Bulging LiPo

[Mad Zero 316]

Dug out some old batteries today & noticed one of my hard case 2S LiPos is bulging. I can’t understand how though because I’d carefully tipped them into a cardboard box with heaps of other stuff & left them at an unknown voltage in various sheds lofts & garages for about 6yrs.
 

Anyway, is something fun going to happen if I connect it to a charger for diagnosis? Does a bulge mean it’s dead? If so how do I make it safe for disposal? I’m guessing charging it as much as I dare & shooting it with an airgun would be frowned upon. 

[Superluminal 3750]

I wouldnt frown as long as you filmed the results. For science.

[sosidge 624]

55 minutes ago, Mad Zero said:

Dug out some old batteries today & noticed one of my hard case 2S LiPos is bulging. I can’t understand how though because I’d carefully tipped them into a cardboard box with heaps of other stuff & left them at an unknown voltage in various sheds lofts & garages for about 6yrs.
 

Anyway, is something fun going to happen if I connect it to a charger for diagnosis? Does a bulge mean it’s dead? If so how do I make it safe for disposal? I’m guessing charging it as much as I dare & shooting it with an airgun would be frowned upon. 

I would just treat it very carefully when you connect it back up to a charger. Sudden explosion is pretty unlikely, but even if you do get a charge back into it, it will have lost performance - bulging is the result of a degradation of the battery internals.

If it won't even fit in a battery compartment any more then I would just get rid of it. Varying views on the best way of doing this, I happen to have a charger with a "destroy" mode which I would use before taking the battery to the tip.

[nel33 870]

51 minutes ago, Superluminal said:

I wouldnt frown as long as you filmed the results. For science.

LOL because "for science"  makes it all ok to try. i wonder how many people with money to burn tried that test...

[Mad Zero 316]

31 minutes ago, sosidge said:

I would just treat it very carefully when you connect it back up to a charger. Sudden explosion is pretty unlikely, but even if you do get a charge back into it, it will have lost performance - bulging is the result of a degradation of the battery internals.

If it won't even fit in a battery compartment any more then I would just get rid of it. Varying views on the best way of doing this, I happen to have a charger with a "destroy" mode which I would use before taking the battery to the tip.

Ok right well essentially it’s a now a paperweight then, I’ll get rid or donate for scientific research. As for the other LiPos should I just (assuming they’re still charged) discharge to storage voltage or exercise them a bit first? Conversely if they’re down do I cycle them? I realise this has wandered into a different question now but seeing as you’re here.. 

[Superluminal 3750]

Dont let these dudes talk you into doing something sensible!

[Mad Zero 316]

22 minutes ago, Superluminal said:

Dont let these dudes talk you into doing something sensible!

Don’t worry if there’s a chance it will explode I’ll shoot it. 

[Wooders28 4723]

When a lipo is going off (right terminology?🤷‍♂️), they start to give off gas, so the clocks ticking to its life span...

The responsible option, is to discharge it, as much as you can, I used a car headlight bulb, and left if outside over night,.until zero volts, then I took mine to the tip, as they said it was fine to put with the ,battery recycle....

The fun option, I'd crack the thing open (guessing hardcase?) Set the charger to 5v per cell or whatever it'll let you, and at daftC charge rate.......💣🔥

 

 

[Silver-Can 402]

This is going to end well..........🤣🤣💥

[sosidge 624]

3 hours ago, Mad Zero said:

Ok right well essentially it’s a now a paperweight then, I’ll get rid or donate for scientific research. As for the other LiPos should I just (assuming they’re still charged) discharge to storage voltage or exercise them a bit first? Conversely if they’re down do I cycle them? I realise this has wandered into a different question now but seeing as you’re here.. 

If you're not planning on using them then storage voltage is your best bet, LiPos should stay at their storage voltage for a long time (measured in months/years rather than days)

[Juggular 4964]

For an obviously bulged battery, drain it as much as possible and recycle.  

For other old batteries, check the voltages first (yes, this means connecting, in a fireproof case).  Chances are they are at around 3V.  You never want them below 3v per cell.  Most charger's "storage" function would automatically raise the voltage if it's low.  Give it a day or so after the storage charge.  If it doesn't hold the same voltage, (I think storage voltage is like 3.8v each?), then the battery is no good.  If it holds, then charge it fully (in a fireproof bag), test run it to check the runtime (with a voltage alarm).  If it does okay, it's alive.  

