TJ Pruitt
Demetrius Hines of Tanner, AL captured what he says is a 16V Lithium Battery exploding on surveillance camera and fortunately was able to distinguish the fire before causing extensive damage to his 3rd Generation Camaro and shop. In the video below, Hines shares his experience with Facebook users.
This raises an important question. Are Lithium batteries responsible for the multiple trailer tires that we have seen, including Reaper SS and JJ Da Boss who lost EVERYTHING? Although lithium batteries may not be the specific cause of these particular fires; it still raises the question about other fires.
While reading the multiple comments on Facebook between the two fires that left James Goad (Reaper SS) and JJ Da Boss heartbroken, several commenters mentioned the dangers of Lithium Batteries. Heck, we’ve even read news articles of Lithium Batteries in cell phones catching fire on flights. This had me wondering if the weight savings is worth the damage?
So why do Lithium batteries catch fire?
Lithium batteries are made to deliver high output with minimal weight. Battery components are designed to be lightweight, which translates into thin partitions between cells and a thin outer covering. The partitions or coating are fairly fragile, so they can be punctured. If the battery is damaged, a short occurs. This spark can ignite the highly reactive lithium.
Another possibility is that the battery can heat to the point of thermal runaway. Here, the heat of the contents exerts pressure on the battery, potentially producing an explosion – “https://www.thoughtco.com/why-lithium-batteries-catch-fire-606814”
So, although Lithium batteries are lighter and have a massive amount of power, there are serious safety concerns and risks to be aware of. DragCoverage will be reaching out to Lithium battery manufacturers for advice to share with our readers on how these type batteries can safely be used.
Some say Lithium batteries don’t like vibration, heat, or even extreme cold temperatures.
I’m sure a lot of you are even more worried about your racing operation after seeing this video. Yes, we are too…
Stay tuned
-TJ Pruitt
