Don't know what happened. Just finished boarding and about to turn the board off when it started to smoke. Turned it off and still smoking. Was thinking about turning the garden hose on it but changed my mind. Ran into the house to get a screw driver to take the lid off but decided that was not a good option. If I was to take the lid off, I'd be providing oxygen for the fire. I figure I'd let it run its course. No flames but a lot of white smoke. After the smoke stopped, that's when I took the lid off. Seems like one of the batteries went belly up for whatever reason. The burnt up battery pack stayed hot for quite sometime before I could safely touch it. Got to say it was an exciting end to a great ride.
My e-board caught fire
- Thread starter cdn
- Start date
Ykick
1 GW
Are you monitoring cells during discharge? Charge?
Pantologist
1 mW
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2016
- Messages
- 14
Dang that sucks. Did you overdischarge them? Do you have any kinda of protection for the battery?
I think I'm going to get some LiFePO4 batteries from A123 instead. This stuff scares me.
I think I'm going to get some LiFePO4 batteries from A123 instead. This stuff scares me.
Ianhill
1 MW
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,871
If your trying to pull high amps through a discharged pack then yes it will create a lot of heat and its enclosed too don't help.
Lipos are exothermic so they have a run away temperature once they reach it there's no going back self destruction is inevitable.
Lipos are exothermic so they have a run away temperature once they reach it there's no going back self destruction is inevitable.
mccloed
100 W
Damn! No good. 
Hope fully everything else(including yourself) is OK.
Hope fully everything else(including yourself) is OK.
oatnet
1 MW
ESB said:
With Hobby King LiCo LiPo, the long list of possibilities includes:
Overcharge
Over discharge
Short circuit causing overdischarge or too high of a rate of discharge
Crush
Puncture
Excessive heat
Manufacturing defect - (packs have lit up, just sitting on the bench)
Physical shock/extreme vibration
A stern look (okay, j/k)
Once initiated, thermal runaway is likely, meaning the pack will burn until everything is gone. Many people have had great success with HK LiPo by handling it with respect, skill, and knowledge; many others have been lucky; a few have regretted their choice. I consider it an advanced material, not the best stuff to start out with if you don't know the risks. At the very least, don't store it or charge it indoors.
-JD
4LivesPerGallon
1 kW
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2015
- Messages
- 305
Pantologist said:
I've been stating that LIFEPO4 is the *only* Lithium way to go.
Another good battery is ultra-high-discharge rate, Hawker Genesis SLA's, which *require* 1C to 4C charging, unfortunately.
4LivesPerGallon
1 kW
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2015
- Messages
- 305
cmatson said:
Well, the fire could have burned down a house, with fatalities.
This incident is more than just a, "that sucks man" incident. It should be a learning incident for everybody on this board.
Imo, only Tesla Motors knows what they are doing with Lithium batteries.
Hobby (King) guys, you'll get burned, if not your home and everything in it.
What a cost, for any hobby.
Is LiPo, LiCo, etc worth it?
chuttney1
100 W
In general. Lithium batteries will catch fire. Lithium is a reactive metal since's its in group 1 of the periodic table along with sodium and cesium. It's worth it using lithium because of higher energy density in a lighter package compared with lead acid, NiCd, and NiMH. LiFePO4 is an exception because it is stable. The down side is you need more cells to be at similar voltage for Li-ion and costs more than Li-ion. Safety systems need to be develop to prevent such things from ever happening until solid state lithium batteries making to the consumers. Good thing the battery pack didn't explode on you and you saw it instead of leaving it unattended.
Sorry for your fire dude, hope you're alright and losses not too big.
Main problem guys is the way batteries are used. If you don't get batteries stable from-the-go which won't need nothing, you need monitoring and care. You may need low current charger at chemistry ratings + a way to check all cells. You need to allow spacing and airflow between your cells, which in return will ease sooooo much your battery just because all cells will be kept at a close temp and not making a mini-oven in the center. You need solid connections too. And preferably, during ride, a way to check again temperature, discharge levels and low-voltage. You also need good protection to avoid impacts.
This said, you can imagine how difficult it is for LiPos to just get enough spacing between cells since there is none. Also Tesla is sized like a car, it is incomparable. Even by paralleling enough cells, these won't take any overdischarge. There is space under a bonnet. Not under a longboard.
Just my 2 cents.
Main problem guys is the way batteries are used. If you don't get batteries stable from-the-go which won't need nothing, you need monitoring and care. You may need low current charger at chemistry ratings + a way to check all cells. You need to allow spacing and airflow between your cells, which in return will ease sooooo much your battery just because all cells will be kept at a close temp and not making a mini-oven in the center. You need solid connections too. And preferably, during ride, a way to check again temperature, discharge levels and low-voltage. You also need good protection to avoid impacts.
This said, you can imagine how difficult it is for LiPos to just get enough spacing between cells since there is none. Also Tesla is sized like a car, it is incomparable. Even by paralleling enough cells, these won't take any overdischarge. There is space under a bonnet. Not under a longboard.
Just my 2 cents.
Ykick
1 GW
4LivesPerGallon said:
Stating doesn't make it so. I've had A123 cans pop open and send shrapnel across the room. Bottom line is that storing and transferring energy carries risks. Know those risks and how to minimize them or go play with age 10 and under toys.
RC Lipo has it's place but it's not for everybody. Gotta perform due diligence or will almost certainly wind up like this near catastrophe or much worse.
OP gone MIA? Some details would help others learn from the mistakes apparently made here.
torqueboards
1 MW
Ouch At least your OK and the fire didn't get worse..
Did you previously know what your voltages were on the packs? Were the packs already puffy?
At least your OK and the fire didn't get worse..Did you previously know what your voltages were on the packs? Were the packs already puffy?
I really don't know what happened. I do monitor the cells from time to time during charging and after charging. All cells seem fine. My LV cut-off is set at 3.4v. That particular ride was nothing stressful as far as a lot of hills or going full throttle. The DROK volt meter display showed 33.8V at end of ride. One thing I do know is that my wood enclosure contained the fire. No oxygen to feed the fire. My enclosure has 4 5/8" holes that is used as ventilation for the batteries and esc. Those holes is where all the smoke was pouring out. I could only imagine if my enclosure was made out of plastic the damage would have been a lot more extensive. I think all my other components are still functional minus some scorched wiring. Fingers crossed.
torqueboards
1 MW
@ESB - If packs are puffy. It's something to look out for.. If you check your voltage across the cells if they differ by a lot. I just recycle the pack. It's not worth what could happen by running a bad pack.. Not saying that the Op's pack is bad.. That I don't know.
