From Submerge Scooters : Product Safety Advisory - Magnus, Minnus and Viper Products
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 3:58PM
Submerge Inc
20th December 2011
To our existing and potential scooter owners:
It has come to our attention today that a Magnus scooter battery pack has caught fire. The Scooter was being charged at the time of the incident. The Minnus and Viper scooters share common battery technology to the Magnus scooter.
We are investigating the incident. The scooter was one of the first Magnus scooters produced, and it was used very heavily by many different divers, so we are unable to determine if the scooter had sustained any mechanical damage over the past 2 years that may have caused or contributed to the fire. We may not be able to determine the precise cause of the fire due to the extensive damage to the battery pack.
We are contacting you as a precaution and as a reminder to please follow the directions for charging these high energy battery packs. Please re-read the charging instructions and understand the additional recommendations below.
If you have any questions please e-mail me at submerge@silent-submersion.com or call me at 561 747 3640.
From the scooter instruction manual on Charging:
"Charging of the scooter must always be done under supervision. Do not leave the battery pack charging unattended. Always charge the scooter away from any flammable materials. Do not charge batteries after any mechanical damage."
and
"DO NOT leave the charger connected to the battery pack once the charge process is complete."
My further recommendation is to prepare a dedicated charging area that is cleared of any flammable materials or other equipment; do not charge or store the scooter in or attached to a dwelling with sleeping occupants, and ensure you have a functioning smoke alarm where the scooter is stored.
Furthermore:
NO SUBMERGE SCOOTER LITHIUM BATTERY PACK IS APPROVED FOR AIRLINE TRANSPORT IN A PASSENGER AIRCRAFT.
(Due to the size/capacity of the pack, not because of the type of cell).
In the unlikely event of a Lithium battery pack fire in these scooters, I would quote from a safety alert from the FAA:
"the following procedures are recommended for fighting a fire of a lithium-type-battery
powered (portable electric device)
The procedures consist of two phases: (1) extinguishing the fire, and (2) cooling the remaining cells to
stop thermal runaway.
(1) Utilize a Halon, Halon replacement or water extinguisher to extinguish the fire and prevent its spread to
additional flammable materials.
(2) After extinguishing the fire, douse the device with water or other non-alcoholic liquids to cool the device and
prevent additional battery cells from reaching thermal runaway.
WARNING: Do not attempt to pick up and move a smoking or burning device! Bodily injury may result.
WARNING: Do not cover the device or use ice to cool the device. Ice or other materials insulate the device,
increasing the likelihood that additional battery cells will reach thermal runaway."
As not many of you will have ready access to halon, it can be summed up as USE WATER to extinguish the fire then continue to douse with water until the pack is cold.
The full FAA safety advisory can be viewed at:
Thank you for your attention.
Rodney Nairne
Submerge Scooters
Jupiter, FL USA
561 747 3640