FONA 3G battery safety

Adafruit cellular platform - SMS and IoT over celluar

Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.
Locked
User avatar
C_R
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:34 am

FONA 3G battery safety

Post by C_R »

Hi,

I intend to use the FONA 3G in a monitoring system for a pellet heater and since this will be a system that runs 24/7 I'm curious as to what input you all have concerning battery safety. The LiPo have internal protective circuitry, but I still am not entirely comfortable using them. Anyone have any input on possible caveats or can I proceed without further reservations?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

User avatar
dastels
 
Posts: 15656
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:22 pm

Re: FONA 3G battery safety

Post by dastels »

I've never worried about it and have never had any issue. Pretty much any/every portable electronic gadget has a LiPo inside. You phone, watch, fitbit, bluetooth head/ear phones, etc. Treat them well and you'll be fine: don't puncture them, don't short them, and don't heat them excessively. Read https://learn.adafruit.com/li-ion-and-lipoly-batteries for more information.

Dave

User avatar
rpiloverbd
 
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:13 am

Re: FONA 3G battery safety

Post by rpiloverbd »

Here are some lipo battery safety tips that you may find helpful: https://m.greenway-battery.com/news/LIP ... ng-55.html

User avatar
rskup
 
Posts: 230
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:04 pm

Re: FONA 3G battery safety

Post by rskup »

Like yourself I've worried here and there about lipo's (even though I have several cell boards and lipo's scattered haphazardly all over my benchtop at the moment).

You could use a lipo charging box if you really wanted to be safe, often see them in the RC websites, etc....

Just google "lipo charging box". They're metal with thick insulation and vent holes.

User avatar
C_R
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:34 am

Re: FONA 3G battery safety

Post by C_R »

Thank you all for your input! I guess I'm excessively cautious due to the fact that I'm doing this project for an acquaintance.
The FONA-module will be constantly powered, and therefore constantly charging the battery, and wall-mounted in a box near the heater.
As the heater goes into error mode it will output a 230 VAC-signal to a relay mounted in the same box connected to an Arduino, which in turn controls the FONA.
I think it will work out just fine, but feel a little more reassured after your comments.

Stay hacking and thanks again!
/Chris

User avatar
adafruit_support_bill
 
Posts: 88092
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am

Re: FONA 3G battery safety

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

You could use a lipo charging box if you really wanted to be safe, often see them in the RC websites, etc....
The RC hobby use-case pushes LiPo cells to their limits and a fireproof charging box is a sensible precaution for that hobby. RC LiPo packs are designed for ultra-high charge and discharge rates. And many intentionally leave out the protection circuit (better to land your plane with a damaged cell then to crash due to an abrupt power cutout).

All the cells in our store are equipped with protection circuits to guard against over-current and over-discharge. And our chargers default to a relatively low charge rate to minimize stress on the cells. If you size the cell appropriately for the load and keep the cell protected from physical damage and temperature extremes, the risk of problems is quite low.

Locked
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.

Return to “FONA”