View Full Version : puffed Lipo
apeman88
09-13-2007, 04:01 PM
One of my 6 Lipo packs is puffed. I flown with the puffed pack around 3 times. How exactly is it unsafe to fly with a puffed pack? What is going on internally with the puffed pack and what cause it? Anyone got pics or videos of what would happen when a puffed pack is continusly used? Yes, I heard it is bad.. it will catch fire, will burn down my heli, my house and etc. But were there any evidence of such events?
I've been flying heli since the 80s (nitro) but only started electric 9 months ago.
Oldboy
09-15-2007, 11:31 AM
I have seen videos where people perpously cause a battery to catch fire. It was very violent and dangerous. I went ahead and threw out my two align puffers last week and switched to TP and FP.
My LHS wont even let you put a puffed battery on their counter.
rdlohr
09-16-2007, 09:07 AM
One of my 6 Lipo packs is puffed. I flown with the puffed pack around 3 times. How exactly is it unsafe to fly with a puffed pack? What is going on internally with the puffed pack and what cause it? Anyone got pics or videos of what would happen when a puffed pack is continusly used? Yes, I heard it is bad.. it will catch fire, will burn down my heli, my house and etc. But were there any evidence of such events?
I've been flying heli since the 80s (nitro) but only started electric 9 months ago.
I ground puffed packs too, but it is a valid question that I would like to hear a technical answer to also.
Rick
I have seen videos where people perpously cause a battery to catch fire. It was very violent and dangerous. I went ahead and threw out my two align puffers last week and switched to TP and FP.
My LHS wont even let you put a puffed battery on their counter.
I personally witnessed how lipo burn today at the park where I fly every day. Must say it was pretty violent. One of the flyers finished for the day. He put all of his planes into the SUV, but for some reasons, he forgot the 3 2100mA TP packs on the road next to his car. As he backed his car, I noticed that the smoke started billow out very thick. He stopped his car. I walked over trying to determine where that smoke came from. It turned out that he ran over the packs and punctured the batteries. As the packs burned, they burst and threw flames all over. It was just like firework without the explosion.
2 packs burnt themselves out completely within 2 minutes. The other stopped after consuming more than half the battery pack!
It is definitely something I don't want to mess around with. Please dispose your puffed pack unless you want to see how fast your heli being consumed by one of these packs if fire breaks out.
Regards,
Dan, KE6D
Patriek
09-27-2007, 09:24 AM
Where do you draw the line for puffed packs to be grounded?
My 3 packs (1 Align, 2 Zenza) are very slightly puffed. Should I replace them?
the_duke
10-11-2007, 11:14 PM
I recently crashed hard and the corner of my pack is slightly crushed. The pack is not puffed up at all. I haven't tried to charge it yet. Do you think it's safe?
I recently crashed hard and the corner of my pack is slightly crushed. The pack is not puffed up at all. I haven't tried to charge it yet. Do you think it's safe?
I would charge it outside of the house. Monitor the battery condition as it charges. If charging is ok, I would take a short fly (3-4 min) to see if it is still ok.
If the battery is holding up after the test flight, I would fly it. I normally monitor how much the charger put back in and the voltage after fly along with flight time so I have a good idea of the condition the pack.
On a puffed pack, I noticed that current draw is higher. The flight time is therefore shorter for a 80% discharge. After a while, if the flight time is shorten by more than a minute for the same amount current draw between a puffed pack and a good pack, I retire the pack.
GL,
Dan, KE6D