Batteries Have Been Around For A Long Time, And Concerns For Safety Are Not New

The press has recently been full of notices about dangerous fire concerns with the Samsung Note 7 telephones. The media has been expressly referencing commercial travel on airliners, but that doesn’t mean that these devices are any safer if carried aboard a personally operated airplane.

Here’s what the FAA says, in part, regarding commercial air carriers.

“Effective on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at noon ET, all Samsung Note7 devices are banned from flight. If you are traveling by air and you have a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device, do not bring it with you to the airport. Do not pack it in your purse, backpack, briefcase, carry-on or your checked baggage. All Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices are considered forbidden hazardous materials.”

This means these devices are dangerous whether you’re flying on an airliner or an ultralight. The airlines are taking safety measures by training cabin crews on how to fight or contain a personal electronic device battery fires. They have now even gone to the extent of caring special containers that can prevent the fire from spreading, and can even contain the energy displaced by an exploding battery.

The technology of lithium-ion and a lithium-polymer batteries is complicated, and the charging circuits must be carefully designed to prevent a thermal runaway. It appears that some manufactures of electronic devices that use these power sources are simply not up to the task of keeping it safe.

However, don’t let the flawed technology of Samsung lead you to believe that these new battery technologies are inherently flawed. The company, True Blue Power, is harnessing the power of Nanophosphate lithium-ion cell technology for aviation, and is proving that their new battery technology provides advantages and safety to the point that many aircraft are now approved by the FAA to use them as the main aircraft battery power source.

Here’s another reminder, the standard 9 volt battery that we all use in so many devices has also been known to cause fires on aircraft. Because both contacts are on the same end of the battery, it is easy for these batteries to short-circuit against some conductive object, such as another 9 volt battery in the same package, leading to high temperatures or an open fire. When using 9 volt batteries, be sure they are stored with the contacts insulated to prevent touching something that could cause a short circuit.

Sometimes safety concerns come in small packages.

FMI: www.truebluepowerusa.com/  www.faa.gov