 

[Mad Zero 316]

33 minutes ago, Juggular said:

For an obviously bulged battery, drain it as much as possible and recycle.  

For other old batteries, check the voltages first (yes, this means connecting, in a fireproof case).  Chances are they are at around 3V.  You never want them below 3v per cell.  Most charger's "storage" function would automatically raise the voltage if it's low.  Give it a day or so after the storage charge.  If it doesn't hold the same voltage, (I think storage voltage is like 3.8v each?), then the battery is no good.  If it holds, then charge it fully (in a fireproof bag), test run it to check the runtime (with a voltage alarm).  If it does okay, it's alive.  

 

Yeah I think they’re probably all going to be kippered by now but I’ll plug them in see if any go into storage ok, if so I’ll experimentally charge them & try using them (in something cheap) & see what happens. 

[Willy iine 18805]

I too used a car bulb to rid the last of the charge (down to less than 0.1v) and then shorted it out before tossing into the recycle for batteries. 

 

[Hobbimaster 190]

I've had this same thing happen to me once, maybe twice. A bulging pack results from either not storing it at the proper voltage (what I did). Or the pack is old, and its beginning to release gasses internally causing the bulge. Either way its done for, and the easiest way to safely dispose of it is to soak the battery in saltwater. A small pale, bucket, whatever to hold the battery in a bath for a few days (outside) is all that's needed. Saltwater will slowly discharge the pack to absolute zero after a few days, and then its totally safe to throw in the trash bin without worrying about it getting pierced and causing a fire.

[nel33 870]

so a car head lamp or saltwater bath are 2 safe methods to fully discharge rc batteries then, good to know that.

[alvinlwh 5895]

14 hours ago, Mad Zero said:

Don’t worry if there’s a chance it will explode I’ll shoot it. 

I had shot an old phone with the battery in, did not explode but smoked quite a bit. 

[53HRA 555]

I’ve experimented with an old lipo before, from a distant I threw a brick at it. The garden turned into a massive puff of smoke within seconds. Good job the washing wasn’t out   

[Mad Zero 316]

Alas the bulgy battery is dead as a dodo so not much point shooting it. 
I have another one which also ‘isn’t quite square’ but that one shows volts..

..the charger reckons is very nearly perfectly balanced so I might try charging it.

I’ve got a stack of NiMh sticks in ICU too but my charger (80w Turnigy Accucel) don’t want to know so I was wondering, if I set it to lead acid will it become a trickle charger dumb enough to blindly put some charge in the dead cells?

 

[sosidge 624]

54 minutes ago, Mad Zero said:

Alas the bulgy battery is dead as a dodo so not much point shooting it. 
I have another one which also ‘isn’t quite square’ but that one shows volts..

..the charger reckons is very nearly perfectly balanced so I might try charging it.

I’ve got a stack of NiMh sticks in ICU too but my charger (80w Turnigy Accucel) don’t want to know so I was wondering, if I set it to lead acid will it become a trickle charger dumb enough to blindly put some charge in the dead cells?

 

I don't know what the lead acid mode would do. I'm surprised that the charger won't recognise a flat NiMH, with NiCds it would be quite normal to store them at 0v.

Do you have a dumb wall trickle charger around that you could use to get the NiMH s started?

[Mad Zero 316]

13 minutes ago, sosidge said:

I don't know what the lead acid mode would do. I'm surprised that the charger won't recognise a flat NiMH, with NiCds it would be quite normal to store them at 0v.

Do you have a dumb wall trickle charger around that you could use to get the NiMH s started?

In all honesty it may well be just a question of settings, I’m a bit rusty with the Turnigy but I’ve dug the manual out which is very in depth so it may be fine. Yes I do have wall chargers somewhere, good idea, thanks. 

[hIghQ 149]

13 hours ago, nel33 said:

so a car head lamp or saltwater bath are 2 safe methods to fully discharge rc batteries then, good to know that.

Actually, salt water bath is more of a myth than a viable method IMO. I've seen lots of stories that the connectors corrode way before the battery is empty and then no more discharging happens. I'd vote for the light bulb 100%.

[nel33 870]

24 minutes ago, hIghQ said:

Actually, salt water bath is more of a myth than a viable method IMO. I've seen lots of stories that the connectors corrode way before the battery is empty and then no more discharging happens. I'd vote for the light bulb 100%.

Thanks, that makes sense on the connectors to fail first before it drains out.