Battery management

Exploding battery box: Put actively dangerous batteries in here

LiPo batteries are dangerous and must be treated with respect!

The general rules:

• Don’t over-discharge: Run down to 3.2V per cell (6.4V for 2S). If unsure, switch batteries!
  • This means you should NOT just leave the same battery in your robot the whole semester!!
  • When done working with your robot, disconnect the battery and put it back on a charger or in the charging bag
• Don’t stab or mangle the batteries
• Don’t short out the battery (connect + to – directly)
• If battery exposed in a robot test, end the test immediately
  • If a battery is exposed in competition, you lose immediately
• Banish suspect batteries: We have a sand bag for potentially bad batteries. Send a battery here if:
  • Puffy: It been abused and thus released gas and inflated.
  • Over-discharged: Voltage is below 3.0V per cell (6.0V for 2S)
  • Hot: If it’s so hot you can’t hold it (60 C)
  • Pierced (but stable): If it got poked in the past and isn’t doing anything else

If a battery is smoking, burning, or is recently pierced:

• TURN OFF/DISCONNECT THE CIRCUIT IF POSSIBLE
  • If a battery is smoking or puffy immediately after turning the bot on, turn it off/disconnect the battery ASAP
  • Short circuits are a common cause of battery destruction, so turning off the circuit can limit further battery damage
• GET IT OUT or GET IT DOWN:
  • If it is safe to do so without being near it (e.g. inside a container, held by the wire by long handle pliers, etc), put it into the exploding battery box OR take it to the loading dock out back
  • If it cannot be moved, use a tool to get it onto the floor and away from people and flammable objects
• Notify Bletsch, the exec team, and/or Foundry staff of the incident
  • If risk of spreading fire, excessive fumes indoors, or other major risk to people or property, call public safety (911)
• Use fire extinguisher if actual flames are present; be patient, flames may repeat
• Let it burn out

Charging:

• LiPos get their white JST-XH port plugged into a balance charger. All lights green = done.
  • If a light NEVER turns green, battery is cursed, must be banished (see above)
  • Charged? Move to “charged” bag.
  • Needs charge but all chargers busy? Leave in charger bag.