The original poster called the battery a "Lithium Iron".Â* Later on in
the thread someone said, "Lithium Ion".Â* Which is it?Â* I haven't yet
heard of a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery causing a problem.Â*
Stemme installs LiFePO4 batteries in the S-12 new from the factory.

On 11/13/2018 9:18 PM, kinsell wrote:
On 11/11/18 7:02 AM, wrote:
On Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 12:03:42 AM UTC-6, kinsell wrote:
On 11/4/18 3:51 PM, wrote:
On Monday, November 5, 2018 at 8:02:04 AM UTC+10,
wrote:
I also have heard the stories about fires while charging, but, as
far as I know, most involved a different Lithium chemistry
(Li-ion, Li-Polymer etc.) LiFePO4 is supposed to be safer, but by
how much I do not know. At any rate, I am pretty much stuck with
charging them in the plane, as they are mounted well behind the
spar, and it takes a good 20-30 minutes to get them out and put
them back in.

Here is an FAA report that supports the assertion that LiFePO4
cells are safer: https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/TC-16-17.pdf

In their testing, which they admit had quite variable results, they
did not get any thermal runaway with LiFePO4 cells, but did with
all the other Li chemistries they tested. Note that the graphs in
the above article show 1 cell out of 5 consumed by "thermal
runaway" but that was the cell that they were heating externally to
try and initiate the runaway.

Not to say that you shouldn't take precautions, all battery
chemistries store enough energy to start an electrical fire, even
if they are relatively immune to thermal runaway and overcharging.


I would hope they're safer than something like a li-po, model airplanes
using those things routinely put on a fireworks display during a crash.
Fascinating videos on YouTube.

However, "safer" isn't actually the same as "safe", LFP's are quite
capable of burning, despite what the scholarly articles say. There have
been a number of fires, particularly when they're used as starter
batteries.Â* High charge rates and very high discharge rates seem to
cause problems, as homebuilders of small power planes have discovered.
There was also that LFP battery fire in an EB-28 in Finland this
summer.

-Dave

Dave, if you look around youtube long enough, you will find that a
AAA battery can make a fire. Certainly a 12V lead-acid has enough
juice to do that if circumstances are right. The overwhelming
evidence of many years of usage of LiFePo4 chemistry in glider
batteries suggests that they are as safe as the old gel-cells. Give
progress a chance, I'm not saying be a Progressive.
Herb

If you come across a YouTube video of an AAA battery filling a cockpit
with toxic smoke, you be sure to post the link, OK?

Meanwhile, this is the sort of progress I can live without:

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/comm...-fires.102016/


-Dave


--
Dan, 5J