The virtual newsstands were groaning under the weight of videos of a certain laptop catching fire this morning. In this instance, the teens left their Dell charging on a soft couch. This may have blocked the air circulation slots possibly inviting thermal runaway while they got on with something else. The laptop was four years old and likely the battery was too. This got us to thinking of the legacy of lithium-ion batteries getting past their use-by dates.
The cost of replacement laptop batteries may seem prohibitive. Something clearly needs doing to make them more affordable. Many perfectly good laptops and smartphones end up on top shelves in cupboards. That’s because their batteries no longer hold sufficient charge, and we can’t resist the latest technology.
Dealing with The Legacy of Lithium-Ion Deterioration
Lithium-ion batteries can charge to 80% within two hours, and then need another two to reach 100%. And all the time this is happening, we are pouring electrical energy into the equipment. This causes it to become warm, and then hot. If we block the ventilation slots as the teens may have done, we can enter a phase called thermal runaway.
https://youtu.be/Fn9fZGWanEs
Thermal runaway is the electrical equivalent of a bushfire where flames feed off themselves. Increasing temperature like this releases energy that raises the heat even further Scientists call this process uncontrolled positive feedback. Older batteries take longer to charge and get hotter doing so. We need to come to terms with this unfortunate legacy of lithium-ion.
Helping Avoid Lithium-Ion Thermal Runaway
There are several reasons why lithium batteries overheat and catch fire. These include manufacturing faults, battery aging, physical trauma, and operator error. As laptop and smartphone owners, we should avoid fully charging, and fully discharging them.
We should be present when we charge them too. And we should replace them the instant we notice the equipment getting hotter than usual. If this means replacing it, then so be it. The laptop in the video could have caused the home to burn down. That’s a bizarre legacy of lithium-ion batteries that are otherwise so good.
Related
Aging Rate of Lithium-Ion Batteries: Temperature
Image Preview: Coding by the Fireside
