Batteries on, ummm, ice?

[Oldbugs]

I’m heading to the other coast of Florida (Ft. Meyers) this weekend for my sons baseball tournaments. I was going to bring my MPP to have something to do once we’re back at the hotel. I was going to keep it in my truck while we are at the fields though, would it be silly of me to keep the batteries in a cooler bag with a small ice pack so they don’t overheat while sitting in the truck?

 

[Canuk]

Keeping the batteries cool is a smart idea . Just don’t let them sweat or get wet

 

[old man mavic]

yes a very good idea the inside of a vehicle can reach very high temps just keep them wrapped in an old towel between the ice pack and the batteries and you can also put them back in the cool box after you have flown to help cool them down

 

[Rchawks]

I was afraid of condensation , so this isn’t a issue?

 

[THE CYBORG]

Wrap them in a towel like old man mavic says, should prevent or at least minimise any chance of condensation.

 

[SkyeHigh]

The last thing you want is condensation for two reasons: Moisture corrodes battery terminals in the battery compartment and battery itself, and moisture in the battery is bad for the internal electronics (Intelligent batteries) and battery cells. Lithium and water react violently.

Would definitely recommend you put at least one silica gel pack in the bag with the battery. And make sure the bag is 100% waterproof.

One last issue, when you take the battery out of the bag it will be much cooler than the surrounding air, which causes moisture to build on the battery - same as a car windscreen on a cold/wet day. The battery packs aren’t airtight so moisture is also like to form inside.

 

[old man mavic]

we are not talking about really cold temps in a cool box, just get the battery out a few moments before you are ready to use it, let it lie in the shade ,if any condensation does form on it then some paper towel would be fine to remove it before putting it in the drone

 

[SkyeHigh]

we are not talking about really cold temps in a cool box, just get the battery out a few moments before you are ready to use it, let it lie in the shade ,if any condensation does form on it then some paper towel would be fine to remove it before putting it in the drone

I’d still be very wary. There’s a lot of mass in the battery pack and once that cools it’ll take a fair while to warm-up again. Cold/cool batteries don’t perform well.

 

[THE CYBORG]

Just use a cool box with no ice blocks in it, by the nature of the box it should keep the heat a lot less than leaving the batteries in a car.

 

[PimV]

If you cool the batteries down to a temperature below the dew point temperature of the air outside the cooler bag and then take them outside the bag, condensation will form at all places, outside and inside the battery pack, where the air has access to. The outside you might dry with a paper towel, the inside areas you cannot reach. Of course these will dry up in time, but this might not go fast enough to prevent corrosion. The correct procedure is to put the batteries in a sealed bag. When you take the sealed bag out of the cooler bag you wait until the temperature of bag and contents has reached the outside temperature before you take the battery/batteries out of the bag.

 

[Flycaster]

Just use a cool box with no ice blocks in it, by the nature of the box it should keep the heat a lot less than leaving the batteries in a car.

Dang it, you beat me to it.
Exactly, empty cooler from hotel room, should be room ambient temperature, put your batteries in it, and cover the cooler with some towels or a blanket to keep the sun off it whilst in the car. You'll be good to go.

 

[MavicJohnson]

Maybe just place a couple of refrigerated water bottles in the cold box.

I do the opposite in the winter. Fill water bottles with hot water, place in bottom of cooler with a towel on top.
Keeps batteries at room temp all morning.


.

 

[apeel]

I posted this in the past when someone else asked about storage in hot temps. You may find it helpful ...

I live in Texas so I understand the challenges of temperature extremes in the Southwest. As I like to take road trips with my wife, I was particularly concerned with leaving the batteries in the car, when stopping over somewhere for a meal, etc as temperatures can go up high real fast in a closed car. So when I purchased my Mavic 2 Zoom, I also got a mini-fridge like the one below. It can be powered by 110VAC, USB, or 12v lighter adapter, all options that are included in the package. I remove the shelf inside and it has room to store 3-batteries + remote controller + 10,000ah power bank. Very handy!

I use the 12v lighter adapter when we are driving, which keeps the temperature in the fridge down to around 60F - 70F (measured with an infrared gun) . When I shut the car off, the fridge also shuts off as my outlet needs to have the car running for it to generate the 12v output. But if you leave the fridge door closed, it stays cool and safe for the batteries for quite some time even with the car off.

Incidentally, in order to save money, I also keep our house at 78-80F during the summer. So I actually keep the batteries in the fridge even when in the house. In this case I run the fridge using USB as it will not get quite as cold inside as when operating it on 110VAC. Again, while in the house, I find that they fridge stays at a nice 60F - 65F inside.

To make sure there is no condensation on the batteries or remote controller while in the cooler, you can (and should) store them in a sealed plastic bag. I use the fireproof LiPo battery bags (link below) for the batteries, and put some moisture absorbing gel packs in each bag to pick up any extra moisture that may occur. So far, I have not had problems with moisture or bulging .. knock on wood.

Here are some Amazon links (no affiliates) of the fridge, LiPo bags and Gel Packs that I use:

Cooluli Classic Black 4 Liter Compact Cooler Warmer Mini Fridge with AC/DC/USB Power - Great for Bedroom, Office, Car, Dorm - Portable Makeup Skincare Fridge

Anbee Mavic 2 Lipo Battery Safe Bag Fireproof Storage Bag for DJI Mavic 2 Zoom/Pro Drone (Small, 3-Pack)

Dry & Dry 3 Gram [50 Packs] Food Safe Silica Gel Orange Indicating(Orange to Dark Green) Mixed Silica Gel Packs Desiccant - Food Safe Silica Packets for Moisture Absorber Silica Gel Packets