Batteries

[maven4336]

Hello I’ve had my Mavic two pro since release all three batteries are swelling up this year I live in Texas it’s been very humid but I haven’t flown but maybe twice a week I’ve done nothing different except not fly as much as I used to I had a wonderful dog that love to go out and fly when I told him are you ready to fly he would spin around bark and wag his tail he knew what we were going to do I’m broken over this but that’s not why am making this post does anyone have any suggestions and have you had any problems with your battery swelling up I’m in disbelief everything was perfect until this year not only that my phantom for pro is doing the same thing all three batteries are swelling up it seems funny how all six batteries have had a swelling problem this year and now I need to know from you guys should I even trust these batteries to fly I do not want to lose my drone my work is slow I’m electrician and I don’t have the funds to buy new Drones so I’m saving up I’m going to get new batteries do they only last so long or is it the humidity that is made all of my batteries start swelling, we all know how Dji is they’re not going to work with me on replacing them and they’re so expensive I’m looking at over $1000 to replace all my batteries but it’s worth it if a crash is coming which I’ve never had happen any suggestions I would be very appreciative, Plus I wanted to share my pics from Fourth of July I was in shock how good they came out because I did no editing and when I got there I just shot it straight up and started taking pictures and when I put them on my computer when I got home I was very happy on the results so I wanted to share these as well but I need to know about my batteries

 

[MARK (LI)]

Great pictures! ..the battery swelling seems to be just a symptom of aging ...but any advice I have read or seen in youtubes say to avoid using them if they swell

 

[Interficiam Stercore]

You should have shared pictures of your swollen batteries. If you still can please take some photos of the batteries an post them. You'll probably need to take the photos at n angle, so we can apreciate the swelling you see in the batteries.

I've had one of my mav 2 pro's batteries swell. I realized it did this because, I was always flying in sport mode at it's highest speeds while surveying the ground. While flying at the highest speeds I would also increase altitude at the same time. A few times, I even got warnings from the drone stating the drone was going into a lower performance mode, due to the stress I was putting on it. The going up at high speed and at the same time going forward at the dron's highest speeds caused the battery swelling. ALSO IMPORTANT is the timing. The battery gets it's hottest in the last 10-15 minutes of flight. Doing these maneavers , high speed flying, while at the same time, increasing altitude at high speed, caused battery over heat warnings, then I noticed one of the batteries starting to swell. So once I noticed one swelling, I stopped flying like a maniac and only flew in normal mode with occasional sport mode.

You may or may not recieve these over heat or stress warnings. If your just borderline, you won't get a message. As I said before, I believe the timing of when you use sport mode is significant regarding batterry swelling. By the end of your flight, when you want to go home, don't use sport mode to go home. This will definitely cause the battery to get hot and swell over time. That's my experience, my opinion anyway. Maybe not yours?

 

[StantonZ]

Don't know if I'm stating the obvious here, but: the M2P batteries were/are different from the (newer) MA2 batteries...and I don't see near as many complaints about the newer batteries (whether it's due to a change in battery chemistry or an improvement in the BMS).
Given that using/flying swollen batteries is not a good idea and the older batteries are difficult (and expensive) to find, you might want to consider upgrading to one of the newer drones. It's also telling that the MA2S uses the exact same battery as the MA2 (so they should be available for quite some time).

 

[slup]

Humidity have nothing to do with that your batteries swell ...

Gas generation in lithium batteries is a normal thing. Even if you don’t abuse your battery, the normal everyday use of your battery will generate gas through a process called electrolyte decomposition.

The electrolyte decomposition occurs even faster if you overdischarge a battery, overheat a battery or store them outside storage voltage (3,7-3,8V).

Electrolyte decomposition is what happens when that electrolyte chemically breaks down. So in a lipo battery, as the electrolyte breaks down you end up with lithium and oxygen. This forms lithium oxide on the anode and cathode (depending whether you are charging or discharging), this increase the internal resistance which make the battery more prone to larger voltage drops during higher amp load.

But what you also end up with is excess oxygen that doesn’t adhere to the anode or cathode. This excess oxygen is part of what causes a battery swell.

