Ultimate Lithium battery destructive test video in HD! :) :) :)

[liveforphysics]

I made a series of videos with lithium cell testing, then destructive lithium cell testing. I recently put together a compilation video of the destructive cell testing, and it's darn fun to watch

Enjoy!


Don't forget to hit 720P for maximum HD goodness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dree0rTr1HM

-Luke

 

[McAllan]

Awesome! Thanks!

Really demonstrates why you really should have respect for LiIon cells.
Would have been best if we have known which cells were which chemistry. Some didn't seem that violent - guess they must have been the LiFePO4 ones. And the ones bursting violently into flames LiCo.

 

[liveforphysics]

I tested LiFePO4 cells until the blasted flames as well as LiCo polymer cells. In thermal testing, I was shocked to find LiFePO4 actually reacted more violantly and under much less heating than LiCo LiPo cells. The inverse was true under over-charge conditions of course.

Most folks don't care about battery testing and various chemistry types as much as I do, so I figured just as highlights video would be best to get people interested.

If you check this link, you can see the background information and view the entire test procedure for each of the cells.

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhw5

-Luke

 

[march.brown]

Awesome! Thanks!

Really demonstrates why you really should have respect for LiIon cells.
Would have been best if we have known which cells were which chemistry. Some didn't seem that violent - guess they must have been the LiFePO4 ones. And the ones bursting violently into flames LiCo.

.
Must remember not to hammer my (18650) torches flat or aim a blow-torch at them when they are in my pocket !
.

 

[McAllan]

.
Must remember not to hammer my (18650) torches flat or aim a blow-torch at them when they are in my pocket !
.

Of course that's not what's happening in your pockets. However the reactions are true. Can happen with bad chargers or defective cells. Ever heard of those was it Sony I believe that had metalic lithium left overs in them? They had the habbit of just suddenly going . Surprised it happened to Sony ones and not some unknown Chinese ones. But might as well happen to those too.

In contrast I can tell I've had one noname NiMH suddenly gone bad. I've charged it as usual then put it in a wooden array with about 1/4 if the cell surrounded by wood (a small home made array made out of a piece of wood with a lot of bored holes for storing my rechargeables). One day I wanted to use that cell I saw that the shrink sleeve was all crumbled up. It must have been very hot from internal shortening. But no bursting or venting and although not so hot that it could be seen on the wood. Unfortunately at that time I didn't think of taking a picture. Can't image what had happened if they where 14500 LiIons :sweat:

 

[IMSabbel]

I feel perfectly reassured by those videos.

Seriously, you can NOT compare the reactions when being aimed at by a heat-gun or blowtourch with any realitically occuring scenarios.

There are lots of normal household devices that would behave MUCH MUCH worse than any of those batteries when being put under the same amount of stress.

Just try putting a heatgun against a can of hairspray, for example. I assure you that it will make every single scene of the video look very timid. And there is no hair-spray hysteria about.

 

[Larbo]

He is gonna need a new meter...

 

[McAllan]

Just try putting a heatgun against a can of hairspray, for example. I assure you that it will make every single scene of the video look very timid. And there is no hair-spray hysteria about.

Or your gas tank. The point is that a hair spray or gas can does not do anything by themselves under normal use.
Where as for LiIon there can be defective chargers and shorts to mention a few of the things that can go wrong without the user having any suspicion in advance. And as said before - defective manufacturing. A defective hair spray just means it leaks.

 

[aim54x]

Great to watch, but I just kept thinking....are you nuts!!

 

[liveforphysics]

I feel perfectly reassured by those videos.

Seriously, you can NOT compare the reactions when being aimed at by a heat-gun or blowtourch with any realitically occuring scenarios.

There are lots of normal household devices that would behave MUCH MUCH worse than any of those batteries when being put under the same amount of stress.

Just try putting a heatgun against a can of hairspray, for example. I assure you that it will make every single scene of the video look very timid. And there is no hair-spray hysteria about.

I made these vids for anyone who is into lithium battery applications, but in particular the E-bike forums (I build DIY electric high-performance bicycles).


We've had about every type of cell failure you can imagine, even things that seem so unlikely, but Murphy has an amazing way of striking sometimes...

Like the FET on the output stage of a bucking power supply charger fail in the closed position... making a 48v regulated charger output from the full 90VDC rail...

Like wrecks where LiPo cells or hundreds of 18650cells are skidding along the ground with 100lbs of bike weight on them at 50mph in wrecks...

Like a personal incident with a pair of 5kw speed controllers that just exploded into a plasma ball right next to the battery pack... Or another personal incident where a lead got shorted, and a piece of 10awg wire running through a battery pack actually hot hot enough to vaporize all it's insulation before finally melting the solder connection on 1 end and opening the circuit.


When you're strapping on 50lbs of lithium batteries of various types, and racing around, with DIY motors and DIY controllers, I assure you that strange failure situations spring-up that expose the batteries to some pretty intense situations on occasion.

It's important to be aware of the failure modes and risk potential when choosing your battery and battery mounting etc.

I think this picture shows it better than I can explain. lol

 

[Dimly]

Please...do not try and board a plane like that.

 

[malow]

WOW mannnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!

now i remember why i join this forum :twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs

 

[aurum]

....

 

[Chauncey Gardner]

:thinking:

 

[Light11]

:wow:Thanks for sharing.

 

[Illum]

hmm, that is certainly a good way to visualize it

 

[OCDGearhead]

So, I guess all this kind of begs the question:

How many pocket multi-tools does the op have on him at any given moment?

Thanks for the video. I will try to avoid those situations when using my flashlight.

Have to start putting away the sledge hammers we have laying around the house.
The S.O. is starting to throw some evil looks at the UPS guy & the packages he brings...

 

[liveforphysics]

So, I guess all this kind of begs the question:

How many pocket multi-tools does the op have on him at any given moment?

Zero. Don't even own one.

I do always have my Titanium XPG R4 equipped quark in my pocket at all times though. I was the original guy to post up IR thermal images of the stability of some AAA-cell lights running on 10440 li-ion cells (years ago).

Lithium dominates batteries. It's just good to know what you're working with, so your decisions on applications are based on educated decisions rather than hearsay or guessing.


Best Wishes,
-Luke

 

[zipplet]

Thanks for the video, very entertaining

 

[march.brown]

I made these vids for anyone who is into lithium battery applications, but in particular the E-bike forums (I build DIY electric high-performance bicycles).


We've had about every type of cell failure you can imagine, even things that seem so unlikely, but Murphy has an amazing way of striking sometimes...

Like the FET on the output stage of a bucking power supply charger fail in the closed position... making a 48v regulated charger output from the full 90VDC rail...

Like wrecks where LiPo cells or hundreds of 18650cells are skidding along the ground with 100lbs of bike weight on them at 50mph in wrecks...

Like a personal incident with a pair of 5kw speed controllers that just exploded into a plasma ball right next to the battery pack... Or another personal incident where a lead got shorted, and a piece of 10awg wire running through a battery pack actually hot hot enough to vaporize all it's insulation before finally melting the solder connection on 1 end and opening the circuit.


When you're strapping on 50lbs of lithium batteries of various types, and racing around, with DIY motors and DIY controllers, I assure you that strange failure situations spring-up that expose the batteries to some pretty intense situations on occasion.

It's important to be aware of the failure modes and risk potential when choosing your battery and battery mounting etc.

I think this picture shows it better than I can explain. lol

.
Why don't you carry the batteries in a streamlined back-pack (to give extra speed) ... That way your face will not be vulnerable when someone hits the batteries with a sledge-hammer !
.