[TheForge] Battery technology (was Cordless drills)

[Jerry Frost]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ralph Douglass" <douglass at ptdcs2.ra.intel.com>

>
> LOl Jerry.
> Well never had the fun of an exploding battery. But I did get to see
> what about 5 lbs of copper do once they cross the terminals of a battery
> bank on a submarine. Imagine lying on top of a non-conductive grate
> about 6 inch above the cells. ( each cell is 2 foot square and 4 foot
> long) the compartment ceiling is about 16 inches above your head.
> Then the nice white/purple flash and spattering of molten copper. The
> sounds...... Then the need for a fresh change of shorts.
>
> Ahhhh the good ole days. I am really glad that I do not have to redo
> them.
>
> Ralph
> -- 


Actually I have seen batteries explode. Three times in one week in high 
school, two in auto shop and one in metal shop way back when. There was this 
fellow, a ner do well name of Matt G. who held the record for getting 
himself kicked out of more shop classes than anybody to date. (Way back 
when, maybe somebody's beaten his record but I have trouble believing even 
the LA school district has that flat a learning curve)

By time he managed to convince them to let him take auto shop his reputation 
was pretty well know so the instructor usually made him stand right next to 
him while everybody else in class did an exercise so he could watch. Then if 
he could answer the questions correctly the instructor would let him give it 
a try while the instructor stood over his shoulder watching.

Well, we were learning how to charge a battery. The proceedure was: Make 
sure the charger was unplugged and turned off, attach the clamps, red on 
pos, black on neg, plug the charger in and turn it on to the correct 
voltage, set the timer. Once it is confirmed the battery was taking a charge 
the next step was correctly take the charger off the battery. Turn the 
charger off, unplug it, remove the clamps neg first, then pos.

Well the miscreant student did everything correctly up to the point the 
instructor said, "okay, good enough now remove the charger" (or something 
very similar it's been a LONG time). With a smug smile old (probably didn't 
live long enough to get old) Matt G. just ripped the clamps off the battery. 
(Instructor's fault for failing to realize just how retarded Matt G. 
is/was(?))

Well, this poor old battery had just spent the past 30 minutes or so having 
kids hook a pre trickle charger battery charger to it, turn it on for about 
a minute and disconnect it. It was already plenty warm and outgassing so 
when the ever brilliant Matt G. ripped the clamps off it made a wumping 
sound as it blew it's top spraying Matt G. in hot battery acid and sending 
everybody else running. Actually many of us had already retreated out of the 
battery area when Matt G. started the exercise so we were out of the line of 
fire and retreat.

Fortunately Matt G. shielded most of the rest of the kids and instructor 
from the spray and several guys grabbed him, threw him in the sink and 
rinsed while they stripped him. The instructor then liberally doused him in 
baking soda and had him rinsed again.

Matt G. went home in lost and found clothes that day. (An improvement 
actually)

Two days later he was changing the battery in his car and laid a 10" 
crescent across the terminals. I was close enough to see this one too. Well, 
most everybody in class stopped what they were doing to watch Matt G. 
messing with another battery. I have NO idea what the instructor was doing 
but he didn't know.

The wrench turned blue, then red, then yellow and as the top of the battery 
began to bubble the wrench slumped into contact. Whump! Off to the sink 
while one of the other guys ran to another shop class for more baking soda. 
Matt G.'s wardrobe was once again enhanced from the lost and found and he 
lost his auto shop priveleges. Permanently.

The very next day Matt G. decided to charge the old battery he had to return 
to his car and managed to completely forget the lesson on charging from auto 
shop. This was in occupational heavy metal. I wa also present for this 
performance though I didn't know he ws doing it so didn't actually see it. I 
did see him thrown into the sink and hosed off again.

Maybe Matt G. needed new clothes?

About two weeks later Matt G. got permanently thrown out of occupational 
heavy metal shop for shoving a piece of wet aluminum into the crucible of 
molten aluminum. The week before he'd poured water in a mold to see what 
would happen. It was only a LITTLE water!

Sorry Jim, no fertalizer in the state soils lab. I had to be a lot more 
creative than that.

I could never be as creative as Matt G. <sigh>

Frosty
------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.