One Puffed Pack

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 3:24 am Post subject: One Puffed Pack

It "was" a Outrage 6s 3,000 mAh. It was an old pack and was acting up before it went thermal on me so shame on me for pushing it. Lucky I landed before the fireworks started Rolling Eyes

FlyDoc · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 5:37 am Post subject:

Shades of Orville Reddenbacher!

admiral · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 5:47 am Post subject:

Thanks for posting the photo DT, I watch mine like a hawk but thought that I was watching for slight swelling, I did not realise that the swelling would be so apparent, not the sort of thing you would miss is it.

Trouble · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 7:35 am Post subject:

Holy Crapola Dude! You were just seconds away weren't you?
Is everything else ok?

Is that your Trex 500? And do you have FMA Co-Pilot?

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:05 am Post subject:

Yep, it was on my Rex 500 with CoPilot2. Another few seconds that cell would have blown for sure, setting off the whole pack and could have been a total loss. Scary thing is the pack showed no sign of it about to go balistic. Charger and tester said "all cells balanced, no problem here". Just internal resistance in that one cell set it off I guess. Oh well, there goes like 140$. Got away cheap I guess.

sbobby · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:20 am Post subject:

thankyou for posting the photo. Never seen one before.
if it is a lipo fire, what is best to put them off ? anyone try it before ?
would a powder fire distinguisher work ? I might need to get one in my car/house.

Trouble · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:35 am Post subject:

Yes! A dry type Extinguisher. Do not use any type of liquid. Sand would be good also.
here is a really read:
http://www.rchelisite.com/lipo_battery_charging_and_safety_guide.php

Watch this!!!! Shocked

:
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=3690260570423705609

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 10:57 am Post subject:

Yep, that's the way they burn, Hot & Fast. I've intentionaly set off old & doomed small packs (in a fire safe area) and they do burn just like in the video.
This pack going "Ball Park Frank" on me is the closest I ever wish to come to seeing one go totally melt down in one of my helis. Going shopping for a fire ext tomorrow. It won't put out a LiPo ablaze, but will help to keep any fire from spreading. I'm thinking a Halon ext may be the best way to go. No mess to clean up with Halon vs dry chemical ext's.

silhouette015 · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 1:02 pm Post subject:

Oh my god that's a close one! Shocked

Good thing you got it down in time and what a nick of time that must of been.

Thanks for posting the photos. It's a great reminder to all of us to always be careful of our battery packs!

tombo242 · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 4:43 pm Post subject:

+1 on that, Thanks D T a very sobering picture. Never trust a thing is the rule here.

Tom.

pjdog · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 2:10 am Post subject:

I first found Lipo batteries when I started with RC model submarines. They sold Lipo batteries for the submarine kits along with all the hardware to build a sub. I didn't know anything about how dangerous they were. So I just used the little small wall charger that came with the batteries. I noticed after a while that one battery was swelling up like a marshmallow. I would just charge the battery before I would use it. I may not have even used it 10 minutes but I would always recharge it. Never did any kind of cycle on them. Stored them at full charge. I kept using it. The submarines are plastic Revell kits with plastic sub drivers containing all the drive gear and radio gear. About 6 months later I got into RC helicopters a found out about the dangers of Lipo batteries. So I got a good charger (Thunder A6) and put the bad batteries in salt water for months.

I was really lucky. By rights the battery should have exploded and burned. I guess the RC gods were watching over me and the family.

Jack

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 3:33 am Post subject:

So I bought one of these today and will find room for it in my flight kit for sure. Better safe then calling the local FD, I always say.[list=]

[/list]

Trouble · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:24 am Post subject:

pjdog · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:46 am Post subject:

I like the plane too DT.

Jack

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:45 am Post subject:

Thanks guys. Yep, I'm drifting towards "the Dark Side" of planks.
It's a Park Zone PNP Stenson Reliant. http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=PKZ5275
I only had it up twice and am still dialing in mixes & flaps... But so far I like Her. Very heavy for the wingspan IMO, like almost twice the # of the PZ J-3 Cub, but it handles well.