[RE-wrenches] Battery based hydrogen incidents

Thu Dec 16 08:11:07 PST 2010

I had a very well vented automotive battery 
explode.  The cause was apparently an internal 
short.  The explosion broke the case and 
splattered me with acid.  I was lucky and not 
injured.  I think the internal short rapidly 
vaporized the acid and the explosion was essentially due to steam pressure.

At 01:18 PM 12/15/2010, you wrote:
>We have seen a few instances of the batteries 
>themselves blowing, but not from hydrogen that 
>we could tell. In one case a guy decided to fast 
>charge his battery bank with a DC welding generator...
>
>From: <mailto:allan at positiveenergysolar.com>Allan Sindelar
>Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 11:10 AM
>To: 
><mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery based hydrogen incidents
>
>Knowledge of two incidents - sort of.
>About ten years ago a Hydrocap on an L16 blew 
>apart. Not our installation; I suspect that it 
>became plugged up or overheated, as the array 
>had been recently enlarged. Explosion was 
>contained within the battery enclosure; just made a mess.
>
>About four years ago a small 12V automotive 
>battery used only to start a 6.5 Onan generator 
>blew up, causing modest permanent hearing damage 
>to the homeowner. I wasn't there, and heard 
>about it from her. This wasn't a venting issue, 
>as the battery was on the floor in a ventilated 
>room, but rather apparently a plugged cap in the battery itself.
>
>Otherwise, nothing.
>Allan
>
>Allan Sindelar
><mailto:Allan at positiveenergysolar.com>Allan at positiveenergysolar.com
>NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
>EE98J Journeyman Electrician
>Positive Energy, Inc.
>3201 Calle Marie
>Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
>505 424-1112
><http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/>www.positiveenergysolar.com
>
>On 12/15/2010 10:56 AM, Exeltech wrote:
>>38+ years in RE.  Knowledge of one incident (an off-grid friend).
>>
>>Very sunny day.  Very windy.  My friend had 
>>both PV and a wind generator (still does).  He 
>>had just stepped out of the room where the 
>>batteries were located when (as he described 
>>it) he heard something like a loud gunshot.  He 
>>went back inside to find one of the L16s 
>>exploded, top completely blown off, and case 
>>broken much of the way down one side.
>>
>>Had the incident occurred only minutes earlier, 
>>injuries could have resulted.  He has since 
>>relocated his batteries to a dedicated (and vented) battery space.
>>
>>Dan
>>
>>
>>--- On Wed, 12/15/10, Kent Osterberg 
>><mailto:kent at coveoregon.com>mailto:kent at coveoregon.com wrote:
>>
>>From: Kent Osterberg <mailto:kent at coveoregon.com>mailto:kent at coveoregon.com
>>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery based hydrogen incidents
>>To: "RE-wrenches" 
>><mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>>Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 11:21 AM
>>
>>Sounds like, in general, that the off-grid 
>>industry has been fortunate to not have 
>>hydrogen explosions.  That's good.  No 
>>explosions here either.  But one shouldn't take 
>>that as evidence that it couldn't happen.  I 
>>don't believe this is a circumstance where it 
>>is better to be lucky than good.  That's why I 
>>recommend doing the calculations.
>>
>>Kent Osterberg
>>Blue Mountain Solar
>>
>>
>>
>>Dana wrote:
>>>
>>>Ken –
>>>
>>>
>>>To meet the flow have run 2 and 3 fans to meet 
>>>the flow. 2â€ output from the fan into a 4â€ 
>>>header with a matching 2.5â€ inlet as far 
>>>away on the lowest portion of the battery box.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>In 22+ years in off grid installations I have 
>>>yet to see or even hear of one hydrogen 
>>>explosion. I get repeatedly asked why we have 
>>>to go to the efforts we go to for box and 
>>>venting. I am not able to provide even one incident that I have heard rumor of.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Q - How many battery based hydrogen incidents 
>>>have happened in our collective experience?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Dana Orzel
>>>
>>>Great Solar Works, Inc
>>>
>>>E - 
>>><wlmailhtml:/mc/compose?to=dana at solarwork.com>wlmailhtml:/mc/compose?to=dana at solarwork.com
>>>
>>>V - 970.626.5253
>>>
>>>F - 970.626.4140
>>>
>>>C - 970.209.4076
>>>
>>>web - <http://www.solarwork.com>www.solarwork.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"
>>>
>>>Do not ever belive anything, but seriously trust through action.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>From: 
>>><wlmailhtml:/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org>wlmailhtml:/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org 
>>>[<wlmailhtml:/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org>wlmailhtml:/mc/compose?to=re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] 
>>>On Behalf Of Kent Osterberg
>>>Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:07 PM
>>>To: Wrenches
>>>Subject: [RE-wrenches] Battery Venting
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Fellow Wrenches,
>>>
>>>The discussion about battery venting reminds 
>>>me of a useful and inexpensive program, 
>>><http://pocketengineer.design.officelive.com/battery_ventilation.aspx>BattMV, 
>>>for determining ventilation requirements per 
>>>EN-50272.  EN-50272 is a European standard 
>>>used to determine how much air flow is needed 
>>>for a room, I don't know of a equivalent 
>>>standard used in the U.S.  It takes a 
>>>surprising amount of ventilation.  For a 
>>>400-AH 48-volt L16 bank charged at 57.6 volts 
>>>and 24 amps, it's about 7 CFM just to keep the 
>>>%H2 down to 4%.  A 12-volt Zephyr vent is good 
>>>for about 5 CFM!   If you think you are 
>>>venting enough, take some time and study this issue.
>>>
>>>Kent Osterberg
>>>Blue Mountain Solar
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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