Another mech question- battery fit tight, problem in an emergency?

[conanthewarrior]

Hello.

I have another question regarding a mechanical mod. Sorry to ask so many questions, I just would rather always be safe than sorry.

I today received my first authentic tube mech, a Wotofo Phantom. I know this is not a high end mod, but it still seems well made to me, is pretty weighty and I like it.

The only thing is, on inserting a battery, the tolerance is very tight to the battery. Enough that it will hold the battery in place, and you need to give a gentle tap to get the battery out.

Now, I don't plan on building dangerously low, or venting any batteries, but realise accidents can happen. The mod does have vent holes at the bottom by the fire button, but I am thinking due to the extremely tight tolerance, if there was a vent, these would not work being at the negative end of the mod.

Am I just over thinking things? And is it normal for authentic mechs to have tighter tolerances like this? If so, it is just where I am not used to it.

Thank you all for your help, Conan.

 

[nightshard]

It's most likely not the tube that is too narrow but the wrap of the battery that is too thick.

In case of venting the fumes will find their way out and in case of thermal runaway it won't matter.
If you sense something is wrong drop the mech and move away, don't try to fiddle with the battery.

 

[conanthewarrior]

It's most likely not the tube that is too narrow but the wrap of the battery that is too thick.

In case of venting the fumes will find their way out and in case of thermal runaway it won't matter.
If you sense something is wrong drop the mech and move away, don't try to fiddle with the battery.

Thank you for your help.

It was indeed not the tube that was too narrow- it was the sticker on the battery making it too snug. We get stickers on our batteries in the UK, which say "3.7V Li-Ion XXXMAH". They are apparently needed due to the method of shipping.
Once I had removed the stickers, the battery wasn't so snug, there was a tiny bit of room.

I tend to worry about things quite a bit, if I did sense something was wrong, like say the mod suddenly started to heat up fast, I wouldn't try to get the battery out or keep hold of the mod.
I live down a quiet road, and have a small room. Where my room is small it gets very warm, so I always have the window open. If anything bad did happen, I would do my best to throw it out as the window is large.

If I missed though, I would just get away. I would then deal with what happened afterwards when safe- following correct safety though I hope this will never happen.

 

[scalewiz]

When a lithium battery begins to vent, it will do so out of the positive end. If you inspect an unwrapped battery you find that the battery is in a metal can, with no seams on the negative end. The battery is assembled and then the positive end is crimped/sealed. The gases will always begin to vent from this seal.

Mods should have their vents in the positive ends! When beginning to fail, the battery will also swell due to the internal pressure that builds up before the seal gives way. This can possibly block the tube and prevent the gases from reaching the bottom vent holes. A few holes strategically drilled into the top of a mod may help.

Failure can be very rapid. As Conan said, if anything about the mod overheats, throw it towards a safe place and get the hell away.

 

[conanthewarrior]

When a lithium battery begins to vent, it will do so out of the positive end. If you inspect an unwrapped battery you find that the battery is in a metal can, with no seams on the negative end. The battery is assembled and then the positive end is crimped/sealed. The gases will always begin to vent from this seal.

Mods should have their vents in the positive ends! When beginning to fail, the battery will also swell due to the internal pressure that builds up before the seal gives way. This can possibly block the tube and prevent the gases from reaching the bottom vent holes. A few holes strategically drilled into the top of a mod may help.

Failure can be very rapid. As Conan said, if anything about the mod overheats, throw it towards a safe place and get the hell away.

Hi there @scalewiz .

I realise how our batteries are designed, and where they vent from, hence my question about the tight fit and vent holes at the bottom of the mod. I realise you may of just been speaking in general though about batteries .

I have wondered myself why vent holes are at the bottom, especially in cases of tight tubes.

Then again though, if you are at the point of a battery venting, you should be well away from the mod if you have warning. They are there as a worst case scenario thing, to stop the mod turning into a pipe bomb under venting.

If a battery went into thermal runaway though. I doubt vent holes would help at all. It is harder to get the batteries we now use into thermal runaway though than say an ICR type battery.

 

[scalewiz]

I too have laughed at the tiny vent concept at the bottom of most mods. In truth, I think the mods that have blown up and caused injuries had vents. A couple tiny holes won't slow that 'pipe bomb'. Almost all tube mods will fit into this category.

Battery technology has changed for the better though. Still, we get to view the occasional video of the carelessness of some, and poorly made crap is still available to many.

 

[conanthewarrior]

I too have laughed at the tiny vent concept at the bottom of most mods. In truth, I think the mods that have blown up and caused injuries had vents. A couple tiny holes won't slow that 'pipe bomb'. Almost all tube mods will fit into this category.

Battery technology has changed for the better though. Still, we get to view the occasional video of the carelessness of some, and poorly made crap is still available to many.

That is true, in that if there is enough pressure very tiny holes will not prevent much if they can not release the pressure fast enough. I have only actually read of one mod exploding, the rest were batteries being carried loose in pockets, but labelled as E-cig explosions here in the UK.

I do agree that battery technology has evolved into something much safer than people used previously, and not that long ago on the scale of things. When I started to vape, the blue 25R was already available, so I have always had newer chemistry batteries.

I think one of the biggest dangers of poorly made crap would come down to batteries. I own a fair few clones in my collection, that are of good quality (to me anyway). Some tanks I have the authentic and clone, and performance wise, I can't tell an actual difference. For instance I like the Crius, and my fiancee has a clone, and they all seem to be good.

There probably is some dangerous cheap stuff available out there though that I have just not encountered.

 

[nightshard]

Some mechs have top vents and some have bottom.

A battery can vent slowly and gradually without swelling and going critical and it that case then fumes pass through the top cap, the space between the battery and the tube, then through the bottom airholes.

If I had fumes escaping my mech I'd rather have them facing away from my face and not into it.

 

[conanthewarrior]

Some mechs have top vents and some have bottom.

A battery can vent slowly and gradually without swelling and going critical and it that case then fumes pass through the top cap, the space between the battery and the tube, then through the bottom airholes.

If I had fumes escaping my mech I'd rather have them facing away from my face and not into it.

Very true, it's why I mentioned I imagine they are there for a worst case scenario protection if your battery vents. If the battery vents as it should, say in the case of a 25R under its stress tests, it should only be a level 1 failure, which is a leak/vent.

I think in this condition, the vent holes would help allow the fumes and electrolyte to escape. I would also not want hot gases going towards my face thinking about it.

If full on thermal runaway happened though, vent holes aren't going to help. By that time the mod should be well away from you, that is even if it got to this stage.