Storage / Charge Bags

[PropsToYou]

I was wondering what charge bags / storage everyone uses for their Lipos?
At the moment I just charge in one of these (http://linkowl.net/b09b) and store the batteries on a shelf.

[bazzerh]

I was wondering what charge bags / storage everyone uses for their Lipos?
At the moment I just charge in one of these (http://linkowl.net/b09b) and store the batteries on a shelf.

lot of people use those bags for car racing as the rules stipulate they must be used. but in effect they dont help a lot in a fire so unless I have to I';d rather charge somewhere safe and without a bag so i can see if anything is going wrong.

[annikk.exe]

I';ve heard the same thing - that lipo bags are pretty much useless if you have an actual event.
So I don';t bother either.  I don';t have a safe fireproof place to charge them right now, as I';m moving house... so I just always make sure to stay in the same room and monitor them carefully for any signs of thermal runaway.

[Rafter]

I use a couple of  metal ammo boxes with holes drilled in them to relieve pressure if anything goes wrong.

[PropsToYou]

Very interesting about the bags.
Perhaps I need to start being more careful about where I charge them rather than what I charge them in.
I';ve heard having a bag of sand on hand is one of the best things?

I was looking at these but don';t want the faff of international warehouses so was waiting for UK stock to return: http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/store/__44552__Turnigy_Lipo_Bunker_Lipoly_Safety_Charge_Box_UK_Warehouse_.html
Seen a couple of videos of them being tested online and seems that, whilst the room would still be filled with lethal smoke, they do a damn good job at at least directing the fire.

[bazzerh]

the safest storage/charging solution i';ve ever seen is patio slabs and square walling bricks with large holes.

a metal bucket of sand near to charging area is the best defence against a fizzing lipo I';d say

[Revs]

The best (safest) method I';ve seen is someone using a cinder block with a bit of sand in the holes and a bag of sand on top. If you have a fire it melts the bag and the sand pours in, putting the fire out.

[PropsToYou]

The best (safest) method I';ve seen is someone using a cinder block with a bit of sand in the holes and a bag of sand on top. If you have a fire it melts the bag and the sand pours in, putting the fire out.

Great idea! This is very similar to one of the first designs for automatic fire extinguishers ever made which pretty much relied on a reservoir of water contained in a suspended ceiling in a low resistance membrane.

[Revs]

It works, but it ain';t pretty..



Try explaining that to the wife

[bazzerh]

thats definitely a single mans flat.

[guest325]

I now charge mine in an old cast iron barbecue, and have a bucket of sand close at hand.
I store mine in vented ammo boxes at a cool even temperature, some of my lips are around 4 years old now and still ok, I  think that this is helped by also charging at 1C or less.

[PropsToYou]

Sounds to me like I need a trip to Wickes this weekend...

[Ynot6]

i store in ammo boxes with small holes drilled in the tops. i charge in lipo bags, but i';m considering an outside solution.

[guest325]

i store in ammo boxes with small holes drilled in the tops. i charge in lipo bags, but i';m considering an outside solution.

If you have got a garden shed have a look for cheap pv panels on ebay and  put them on the roof, get a leisure battery to charge and then charge your batteries on something made out of cast iron or a ceramic material  (with suitable insulation), i"ve been using this method for 3 years now and can';t fault it (except I have no real fast charge capabilites).

[Allan]

Witnessed a lipo go bang at the car club a few weeks ago in a bag and no it basically gives you a few extra seconds to grab and run although the flames and spitting molten metal did keep everyone at bay for a while while the bag became useless fire blanket did on the other hand dos champion job and we removed the offending pyrotechnic from the building.

[Fletch]

http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?4558-0-50-Caliber-Ammo-Box-Charging-Bunker

[Nige8021]

http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?4558-0-50-Caliber-Ammo-Box-Charging-Bunker

My version of the "Ammo box"

[pheasant_plucker]

I use two bags of sand.
One on the bottom and one on the top with the batteries sandwiched in the middle. They are easily stored and lifted on the bench for charging.

Gerry

[PropsToYou]

Ok, Now thinking of getting an ammo box, putting a thin layer of sand on the bottom (Mainly as a heat insulator and padding), the battery would be placed on this, and a light metal frame fitted inside the walls of the ammo box would allow me to place a bag of sand suspended just above the battery. Cables would be fed in through a sealed hole in the top and there would be a couple of additional holes in the lid with carbon filters fitted for venting to prevent pressure build up.
How';s that sound?

[ched]

Don';t know if you are aware but plasterboard is fire resistant to a degree and very cheap. Officially 2 layers of plasterboard that have been skimmed offer 60 mins of fire resistance. OK so you are not going to skim it in side an ammo box.

So maybe lining an ammo box with plasterboard would make a good ';fireproof'; charging box. Plus it would allow all sides to be insulated not just top and bottom as with sand?

I have a fireproof safe that I might use, just need way to get cables in.

[PropsToYou]

Don';t know if you are aware but plasterboard is fire resistant to a degree and very cheap. Officially 2 layers of plasterboard that have been skimmed offer 60 mins of fire resistance. OK so you are not going to skim it in side an ammo box.

So maybe lining an ammo box with plasterboard would make a good ';fireproof'; charging box. Plus it would allow all sides to be insulated not just top and bottom as with sand?

I have a fireproof safe that I might use, just need way to get cables in.

Great shout! I was thinking of a good way to fire proof the sides without compromising too much on space.

I was also wondering how worth it it would be to fit it with a VERY small fan? If it';s pretty much sealed then chances are temperatures could rise quite quickly. If I';m fitting a couple of filtered pressure holes on the top anyway, I could fit them with tiny 5v fans (one in, one out) to keep a bit of airflow going inside, or do you think that';d be pretty pointless?

[ched]

I used to be fire officer for dept I used to work in and one of the primary things I was taught was the ';Fire Triangle';.
Basically you have Heat, Fuel, and Oxygen.
Remove any one and a fire goes out.

So allowing more Oxygen into the box with a fan might make the fire worse!!!

One thing I would say is I have no experience of metal fires. So I don';t know if Lithium fires are quite the same. My old dept was just fuels (petrol, diesel, kero) and lubricants (oils, greases etc).

[PropsToYou]

Very good point!
I guess I could run the ultra thin power cable for the fans through the frame carrying the sand so at the first sign of heat it';d burn through it like a fuse and cut the fans.
Or maybe they';re unnecessary anyway...

[Ynot6]

if you want to charge safe, you charge at 1C, i';ve found my packs to be room temperature after charging at 1C. thinking at work today, i wondered about making a custom charging bunker out of concrete, with holes just big enough for 2 packs each. this would get more packs closer to the charger. it should be easy to make. just a box mold with some plugs a bit bigger than 2 packs, but about 2" shorter than the sides. any fire would go straight up without any further precautions, but a small sand bag would keep it all under control.