Jump to content

New TSA regulations on Lithium batteries


Palouse

Recommended Posts

Come on Matt. I can post hundreds of videos of everything from cologne to hairspray burning like crazy. I am not convinced this is about the extremely unlikely event that a couple of batteries may short and cause a cargo fire.

 

Read this nonsense...""Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires," said Krista Edwards, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

 

Lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials because they can overheat and ignite in certain conditions. Safety testing conducted by the FAA found that current aircraft cargo fire suppression system would not be capable of suppressing a fire if a shipment of non-rechargeable lithium batteries were ignited in flight."

 

Lithium batteries as freight have been banned from commercial flights since 2004 BTW.

 

Now read this:

 

New Lithium Battery Rules for U.S. Airplanes

Starting in 2008, there are new rules for bringing lithium batteries on airplanes:

 

The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of "equivalent lithium content." 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:

Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.

 

You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are shown below.

 

 

For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.

 

 

"Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!

 

Near as I can tell, this affects pretty much no one except audio/visual professionals. And the TSA isn't saying whether this is a safety issue or a security issue. They aren't giving any reason."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's concede - for argument's sake - that the TSA's new regulations

with respect to lithium batteries are mumbo-jumbo mumblings of "grams"

and "watt-hours" and suitcase vs. carry-on and other less-than-perfectly-clear things.

 

Let's suppose that passenger X gets to a US airport and has his stuff

(carry-on only, please!) checked by the TSA. Passenger has 2 X modern DSLRs, a cell, a laptop, a flashlight with 2 X AA lithiums, a GPS with

3 X AA lithiums, a camera flash with 4 X AA lithiums, and maybe an Ipod or a portable storage device (which, since I do not have them, I can only suppose use lithium batteries). All batteries are installed

in all devices mentioned above.

 

How many uninstalled (spare) batteries might the passenger take with him; those not installed in devices?

 

Answers may not be in "grams", "watts" "torque" "joules" or "vectors".

Answers must be in battery units.

Can someone answer?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The lithium content is not marked on any of my Lithium batteries. Lets say I carry my extra Lithium batteries for my Epson RD-1; will the TSA grab them? Last I remember the same chaps were concerned that my Leica M3 would Not "turn on" and the Luna Pro lightmeter was totally confusing to them. If the spare lithiums are "installed" on the dovetail of the chargers would this pass? I remember having to ship back my sisters Mac laptop once that wouldn't turm on; and once a flash unit's Nicad pack; and also having to remove film from *film* cameras to show the TSA agents that there is a shutter; ie its a camera.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing that makes these new regs so terrible has little or nothing to do with the regulations themselves - which I still do not perfectly

understand. The unclarity leads to confusion

for both the passenger and the TSA personnel (mercy on them)in the application and enforcement of these new rules.

 

The difficulty is further exacerbated when these new rules begin to percolate outside the US; how does the UK, Russia, Argentina, Tanzania, India make application and enforce

these rules on flights to the US?

 

It seems every country, and sometimes airports within a country will

have its own variant application. They basically do now, for goodness sakes.

 

To restate: the problem is not the rule but rather the unclear language and the expectation (not unwarranted due to past experience)

that the rule will not be applied/enforced uniformly. Rules which are not uniform in their application are no rules at all, but rather obstacles.

 

Thank you Ilkka for your brave efforts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many of you seem pretty confident that TSA screeners will understand the "8 grams of lithium" rule. My personal experience suggests to me that they will not.

 

I wear contact lenses. The solution I use doesn't come in a 3 oz or smaller container and because it needs to be kept sterile, it can't be transferred to another container. Contact solution is, as a medical item, specifically excluded from the 3 oz. limitation on liquids in carry-on items. Yet even though this is the case, I can't tell you how many times I've simply thrown out a bottle of solution because "you can only take 3 oz. containers of liquid on-board."

 

The reality is that too many (not all, but too many) TSA screeners will latch on to the simplest, most black and white interpretation of the rule and then enforce that. The simplest, most black and white rule with respect to batteries seems to be "no more than 2 extra batteries."

 

Counting on the TSA screeners to understand the exception for batteries with less than 8 grams of lithium and enforce it correctly is a big gamble. My batteries aren't marked with their lithium content and I wouldn't expect showing the screener a copy of a page from the internet listing the content to help. Trying to convince a screener that you are correct and he/she is wrong is, at best, likely to get you on a later flight and all the people in line behind you really annoyed.

