Why Would or Wouldn't You Fly With These Batteries?

[Wavepilot]

On two consecutive normal flights, the batteries swelled and were difficult to remove from the drone until they cooled. Even after cooling down, the cooling vents remain blocked by the swollen cells. (See attached photos of normal open battery vents and a battery with blocked vents.) I subsequently noticed another battery that has never given me any trouble also has swollen and blocked vents. I have attached AirData deviation charts for all three batteries for your review. Would you fly with any or all of these batteries, blocked vents and all? I appreciate in advance everyone's feedback and advice.

 

[Starz]

Age and charge cycles?

 

[R Martin]

Would you fly with any or all of these batteries, blocked vents and all? I appreciate in advance everyone's feedback and advice.

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Personally no. Any swelling indicates that something is wrong and that is enough for me to sideline the battery. I might still use it briefly for preflights to save my flight batteries but I would never fly it again.

 

[Wavepilot]

Age and charge cycles?

All of the batteries are 2.5 years old. AirData charge cycles and other stats are on the screenshots below. Thank you.

 

[David_Cambridge]

Unless you want to file an insurance claim for a new drone, forget it.

 

[Drone Division]

On two consecutive normal flights, the batteries swelled and were difficult to remove from the drone until they cooled. Even after cooling down, the cooling vents remain blocked by the swollen cells. (See attached photos of normal open battery vents and a battery with blocked vents.) I subsequently noticed another battery that has never given me any trouble also has swollen and blocked vents. I have attached AirData deviation charts for all three batteries for your review. Would you fly with any or all of these batteries, blocked vents and all? I appreciate in advance everyone's feedback and advice.

View attachment 119243 View attachment 119244 View attachment 119245 View attachment 119246 View attachment 119247

 

[Drone Division]

Swollen batteries indicate you have a leak in the protective skin around the cells and gas has leaked out of the battery. Normally this is due to overheating but old age and marginal build quality can also cause that. It is risky using them even though your system may not show an error. A catastrophic battery failure could occur or the drone could catch fire in flight. You can monitor the battery temperature in your DJI flight app. Here in Los Angeles I don’t fly when it is over 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Flying at 105 one day I lost some batteries to overheating, I took them to a local expert, he said after hot days lots of repairs come in mostly due to batteries overheating.

 

[Andy9]

Swollen batteries indicate you have a leak in the protective skin around the cells and gas has leaked out of the battery. Normally this is due to overheating but old age and marginal build quality can also cause that. It is risky using them even though your system may not show an error. A catastrophic battery failure could occur or the drone could catch fire in flight. You can monitor the battery temperature in your DJI flight app. Here in Los Angeles I don’t fly when it is over 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Flying at 105 one day I lost some batteries to overheating, I took them to a local expert, he said after hot days lots of repairs come in mostly due to batteries overheating.

I think that this is set too low. I regularly reach over 40C with no problems. If I would set the cut off value for flights at 35C I would fly very rarely and mostly in the winter period.

 

[R Martin]

I think that this is set too low. I regularly reach over 40C with no problems. If I would set the cut off value for flights at 35C I would fly very rarely and mostly in the winter period.

DJI

I think that this is set too low. I regularly reach over 40C with no problems. If I would set the cut off value for flights at 35C I would fly very rarely and mostly in the winter period.

DJI states the Phantom 4 operating temperature range is from 0-40C.

 

[Drone Division]

I think that this is set too low. I regularly reach over 40C with no problems. If I would set the cut off value for flights at 35C I would fly very rarely and mostly in the winter period.

I am talking about exterior air temperatures in Fahrenheit. An internal battery temperature of 40C or 104F is totally acceptable. I saw a DJI statement saying internal temps up to 70C or 158F are acceptable. I try to keep the batteries as cool possible and bring the drone down and swap batteries in the heat.

 

[R Martin]

I am talking about exterior air temperatures in Fahrenheit. An internal battery temperature of 40C or 104F is totally acceptable. I saw a DJI statement saying internal temps up to 70C or 158F are acceptable. I try to keep the batteries as cool possible and bring the drone down and swap batteries in the heat.

Gotcha. I was talking about the aircraft itself.

 

[Andy9]

As we were talking about batteries, I though that the temp. refers to the batt. as well. An environment temp. is completelly different issue of course. But though it is very wise to check periodically the batt. temp. during the flight. Besides hot weather it is important how you fly as well. If you do that with full capability (full power) of the drone everything (batteries and motors) become hotter. I would be concerned if the batt. temp gets to 70C. Probably I will end the flight.

