Battery Explosion! What Happened?

[Industrial Toys]

Another guy I know had a battery on charge explode from grinder sparks.

I remember seeing a documentary once. Small single engine prop aircraft had a heavier engine installed. They moved the battery rearward to compensate for balance. Control cables came in contact with battery post, burned through and down she went.

Law of unintended consequences!

 

[PILOON]

In the past I did a lot of mods on aircraft. Fun and challenge.
You just can't rush and have to consider all sorts of 'ifs'.
I modded some 25 single engine AC for ferry flights across the Atlantic.
Meeting the regulations was the challenge.
My best was 5 crop dusters going to Africa for spraying.
They had huge hoppers for spraying up front so I decided that I'd put the fuel in the hoppers and plumb them back to the usual tank.
Also had to modify those VFR only planes to full IFR capability's to meet regulations.
I told the client I'd deliver but needed a literal blank check.
We did deliver and on time!
The trick was to do all them exactly the same as I obtained approval based on the first which was prototype and therefore one DOT approval was valid for all 5.
With lots of phone time and co operation from UPS and customs I was able to complete the job in a mere 3 weeks.
Them was good times.

Ask me if I love challenges!

And even today I love doing mods on tractors, much easier as I don't have to meet aviation standards and inspections. Just use my noggin and consider safety issues. Plus nobody comes to inspect and exercise their bureaucratic whims.

 

[rd_macgregor]

And even today I love doing mods on tractors, much easier as I don't have to meet aviation standards and inspections. Just use my noggin and consider safety issues. Plus nobody comes to inspect and exercise their bureaucratic whims.

At least if a tractor mod doesn't work out, the let-down is usually less severe than with an aircraft.

 

[PILOON]

At least if a tractor mod doesn't work out, the let-down is usually less severe than with an aircraft.

For sure as U can always pull over to the road side while in an aircraft you had better be over a highway that has no traffic.

Hey, I have only crashed twice, LOL luck had it that there was long open field under me.
But being very mechanically inclined I repaired my mistakes and actually earned my mechanics license in the process.
(one time was an engine failure (not my fault) and the other was a 'precautionary landing that went bad'.)

 

[lakeside]

I didn't have a battery explode on me but I did have the cell cover fly off. I was cleaning my truck battery when I heard a muffled bang and the cell cover flew over my shoulder and my face was peppered with small drops of battery acid.

I always wear safety glasses when around batteries and the only place that wasn't stinging was where the safety glasses covered my eyes. A quick rinse with a garden hose and I was good as new. If I hadn't been wearing my glasses I'd would have been off to the ER. It happened at my country place where EMT response time is, at best, 15 minutes.

 

[ultrarunner]

Are battery guy said to always keep the distilled water to the top of the ring at the fill... can't have hydrogen gas build up if there isn't any room for it to accumulate.

Had one battery explode while I was over it... about 12.

Acid everywhere and a couple of minutes my clothes were shreds.

 

[GLyford]

My brother spilled acid on a set of work clothes changing a battery. They were mostly ok, at the first wash there were a few pinholes and thin spots, but by the 2nd or 3rd wash they pretty much fell apart.

 

[PILOON]

My brother spilled acid on a set of work clothes changing a battery. They were mostly ok, at the first wash there were a few pinholes and thin spots, but by the 2nd or 3rd wash they pretty much fell apart.

As teen I had been messing around making hydrogen filled balloons.
Couple hot days later I did an impromptu water ski run a friends and simply rolled up my pant legs being the hot shot skier that never fell.
LOL he cut the engine on me as a joke and when I unrolled my pants all that I had left were cuffs and a belt.

The acid fumes created during the hydrogen forming process entered the fabric and were only activated when in contact with water.

Had mother washed them she would have had quite a shock.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Had they been purchased at SEARS, you could have brought them back.

 

[coldsteelva]

Had they been purchased at SEARS, you could have brought them back.

Slight aside: Just read that Sears no longer will carry/sell Whirlpool appliances after 100 years, to include Maytag, KitchenAid and JennAir subsidiary products. The end is near for Sears.