 

I don't mind losing a quarter of a bottle of contact solution that cost $7 for the full bottle; I do mind having to toss the expensive batteries that power my cameras.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The contact lens solutions I buy dont come in the small sizes either; thus they get chucked out by the TSA experts; saying its not a medical item too. Thus I do transfer some to a smaller container; but this is done the day of the flight, the spoilage chance is less. I typically use a brand new eyedrop bottle; dump it out then add the wetting solution; then squirt it thru the end to flush out residuals. This is risky if the bottle is not clean, a witched brew that can infect ones eyes. Thus sometimes I just use regular bottle thats half empty; dont sweat if it gets chucked. But then one has to figure out what darn solution to use if one takes ones contacts off; and hope to hell the checked luggage is not lost.<BR><BR>Looking at realistically; expecting items to be confiscated is probably a safe bet; even if they are totally in the wrong. On service calls I have had them not allow 5 minute expoxies, solder, solder flux, dinky tubes of rtv. You just have to land and rebuy theses items; and add the hassles to the customers bill. For a regular customer its easier to keep a supply of common items at their site; instead of chasing down a radio shack, walmart, frys.<BR><BR>The most annoying thing is to have a TSA chap want to open 4x5 film boxes; cameras, 120 rolls. Part of films dying off are due to this jackassery.<BR><BR>The whole gambit of explaining your *rightness*; showing what you printed got off of TSA sites holds up the line. It challenges the coffee and donut cop factor's black and white attitude on correctness.<BR><BR><BR><BR>The 2 gram rule is for non-rechargeable batteries<BR><BR>The 8 gram rule is for rechargeable batteries.<BR><BR>One can sleep well knowing the TSA chaps are versed with math. All one has to do is know the amp hours and voltage to do a swag on the Lithium content. The EU-85 battery for the Epson Rd-1 is 3.7 volts and 1500 mAH . Since its 3.7 volts its just 1 cell. The amp hours is 1500/1000=1.5 . Lithium in grams swag/guess is 0.3 times the amp hours or 0.3 * 1.5 or 0.45 grams. Since the TSA grabs my contact lens solution that are in the law the majority of the time; this added math will be interesting. <BR><BR>For a more complex item like my Ridgid 24volt 3.0 AmpHour batteries for my saws/drill/hammer drill; the math is as follows: 24 volts/ 3.7volts = 6.48 cells; ie 6 cells. The lithium mass estimate then is 6 cells times 3.0 amp hour times 0.3 = 5.4 grams.<BR><BR>For my IBM T30 laptops spares battery can go in the CD slot; its a 10.8 volt 3.2 amp hour. Thus the lithium mass is 3 cells times 3.2 AH times 0.3 = 2.9 grams. The main battery is 4.4 AH; 10.8 volts; thus mass of the Lithium is 3 *4.4 *0.3 =4 grams.<BR><BR>All these batteries are under the 8 gram rule. Batteries for video lighting may breach the limit.<BR><BR>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

With a 8grams one would have as an estimate 8/0.3 = 27 Amp hours. Or 27 * 3.7 volts = 100 watthours for those 8 grams. <BR><BR>Thus if one multiplies the volts on the LI rechargeable pack by the AMP HOURS; and its less than 100; your pack has less than 8 grams. The Ridgid pack above is 24volts; 3 Amp hour; ie 72 watt hours; ie less than 8 grams since less than 100 Watt hours.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello everyone

I think this is a problem. First , I am amazed how for some people the safety rules could

only be terrorism related. Come on , everyone in the history of plane accidents, there are

many more accidents due to technical problem or human failure than terrorism

So this to say while I can undertsand while they would want to play it safe -for us- by

asking not to check those batteries in checked luggage or ask them to put them in plastic

bags. But that distinction about lithium grams contents, who is going to argue with a TSA

member

ANYONE with some traveling experience is going to verify that as Jennifer Marshall clearly

explains it , before long the rule will simply become not more than two extra spare

batteries per passenger.

Any serious Photographer -especially now with digital SLR- will have at least have two

bodies on any given trip ( one as back up if something happens). add the cell and the

laptop. For me I also need an extra battery for my epson p5000 for downloading my pics

after the shoot ( safety issue before they are downloaded to my home computer)\

so why my cell and laptop can do with their installed batteries, I already have three spare

with one spare battery for each of my 2 cameras and one for the epson

As far as getting a vertical grip, I am not sure that this would count as installed device but

I guess this is now a must have for me even if I have no need for this battery grip

whatsoever

not to mention also how these rules are going to be interpreted when traveling overseas

whole can't they install their regulations in a understandable way

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On Sunday, I flew with a ProRoller and a Tamrac backpack with 2 batteries for my F6 (1 in the camera), 3 for my D70s and 6 for my D300 and a group of lithium AAs. Part of the batteries were in their cameras and the others were extras. I misplaced the end cover for an EN-EL3e and I just bought a $1 plastic travel soap dish. All of it went through without a whimper.

 

I still can't find the end cover.

 

Conni

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...