Li-Ion Battery Safety

BTeter

Friday, July 08, 2022 at 03:39 PM ET

Verified

The FAA has produced some excellent material on Li-Ion battery safety, including this brief YouTube video.

Key Takeaways:

Lithium-Ion batteries, while energy-dense and widely used, present a significant fire hazard due to "thermal runaway," a self-sustaining heating process leading to intense fires, toxic fumes, and rapid smoke accumulation in aircraft.
Thermal runaway can be triggered by various forms of abuse, including exposure to high temperatures (thermal), physical damage (mechanical), or improper charging and manufacturing defects (electrical).
Preflight precautions are vital, encompassing avoiding high-temperature exposure for devices, inspecting batteries for excessive heat or bulging, and having essential safety equipment like fire containment bags, thermal gloves, and smoke hoods onboard.
In-flight, a Li-ion battery fire requires immediate action: shut off the device, cool it with water or non-flammable liquid, place it in a containment bag, use an extinguisher if necessary, and prioritize landing the aircraft quickly due to the fire's intensity and potential for reignition.

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Since Sony introduced the first commercial Lithium-Ion battery in a laptop computer in 1991, these batteries have grown to become the dominant power source for portable devices. They pack more energy per cubic inch than any other commonly available battery. However, the amount of stored energy can also create a huge problem if a catastrophic battery (cell) failure occurs.

Most failures are benign, such as aging/failure to hold a charge. Catastrophic battery failures are rare, estimated at one in ten million hours. However, because more devices are carried on aircraft, the probability of a catastrophic battery failure is higher. There were 373 Li-Ion incidents in aircraft reported to the FAA through June 1, 2022. Also, there were two fatal accidents, the latest in Dubai.