Story ID: 335
Containment Kits Protect Against Lithium Battery Fires
By: Bill Carey
Caption: Containment Kits Protect Against Lithium Battery Fires
Word Count: 456
Baker Aviation (Booth 1724) has announced the availability of new fire-containment kits for lithium-ion battery powered devices. The company is also supplying a military service with a new drone battery containment kit.

An aircraft maintenance, management and charter company based in Addison, Texas, Baker Aviation is a master distributor of the Hot-Stop L fire-containment kits manufactured by Industrial Energy Products (IEP) of Mount Joy, Pa. The kits safely contain fires, explosions and smoke emissions from lithium-ion battery powered devices without the aid of a water supply. (Hot-Stop products do allow for the use of water when necessary; for additional containment, for example, for airlines and other operators complying with FAA safety guidance.)

Recently, Baker Aviation introduced the Evolution series of Hot-Stop L kits with an added zipper closure designed for the airline industry. The kits minimize the risk of unknown devices being brought on board aircraft, including portable battery packs and e-cigarettes as well as equipment such as defibrillators, and electronic flight bags that are carried inside the cockpit.

“The variety of lithium-ion battery powered devices carried on board airliners today are an unknown threat; therefore, we developed the Evolution bag with a new closure system that has an additional zipper that will contain fire and smoke emissions from a wide range of devices,” said Ray Goyco, Baker Aviation president and COO. “The additional zipper closure will effectively contain excess smoke that might come from items manufactured with more plastic and less metal, the way many consumer electronics are made today.”

The Hot Stop L kits include a pair of heavily insulated 14-inch safety gloves and come in multiple sizes to fit various devices, up to the size of a laptop computer. The bags are made up of multiple durable fabrics with a felt inner core that has a 3,200 deg F melting point, sandwiched between two outer layers that have a 2,080 deg F melting point, and are proven to absorb energy and fire while eliminating the escape of smoke, sparks and flames. The solution has been demonstrated twice in live-fire evaluations at the FAA Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., and independently tested by flight departments and airlines.

Baker Aviation and IEP will replace any Hot Stop L bag that has been used to contain a lithium-ion battery thermal runaway for free. The 20- by 20-inch Hot Stop L price is $1,850, which includes the gloves.

Baker Aviation is now providing a newly developed drone battery containment kit for an unidentified military service. “This is another example of the tailored containment solutions that we provide to the lithium-ion battery powered device market to mitigate risks of runaway fire, smoke and explosion,” said Goyco.