Lithium batteries

[Yetti]

Still have not seen a lead acid / AGM battery spark off and have flames shooting from it like a jet engine.

That said I just ordered lithium batteries for my golf cart, but I stop and walk away from it.  Price wise it is about the same as lead acid, but should be more durable and last twice as long and way less weight.

The EV SOP from fire departments is to keep everyone back a safe distance.   If possible, we will try to hook something up to it and get it out of your garage.

It takes like 40K gallons of water to put out a car.

They are pretty spectacular fires

https://insideevs.com/news/583324/paris-suspends-149-bollore-electric-buses-after-two-fires/

 

 

[A64Pilot]

I can provide links, but best to look yourself, start with “Lifepo4 safety”

Do NOT look up Li-ion safety because these are Not Li-ion batteries, and that’s the problem, people don’t know there are major differences, they see Lithium and think they are at least similar and they aren’t.

Lithium Iron, another name for the same chemistry is extraordinarily safe, probably safer than Lead acid.

There are many chemistries that aren’t, Tesla use NCA batteries in most of their cars, Nickel Cobalt Aluminum one of many types of Li-ion, and those would be unsafe in aircraft. The new Standard range Tesla’s use Lifepo4 batteries, essentially All lifepo4 batteries are made in China even though they were invented at the University of Texas, or so I have read, go figure.

Lifepo4’s drawback is they are twice as big and heavy as the Lithium chemistries most often used in cars, laptops etc, but what they gain is safety.

Even steel will burn, but it’s really hard to make it burn, so is a Lifepo4 battery

Decent article on LFP batteries (another name for Lifepo4) That’s at least three names for the same battery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_iron_phosphate_battery

[FlyingDude]

Hi,

I just looked into the Earth X batteries and it shows them TSO'd, requiring field approval.  What's the latest status on these?  Still requiring a field approval which FAA instructed the field offices not to grant?  Is there an STC as was being mentioned above?

Thanks...

[mhrivnak]

16 minutes ago, FlyingDude said:

Hi,

I just looked into the Earth X batteries and it shows them TSO'd, requiring field approval.  What's the latest status on these?  Still requiring a field approval which FAA instructed the field offices not to grant?  Is there an STC as was being mentioned above?

Thanks...

There are STCs. I just clicked through their website and found this list: https://earthxbatteries.com/list-of-stcs/#mooney-m20

[FlyingDude]

13 minutes ago, mhrivnak said:

There are STCs. I just clicked through their website and found this list: https://earthxbatteries.com/list-of-stcs/#mooney-m20

thanks... I shouldn't have assumed the worst once I read "STC or Part 337 (field approval) is required for installation." on the etx-900-tso page...  

Anyone here mounted it in the engine compartment?  The installation instructions do allow for that...  "Battery Installation Location The battery is designed to be mounted in a variety of locations within the aircraft including the engine compartment, baggage compartment or cabin, as long as the environmental condition in those locations do not exceed the battery’s specifications (see the specifications section and environmental qualification section of this manual)." on https://earthxbatteries.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/FAA-Acceptance-of_IMM-180407-ETX900-TSO-Battery-Installation-Manual-Rev-F-1.pdf

 

[ttflyer]

I"ll chime in with my 2c...  I responded in another thread somewhere on MS about these batteries but apparently this is a different thread.

Prior to owning our Mooney, we owned a RV-6.  It had a EarthX Lifepo4 battery installed when we bought it.  I'm not a fan.  The main issue we had was that the battery has a very high re-charge rate that puts a HUGE strain on the alternator.  Our RV6 had a 60amp alternator and immediately after start, when we brought the alternator online, the battery would draw 60+ amps.  This would last a minute or so and then come down to normal levels.  There is no way to control this - the battery will take all the power it can to replenish its charge.

So in four years we replaced two alternators. 

AGM batteries for me.  If we still owned that airplane, we would have gotten rid of the EarthX battery.  But we got the Mooney instead . (And I can't begin to tell you how much more I like the Mooney!).