Safety Third Lithium battery care tips thread

[Xpress]

Since it seems like the discussion of lithium based batteries is always a topic of discussion, I figured I would bring some easy, simple how-to steps to help create a better environment for the care and handling of lithium batteries.



This is based off of my decade or so of dealing with lithium batteries so I will do my best to give clear and concise responses to any questions. Hopefully it'll help a newcomer to lithium batteries and further educate them on how to handle these magic bricks of fuse ignited magnesium flare based power.



First off, I want to discuss something that a lot of people overlook when handling their lithiums: SAFETY THIRD.



"What the hell man? Safety always comes FIRST!"



Well actually, no. No matter how many 'rules' or 'guidelines' there are out there, ultimately there is no replacement for good old fashioned common sense. Having common sense when handling your batteries not only makes your experience with lithium batteries much more enjoyable, but in turn makes you a much safer modeler. Common sense, in general, can make you that much better of a modeler anyways so it's best to start exercising that big organ in your head. Here are my basic tips on handling lithium batteries:

• Do not cut both leads at the same time. Do not short both leads to each other. When soldering on new connectors, tape one lead out of the way and finish insulating the lead you are working with before working with the second lead.
• Charge the batteries out of the sun- heat is the enemy to any electrical component, and there should be no exception for your lithium batteries. Keep the charger out of the sun too.
• Charge in an area you can keep an eye on the charger and battery. If you feel so inclined, charge the battery inside of a brick or metal container.
• If you do have a battery ignite, smother it with sand. Do not disconnect the power leads until it is safe to do so, just work on controlling the flame. No amount of permanent damage to your body is worth saving your charger. Use a shovel to pick up the ignited battery and remove from the area.

Do remember that lithium batteries will not just spontaneously combust. They are engineered and designed so that will not happen (even from China). There is always a reason a battery will vent or combust, though it rarely does happen.



For now, that is all. If you do have any more common sense tips then please do post them and I'll do my best to edit the topic appropriately. Don't be afraid to share your charging setups either, the more ideas and information there is available to newcomers the better.



Remember kids: Common sense always prevails.

 

[Mikeq]

I have a question...I have always heard that if the battery starts to swell it's best to get rid of it but I see a lot of people that still charge and use them..A few of mine have swollen and other ones I bought about the same time have not..I charge them all the same since they are the same size and rating.....'not sure what causes the swelling...what's your thoughts on this?

 

[Jetpainter]

Good battery storage Ideas would be nice too.



This is my charger setup I just built a few weeks ago. I still need to add a vent fan for hot weather, but this is what I'm using right now.



Powerlab 8 charger

2 computer server power supplies for 24VDC/47A/1128w

Pelican 1600 case bought used on eBay.

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[kork]

I store most of mine in a 15 dollar ammo box. I do have some installed in planes but the majority stay in the box in my trailer.

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[Xpress]

Mikeq;18512 wrote: I have a question...I have always heard that if the battery starts to swell it's best to get rid of it but I see a lot of people that still charge and use them..A few of mine have swollen and other ones I bought about the same time have not..I charge them all the same since they are the same size and rating.....'not sure what causes the swelling...what's your thoughts on this?

I'm not exactly a battery engineer and can't answer every question out there, but when a cell begins to puff up that generally means that gasses have vented inside of the sealed cell wrapper and that some kind of damage has occurred internally. Generally i find that this happens when you're sucking a lot of current out of the cells and getting them very hot. A warm battery (or around 100 degrees Fahrenheit) is normal after flying so don't sweat that.



Personally i discontinue use of a battery if the cells puff up and you may begin to see signs of the battery not holding up to the current demands for as long as it used to.

Jetpainter;18556 wrote: Good battery storage Ideas would be nice too.



This is my charger setup I just built a few weeks ago. I still need to add a vent fan for hot weather, but this is what I'm using right now.



Powerlab 8 charger

2 computer server power supplies for 24VDC/47A/1128w

Pelican 1600 case bought used on eBay.

I like it. Would make a great portable field charger with a generator to power it.

 

[Jetpainter]

I did watch a YouTube video a while back where a guy was testing storage and charge setups. It was pretty interesting to watch. If I can find it again I'll post it. He was shorting some and waaaay over charging some. It was interesting to see the different ways the batteries vented. The scariest to me was the one that was sitting on a patio block when it went off and shoot across the screen like a Estes rocket motor.

 

[Jetpainter]

Xpress;18560 wrote:







I like it. Would make a great portable field charger with a generator to power it.

We are fortunate enough to have power at 8 of our work tables at the field.

 

[Xpress]

Another aspect of lithium batteries that does get overlooked is, "What do I do with my damaged lithium batteries and how do I dispose of them?"



Everybody is going to run into some kind of issue with lithium batteries, either from them being at the end of their life cycle, or from actually damaging the battery from a crash. It will happen to you, because that is just the nature of the batteries. At some point, you will have to dispose of the battery. There are right and wrong ways to do it and I will explain them here.



First and foremost, there is the saltwater method. THIS METHOD DOES NOT WORK , and here is why. The saltwater will actually corrode the terminals off of the cells and cause false voltage readings while doing almost nothing to the battery itself. The cells are sealed against moisture so the salt will not do any harm to the battery, not even discharge it.



The correct method to discharge the cells is to hook them up to a 12v light bulb or to have your charger discharge them down to 0.00v. Once the cells are at 0.00v they are essentially harmless and can be disposed of either in the trash or at a battery recycler. The cells will eventually break down and decompose so they won't cause much harm by just tossing them in the trash.



Do use caution if you are dealing with a severely damaged battery here as it can still ignite. Discharge it out of the way where it can cause no harm if it does ignite. As a general consensus you should be discharging in a location where the battery won't cause harm.

 

[BalsaDust]

Good info. Thanks for posting.

 

[angelob]

Xpress;18565 wrote: Another aspect of lithium batteries that does get overlooked is, "What do I do with my damaged lithium batteries and how do I dispose of them?"

Any batteries that I question I take down to my local Batteries Plus and hand them over - they take care of the recycling. I had a pack on a heli that I crashed and severely deformed the pack. Went straight over there and handed them the pack.