very dangerous batteries even when balance charged I've now had 2 blow on me when I was racing R/C 1/8th cars   
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Colin Bishop

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2019, 07:46:56 pm »

I have just bought a fire resistant bag for my two. Is this really progress?

Colin
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imsinking

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2019, 09:59:52 am »

Quite moderate fire really considering..... Lipo's are very dangerous batteries even when balance charged I've now had 2 blow on me when I was racing R/C 1/8th cars
Lipo's are reasonably safe if used properly, are you using a lo-volt alarm in your cars? you do not want to discharge lower than 3 volts a cell they WILL become unstable 3.3v alarm per cell is the safest option, heavy impacts can damage them as well, I found that out when I hit the wall at full speed with my Huntress . . . <:(  the battery was puffed right up when I got it back to the bank, it had come out of its clamped holder, smashed off the lubricator tube and the cabin securing locking bar .
Is the same thing happening with the electric cycles? they're over discharging them? and they look like LI-ON batteries to me . . . .
Bill
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Bob K

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2019, 10:40:36 am »

I bought a LiPo type flame proof bag, but I don't have LiPo's.

It is in the bottom drawer of a steel filing cabinet, and used to contain key documents such as my Will.
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tigertiger

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2019, 02:05:30 am »

It looks like this problem is catching (pun intended) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jul/31/lyft-ebike-fires-san-francisco
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DaveM

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2019, 08:35:50 am »

The article doesn't say what kind of batteries they are, and the one in the photo looks like a pack of multiple AA-sized cells - NiMH? LiFe? All of the LiPo battery packs I own or have ever seen are made up from flat, rectangular cells. Have I missed a trick (as I often do)?
DaveM
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malcolmfrary

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2019, 11:16:49 am »

The size used for multiple packs outside models is usually 18650, looks like AA, but is longer and thicker (18mm diameter, 65mm long).  Probably several of them in your laptop battery pack.  This size can have all sorts of chemistry on the inside, it pays to read the label.
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warspite

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2019, 11:47:02 am »

and the one in the photo looks like a pack of multiple AA-sized cells - NiMH? LiFe?
DaveM


So in the Photo what does Li-POL mean?


I too have a fire resistant bags for key documents the A5 size for passports and cards used on holiday and an A4 for the house deeds etc, both have the moisture packets inside and both fitted in a fire chest - so double protected.


Although the sizes are A5 and A4 they hardly are these sizes, only if you were putting a single document in them and then at a stretch, they fit into an A4 cabinet but the size stated should allow for a Book 2 inches thick and A4 in size for the A4 one and an inch thick and A5 for the A5 one, the fire chest being an A4 allows the placing of an A4 documents inside which it does, in those hanging folders on its side, but the the two fire bags just fit in diagonally at a squeeze, to have gotten a bigger fire chest to allow for the bags to fit would have been massively bigger, this chest weighs in excess of 15kg if memory serves me.
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DaveM

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2019, 12:47:13 pm »

So in the Photo what does Li-POL mean?
The photo of the burned-out bike from the Guardian article, not the original posting.  :P
DM
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warspite

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2019, 06:16:21 pm »

Ah I understand - but again what does Li-POL stand for  :embarrassed:  is it Li-on, Lipo but with an extra L on the end etc.   :}
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Colin Bishop

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2019, 06:20:21 pm »

I think LiPol is the same as what we understand by LiPo (Lithium Polymer) so will have the same charateristics.

Colin
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imsinking

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2019, 06:42:13 pm »

No matter what a battery is called . . . ANY BATTERY . . .if abused or mishandled will result in . . .



Bill


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tizdaz

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2019, 04:17:48 am »

i'm a keen mountain biker myself, E-Bikes are getting more & more popular although personally i 'm not keen on them. But for a decent e-bike from a reputable brand within the mountain bike scene, you're looking at £2k plus. But like everything nowadays, china has their own cheaper versions of E-Bikes which are very cheap....for a reason! ..almost every week i'm reading on forums about batteries exploding (just like this) belonging to Chinese "copy" e-bikes! But to be honest it ain't just e-bikes.. For years there's been cheap batteries available for all our devices which are NOT safe, but because of the price compared to genuine batteries, its hard for people to say no.
But difference between a mobile phone battery & e-bike batteries can be 50+ volts (as technology advances the voltage on e-bikes will just keep getting higher) ...when a mobile phone battery decides to self explode, i'm sure we have all seen videos on the net what happens...for a small battery it can be pretty devastating, but when one of these e-bike batteries go up, they are basically like a flame thrower/small bomb!
But if i was to ever by an e-bike (very doubtful!) it would definitely not be a cheaper Chinese copy, because basically your just sat on a time bomb ticking away right below your nads!!
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sabre

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2019, 04:55:40 pm »

Just thought I would share this photo of a laptop battery.



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Cornishman

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Re: LiPo Fire
« Reply #15 on: October 19, 2019, 06:33:21 am »

       I wonder how safe electric car batteries are. Haven't heard of any catching fire yet!
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