He’s got a BOMB!!💣💣💣

Lithium-ion cells are amazing feats of engineering, but they are also tiny bombs!!

There are tons of things that can make a lithium-ion cell burn or explode. They really are a sketchy way to store electricity😂.

If they get to hot, they can explode. If they discharge too fast, they can explode. If they charge too fast, they can explode. If they get overcharged, they can explode. If they short circuit, they can explode. If they get smashed or penetrated, they can explode. If they get too old, they can explode. And the list goes on...

Fortunately, they have ways of reducing the chances of those things happening to the point of barely needing to think about it.

The size of cells are nice even numbers, but if you’ve ever compared different cells that are the “same” size, you’ll notice that length and diameter vary between models and manufacturers.

That can lead to much annoyance when you’re trying to fit a cell that’s longer or fatter than expected into a flashlight.

There are two types of cells. Protected and unprotected.

Unprotected cells are self-explanatory. There’s nothing built into the cell to protect it from anything on the list of explosions. These cells are also the ones that are the nice even dimensions. They rely on the electronics built into the light or charger to keep them safe.

Protected cells have that protection built into them, but the protection circuits add size. They need a circuit board on them to stop all the dangerous stuff like over-discharge, overly rapid discharge, overheating and over-charging.

They also have pressure release valves built in that will vent the gases from overheating, usually from over charging them. The valves are permanent and if they blow, the cell is dead.

Got anything you want to know about flashlights? Let me know and I'll add it to my How to Speak Flashlight list.

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