[RE-wrenches] Battery based hydrogen incidents

[Nathan Jones]

14 years of battery bank experience. Witnessed results of one fire involving 4 strings of L16s at 48 volts. Fire was confined to battery storage area. Not from an explosion but overcharging a dead string.
On a personal note, I have seen and felt the shock wave from an exploding 8D 30 years ago. Hopped in a cabover semi truck to start it and the battery exploded under the open drivers door as soon as I turned the key. The metal lid of the battery box blew into the bottom of the cab and flew 75 feet and the concussion wave stunned me. I didn't know what had happened until I got a whiff of the sulfuric acid mist in the air. More effective than smelling salts. I bailed from the cab and hit the ground running. The top half of the battery had disintegrated into shrapnel.
Never, ever, think there is not tremendous explosive energy in a battery.
Nathan Jones
Power Source Solar Inc.
417-827-0738

On Wed Dec 15th, 2010 12:10 PM CST Allan Sindelar wrote:

>_______________________________________________
>List sponsored by Home Power magazine
>
>List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>
>Options & settings:
>http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
>List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
>List rules & etiquette:
>www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>
>Check out participant bios:
>www.members.re-wrenches.org
>