Oxygen likes to burn... doesn’t mean that every battery that is puffed is going to explode as soon as you use it but it does mean that a high enough percentage of them are going to be dangerous that it isn’t worth the risk to continue using them.

My advice is that you stop using them immediately & dispose of them completely discharged in a proper way ... this as it isn't a fix for swelling & that they can be dangerous.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

How did you notice this ?
The M1P batteries have that little recessed area on the bottom that is generally flat, but I imagine would swell out there.
A few photos would be good to see.

Usually with other DJI batteries, they are flat on the bottom, it is very easy to notice, as they are very hard to fit, rock on a table surface, etc.

 

[Interficiam Stercore]

How did you notice this ?
The M1P batteries have that little recessed area on the bottom that is generally flat, but I imagine would swell out there.
A few photos would be good to see.

Usually with other DJI batteries, they are flat on the bottom, it is very easy to notice, as they are very hard to fit, rock on a table surface, etc.

Yup, the first time I noticed one of my DJI batteries swollen, was when I put it down on a table and it wobbled back and forth. This was in my newbie days, so I didn't know what it meant. I actually sold it to someone for $75 usa. OOPS. Big Oops. I think it was another Newb as well.

 

[Interficiam Stercore]

DYNNEX DRONES Dji Authorized Retailer; Selling Refurbished Mavic 2 series OEM Batteries for $109.00usa. How does DJI go about refurbishing a battery?

DJI Certified Refurbished
REFURBISHED products are Like-New and Factory Sealed by DJI and include the standard DJI Warranty, Parts, and Packaging. Every DJI Refurbished item is 'QUALITY GUARANTEED' and thoroughly tested by DJI experts. Refurbished products undergo a professional refurbishing process, by DJI, that brings them up to the Same High-Standards as Brand New Products.

 

[Interficiam Stercore]

DJI batteries..."they’re so expensive I’m looking at over $1000 to replace all my batteries..."

See my post #8: Dynnex Drones is selling OEM Refurbished Mavic 2 Batteries for $109 US. It might be something to consider, if your short of cash.

DJI Mavic 2 Intelligent Flight Battery (DJI-Certified Refurbished w/ Warranty)

DJI Refurbished Mavic 2 Intelligent Flight Battery The Mavic 2's Intelligent Flight Battery has a capacity of up to 59.29 Wh, and provides a maximum flight time of 31 minutes. With a built-in DJI Intelligent Battery Management System, battery status is monitored and reported in real-time...

www.dynnexdrones.com

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

How did you notice this ?
The M1P batteries have that little recessed area on the bottom that is generally flat, but I imagine would swell out there.
A few photos would be good to see.

Usually with other DJI batteries, they are flat on the bottom, it is very easy to notice, as they are very hard to fit, rock on a table surface, etc.

Yup, the first time I noticed one of my DJI batteries swollen, was when I put it down on a table and it wobbled back and forth.

Ah, you have the M2 batts, easily picked up with flat backs.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, my post above was to the OP @maven4336 as his is the M1P version.

EDIT - WHOOPS, just noticed the OP wrote two, missed that, used to seeing 2 not two
So easy to pick up, and fairly common knowledge the M2 batteries do this time to time, there was a bad batch, plus not sure the flat backs allow any expansion when they get warm when flying them.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

OP @maven4336 . . . some members here have had the M2 bad batch batteries replaced free by DJI, and LONG after warranty expired . . .
Not sure what thread would have this info, there are a lot of them !!
Maybe someone that has had their replaced can find their posts and let you know what they did to get them replaced.
There is a serial number batch you can check, to see if yours falls in the range.

 

[JimWest]

OP @maven4336 . . . some members here have had the M2 bad batch batteries replaced free by DJI, and LONG after warranty expired . . .
Not sure what thread would have this info, there are a lot of them !!
Maybe someone that has had their replaced can find their posts and let you know what they did to get them replaced.
There is a serial number batch you can check, to see if yours falls in the range.

Yes, this was my experience. Three batteries bought in early 2019 replaced free this spring after I documented the swelling. Others have reported the same thing. Contact DJI support.

