I did not see a lot of discussions on what would people do with their accidentally short-circuited 18650 (li-ion) batteries?
Last night I accidentally shorted my Samsung INR 20R in my light due to bad contact, but it just happened for a second and I quickly took it out. The battery was hot to hold and I left it cooled down by itself.
The voltage difference:
Before shorted: 4.18V
After shorted: 4.09V (dropped 0.09V)
No fumes or anything came out though (luckily I was quick to remove it). Despite the battery might have already lost some capacity, do you guys think the battery still behaves normally in general and I can still use it and recharge it like normal?
This topic will bring a wide range of opinions… I suppose I typically lean towards the “daring” side of battery handling, though I would say let that one go. I’ve shorted some batteries before but never enough to get them “hot”. Not worth the 5 or 6 bucks a new one will cost. …Besides, shiny wrappers are nice :party:
That’s exactly what I am hoping for. Tossing it straight into the dumpster will always be the last option for me because nowadays it is not easy to buy batteries from China.
As someone with a proven track record of having more balls than brains, I just go by what the Opus says. If the shorted one looks and acts like the good ones, I call it good. Quacks like a duck, right? But I guess it depends on how long it was shorted.
I’d want to continue to use the cell. Perform a charge/discharge test with your hobby charger and compare it to specs or identical cells if you have any. Like with any cell, if when discharged in series it is not keeping voltage with the other cells, then I would use it in single cell lights or retire it depending on how badly it was performing.
I shorted a 4s1p lipo battery pack by plugging an ESC backwards and I heard a bang and the terminals were welded together before I tore them apart. :~
A guy in the Robotics Club accidentally shorted a 18650 cell without knowing and it was too hot to touch. We had to get pliers to take the battery out.
Ive had this…
I had that…
She’ll be right mate…
You only live once…
All relevant. It might be fine, it might be a kaboomy looking for a place to happen, a year or two from now. Me, Id get rid of it, they just do not cost enough to risk it. You will feel really cheap if it does do the kaboomy thing, IF it does.
Im pretty sure you cant test for crystal shunts, the very thing you should be concerned about.
I was measuring a cell voltage once, forgot to switch probes to the right sockets in my meter. I still use it, it was only shorted for a moment. Any longer, like if cell felt really hot, or contacts became burnt or welded, I would recycle the cell.
personally I’d still use it but I use my tester on all my cell’s, its little more than a dead short with all the switched up. .25ohm’s @ 300W (each switch add’s another 1.5ohm 50W shunt). I’ve left cell’s on there for a few minutes at a time.
Got to resurrect this thread. I accidentally shortened a 4s carrier with 4 VTC6s in it today, but only for a fraction of a second. There’s a small burn mark on the carrier, but no heat on the cells. Can I still use this or do I need 4 new VTC6s? :person_facepalming:
If the short was very " short" , with no visible damage of the exterior ( integrity) , I'll give it a chance ...I can't remember how many times I shorted Li-ion batt...!!!
As long they didn't leak or smell funny , I've gave them few discharge and charge cicles , with low current (500mA) , just to break the crystal ( anyway , the building of the crystals inside is not a fulminate process , as a short circuit , but rather a slow process , in time...) . Could be a risk ? Could , but driving , diving , swimming , running , hiking is not ? Come on , lets not do a thriller story out of it ! Keep an eye on it , check the capacity and the IR , and if everything is in normal limit , to use it !
If you want to toss it and buy a new one , do not forget that the money are caring millions of germs on it.., so is a risk , too...
I still use it, it was only shorted for a moment. Any longer, like if cell felt really hot, or contacts became burnt or welded, I would recycle the cell.
