I was curious about what a lithium ion battery explosion looked like .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxWE0alGoMw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSgjj6NT5U8 <I liked the comment satans popcorn bag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfQwYKqmfk4&feature=fvwp&NR=1 toxic fumes ...if they can smell it they probably don't need to get any closer
makes you think seriously about charging in a metal box...in the fireplace
Do you have a favorite video ?
......and remind me never to get on-board a flight back from Hong Kong that may also be carrying dozens of little yellow packs of those things destined for folks like us.
Thanks Boaz my Dry 3x18650 will never go anywhere near my pockets now, that was scary.
Read around here and it won't happen to you!
Sincerely D.!
I just found out I really need a liposack.
It was meant to be ..
I've had discussions with people about ..not buying junk batteries off Ebay many times with me left shaking my head ...sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.
When buying a battery ....you are buying the dealer....and his reputation ..You need to ask yourself ."How much do I trust this guy and does he really know his stuff "
Count his fingers too....................it may give you a clue....
One reason I don't want a 18650 powered headlamp.
This is worth some discussion - and a reminder to many of us for what we are often carrying in our hands and pockets. One of these batteries exploding is a very scary thought. Hopefully, we will never read about one of us experiencing such a nightmare. As Don had pointed out, the fumes that are given off after an explosion are extremely toxic. If one of these cells happens to vent (and doesnt kill you first from the fragmentation) hold your breath and get far away.
A few tips:
Check your cells for the potential of future dead shorts. Inspect the insulation for damage that might expose the body of the cell. If the cell has a protection circuit, inspect the top for any splitting or detachment of the protection circuit. Inspect the body for any deformation, such as dents in the cylinder, or the tops or bottoms being pushed in. Discard any damaged cells. If a cell is becoming warm in your hand after dropping it, Get rid of it IMMEDIATELY!
Always carefully inspect your flashlights before each use to make sure that no potential of a dead short might exist. Check that the spring/plunger in the tail cap (and driver if equipped with a spring) have not been bent over where it might make contact with the body. If a battery is to long for the body, dont use that battery. Look for any other areas that might create a dead short inside the light. I usually completely disassemble a new flashlight to inspect it for any weaknesses. If your flashlight body suddenly starts getting hot or smoking, immediately toss it far away. The dead shorts that I have read about usually happen after the light has been dropped or while changing a battery.
If you are using a multi-celled flashlight, always ensure that your batteries are of the same brand, model and age. The cells should be a matching set. In other words, they should have the same charge and discharge characteristics. The beginning and ending voltages should all be the same during use. If not, dont use them together. If done correctly, you should check the cell voltages before and after each use to detect any potential failures... not just during initial trials. After discharge, my cells usually wind up being .00-.02V of each other.
A lithium battery that does not fit snugly inside the battery tube of a flashlight while being used in a high impact environment (such as for a bicycle) is a disaster waiting to happen. When allowed to bang around in the tube, I have had drivers crack and short out as well as protection circuits crack that could have proven lethal. Lucky for me, they just went up in smoke. These were with lights that had very little play inside the tubes but still allowed the battery to move. It doesnt take much movement at all. Use paper or tape around the battery to shim it so it fits snugly.
Remove the batteries when traveling. Or at the very least, (if this works with your model) lockout the tail cap by unscrewing it a turn to prevent the circuit for completing.
Dont keep your entire collection of lights loaded with lithium cells while you store them. Why increase the odds of a potential disaster?
Use a good quality charger that will not charge your batteries above 4.20V and always be close by while charging is under way. Unplug the charger and remove the batteries if you need to leave and recommence charging when you return.
As pilots, we are trained to recognize potential disasters before they happen. Preventative maintenance in equipment is often key. It usually takes only a few small steps to prevent injuries or fatalities from happening during our daily lives... even with something as simple as flashlights.
I don't understand why people by cheap batteries which are usually only $2 cheaper than "good batteries". What value do you place on your fingers, hands, eyesight, personal belongings etc.
Does anyone have a link to a quality liposack from a reputable dealer?
I just wanted to add
DON"T solder on a battery ...EVER .
I've heard it said on blf and I cringe everytime I hear it
Don't bend or pry or beat on tabs or cells...i just read advice not to scratch or abraid the ends with an eraser or anything else ...makes sense when you consider the high polish finish on the tail and tabs .Roughing them up probably leads to more corrosion even faster.
