Li ion batteries on flights

Tintin

Tintin

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Recently when checking in for an Easyjet flight from Palma I was asked if my check in luggage had any Lithium Ion batteries in it. I asked why and was told that they can explode in the hold and cause a fire.

I didnt fess up to the PLB or radio (which i assume have such batteries) just in case they were not allowed on the flight.

I have not come across this before and was not asked on the flight out.

Anyone know anymore about this? It obviously has implications for ones ability to take safety kit on a flight (oh the fun with lifejacket CO2 cartridges).?
 
Funnily enough the only time I've been asked about li ion batteries was on an easy jet flight coming back from...yep Palma.

Never been asked anywhere else in the world before or since. It's alright to carry them in hand luggage, but not in hold luggage apparently.
 
snooks said:
Funnily enough the only time I've been asked about li ion batteries was on an easy jet flight coming back from...yep Palma.

Never been asked anywhere else in the world before or since. It's alright to carry them in hand luggage, but not in hold luggage apparently.
Click to expand...

Check the documentation when you check in on line....and this is also one of the questions at the desk check in that you probably switch of when it is all spouted :) :)

Most equipment is fine and they seem to ignore laptop batteries however some Epirbs used to have batteries which exceeded the Lithium Iron amount allowed.
 
As an experiment (do NOT try this at home) I tried "killing" a Li-ion battery that wasn't charging properly.
To cut a long story short, it was pretty inert right up to the point where I short circuited it.

IMG_3536.JPG


Small amount of flame, really quite a large amount of smoke, and the casing got very hot.
Time to deploy the "large metal bucket".
 
The last time I flew with easyJet, I was asked whether I had rechargeable batteries in my hold luggage. I had to take them out and put them in my hand luggage. The reason they gave was that if packed loose they might short out and catch fire which seems reasonable enough. Presumably if they are in your hand luggage, you can do something about it.
 
The rules are as follows ...
Li ion batteries cannot be checked in unless attached to equipment, but see restrictions next..
Unlimited number can be hand luggage as long as each battery has a capacity of <100 Wh
Only 2 items allowed if capacity is 100-160Wh
>160Wh not allowed on board
 
The largest lithium battery most you're likely to take on board is in a laptop; the most common, probably in a mobile phone. The UK govt website (https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/electronic-devices-and-electrical-items)
specifically states that laptops and mobiles are OK, either with you or in the hold. It then goes on to say that "There are restrictions on lithium cells and batteries for items such as laptops, cameras and mobile phones." Helpfully, it doesn't say what these restrictions might be.

Luckily, the CAA's position is clearer, and they should know:
Portable electronic devices containing lithium batteries such as lap top computers and mp3 players. Such devices should be carried in hand baggage; spare batteries MUST be protected against short circuit and carried in hand baggage

FlyBe's stated policy pretty much mirrors the CAA guidance, as you'd expect:
Batteries can short circuit and catch fire if they are carried loose in your bag. They must be protected against contact with other metal items (e.g. by being in their original packaging or own protective case) and carried in your hand baggage. Equipment containing such batteries should be carried in your hand baggage.

I lost the will to live whilst looking for a link to SleazyJet's guidance, but can't imagine it differs much from the CAA's.

And do stop calling them lithium-iron; except in rare cases, iron is not a part of their chemistry. Lithium-ion is the most common in small devices but, as you see above, the CAA et al call them plain lithium cells.
 
All interesting, special the CO2 question.... how to board a flight with your buildin MUSTO lifejacked .
I just have received 5 cartriges LI bats for my panasonic Toughbook... Guess de lady just only dumped them loose in a DHL box... arrived , do not know what happend to the plane thou.....
 
A couple of weeks ago a Li ion battery caught fire in my camera which was in my bag. It did enough to ruin the camera and burn a hole in the bag. I was lucky. It could have been much worse and set fire to the bedroom. The battery was a cheap one and not the Panasonic brand that came with the camera. I will never buy a cheap brand again. The fires and subsequent groundings of the Dreamliner was caused by Li ion batteries I believe
 
viva said:
A couple of weeks ago a Li ion battery caught fire in my camera which was in my bag. It did enough to ruin the camera and burn a hole in the bag. I was lucky. It could have been much worse and set fire to the bedroom. The battery was a cheap one and not the Panasonic brand that came with the camera. I will never buy a cheap brand again. The fires and subsequent groundings of the Dreamliner was caused by Li ion batteries I believe
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That's worrying, see my post #7. It is apparently ok to load a camera with battery in the hold.
 
Interesting rules re. laptops but if you had seen the clip I saw on TV several months ago a shorted out li-on battery installed in a laptop was as good as an incendary bomb and very scary to watch!
 
ffiill said:
Interesting rules re. laptops but if you had seen the clip I saw on TV several months ago a shorted out li-on battery installed in a laptop was as good as an incendary bomb and very scary to watch!
Click to expand...

A fire started by a Li-ion battery is difficult to extinguish because the battery provides both fuel and oxidizer once the fire starts. It also gets quite hot -- the burn temperature is unusually high !!!! Paper and wood burn at much lower temperatures.

Several posters have asked why the checks are now being made. It's very simple -- there have been several plane crashes thought to have been almost certainly caused by Li-ion batteries spontaneously igniting, either because the included charging and/or supervision electronics was of poor design, or because the packaging allowed a short-circuit to occur. Note that poorly-designed electronics included in the battery could have a short-circuit failure mode that would have the same effect as an external short-circuit. (See Saudi Arabian cargo jet crash, for example).

A factor to be considered is the overall energy stored in the battery (Amp hours) related to the volume of the battery and its packaging. The Boeing 787 problems seem to stem from having tried to optimise the Energy / Volume factor. The adopted solution seems to include extra spacers either between cells within a battery or between batteries, or both.

Plomong
 
From the ICAO web site:
CAA guidance to film crews
Spare lithium batteries forbidden in checked baggage

Following a recent incident on an aircraft the CAA are reminding film crews to be aware of the rules relating to lithium batteries carried in baggage. During flight it became apparent that a cameraman had spare lithium-ion batteries in his checked (hold) baggage. Because lithium-ion (and lithium metal) batteries can cause fires if not handled appropriately, international rules require them to be carried in the cabin in carry-on baggage. Consequently the Captain decided to return the aircraft to the departure airport, resulting in great disruption to both passengers and the airline. An in–flight return is hugely expensive and some airlines have, in the past, pursued passengers for the associated costs.

To underline the importance of carrying spare batteries correctly, the CAA is offering the following guidance to anyone travelling with them:


1. Spare lithium batteries must be carried in carry on baggage, and the terminals protected from short circuit (e.g. by packing each battery in its own protective case or resealable plastic bag, such as a sturdy freezer or sandwich bag.).

2. Generally, lithium-ion batteries carried on aircraft must not exceed 100Wh. However, batteries up to 160Wh may be carried with the approval of the airline.

Other rules apply to batteries and many other items which can and can’t be carried on aircraft, there is more information here:

www.caa.co.uk/docs/1219/srg_dgo_WhatCanICarry20100416.pdf

www.caa.co.uk/docs/1219/srg_dgo_CarriageOfBatteries_20120224.pdf
Click to expand...
 
Lipos are just as bad-fitted to the micro RC helis I play with I had one recently which shorted whilst charging in my bedroom and had to be quickly thrown out of the window as it ignited.
Bear in mind these are somewhat smaller than a disposable gas cigarette lighter.
Certain carriers now refuse to carry either.
 
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