Battery smoking in flight catching fire

Tom, It's unsettling (and a little scary) to see those pics of the smoking battery. I'm not surprised that the logs don't show anything strange because the controller board inside of the battery would have prevented this type of event from happening if it was caused by a short in the battery or quad. I have seen issues similar to this with very new batteries or very old batteries and it always comes down to physical damage to the cells. With the very new ones it's usually a manufacturing (or assembly) defect that has compromised the shielding of the internal LiPo cells. With the older ones (over a few hundred charges) its either a change in the chemistry of the cells (that normally shows up during use like yours) or a defect in the shielding that eventually wore through because of extensive use or a rough landing. You would certainly have a case with DJI for replacement if the cell was new but it might be a little harder if it was a very old cell. Even though this can be a devastating experience while flying, just be thankful it didn't happen while you were charging the cell in your home. This is exactly why I recommend using a LiPo safety bag for charging and transporting the cells. If you can let me know a little more about the age and condition of the cells, I can narrow it down a little more for you. Here's a clip I did on the LiPo Safety Bags a while back and you can find these at a variety of websites -

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Assuming it is a DJI battery (and the OP has said nothing to suggest otherwise) then it's hard to absolve DJI from owning the crash. Batteries are supposed to have circuitry to PREVENT this sort of thing. At worst, the AC should have shut down and crashed without the smoke and excitement. To suggest that it is an environmental issue is just garbage. Again, the internal monitoring can tell if it's overheating due to the weather, etc and give the operator time to land it.

Sure would be nice to get to that internal SD card but there is an excellent chance it has been toasted beyond recovery. Even a Healthy Drones analysis would be interesting.

So, it seems that DJI called it 'heat stroke' on the basis of the pictures? They don't have the AC?
 
I call BS on this one. It's totally impossible for a motor to smoke like that at any point. There is nothing inside of the motor that would produce smoke.

Btw, what's even worse is any fools that may have believed it. :rolleyes: :D
 
I'm not sure if that reply was for me or a comment in general but there are situations where the warranty wouldn't apply. I'm not taking DJI's side in this and think they should replace the cell and repair the drone but if the battery was physically damaged or wet (even a little) there is nothing to prevent this type of combustion. The internal circuitry will only prevent something connected to the battery (Charger, or drone) from sending too much current or drawing too much current to cause this event. It cannot protect the cells themselves from combustion if they are damaged or wet. Having said that, I still think this quad should be repaired / replaced under warranty.
 
I call BS on this one. It's totally impossible for a motor to smoke like that at any point. There is nothing inside of the motor that would produce smoke.

Btw, what's even worse is any fools that may have believed it. :rolleyes: :D
Huh? An overheated LiPo in a plastic box? Looks just as I would expect. I don't think the OP photoshopped it. He certainly could have done other things like trying to hook up the battery to his car and then stuffed the smoking device in the drone. I'd love to see a video like that... (but I used to play with Thermite as a child so I have a weak spot for incendiaries.)
 
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I'm not sure if that reply was for me or a comment in general but there are situations where the warranty wouldn't apply. I'm not taking DJI's side in this and think they should replace the cell and repair the drone but if the battery was physically damaged or wet (even a little) there is nothing to prevent this type of combustion. The internal circuitry will only prevent something connected to the battery (Charger, or drone) from sending too much current or drawing too much current to cause this event. It cannot protect the cells themselves from combustion if they are damaged or wet. Having said that, I still think this quad should be repaired / replaced under warranty.
True enough, but if DJI is basing their decision on some pics without looking at least least the on-tablet telemetry data then I think they're jumping the gun. Sure the OP's kid could have been practicing drilling holes in the battery to lighten it (don't laugh) but to just look at a picture and say 'nope' is not exactly best practices. We'll see....
 
I totally agree that they should at least inspect the drone to better gauge how the fire started and try and find a compromise. I also know from experience that most of these types of issues come from a damaged battery. I had a customer send back a Phantom 3 battery with actual mold growing on the side for replacement. Either way, DJI should check this one out to see what happened.
 
Lol, I think most users think the batteries are sealed and don't understand that the small slits on the side of the battery housing are for ventilation for the LiPo cells and can actually let water and moisture inside of the battery. I'm not saying that's what happened here but it does happen.
 
Huh? An overheated LiPo in a plastic box? Looks just as I would expect. I don't think the OP photoshopped it. He certainly could have done other things like trying to hook up the battery to his car and then stuffed the smoking device in the drone. I'd love to see a video like that... (but I used to play with Thermite as a child so I have a weak spot for incendiaries.)

Read what I said again. That would be the text that you quoted.
 
Read what I said again. That would be the text that you quoted.
Huh, what? One of us isn't taking enough meds (only one cup of expresso so far for me). The issue appears to be smoke from the battery and subsequent damage from the moderately rapid unscheduled exothermic reaction. I don't see where the motor itself is implicated. I would, however, expect there to be enough hydrocarbon stuff in the motor - primarily the insulation over the windings - to create smoke although likely fairly briefly.

In flight there would likely be smoke pouring out everywhere - the vents, the space between the motor, the new hole punched in the case......
 
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Huh, what? One of us isn't taking enough meds (only one cup of expresso so far for me). The issue appears to be smoke from the battery and subsequent damage from the moderately rapid unscheduled exothermic reaction. I don't see where the motor itself is implicated. I would, however, expect there to be enough hydrocarbon stuff in the motor - primarily the insulation over the windings - to create smoke although likely fairly briefly.

In flight there would likely be smoke pouring out everywhere - the vents, the space between the motor, the new hole punched in the case......

Edit:

Actually I'm wrong on this and admit it. I thought one of the images was of a smoking battery on the ground. I just realized I was wrong and it was a lipo battery inside part of the battery bay. Sorry to all!
 
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I call BS on this one. It's totally impossible for a motor to smoke like that at any point. There is nothing inside of the motor that would produce smoke.

Btw, what's even worse is any fools that may have believed it. :rolleyes: :D
Back up a bit. I have seen many motors smoke....not phantom motors but motors just by being wired wrong. The copper windings are generally coated and if a motor stalls and enough current is drawn the windings will overheat and short out.
 
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I call BS on this one. It's totally impossible for a motor to smoke like that at any point. There is nothing inside of the motor that would produce smoke.

Btw, what's even worse is any fools that may have believed it. :rolleyes: :D

The windings would smoke if too much current was going through it and props jammed.
However the smoke looks like its coming from battery and from inside of shell.
 
Back up a bit. I have seen many motors smoke....not phantom motors but motors just by being wired wrong. The copper windings are generally coated and if a motor stalls and enough current is drawn the windings will overheat and short out.

You did, or didn't see my post above?
 
Didn't mean to step on your toes. You posted as I was typing. Sorry man

I was beginning to think there was some serious delays going on across the internet today. lol!
 

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