Take it easy ...
Multi cell incidents ... And did they use quality cells ?
Anyhow , multi cell , if you run single cell , you just need to use some care , and watch for obvious things like shorts ...
Lots of hobby packs [ cars - planes ] flame , they have a hard life folks , some of the aircraft pull 10A or better when the motor is loaded up and the packs can get seriously hot and stressed , so its understandable that the weakest cell may give up the ghost and cause a flame out ..
Same with laptops ! how many times have I seen people run there battery packs bone dry , and then run the laptop off the charger ..
Abuse abuse abuse ...
Not saying there is no risk , but with millions of LI-ion devices out there now , it might pay to keep some perspective ...
This is why I don't use multiple cell lights and only buy good batteries.
I saw an airport video where a laptop "exploded" and it wasn't very impressive.
Has anyone ever seen a Lion battery actually explode like a firecracker ?
Cell phones, laptops, extremely rare "explosions".IMO.
How long was the laptop smoking before it exploded? The video was cut so probably very long. Well except for the laptop in those videos they are deliberately making the cells explode.
Can they just explode without warning or do you always have time to notice something is amiss like getting warm and smokes for example?
I think you do usually smell smoke and it's really rare also- when you think of the Billions of hours people spend with laptops and cell phones, this is very rare- also " explosion" to me is a slightly dramatic description for this- more like a fire or flash- fire than an explosion.
IF lion batteries actually exploded like a mini grenade with shrapnel from the core outwards and with trapped gasses exploding- THAT would be extremely dangerous and unnerving- but luckily it doesn't happen that way and even fires like this are extremely rare when you consider the amount of time these devices are used.
Still - when you are charging batteries, best to be there and not leave unattended and not have flammable materials in the immediate vicinity.
If the charger overheats or the battery, you don't want it to fall onto something flammable- and if vigilant- you will smell and see a bit of smoke first. But it's very rare.
First time I ever charged a 18650 which was 2 weeks ago- I had an aluminum briefcase underneath the charger- so if it overheated while I left the room for 2 minutes it would have melted onto the non flammable Aluminum- NOT the carpet. Nothing happened of course.
Caution and all these tips from experienced users and common sense are important- just saying these occurrences are relatively rare.................
As a novice - I just ordered a few batteries from a supplier- asked for Trustfire Flames 'cause that was the only ones he had but then he said he was out and would give me Ultrafire Black 3600 mah- which I now know are some of the most unpredictable batteries- since they CAN"T be 3600 mah- they could be anything.
But I wanted them here in 2 days 'cause I only got 1 working battery with my first 18650 light from Hong Kong, so China was out of the question and didn't know about the Tennessee guys with Tenergys etc.
Anyway they will be here tomorrow, and I'll be pretty careful with them ESPECIALLY on first few charges to check for overheating or weirdness of any kind.
Also - even though I said I think these flash fire are rare- the first time I put the batteries in the charger, my face is not near it- the first time I plugged in the Chinese charger with the Chinese batteries- I had a metal suitcase in between it and my face- just for that 1 in a million chance.
I'll probably do this with each new battery on first time plug in............
And for future- I will heed your advice above- the cheapest batteries I'll use will be the Trustfire Flames I think- which are at least proven somewhat. And GOOD batteries even better .
Very good advice. And I completely agree with you. Another thing to keep in mind, is that experience has a tendency to make many people complacent. That's why I see guys working on airbags and taking calls or operating heavy machinery while being distracted. Do something long enough, and after a while you figure you know what you're doing. The reality is most people are going to get away with this most of the time, maybe even to the point of 99%. It just sucks to be the one guy who has an airbag blow up in his face. And it can't hurt to be reminded every once in a while that bad things do happen, particularly if you're not paying attention.
It's usually when I think I know what I am doing and sort of operate on autopilot that slip ups happen. In other words, don't stress too much over every eventuality but don't get too comfortable either. Also, milk is good for you. :D
Always use protected batteries and a trustworthy charger.
Most vents, puffs and pops (OK, OK,... EXPLOSIONS for the hardcore guys) come either from physical damage, excessive current draw (shorts for short) or under/over charging, all three main causes can be more or less avoided by using some common sense.