 

[R Martin]

As we were talking about batteries, I though that the temp. refers to the batt. as well. An environment temp. is completelly different issue of course. But though it is very wise to check periodically the batt. temp. during the flight. Besides hot weather it is important how you fly as well. If you do that with full capability (full power) of the drone everything (batteries and motors) become hotter. I would be concerned if the batt. temp gets to 70C. Probably I will end the flight.

It's all related. Higher ambient temperature and thinner air makes the aircraft work harder to generate the thrust to keep it airborne which causes more heat in the components and given the higher ambient temperature it doesn't bleed that heat off as efficiently. Vicious circle. Bottom line is its hard on the aircraft and you as well. I hate the summer.....

 

[ribjig]

My P4P+ original battery 2017
started swelling year+ ago;
probably due to keeping battery
constantly charge first two years;
I pin-pricked vinyl covering at
sharp angle so that only vinyl
was pricked & released swelling
caused by gas build-up; I press
vinyl flat before each new flight
to eject possible new build-up;
most will rant & rave about doing
this, I am reporting what's worked
for me, not advising you...
just note there are sad tales almost
daily about lost-crashed drones but
NONE state its due to a pin pricked
battery, AFAIK...????!
note: I only fly 100m x 100m

PS. am confused about your image
showing see-through vents -- were
battery innards removed?

 

[Harleydude]

On two consecutive normal flights, the batteries swelled and were difficult to remove from the drone until they cooled. Even after cooling down, the cooling vents remain blocked by the swollen cells. (See attached photos of normal open battery vents and a battery with blocked vents.) I subsequently noticed another battery that has never given me any trouble also has swollen and blocked vents. I have attached AirData deviation charts for all three batteries for your review. Would you fly with any or all of these batteries, blocked vents and all? I appreciate in advance everyone's feedback and advice.

View attachment 119243 View attachment 119244 View attachment 119245 View attachment 119246 View attachment 119247

I would be tempted to keep that battery as a spare, but I honestly don't think I would fly much farther or higher than like 50'...LOL... Too much at stake. I'd replace 'em.

D

 

[Wavepilot]

My P4P+ original battery 2017
started swelling year+ ago;
probably due to keeping battery
constantly charge first two years;
I pin-pricked vinyl covering at
sharp angle so that only vinyl
was pricked & released swelling
caused by gas build-up; I press
vinyl flat before each new flight
to eject possible new build-up;
most will rant & rave about doing
this, I am reporting what's worked
for me, not advising you...
just note there are sad tales almost
daily about lost-crashed drones but
NONE state its due to a pin pricked
battery, AFAIK...????!
note: I only fly 100m x 100m

PS. am confused about your image
showing see-through vents -- were
battery innards removed?

Zoom in and look closely at the battery photos. The first one illustrates how you can see light through the battery's vents. The second photo shows the vents obstructed by the swelling. You can see in both photos the DJI placard instructing to keep the vents clear.

 

[Wavepilot]

Thanks to all for your feedback. I'm not going to fly with the swollen batteries. Not worth losing a drone and jeopardizing a job mid-mission as most of you wisely suggested. Will use them for preflight configuring, ground testing, etc. as suggested by R Martin above. Gotta say it's painful though having to bench three batteries simultaneously.

 

[ribjig]

Zoom in and look closely at the battery photos. The first one illustrates how you can see light through the battery's vents. The second photo shows the vents obstructed by the swelling. You can see in both photos the DJI placard instructing to keep the vents clear.

Sorry, still don't get it.
How can one see light through vents if
casing is "filled" with a battery???
I am only familiar with P4P+ DJI battery.
Perhaps, when I pin-pricked swelled top
surface of battery, there are still swelled
lower layers that don't allow light through
vents although I can pass metal nail file
through any vent...

 

[Wavepilot]

Sorry, still don't get it.
How can one see light through vents if
casing is "filled" with a battery???
I am only familiar with P4P+ DJI battery.
Perhaps, when I pin-pricked swelled top
surface of battery, there are still swelled
lower layers that don't allow light through
vents although I can pass metal nail file
through any vent...

Interesting. Personally, I'm not comfortable with the pin-pick protocol. But cheers if it works well for you. I fly long hard missions in hot Florida and need all the air cooling I can get.

Compare the two photos below that might better illustrate open cooling vents versus obstructed vents. All new batteries have open vents.