As more and more people move to electric flight every day    it is important that if you do not know how to properly handle a Lithium Polymer battery (LiPo) that you learn the necessary procedures prior to installing the first connector. I have posted the Safety and Warnings sheet from a leading LiPo battery manufacturer. It is relevant to the use of any LiPo battery. It would also serve you well to frequent the R/C Groups Batteries and Chargers forum as there is a world of knowledge waiting to be shared.

http://www.rcgroups.com/batteries-and-chargers-129/



WARNING: Please read before charging or using battery


IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS


 
• You must read these safety instructions and warnings before using or charging your batteries.
• Lithium Polymer batteries are volatile. Failure to read and follow the below instructions may result in fire, personal injury and damage to property if charged or used improperly.



General Guidelines and Warnings

1) Use specific Lithium Polymer charger only. Do not use a NiMH or NiCd charger -Failure to do so may a cause fire, which may result in personal injury and property damage.
2) Never charge batteries unattended. When charging LiPo batteries you should always remain in constant observation to monitor the charging process and react to potential problems that may occur.
3) Some LiPo chargers on the market may have technical deficiencies that may cause it to charge the LiPo batteries incorrectly or at an improper rate. It is your responsibility solely to assure the charger you purchased works properly. Always monitor charging process to assure batteries are being charged properly. Failure to do so may result in fire.
4) If at any time you witness a battery starting to balloon or swell up, discontinue charging process immediately, disconnect the battery and observe it in a safe place for approximately 15 minutes. Continuing to charge a battery that has begun to swell will result in fire.
5) Since delayed chemical reaction can occur, it is best to observe the battery as a safety precaution. Battery observation should occur in a safe area outside of any building or vehicle and away from any combustible material.
6) Wire lead shorts can cause fire! If you accidentally short the wires, the battery must be placed in a safe area for observation for approximately 15 minutes. Additionally, if a short occurs and contact is made with metal (such as rings on your hand), severe injuries may occur due to the conductibility of electric current.
7) A battery can still ignite even after 10 minutes.
8. In the event of a crash, you must remove battery for observation and place in a safe open area away from any combustible material for approximately 15 minutes.
9) If for any reason you need to cut the terminal wires, it will be necessary to cut each wire separately, ensuring the wires to not touch each other or a short may occur, potentially causing a fire.
10) To solder a connector: Remove insulating tape of Red wire and solder to positive terminal of a connector, then remove insulating tape of Black wire and solder to the negative terminal of connector. Be careful not to short the wire lead. If you accidentally cause the battery to short, place it in a safe open space and observe the battery for approximately 15 minutes. A battery may swell or even possibly catch fire after a short time. 11) Never store or charge battery pack inside your car in extreme temperatures, since extreme temperature could ignite fire.



Before the First Charge

1) Make a visual inspection of the pack. Look for any damaged leads, connectors, broken shrink wrap or other irregularities.
2) Before installing or changing the connector, check the voltage of the pack using a digital voltmeter (not your charger). Most new batteries ship at approximately 3.8 to 3.9 volts per cell.

Example:          2S pack should read approximately 7.60V to 7.8V
                      3S pack should read approximately 11.40V to 11.7V
                      4S pack should read approximately 15.20V to 15.6V
                      5S pack should read approximately 19.00V to 19.5V

3) If any damage to the pack or leads is found, or the voltage is significantly less than specified above, do not attempt to charge or fly the pack. COntact the manufacturer as soon as possible.



Charging Process

1) Never charge batteries unattended.
2) Charge in an isolated area, away from other flammable materials.
3) Let battery cool down to ambient temperature before charging.
4) Do not charge batteries packs in series. Charge each battery pack individually. Failure to do so may result in incorrect battery recognition and charging functions. Overcharging may occur and fire may be the result.
5) When selecting the cell count or voltage for charging purposes, select the cell count and voltage as it appears on the battery label. As a safety precaution, please confirm the information printed on the battery is correct.

a. Example: The label on a 2-Cell battery pack in series will read – “Charge as 2-Cell (7.4V), or may cause fire” – You must select 2-Cell for charging.
b. Example: The label on a 3-Cell battery pack in series will read – “Charge as 3-Cell (11.1V), or may cause fire” – You must select 3-Cell for charging.

6) Selecting a cell count other than the one printed on the battery (always confirm label is correct), can cause fire.

7) You must check the pack voltage before charging. Do not attempt to charge any pack if open voltage per cell is less than 3.3v

Example           Do not charge a 2-cell pack if below 6.6v
                      Do not charge a 3 cell pack if below 9.9v
 
8. You must select the charge rate current that does not to exceed 1C (one times the capacity of the battery). A higher setting may cause fire. The below chart is calculated at 1 x capacity of pack.

Example           730 mAh: Charge below 730 mA
                      860 mAh: Charge below 860 mA
                      1320 mAh: Charge below 1.32 Amps
                      1900 mAh: Charge below 1.9 Amps
                      2100 mAh: Charge below 2.1 Amps
                      7800 mAh: Charge below 7.8 Amps
                      8000 mAh: Charge below at 8 Amps



First few Flights

It is reccommended that a 3-5C maximum discharge rate be used for breaking in new packs. Also be extremely careful not to over discharge new packs. Packs should NEVER be over discharged at any time, but over discharging on the first flight will ruin the battery permanently before you are able to enjoy it.



Storage & Transportation

1) Store battery at room temperature between 40 and 80 degrees F for best results.
2) For storage over one week, do not store fully charged. Best stored at 3.8V to 3.9V/cell.
3) Do not expose battery pack to direct sunlight (heat) for extended periods.
4) When transporting or temporarily storing in a vehicle, temperature range should be greater than 20 degrees F but no more than 150 degrees F.
5) Storing battery at temperatures greater than 170 degrees F for extended periods of time (more than 2 hours) may cause damage to battery and possible fire.

 

Caring for Battery

1) Charge battery with good quality Lithium Polymer charger. A poor quality charger can be dangerous.
2) Set voltage and current correctly (failure to do so can cause fire).
3) Please check cell voltage after the first charge.

Example        1-Cell: 4.2V (4.15 to 4.22)
                   2-Cell: 8.4V (8.30 to 8.44)
                   3-Cell: 12.6V (12.45 to 12.66)
                   4-Cell: 16.8V (16.60 to 16.88)
                   5-Cell: 21V (20.75 to 21.10)

4) Do not discharge battery to a level below 3V per cell under load. Deep discharge below 3V per cell can deteriorate battery performance. Be sure to set your ESC for proper cut off voltage.

Example         6.0V for 2S packs
                    9.0V for 3S packs
                   12.0V for 4S packs

5) Use caution to avoid puncture of the cell. Puncture of cells may cause a fire.



Operating Temperature

Charge: 32 to 113 degrees F
Discharge: 32 to 140 degrees F

1) Let battery cool down to an ambient temperature before charging.
2) During discharge and handling of batteries, do not exceed 160 degrees F.



Battery Life

Batteries that lose 20% of their capacity must be removed from service and disposed of properly. Discharge the battery to 3V/Cell, making sure output wires are insulated, then wrap battery in a bag for disposal.


Kim.