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Fatal e-scooter fire south of Brisbane 'likely' caused by incompatible charger, coroner finds (www.abc.net.au)

submitted 4 months ago by Zagorath@aussie.zone to c/brisbane@aussie.zone

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[–] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

I do not like the central focus of the ABC article on just the incompatible charger. Events like this are not caused by a single point of failure, multiple failures have to occur (including electrical, social & regulatory) for this to occur.

Link to full copy of the coroner's report (8 pages, contents are about the same level of intensity as the ABC article, mentions burns and treatment).

The coroner concludes with TWO recommendations, not just one:

The circumstances in which Tyson died serve as a tragic reminder of the importance of only using chargers that are supplied with the equipment or device, or certified third-party charging equipment that is compatible with the battery specifications. Using chargers with incorrect power delivery (voltage and current) can cause damage to the battery that can lead to rapidly developing, intense and self-sustaining fires. The circumstances in which Tyson died serve as a tragic reminder of the importance of only using chargers that are supplied with the equipment or device, or certified third-party charging equipment that is compatible with the battery specifications. Using chargers with incorrect power delivery (voltage and current) can cause damage to the battery that can lead to rapidly developing, intense and self-sustaining fires. Large batteries and equipment such as e-scooters should be charged away from living spaces and in an area equipped with a compliant smoke alarm.

Two points of failure for us to improve on is better than only one. But I still think it's poor for the coroner to not mention all of the other factors that could have individually prevented this.

Using the wrong charger should (ideally) be something that any big battery pack can survive -- every big battery pack should (ideally) contain protection circuitry that shuts it off when abnormal conditions are detected. But I know this gets omitted (it costs a few dollars) and it's something we need to change.

I also wonder if it was a charging system without a cell balancer. Those can work safely sometimes (with very matched cells), but again that single layer of protection can be the difference between fire and no fire.

Let's not put all the blame on the poor guy that died because of this. Using the wrong charger is only one mistake, there should be other layers to protect you.

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 11 points 4 months ago

Two points of failure for us to improve on is better than only one. But I still think it’s poor for the coroner to not mention all of the other factors that could have individually prevented this.

Using the wrong charger should (ideally) be something that any big battery pack can survive – every big battery pack should (ideally) contain protection circuitry that shuts it off when abnormal conditions are detected. But I know this gets omitted (it costs a few dollars) and it’s something we need to change.

Hear, hear. The battery should absolutely not be exploding if you use the wrong charger. It should just switch off and fail to charge. And I think any battery which doesn't do this should be illegal to sell or import into Australia. It's basic consumer protections.

[–] DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Couldn't they have different plugs for different current and voltage. If something can fit, someone's gonna get it wrong eventually. Safest to make it not fit.

[–] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 2 points 4 months ago

Yes and no.

Different approximate voltages: yes, different connectors are a good idea. Don't put 150VDC into an input that expects 12V, its protection circuitry might not be able to block it.

Custom connectors for exact voltages, cell numbers and charging currents: next to impossible. Even within the traditional Li-ion family there is too much variation, let alone now that we have LiFEPO4, high-voltage Li-ion and sodium-ion on the market. You still need to integrate the charging controller OR at least a protection circuit into the pack itself.

I don't know exactly what happened in this fatal fire based off just the coroner's report, it mentions that much of the evidence was burned and destroyed. It's worth keeping an open mind for unexpected things like adaptor cables that come with the charger or mislabelled connectors that both say the same (wrong) things.