Static electricity and batteries

[anavidfan]

I always wondered about thunderstorms or really windy static days. Here in Calif we have those "santa ana" conditions and the static electricity gets bad. I worry about my batteries, cause I swear a couple of times during the last "santa anas" I heard crackling sounds where I keep my batts stacked. I keep my batteries in a plastic tray, like the ones used in drawers.


I stack them upright , side by side and have no metal anywhere around them. Can static cause arcing or something like that?

 

[stevegmu]

I doubt it, but if you are concerned, keep then in individual battery boxes...

 

[anavidfan]

I used to do that, but I kept knocking them around and lost track of the charging order. Its so nice to have this long caddy that fits exactly 4 rows of three and I just put the newly charged ones in the back row and move them up. I do "dust" them , dont know if that is anything to be concerned as they are sealed. I gotta come up with a better system.

Its so weird, on those real windy days a few weeks ago, I could swear I heard like a soft crackle, like when you take certain things out of the dryer that are stuck together and you take them apart. It has not happened since.

 

[zoiDman]

I used to do that, but I kept knocking them around and lost track of the charging order. Its so nice to have this long caddy that fits exactly 4 rows of three and I just put the newly charged ones in the back row and move them up. I do "dust" them , dont know if that is anything to be concerned as they are sealed. I gotta come up with a better system.

Its so weird, on those real windy days a few weeks ago, I could swear I heard like a soft crackle, like when you take certain things out of the dryer that are stuck together and you take them apart. It has not happened since.

You might try Numbering you Batteries with a P-Touch Labeler or even a Sharpie Marker. Makes Rotating them a Lot Easier.

I've lived in Orange County most of my Life. Haven't Seen or Heard of any real problem with Batteries during Santa Ana winds.

Seen Many a Fence or Tree Blow Down, but that is to be Expected.

 

[Baditude]

Static electricity can affect a lithium ion battery.

"Now, this said, lithium ion batteries have what's called a PTC or Positive Temperature Coefficient circuit. This is built into the battery just above the positive terminal and is present regardless of any "protected" labels. The PTC is designed to raise the resistance of the battery as the temperature of the battery rises.

The theory behind PTC is that as the resistance goes up, the current draw from the battery goes down - Ohm's Law. This helps prevent most accidents from becoming catastrophic, but it should not be relied on. The PTC is designed to be unobtrusive and you can still over-draw the battery if you aren't paying attention. The PTC circuits can also fail if exposed to static electricity or from a faulty charger. When a PTC fails, it often fails in a position which allows you to continue using the battery without fault."
- quoted from Timothy Braun, a vapor enthusiast and battery expert. Batteries Explained and Safety - » The Original Electronic Cigarette Social Media Network

 

[Dampmaskin]

You can "shield" your plastic tray with e.g. copper tape used for guitar shielding. Don't "shield" it on the inside, that could short the batteries. "Shield" the bottom of the tray, on the outside.

I know from guitar forums that people who live in dry climates and have had problems with static electricity building up in their plastic pickguards, have successfully fixed it by "shielding" the back side of the pickguard.

(I put the scare quotes around "shielding" because this is not really about shielding of electromagnetic interference, but rather discharging of static electricity.)

 

[anavidfan]

Thanks for your replies, makes sense to me now. I found some copper tape in the garage and lined the bottom of my tray. I never heard any more crackling sounds since the "santa anas" died down. LOL, maybe I need a mini lightening rod mounted on the corner of my tray.....

It odd when thing like this happens. It kept gnawing at my mind, is this just a figment of my imagination or could this really be a valid concern.

One more question...... Ive been using my 18350 device for a week and going thru my rotation of 18350 batteries quickly. I have 1 battery that after it charges it feels warm to the touch. I put it aside, could this be a sign that the battery has issues. I of course dont want to take any chances.

 

[Baditude]

One more question...... Ive been using my 18350 device for a week and going thru my rotation of 18350 batteries quickly. I have 1 battery that after it charges it feels warm to the touch. I put it aside, could this be a sign that the battery has issues. I of course dont want to take any chances.

This seems to depend upon who you talk to. I've heard one camp say a healthy battery should never get warm to the touch (especially an eGo battery), let alone get hot. Then I've heard of people who heavily use their Sony 30 amp batteries using sub-ohm coils which become warm to the touch and they accept this as normal.

My personal thoughts are no battery should feel warm or hot to the touch. Since only your one battery is getting warm while the others are not, perhaps that particular battery has some damage to its inner core. Since you say you don't want to take any chances, I'm guessing you already know what to do with that battery.

 

[CastleRat]

A steel box should shield your batteries or anything else from static. It does not have to be grounded.