Charging a Li-ion battery question

[ourwayband]

Hey guys I have a rock Crawler coming that has a Li-ion battery.Comes with a USB charger.My hobby charger does lipos.Can this be charged on it or will we need a Li-ion charger?
Thanks
Rusty

[HO RacePro]

I wouldn't use anything except a charger specifically made for that battery.

Lithium batteries have been known to catch fire and burn hot without any provocation whatever. Trying to recharge one without using the proper charger is asking for trouble!

And just so you know, you extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire with a fire extinguisher that includes a Class 'B' rating.

Do you have any fire extinguishers? Do you know their ratings? Have you checked their gauges recently? Most important, do you know how to use one properly?

Check out this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw4uIiXUCY4

Ed Bianchi

[dge467]

They also make a special bag or blanket to wrap the battery in when charging/storing if I am not mistaken.

[RichD]

Lithium batteries come in various voltages depending on the number of cells that the have and how those are arranged. USB ports are 5 volts, your hobby charger may be more than that. If the charging voltage is too low the battery will not get fully charged, if it is too high the risk is that the battery will get hot and explode or catch fire. As Ed has pointed out there have been reports of batteries that caught fire when the proper charger was being used. It is a good practice to put the thing being charged on a non-flammable and non-conductive surface, like a concrete floor or even a large ceramic serving plate, and away from any flammable materials.
Most people don't have a clue as to the correct fire extinguisher to use or how to use it properly. During my 42 years of working in the lab I had many sessions of both classroom and hands on fire extinguisher training and I used a fire extinguisher to put out at least three laboratory fires. I have a couple of 5lb. BC extinguishers and a 10lb. Halon extinguisher. I check the gauges almost every time that I pass the extinguishers.
Today I expect that there is plenty of information on fire extinguishers available on line, including some You Tube videos.

[PetesLightKits]

Li-Ion (Lithium Ion) and LiPo (Lithium Polymer) are different beasts. Use the dedicated USB charger.

Peter

[Broman62]

I agree with using the specific charger!! Also, when I charge my Lipo's, I do so with them being in the fireproof bags mentioned for extra precaution...better to be safe than sorry!!

[dinglebery]

Hey guys I have a rock Crawler coming that has a Li-ion battery.Comes with a USB charger.My hobby charger does lipos.Can this be charged on it or will we need a Li-ion charger?
Thanks
Rusty

What is the chemistry of the battery in the crawler? Li-ion doesn't give enough details, it's a technology.

If you have a hobby charger that recognizes the chemistry and can charge multiple types, like this iCharger 4010 Duo (that I use), then yes it's possible. Educate yourself on the battery types before trying to perform a charge cycle.
in this pic I'm calibrating the cool IceMeter tool

[HO RacePro]

Fire safety is well worth the time to study up on. The A-1 authoritative source for all things fire safety is the National Fire Protection Association -- NFPA. Their website is nfpa.org. Take a break from cat videos and check it out.

During my professional career as a licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager I bossed a project to build a packaging/filling room for highly flammable products that used acetone as a solvent. That room was classified "Class I, Division II" by NFPA standards. What that meant is that an explosive atmosphere might exist inside the room. (In a "Class I, Division I" facility an explosive atmosphere would exist!)

Not wanting to have to explain to corporate management why Building 10 didn't exist anymore, I dove deep into the NFPA's regulations and didn't come up again until I knew what was what. And then I made absolutely sure the design and construction of that packaging/filling room was absolutely in compliance with all of those regulations.

Last I knew Building 10 was still standing.

Ed Bianchi

[DRW-FJ40]

You can make a good charging box. I used a military ammo can, drilled a hole for the charging cord & charge it with the box closed & on the garage floor away from stuff. You want to seal the hole where the cord comes in with silicone or something. The goal is to make it air tight. Fire needs O2. Ammo cans are good for storing lipos too.

A good charger is a worthwhile investment. Mine is old, it's a Hyperion which were respectable chargers several years ago. But the typical chargers that come with an RTR take forever. Need to be able to balance cells if you have more than 1 cell & storage charge.

[ourwayband]

Thanks guys.I know how to safely charge a battery,just needed the info on the Li-ion.
Rusty