Are LiPo batteries really that much of a potential disaster?

[synaesthesia]

As somebody quite new to remote controlling anything, I haven't really come across many lithium polymer batteries. After purchasing my first drone recently I have been doing lots of research about everything from shutter speeds to lens filters to flying techniques but one thing that has me somewhat worried is the quantity of horror stories relating to lithium polymer batteries exploding, or catching fire, or other generally undesirable things.

The general recommendations as far as I can see is that you should always store lithium polymer batteries in suitable bags to mitigate the chance of fire spreading in a worse case scenario. The same advice appears to extend to charging also.

Are lithium polymer batteries really that much of a potential disaster? Is this also the case with the DJI "intelligent" flight batteries, which I assume are lithium polymer cells with some kind of controller designed to mitigate these issues to make the batteries more consumer friendly? Is any kind of fire proof bag suitable or do lithium polymer batteries require specific bags?

 

[msinger]

Are lithium polymer batteries really that much of a potential disaster?

DJI batteries rarely catch on file. They are more likely to catch on fire if they are damaged (e.g. punctured).

Is any kind of fire proof bag suitable or do lithium polymer batteries require specific bags?

Here are a few LiPo bags that could be used to store Mavic batteries:

• DJI (holds up to 3 batteries)
• HOBBYTIGER (holds up to 12 batteries)
• Uxcell (holds 1 battery)

You can find many other options here on Amazon.

 

[synaesthesia]

Thanks!

Honestly I'd expect any battery to catch fire if it were punctured - is it safe storing multiple batteries in the same pouch or is it better practice to keep them separated from each other even during storage?

 

[msinger]

is it safe storing multiple batteries in the same pouch

I store multiple batteries in these HOBBYTIGER bags. But, the safest possible storage method would be to store each battery in a separate pouch/container so other batteries will not ignite if one of them does catch on fire.

 

[Kilrah]

I haven't really come across many lithium polymer batteries.

That you know of. Actually all of the mobile devices you use daily are using them, and you've never worried about them... DJI batteries are protected like those, so you don't have to worry any more about them.

The only case you'd want to worry is in case of physical damage e.g. after a crash.

The issues with RC batteries is usually due to the fact they are unprotected, so vulnerable to user mistakes. Not the case here.

 

[colinfowler]

old man with old habits, but I have been used to these
they got abused, damaged in crashes, badly charged, over charged still used till too puffed to strap in any more.
dji batteries with self discharge and intelligent monitoring take a lot of the worry away (but don't damage them)

 

[Neebles]

I personally don’t think it’s important to store the batteries in any special container or bag...If they were that dangerous on their own, the millions of batteries sitting on store shelves would be in fire safe bags.
Charging is another story.

 

[Superdaddy]

I have a lot of experience with LIPO batteries in my racing RC Cars. DJI makes them pretty safe by requiring them to be charged at an appropriate rate. In my car, using expensive chargers, you can fast charge them, overcharge them, etc., (usually for racing advantage) etc, all of which you can't do with DJI charging / batteries.

Here are my thoughts on safety.

Use DJI chargers. That said, I've used third-party chargers without problem but I really don't know how many amps they are using to charge. I assume it is the same as the DJI charger.
Never leave them in your car when it is hot.
Never used batteries that are puffed (assuming you can still put them in the bird after puffed)
Never use a damaged battery.

Here are my thoughts on good practice to maximize charge cycles.:

Don't let them sit discharged.

I would say don't let them sit fully charged, but DJI batteries already, automatically, drain the battery over a few days to storage levels (around 30 to 40%. I have mine set to start discharging after one-day.

I wish DJI would allow people to charge or discharge batteries to storage levels but that would probably cause too much confusion.

I have bags for my RC batteries (much larger capacity), but I don't even use those anymore as I always charge at appropriate charge rates.

 

[Trent2020]

I had 3s lipo like Colin was showing there. Went up in flames couldn't believe it if I wouldn't have been gone it would burnt the garage and house down. Scary stuff. Proper maintenance levels when storing. I like the self discharge feature on dji. Safer