As consumers demand batteries with very high stored energy densities, such batteries, most with reactive metals, become like small containers of explosives which can be set off when the internal separation membrane between the cathode and anode fails. The resulting short will heat up the inside and ignite the flammable material in the battery. The heat generated by the 25-micron-thick membrane shorting out (or being shorted out by a puncture) will cause other batteries stored next to it to fail and ignite as well. In a pallet containing crates of such batteries, it becomes a chain reaction.
Even if the batteries are supposedly discharged, any that had sufficient charge and failed could heat up and ignite the materials inside other discharged batteries.
12yrs ago I built the batteries for Segways. They blow up real good. One day a chick engineer leaned over and arced one with her huge belt-buckle. We all just stared at her, except me, I grabbed it and hurled it outside before it lit everything else up. They literally go up like fireworks, with a very sweet, distinct smell.
12yrs ago I built the batteries for Segways. They blow up real good. One day a chick engineer leaned over and arced one with her huge belt-buckle. We all just stared at her, except me, I grabbed it and hurled it outside before it lit everything else up. They literally go up like fireworks, with a very sweet, distinct smell.
Great explanation. Lithium batteries should not be used in cars. Hydrogen as a battery is the way to go once we advance past gasoline, with LFTRs as the energy source.