Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

[grant_ploughbot]

Hi Guy's,

There's been a lot of talk recently about the use and safety of LiPo batteries - particularly now that the FRA are getting closer to making a decision on Lithium batteries in Heavyweights.

Everyone's concerns keep boiling down to What if and What actually happens when a large pack goes up. With this in mind, I have decided that we will be holding a demonstration to show exactly what happens when something goes wrong.
I am donating a number of my own LiPo's, all large 6s 5000mA ( 24v ) packs for destructive testing at our workshop during the Robo Challenge Open day / FRA HW and FW awards.
In this, I hope to show what happens when a pack is punctured, what happens when a pack is shorted, and what happens when one pack in a set goes up. Some of these tests will be done on an MDF base to show the effects of a lipo on an arena floor.

I hope that this will help speed up the process and questions regarding lithium safety at events.

I have an expert on hand who will be helping with my presentation on Lithium batteries - Andy Hinton-Lever from OptiPower. He will also be bringing his discharge test rig to show the differences between good and bad lipo cell's, and what to look out for plus much more.

[terry]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

Hope these will be put on u tube as I can't get there.
Split a 5000 11.1v in my vorza a few weekends ago didn't know about it until I took of the body to unplug the batteries, liquid was dribbling out and I could see all the inside stuff, no explosions or anything happened though.

[grant_ploughbot]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

We will get video of the destructive testing as it's something that the FRA will need to look back on to come to their decision on Lipo's in heavies. As you say, lipo's have a bad reputation but are not actually that easy to set fire to! I have found a few ways though

[teamstorm]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

Grant, please do get what you're doing with the LiPo's filmed and put on YouTube, not just the destructive testing, but the session with your LiPo expert would be really good material for all concerned.

I'm confident that the FRA will approve them from what I have heard - I think that the biggest concern is from the EO's at the moment, simply down to the fact that they have no way to extract the large volume of smoke that a LiPo 'dying' produces. I'm not saying they're dangerous, it's the logistical problem of smoke stopping the audience seeing what's going on - and the show having to be stopped, and people waiting until it disperses.

Having seen a LiPo go up in the RoboGames arena.... I know where their concern is coming from - but it's not a safety issue.

Great job guys !

[PJ-27]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

@Ed

Have you got a video of the one going up in the Robogames arena?

[teamstorm]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

No sorry :-(

[RogueTwoRobots]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

There are loads of videos of lipos going up in smoke/flames in robots (particularly the smaller weight classes) at American events. I was going to post links but generic searching on Youtube of 'lipo fire robot battle' etc doesn't really show up much.

[teamstorm]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

I actually think its a valid point from an EO point of view - safety issue or not, if the arena fills with smoke and the show has to wait until it disperses.... that would be a logistical issue.

And I don't think anyone would deny LiPo's create plenty of smoke ;-) !

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

Couple hundred quid for a decent fan and flexible ducting to run it outside should be able to clear an arena space in a few min

[Eventorizon]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

Or for those who might doubt the amount of smoke...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAFntdaLtHA

[teamstorm]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

You can see why an EO might be concerned - and it takes more than a fan and a hose to shift that volume of air !

But I think we'll soon get agreement there isn't a safety issue in play

[craig_colliass]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

But I think we'll soon get agreement there isn't a safety issue in play

4min 50sec into the fight :shock:
Sorry was it only me who saw the flames?

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...a=1&TC=SRC-fan

Something like that with ducting similar to that flexible tunnel stuff you played with as a kid would clear that space in no time

[maddox10]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

But I think we'll soon get agreement there isn't a safety issue in play

4min 50sec into the fight :shock:
Sorry was it only me who saw the flames?

And what is the problem with fire?

[blazerbotics]

Re: Lithium Safety Testing - 8th December

Fire are a concern anywhere, i'm more worried about fire in the pits than in the arena though, smoke is an issue when in the arena. The fan you pointed out Gary, doesn't take ducting, if you look they do the smaller ones that do, for that we're looking £500 for a setup and it would take about 8minutes to empty our arena.

The issues aren't as much with the batteries themselves, but more the users attitude towards them. This is for me the big issue to get around.