Can LiFePO4 damage a light?

[egrep]

I'm trying to find a definitive article (or thread) on LiFePO4 batteries. I picked up 4 AW16340 LiFePO4 recently but haven't put them to use yet.

My understanding is they can deliver more current ("C") at lower voltage and are safer and more forgiving of poor treatment. Then i started reading qualifications like 'on flashlights that can handle them' and so forth. This leafs me to believe that many drivers will draw unlimited current and blow themselves and/or the emitter up.

So, i put one in my brand spanking new V10RAE and started at low. All well. I then ramped it up and it turned off! I was worried i'd blow up my new light. I dialed back to minimum and it still worked. I raised the brightness slowly and just a bit, all well. Then I took the LiFePO4 the heck out of there and decided to post here.

So, what is the deal here? Did I almost blow up my light? What are the caveats? Thanks In Advance.

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

It's usually only a problem if people try to replace lithium primaries with them because they're fully charged voltage is close to a primary's. They'll sag less underload compared to a primary.
IMO it's fine if it's within the voltage range, but I know they're not recommended for AMC 7135 drivers.

 

[space-cowboy]

Do you know how many mA your V10RAE pulls for proper operation in higher mode?

 

[SemiMan]

Far more likely is that your flashlight shut off because the voltage was too low, not too high. If it is designed for Lithium Ion (cobalt electrode) then it is likely expecting a higher voltage and just assumed your battery was dead and shut down. I am not certain of that, but it is a reasonable conclusion.

I really can't think of any cases where you are likely to have an issue. The low voltage of LiFePO4 for a single cell direct drive is unlikely to put out enough voltage to drive a LED hard enough to cause any issues. A 2 cell direct drive (rare) wil have a resistor and the lower LiFePO4 voltage will again not be an issue as it will not behave that much different from primaries.

Semiman