Stories from the world of RC car racing

A timely warning comes in the form of this story at the Melbourne based TFTR’s club website.
With LiPo now commonly in use across the country, it’s helpful to be reminded not to let slip the careful use and protection of LiPo packs – no matter what brand you choose.
Take care, follow sound use guidelines and enjoy plenty of trouble free power from your LiPo packs.

3 responses to “Lipo’s sometimes go boom!”

  1. shaun Avatar
    shaun

    good write up 😀
    although i have TRYED to blow up cells before to no avail!! tough little buggers!
    i tryed shorting, overcharging, over-discharge, ripping apart the cell itself, getting it wet.
    nothing… 😈
    that’s not to say they are all like this 🙄 😉
    BE SAFE!!

    Like

  2. heavy Avatar
    heavy

    Shaun, I can tell you from personal experience that charging them on the NIMH program will do it for sure.

    Like

  3. john h Avatar
    john h

    I would say in the first case the cells might have discharged below the 3.0 volts per cell and when left it decide it wanted to burn, a check with a volt meter would have found this, if no volts an internal shunt has burnt out and the pack should have gone in the salt water and disposed of.
    If above 4 volts I would have tried the charge it in a lipo bag it may have come up ok but with a greatly reduced life.
    Judging by them saying they were all the same type of pack they wouldn’t have pasted the UN testing.
    Had a friend have a lipo come loose in his 8th scale Electic off road, it rubbed agaist the pinion gear and worn through the casing into the white gooey stuff, the battery was still working ok, didn’t catch fire even took another charge.

    Click to access DISPOSAL-OF-LIPO-BATTERIES.pdf

    Here’s a link that is good practice, I like the bit at the end, safe land fill.

    Click to access UBM-0001_Battery_Assembly_Guidelines.pdf

    And another on the UN tests

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