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Long time lurker here, finally paid the dues and since I have been looking at EarthX batteries for my build I'll throw in what I've learned:
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For anyone wanting to learn more about the chemistry of Lithium battery thermal runaway, the Royal Society of Chemistry has an interesting and pretty readable article here: Thermal-runaway experiments on consumer Li-ion batteries with metal-oxide and olivin-type cathodes I confess, I was a chemical engineer in a former life so my definition of "interesting" and "readable" may be skewed, however, there were a couple interesting takeaways: 1) All Lithium batteries can experience thermal runaway, either if they are overcharged or if they are subjected to high temperatures 2) LiFePO4 batteries are the safest of the current Lithium Ion batteries in the following ways a) They require the highest temperature (~195 C) to initiate thermal runaway. b) They evolve the least gas over the longest period of time (about 1/5 as much gas as Cobalt containing batteries) c) The maximum temperature in thermal runaway is lower than for other Lithium battery chemistries (~400 C vs over 900 C for Cobalt containing batteries). 3) The gas evolved from all Lithium-based batteries contains a number of flammable constituents including Hydrogen as well as CO (not easily flammable, but dangerous). 4) maximum temperature during thermal runaway in LiFePO4 batteries is lower than the auto-ignition temperature of the evolved gas (~500-550 C), However, the maximum temperature of the common Cobalt containing batteries is well above the auto-ignition temperature of the gas. Hence, the much cooler YouTube videos with Lithium-Cobalt batteries. All of that said, I am personally comfortable installing an EarthX battery in my airplane, either forward of the firewall or aft of the aft baggage bulkhead in a well-ventilated tail. |
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