Exploding Ebike

MattyB

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Jul 11, 2018
1,266
1,279
Herts, UK
50065994_2526900824003499_4189252749092716544_n-e1547479826232.jpg


Wow - he homebrewed a £10k Pinnarello Dogma F8 with an aftermarket hub drive kit?!! Imagine what his roadie friends think, they must be cracking open the champers and laughing at his misfortune right now...
 
Last edited:

Borist

Member
Apr 13, 2018
56
44
SoCal
Could have been a short in a cell or in the pack that caused the cell thermal runaway. Another possibility is that the battery overheated due to high discharge rate (long and slow climb on a hot day) and its software safety control did not prevent it. The high temperature then caused one of the cells (or more) to ignite.
While each cell does have some internal protection (such as over current fuse), this can be defeated. Most Li-ion battery packs lack secondary safety that would allow for a safe gas diffusion and to prevent cascading thermal runaway. Even a single Li cell packs enough punch, that it can disintegrate enclosure or burn thru it if the package is not designed properly.

Here we can see why the likeliness of allowing larger Li-ion batteries on board of commercial aircraft is highly unlikely anytime soon.

The best defense against this kind of problem is to buy batteries from a reputable manufacturer, don't re-charge in high heat and/or when the battery is hot (this should be prevented by software) or leave the battery exposed to sun when storing it in the car. Do not use aftermarket charger unless you are sure it is approved by battery manufacturer. When doing a long climb using high assistance on a hot day, check on the battery temperature once a while. If it is getting really hot, take a break in a shade if you can.
 

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