Lithium-Ion batteries and F1

[John S]

Dreamliners grounded for checks, but Li-Ion F1 use set to rise.         
Dieter Rencken writing for Autosport.com suggests the problems of the air industry may spill over into F1, but what effect could this have?
Li-Ion batteries could be banned by the Air authorities in the near future, that being the case, where will that leave F1? At the moment, approx 600kg of Li-Ion batteries will be shipped around the world, next year that figure will be something in excess of 3 Tonnes.
But surely the Li-Ion batteries in a discharged state are stable, in which case there is no beef over transportation?

There has also been constant speculation that the fire in the Williams' pit at Catalunya last year was Li-ion related, this Williams deny. Other sources suggest the Williams pit fire was caused by the team changing the metal earthing wheels on their fuel containers with felt ones, as the metal ones damaged their garage floor. This let to a static buildup which ignited the fuel. Had nothing to do with batteries or electrics at all.

Much internal debate has surrounded Formula 1's 2014 engine regulations, but the biggest obstacles could yet come from outside the sport. Dieter Rencken analyses what impact Boeing's recent battery crisis could have on F1's future

It was a sight to strike fear into the heart of even the most travel-hardened pilot: the white/blue ANA 787 'Nightmareliner' parked with all emergency chutes deployed. The reason: smouldering lithium-ion batteries of the type that were certified for a single incident in over 10 million flying hours, yet had allegedly caused two incidents within two weeks in two different aircraft belonging to separate airlines despite Boeing's flagship Dreamliner having amassed less than one per cent of the certified travel.

All 787s have now been grounded pending investigations by aviation authorities in both the USA and Japan. While the problems hold massive ramifications for the giant Chicago-based aircraft manufacturer with annual revenues of almost $100 billion, the fallout could seriously affect Formula 1, particularly the sport's 'green' power units scheduled for 2014 introduction, which will pack around five times the overall Li-ion power when compared with the current KERS-supplemented drivetrains.

Dieter Rencken, Autosport.com.

[lkjohnson1950]

Not sure about Li-Ion batteries, but Lithium Iron (LIFE) and Lithium Polymer (LIPO) batteries cannot be fully discharged without damaging the cells.

[F1fanaticBD]

There many incidences where this sort of batteries caught fire due to over-heating in many devices, so it does not come as a surprise to me that they are facing trouble in the airliner industry, where simple little defect can end up being a fatal cause of several death and damage.

In Formula 1, on the other hand, it can only bring excitement of unreliability, so please bring it on

[cosworth151]

Don't forget the Flaming Fiskers. Several Fisker Karma electric cars have had battery fires. Li-Ion batteries have also been linked to fires in laptops and mobile phones.

IMO, Boeing made a huge mistake in farming out so much of the Dreamliner's design & manufacture. The electrical system was farmed out. GS Yuasa designed the batteries.