 

[wardtom084]

I would like to know at what temperatures your batteries have been operating myself.

 

[Interficiam Stercore]

I would like to know at what temperatures your batteries have been operating myself.

I agree. I looked all over the DJI fly APP (flying an Air2S) and coudn't find any data telling me how hot my batteries were getting. That isn't safe. I think the Pilot should be able to know exactly what temperatures the batteries are operating. Why leave it to a computer, to simply tell you your batteries are too hot , drone will have limited performace now.? You don't even get a warning. Most of my drones that do have a temp readout, usually give me a warning when they reach 150 F, or 65.6 C.

 

[wardtom084]

Use AirData and have a read out of all of your flying. Heights, speed, bread crumbs , distance flown, max distance from home...GPs from take off poing, last gps numbers recorded.

 

[offtheback]

Mavic 2 batteries manufactured around 9-2018 have known issues with swelling.I had 3 swell before their time.

 

[thewishy]

Don't know if I'm stating the obvious here, but: the M2P batteries were/are different from the (newer) MA2 batteries...and I don't see near as many complaints about the newer batteries (whether it's due to a change in battery chemistry or an improvement in the BMS).
Given that using/flying swollen batteries is not a good idea and the older batteries are difficult (and expensive) to find, you might want to consider upgrading to one of the newer drones. It's also telling that the MA2S uses the exact same battery as the MA2 (so they should be available for quite some time).

Or, simply, the Mavic 2 has been around for 3.5 years, the MA2 for 1.5. There will of course be improvements, but I suspect the majority of Mavic 2 batteries are now older (Most will buy a set of 3 batteries with a flymore pack at time of purchase) and have higher cycle counts.

Drone manufactures push their batteries super hard (Densely packed cells, high current draws, high temperatures), and their lives are limited as a result (The Mavic 2 are rated at 200 cycles by DJI). There are also things you can do to help, for example limiting use of high performance modes, letting the batteries cool down properly before recharging, and not keeping them charged when they don't need to be.

Also worth noting that very little room was left for the cells to swell in the Mavic 2 design, which means running with swelling cells gives you a high chance of the battery "Popping" out in flight. I would cease use of the swollen cells immediately.

 

[dioscuriII]

DYNNEX DRONES Dji Authorized Retailer; Selling Refurbished Mavic 2 series OEM Batteries for $109.00usa. How does DJI go about refurbishing a battery?

DJI Certified Refurbished
REFURBISHED products are Like-New and Factory Sealed by DJI and include the standard DJI Warranty, Parts, and Packaging. Every DJI Refurbished item is 'QUALITY GUARANTEED' and thoroughly tested by DJI experts. Refurbished products undergo a professional refurbishing process, by DJI, that brings them up to the Same High-Standards as Brand New Products.

A lot of refurbished items are returns.

 

[StantonZ]

Also worth noting that very little room was left for the cells to swell in the Mavic 2 design, which means running with swelling cells gives you a high chance of the battery "Popping" out in flight. I would cease use of the swollen cells immediately.

This is exactly one of those "improvements" that I mentioned. I think DJI made some changes to the MA2 battery packs based on past experience...and they must be performing well enough to use the exact same battery in the MA2S

 

[Interficiam Stercore]

I agree. I looked all over the DJI fly APP (flying an Air2S) and coudn't find any data telling me how hot my batteries were getting. That isn't safe. I think the Pilot should be able to know exactly what temperatures the batteries are operating. Why leave it to a computer, to simply tell you your batteries are too hot , drone will have limited performace now.? You don't even get a warning. Most of my drones that do have a temp readout, usually give me a warning when they reach 150 F, or 65.6 C.

Reply to my own post. I found the battery temp readout in the safety tab under the battery tab. It's all the way to the right of the screen. I'm using a modified battery system on my Air2S so I can fly for 35% longer. Meaning. Without the mod, when I would hit 0%, I hit 35% with the modded battery. The Temps hit 53 degrees C or 127 degrees F by the end of my flights, with the added weight of a 1500mah lipo battery.. I believe max temps before you get a warning are 65 degrees C or 150 degrees F.