DJI Response to Battery Storage Enquiry

[theDRONEranger]

Thank you for contacting DJI Technical Support.

We appreciate you writing in to let us know of your inquiry about the recommended method for long term storage of the Mavic Air and Spark aircraft batteries. Allow me to assist you and address this inquiry for you.

For your inquiry, kindly refer to the instructions below on how to properly store your batteries. This is applicable for all Intelligent Flight Batteries of our aircraft:

1. Please keep the batteries out of reach of children and pets.
2. Do not leave the battery near heat sources such as furnace or heater. Do not leave the batteries inside of the vehicle on hot days. The ideal storage temperature is 22℃-28℃.
3. Keep the battery dry. Never drop the battery into water.
4. Keep the battery away from metal objects such as necklaces and hairpins as it can cause unexpected scenarios such as short circuit and etc.
5. Discharge the battery to 30%-50% of the battery level if it will not be used for 7 days or more. This can greatly extend the battery life.
6. Battery discharges automatically to below 65% when it is idle for more than 10 days to prevent the battery from swelling. It takes around 2 days to discharge the battery to 65%, It is normal that you may feel moderate heat emits from the battery during the discharge process.

You can also refer to the Intelligent Flight Battery Safety Guidelines PDF File attached on this email for the Spark and Mavic Air.

I hope that this information is helpful. If there's anything else we can assist you with, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Thank you for choosing DJI.
Best Regards,
Pat
DJI Technical Support
Website:
DJI Support – Here for You – DJI

 

[MAVIC_2_YTS]

Battery discharges automatically to below 65% when it is idle for more than 10 days to prevent the battery from swelling. It takes around 2 days to discharge the battery to 65%, It is normal that you may feel moderate heat emits from the battery during the discharge process.

What does that mean / do for those who keep their batteries stored in their drone case (whether it a backpack, pelican case, Etc...) any issues?

 

[DanMan32]

Battery discharges to 60% after 10 days to prevent swelling.
There's a bunch of us that can disagree with that statement.

 

[WithTheBirds]

Seems to be the standard DJI battery literature content.

You will get better service life and performance storing well below 28degC. We might never know where this recommendation came from however you can be certain it wasn’t from anyone in the technical department of a manufacturer of LiION cells.

 

[theDRONEranger]

Battery discharges to 60% after 10 days to prevent swelling.
There's a bunch of us that can disagree with that statement.

That’s the wonderful thing about having a choice! If you have a particular method of long term storage and it works for you and you wish to keep it. Great! This was meant to only share what DJI recommends. There is nothing written that states it MUST be their way.
I do NOT follow their recommendation either, I do mine differently from DJI!

 

[Unknown Pilot]

It would be nice if DJI gave us the option to adjust the discharge rate.

 

[Deleted member 94047]

Batteries - how do they work? The mystery never ends!

 

[WithTheBirds]

That’s the wonderful thing about having a choice! If you have a particular method of long term storage and it works for you and you wish to keep it. Great! This was meant to only share what DJI recommends. There is nothing written that states it MUST be their way.
I do NOT follow their recommendation either, I do mine differently from DJI!

If the method doesn't work and you wish to keep it fair enough also- obviously.

We don't have a choice as to what circumstances provide for longest service life and best performance- cell chemistry and BMS prescribe best conditions and required actions.

The only choices logically available are those which are informed, for a purpose and with known consequence/compromise. For example a need to fly at short notice requires one or more packs to be kept a full SOC. WE know that pack is likely to be retired earlier than otherwise might be expected and may bulge.

 

[johnbirt]

5. Discharge the battery to 30%-50% of the battery level if it will not be used for 7 days or more. This can greatly extend the battery life.

How do you discharge a whole bunch of LIPO batteries other than allow them to do so over time. I have not seen anything that helps - looking around suggests buckets of water and salt but I guess that is for killing them. I want to tame them not kill.
I have mine all stored in LIPO bags and charged them all a few days back but weather so wet/windy/unpredictable may not get to use them for some time. I don't want to be continually topping up which is bad I am lead to believe. I dare say unless I move somewhere hot and sunny rather than this cold, wet and windy non-paradise I will get little usage this winter. I hope to get a few days next week where I might run a few down with some actual flying. I managed 6 cheapo ones last weekend but charged 'em all up for this weekend which is wet and windy.
Anyway how to discharge is the question? Then do I store them away and forget about them until weather is suitable? I have a cheapo VISUO XS812 with 6 batteries all the way from China. I have recently come by an unused Anafi and Mavic Air and a Mavic 2 Pro lightly used so a variety of different battery types.
Thanks in anticipation of sage advice.