Risks in lithium-ion batteries hover sky high
By Nick Bilton New York Times News Service
In recent years, we have brought home a slew of new battery-powered
devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, electronic cigarettes,
electric cars, drones, hand-held vacuums and toys.
But while we celebrate how these devices have improved our lives, we
haven’t realized that many are also capable of exploding because of
battery malfunctions.
At first, it was just the odd gadget erupting into flames, an
anomaly of a single battery that may have been defective. But as of
late, such malfunctions seem to be happening every week or so.
Just scan the headlines from the past month. There was the man in
Owensboro, Ky., who was at a gas station convenience store when an
e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket, causing severe burns along
his right thigh.
There was a hoverboard, the toy of the moment, that exploded in a
home in Highland Park, Illinois, engulfing the house in flames and
causing extensive damage. (Luckily, no one was home.)
And recently, a teenager in Castle Rock, Colo., ended up in hospital
after his vaporizer battery exploded in his pocket while he was at school.
There have been hundreds of similar reports in recent months, with
homes catching fire and e-cigarettes exploding in people’s pockets (and
sometimes in their face while smoking).
But these instances can happen while airborne, too.
The Federal Aviation Administration has documented hundreds of cases
involving batteries from e-cigarettes, laptops, digital cameras,
cellphones, electric bicycles, flashlights, GPS trackers, drones and
even a cordless drill catching fire or overheating on passenger planes.
This month the FAA issued a warning that lithium-ion batteries in a
cargo hold carry the “risk of a catastrophic hull loss” on an airplane,
and that a test conducted last year by the agency found that a lithium
battery fire could lead to a catastrophic explosion. The FAA has
suggested that airlines perform their own safety-risk assessment and
follow a list of agency guidelines.
Especially troubling is that these battery explosions can happen
without warning. A study performed last year by chemical engineers at
University College London found that a faulty battery can go from normal
to explosive in milliseconds.
Battery specialists have warned about explosions for a long time.
Jay Whitacre, professor of materials science and engineering at
Carnegie Mellon University, told Wired magazine in December, in an
article titled “Why Hoverboards Keep Exploding,” that consumers should
avoid cheap knockoffs from Chinese manufacturers because of inferior
battery components that can easily blow up.
The problem of exploding hover-boards is serious enough that
hover-boards have been banned from college campuses, airlines and
subways and buses in New York. The Consumer Product Safety Commission
sent out a stern letter this month warning that the two-wheeled vehicles
“pose an unreasonable risk of fire to consumers.” And fire marshals have
issued warnings and tips to minimize the risk.
So what can consumers do to protect themselves?
First, they should hold manufacturers accountable for fixing
defects, as the carmaker Tesla did with its battery problem.
In 2013, after two Tesla cars caught fire, the company discovered
that both explosions were a result of sharp or heavy objects piercing
the battery, which sits in the car’s underbelly. In response, Tesla
reinforced the car’s underbody with three shields made of aluminum and
titanium.
In general, though, the most important step for consumers is not to
buy inexpensive gadgets.
Most cases of exploding hover-boards and e-cigarettes have occurred
with knockoffs made in unregulated factories in China.
As the gadget website Wirecutter suggests, choose a hoverboard that
is UL-Certified, which ensures that it has gone through extensive tests.
(Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that none are
completely safe from fire.) You can also pick up something called a
hover-board fire-resistant safe charging bag, to store the board while
it charges.
The National Association of Fire Marshals also recommends that
people avoid leaving devices unattended while they charge. The same rule
applies to laptops and smartphones. Always charge them correctly, and
unplug power cords when they are not in use.
As for e-cigarettes, buy a brand that has safety mechanisms built
into them. Dan Recio, a founder of the electronic cigarette manufacturer
V2, said in a statement that his company, “took action against the
possibility of electronic issues from the very beginning, with
safeguards integrated into our batteries like automatic shut off and
smart chargers that prevent overcharging.”
So don’t try to save money with a cheap e-cigarette. It could blow
up in your face.
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Duane Whittingham - N9SSN - Fort Mitchell, KY
(ARES/RACES, EmComm, Skywarn & Red Cross)
http://www.radiodude.info
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