Fw: AMA Safety Committee Announcement - April 23rd, 2004 - Lithium Battery Hazard

[flyboy422 at juno.com]

I just received this alert from the AMA that I thought I would pass on to
the list
           John S.
            Buffalo, NY
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Safety Committee" <safety at modelaircraft.org>
To: "John A Santonocito" <flyboy422 at juno.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 15:22:11 -0500
Subject: AMA Safety Committee Announcement - April 23rd, 2004 - Lithium
Battery Hazard
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EMERGENCY SAFETY ALERT
Lithium Battery Fires
Lithium batteries are becoming very popular for powering the control and
power systems in our models. This is true because of their very high
energy density (amp-hrs/wt. ratio) compared to NiCads or other batteries.
With high energy comes increased risk in their use. The, principal, risk
is FIRE which can result from improper charging, crash damage, or
shorting the batteries. All vendors of these batteries warn their
customers of this danger and recommend extreme caution in their use. In
spite of this many fires have occurred as a result of the use of Lithium
Polymer batteries, resulting in loss of models, automobiles, and other
property. Homes and garages and workshops have also burned. A lithium
battery fire is very hot (several thousand degrees) and is an excellent
initiator for ancillary (resulting) fires. Fire occurs due to contact
between Lithium and oxygen in the air. It does not need any other source
of ignition, or fuel to start, and burns almost explosively.
These batteries must be used in a manner that precludes ancillary fire.
The following is recommended:
Store, and charge, in a fireproof container; never in your model.
Charge in a protected area devoid of combustibles. Always stand watch
over the charging process. Never leave the charging process unattended.
In the event of damage from crashes, etc, carefully remove to a safe
place for at least a half hour to observe. Physically damaged cells could
erupt into flame, and, after sufficient time to ensure safety, should be
discarded in accordance with the instructions which came with the
batteries. Never attempt to charge a cell with physical damage,
regardless of how slight.
Always use chargers designed for the specific purpose, preferably having
a fixed setting for your particular pack. Many fires occur in using
selectable/adjustable chargers improperly set. Never attempt to charge
Lithium cells with a charger which is not, specifically, designed for
charging Lithium cells. Never use chargers designed for Nickel Cadmium
batteries.
Use charging systems that monitor and control the charge state of each
cell in the pack. Unbalanced cells can lead to disaster if it permits
overcharge of a single cell in the pack. If the batteries show any sign
of swelling, discontinue charging, and remove them to a safe place
outside as they could erupt into flames.
Most important: NEVER PLUG IN A BATTERY AND LEAVE IT TO CHARGE UNATTENDED
OVERNIGHT. Serious fires have resulted from this practice.
Do not attempt to make your own battery packs from individual cells.
These batteries CANNOT be handled and charged casually such as has been
the practice for years with other types of batteries. The consequence of
this practice can be very serious resulting in major property damage and/
or personal harm
Safety Committee
Academy of Model Aeronautics

5161 E Memorial Drive
Muncie, IN 47302
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