air shipments of lithium batteries questioned - 18650 rechargeable lithium ion battery
WASHINGTON-eye-catching us government test results raise new concerns that a large number of rechargeable lithium batteries transported as cargo on passenger planes are vulnerable to fires or explosions that could destroy
S. and international officials, however, have been slow to adopt safety restrictions that may affect the battery-dependent strong industry and airlines that make profits from transporting batteries.
Batteries are used for products such as mobile phones, laptops, hybrid cars.
Shipments of rechargeable batteries on passenger planes should be limited to no more than a few in a box, according to safety standards set by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization and adopted by the United States and other countries.
But a loophole allows shippers to pack many small boxes into a shipment and bypass the rules.
Thousands of batteries may be packed into pallets or containers and loaded into a wide cargo hold
Plane.
In a April test by the Federal Aviation Administration, a cargo box contained 5,000 lithium-
Ion batteries and cartridge heaters were added to simulate uncontrolled overheating of a single battery.
The heat of the cartridge triggered overheating of the nearby battery and spread in the chain reaction.
The temperature reached 1100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once about 300 batteries were involved, a fierce explosion opened the container door and let the boxes fly, surprising FAA and industry observers.
The container caught fire in a few seconds.
The explosion comes from the accumulation of flammable gases.
Despite the addition of fire extinguishing agents, the second Test in September produced similar results.
The safety department knew about lithium.
If the ion batteries are defective, damaged, overcharged, incorrectly packaged or exposed to extreme heat, they can cause a violent fire.
But they are allowed to transport on the passenger plane because it is believed that the halon gas fire extinguishing system in the cargo compartment of the passenger plane can put out any fire.
The container test raised a new concern: the explosion could increase the pressure on the hold, activate the pressure reducing valve, and allow halon gas and smoke to enter the cabin and cockpit.
This will dilute the fire in the cargo hold and keep it out of control.
The cargo problem is different from the problem that caused a fire in lithium two years ago.
Ion batteries installed as part of the Boeing 787 operating system.
The National Transportation Safety Commission said on Monday that in this case, Boeing did not expect a short battery circuit of one of the eight batteries to spread to other batteries and cause a fire.
The United Nations civil aviation administration is considering a series of proposals to strengthen the packaging, labeling and treatment standards for lithium
Ion battery transport and the airline pilot union are working to limit the number of batteries that can be transported.
No consensus was reached at a meeting held in Brazil in October, and any changes are expected to take effect by 2017.
By contrast, the United Nations agency decided earlier this year to ban the transport of lithium metal batteries on passenger aircraft.
Rechargeable cousin of lithium
Ion batteries commonly used for toys, watches and medical devices.
The ban will take effect on January.
About 10% of 2.
The 5 billion lithium metal batteries made each year are flown by air.