Proper LiPo Storage...Take It Seriously

[Doby]

Nope...no vents in the cabinet other than Qty 4, 1/4" mounting holes on the bottom of the cabinet that came that way from the manufacturer.

[Doug Smock]

Now, now.. Mr Smock....I'll put my moderator hat on (if only I had those God like powers) for a minute...lets keep this topic on track

They are just toy boats fellas! Back on topic.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming......STORAGE SAFETY!!

Sorry John I slipped. That was the consumer / racer in me. I will do better.



Yes fellas by all means listen to what your packs are telling you! A few more runs aren't worth the risk.

[tlandauer]

Salt water is corrosive and while it is also conductive, it is not enough to necessisarily discharge the battery. Tim a zero or very low reading could be because the terminals have corroded off, and the cells could still be holding a charge. The only way to be sure is to take them through a process like I described.
It would be VERY good if battery manufacturers put out proper disposal methods for Lipo/Li-ion batteries. After all if they are not safe enough for the airlines to transport, how dangerous are they in the hands of every day people, who are often unknowledgeable (and often dumb a$$ idiots, not here of course!) on the technologies and associated dangers. Sadly it would seem that many battery disposal facilities have no idea either and just send them straight to landfill. There are so many lithium based batteries around now that is is only a matter of time before something goes wrong....

Peter, thank you as usual, very good advice!

[T.S.Davis]

I met some guys that designed battery storage bunkers at an SFPE meeting. These guys were making walk in type storage rooms out of steel for A123 at the time. The were working for other entities they could tell me about but then would have to kill me. Air tight. No oxygen in the chamber. Automatic extinguishing. Self regulating. Very trick.

We talked about building something for the hobbyist. They had a cabinet sized unit they were using to display the technology. Would have been perfect for us. About 5k! Um......just........no.

I really need to break down and design us something we can all adapt to our own needs. A dry chem with a simple thermal release. Maybe 3 nozzles. Adapt it to what ever cabinet you choose. Not that complicated. If we could fight these little fires with water I could do it today.

Maybe water would be fine though. We don't care about the batteries burning. Let em. It's our houses and loved ones we want to save. A single sprinkler head with a 155 degree glass bulb. Tap it solid into our water supplies and drown the danged things. Maybe a flow switch in the supply line to signal an alarm. Super simple.

hmmmmmm I'll stew on it some.

[ron1950]

next time I am home (if its still there) I plan to throw a few batteries in a bucket of salt water then to the garbage can....like Ken I have trouble throwing my batteries away lol....

[80mac]

Terry, I know that this is your area of expertise but would this style of cabinet work?

http://www.justritemfg.com/products/safety-cabinets-and-containers/safety-cabinets-for-flammables/transportable-mini-countertop-and-compact-cabinets/

[T.S.Davis]

That's awesome. Wonder what they cost.

I did some digging into my price books to see what a package would run. All equipment UL Listed for fire protection. It's pricey. A single sprinkler, related fittings, a flow switch, and a horn strobe would MSRP for $715. I could get it for a lot less. Maybe $450. Still a lot of dough.

[T.S.Davis]

Sent them an inquiry from my workplace. I'll see what I can find out.

[T.S.Davis]

Justrite wont sell to me direct. I would have to buy from Grainger.

Cheapest one on Graingers site is a unit that fits under a work bench. $901. Um.....pricey.

[longballlumber]

what about these...

http://www.globalindustrial.com/g/storage/flammable-osha-cabinets/flammable/global-flammable-cabinets?ref=cat/b/flammable_storage_cabinets

[T.S.Davis]

Sure looks like the same thing.

I guess there are two ways to look at it. Complete containment with a flame resistant safe/cabinet or just extinguish the fire.

You can recover from water damage. You can't recover from fire damage. John got lucky with his incident. That could easily have consumed every cell in his cabinet. Would the cabinet have contained a full involvement? I have no idea. Maybe. Hopefully.

That flow switch retails for $319.80 all by itself. The strobe is $262. If I did away with the flow switch and strobe I could sprinkler a cabinet myself for next to nothing. Not everyone can pipe themselves something like that though.

Maybe a quick response sprinkler and a cheapo smoke detector to let me know there's been an incident and call it done. Put it in a cheapo steel cabinet and call it done. Liking that idea.

[T.S.Davis]

Not everyone needs a giant cabinet. Bench top sizes area available. Those are the same cabinets too.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/g/storage/flammable-osha-cabinets/flammable/justrite-compact-flammable-cabinets

[dmitry100]

How about those Steel ammo boxs with carrying handles? I believe they're pretty cheap... surely you can buy some from army surpluses etc.

That way you can take it anywhere with you...

My dad always would keep a bunch of his AK ammo in these... they're thick, air tight, and quite lightweight for what they are.
They come in a few different sizes too it seems.

Perhaps these might be a good idea to keep lipos in and just store them outside in the backyard or shed... instead of the house.

[JimClark]

How bout you write up DIY blog post for a home system with sprinkler?

Sure looks like the same thing.

I guess there are two ways to look at it. Complete containment with a flame resistant safe/cabinet or just extinguish the fire.

You can recover from water damage. You can't recover from fire damage. John got lucky with his incident. That could easily have consumed every cell in his cabinet. Would the cabinet have contained a full involvement? I have no idea. Maybe. Hopefully.

That flow switch retails for $319.80 all by itself. The strobe is $262. If I did away with the flow switch and strobe I could sprinkler a cabinet myself for next to nothing. Not everyone can pipe themselves something like that though.

Maybe a quick response sprinkler and a cheapo smoke detector to let me know there's been an incident and call it done. Put it in a cheapo steel cabinet and call it done. Liking that idea.

[Tamelesstgr]

Thanks for writing this, I have been keeping 5 lipos in a plastic tackle box for storage and transportation. I found a steel Dewalt drill case, and am now at least keeping them in there inside my lipo bags. I've seen a few videos of what kind of a flame these things can produce when they let go. I'm going to need to start researching some portable canisters, I like the ammo can idea.

What about a fireproof document cabinet like a Sentry safe?