Lipo Fire

[Mark_T]

I only run 4.8v so I think LiFe would be too high a voltage? I don't want to run a step-down for the same reason.

I don't use a step-down either, I trust them less than I do regulators

6V servos are perfectly happy on LiFe, pretty much nothing I own is 4.8V limited. Even 4.8V doesn't mean literally '4.8V' but with LiFe for comfort I stick to servos rated at 6V.

If you have a lot of equipment that really is only 4.8V rated then I understand, but fortunately that limitation is less common these days.

[milly0812]

Lipo Fire

Sh-t!!! this was only a 2s pack!! sorry to see this but glad no one was hurt.

I decided to dispatch my faulty nanotech 5000 6s today it had 42% capacity !!!
I only grabbed my phone after the worst but if gives you an idea just how these packs can go ImageUploadedByTapatalk1367838817.313687.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1367838834.500058.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1367838850.330903.jpg

That was one single stab with a knife !!!!!

[pgkevet]

I decided to dispatch my faulty nanotech 5000 6s today it had 42% capacity !!!
I only grabbed my phone after the worst but if gives you an idea just how these packs can go

That was one single stab with a knife !!!!!

that shows a comlete lack of imagination... at least use a compressed air nalier or a chainsaw next time please. Or if need to be primitve then a decent splitting axe!

[ModelGuard.Com]

Re: Lipo Fire

This is the remains of a 12s lipo that went up in my garage last week whilst charging
Managed to get it out into the garden
But it completely filled the garage with solid white smoke

[ModelGuard.Com]

Re: Lipo Fire

I am so cautious this is my charging station. It contained the fire just as i had planned it.
It saved the house in my opinion.

This is a pic after a big clear up.

[cjcj1949]

Any ideas on why it went? Do you monitor pack temperature? Your setup "looks" over the top. Obviously looks are deceptive.

[dillwhacker]

I had some REALLY bad luck yesterday with LiPos....
Took five of them down to the field for a good stabbing...
Only one had the decency to explode properly...
Next time I will buy quality batts and make sure they are fully charged before the attack commences.....
LIPO fire fun - YouTube

No hedgehogs were injured during the making of this nonsense...
TTP

[ModelGuard.Com]

Re: Lipo Fire

Any ideas on why it went? Do you monitor pack temperature? Your setup "looks" over the top. Obviously looks are deceptive.

No idea on why. The pack was a Volts 12s 3700 it was in good cosmetic appearence. Just a normal 1c charge.
I did not use the temp probe of course i should have.

Yes my setup is over the top by design. I charge 3 12s at a time each with its own charger. So not prepared to take any chances.

Flames came out of the tube into open space as planned. There was a smoke ring on the ceiling. The the pipes, sand and the kiln liners you can see around them where untouchable it was that hot. The lipos in the tube either side renmained intact

My setup saved my house in my opinion

[cjcj1949]

I charge one of my 450mah packs at 4C and I check temperature on that. I set it to stop the charge at 30 deg C. I'm playing with Atmegas at the moment using Arduino to make things easy. I intend making a charger checker to monitor the charging process and log the info. It should be possible to detect warning signs from charge voltage curve. It may not be possible though as the failures may be like earthquakes and have no warnings before a catastrophic fault. High C packs may be more likely to fail. I keep a smoke alarm close to any lipos being charged. I think in the Dreamliner they seal the box to the inside and vent to the outside.

These fires are fairly rare. This may not be a good thing though as it allows us to ignore the problem. There must be a lot of these accidents happening every day. Possibly no worse than dishwashers though.

[ModelGuard.Com]

Re: Lipo Fire

These fires are fairly rare. This may not be a good thing though as it allows us to ignore the problem. There must be a lot of these accidents happening every day. Possibly no worse than dishwashers though.

Try telling that to the wife!

A smoke detector above the charging station allerted me to the problem. However the room filled with heavy white smoke incredibly quickly. It was like one of those burglar smoke clouds. Very difficult to feel my way over to where the problem was

I am the third person to have this happen at my club. One bloke lost his house cause there was a plastic gas main nearby.
I am not taking any chances

[AcidDrink]

I always charge outside, except really tiny nano cpx lipos. I also check the lipos while charging every couple of minutes and they are always in my sight.
I suppose if I ever had a lipo fire without me causing it, I'd probably stop flying electrics. I am not really to paranoid about lipos when not charging them, chances of combustion in storage are negligible. Use high quality chargers and fused boards as well.

My main problem with this hobby are not very safe lipos, to be honest.

[Varelco]

Damn that was lucky! That is an epic charge station modelguard. The fact it probably just saved your house would suggest its not over the top at all.

Lipo fires have always played in the back of my mind. Think this thread just drives it home, I will be ordering some lipo bags when I get home tonight.

[cjcj1949]

At least if it is a bag you can carry it out.

[maddog7]

I had some REALLY bad luck yesterday with LiPos....
Took five of them down to the field for a good stabbing...
Only one had the decency to explode properly...
Next time I will buy quality batts and make sure they are fully charged before the attack commences.....
LIPO fire fun - YouTube

No hedgehogs were injured during the making of this nonsense...
TTP

MAN, that was a bit unsavoury!
You could have warned us that it would nearly have been possible to see one of your lot's colon at the end!!!!

Haha FAF man.
:-)
D

[PKNEC]

Its unbeliveable the amount of stored energy these batteries have that when released can create such a fireball.
I still get nervous when charging my packs but they are never left alone but after seeing just how quick these batts go up i am going too review my charging location and get an ammo box for storage.