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US Bars Lithium-ion Batteries From Passenger Aircraft Cargo (cnet.com)
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration have issued new rules designed to protect air passengers from the potential dangers of lithium ion batteries. From a report: The new Transportation Department rules come after Congress last year directed the agency to adopt the new rules. The new restriction doesn't apply to passengers or crew bringing electronics aboard aircraft. "This rule will strengthen safety for the traveling public by addressing the unique challenges lithium batteries pose in transportation," US Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said in a statement. In the past couple of years, the use of lithium-ion batteries has been linked to fires and spewing smoke in a slew of products, including Samsung's now-canceled Galaxy Note 7, hoverboards and Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
The new rules allow for lithium-ion cells and batteries to be shipped on cargo-only aircraft at a state of charge not exceeding 30 percent when packed with or contained within equipment of devices. The agency also said it would allow up to two lithium-ion batteries for use in medical devices on passenger aircraft at a state of charge higher than 30 percent when the batteries' destination isn't serviced by daily cargo flights.
The proper response would have been to ban all Li-Ion batteries from passenger aircraft holds and cargo aircraft. This would have forced manufacturers to air-ship phones and laptops without batteries. With any luck, this would have encouraged the development of standardized, user installable batteries for electronics that would have ground-shipped to brick-and-mortar places and been readily available for sale.
Sadly, no one has the balls to disrupt the disposable device cartels.
As long as they are carrying passengers.
are the feds going to ban commercial passenger flights from carrying u.s. mail? because they move a LOT of mail for the post office... and li-ion batteries and the devices that contain them are allowed in the mail.
If this presents a real and measurable risk then -
Based on the number of these batteries that are stored in peoples homes, hundreds of homes must have already been destroyed by them.
Is that true?
Should homeowner's insurance include a "battery clause"?
MH370 may of been downed by them!
Just google for "lithium polymer fire".
So I'm curious how this is going to work when I bring my Camera bag ( Think Tank Glass Limo ) with me as a carry-on and the flight attendant tells me there isn't any room and I will need to check my bag. Batteries already installed in the camera bodies should be fine, but I'm curious how they'll deal with the spares I carry. Typically, one spare per camera body.
Not that I'm about to check my camera gear. I'll deplane before I do so since the airline will refuse to reimburse me for the $15k+ worth of gear in said bag when one of their thugs . . . . er ' baggage handlers ' helps themselves to the contents or bounces it off the pavement.
I suppose, under the new rules, I can just tell the flight attendant that my bag contains fully charged Li-Ion batteries and cannot be checked ?
This should be fun :|
Thanks, government! Wish we had more of it and more taxes..
If the electronics are going to be aboard the aircraft what's the point? Can they put out a lithium fire?
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Does this possibly pertain to things like portable chargers/larger battery packs? Mobile devices still don't usually have the juice for constant use for long distance flights, so a portable charger is pretty much a must have.
Passenger flights often allocate some of their space for regular air cargo. This isn't about banning your computer or camera from being in your luggage. Luggage hold is not cargo hold. What they are avoiding is a passenger plane being used to ferry batteries as a cargo carrier where you could have a box of dozens of them in a confined space. I don't have an issue with this.
... US Bars all mobile phones, notebooks and tablets from commercial passenger flights.
The air density, and thus the drag, is far higher on the ground than at 30,000 feet.
You are certainly right that the lack of infrastructure for Hyperloop is a major disadvantage but Hyperloop runs in a vacuum so the above is not a valid criticism.
Trains are not much better than current aircraft [energy.gov] at energy efficiency
These are statistics from US trains. If you look at the data for European Trains the data show 65 MJ/km vs. 209.1 l/100 km for US trains which already tells you something about the age of US trains. Converting this into energy 1 l diesel is 38.29 MJ so this gives 80 MJ/km. So EU trains use 81% of the energy of US trains. Using the statistics you linked airlines use 91% of the energy of US trains. Hence, modern trains, such as those in the EU, are definitely more efficient per passenger kilometre than airlines and can run on renewable sources of electricity which aeroplanes currently cannot. US trains are old-fashioned diesels so it is not surprising that they are much less efficient.
Damn! I always had packed a Dreamliner or two with me on trips.
Table-ized A.I.
On my last Lufthansa flight from Japan to Europe it was already banned to have electronics in checked in luggage.
I had hand luggage 3kg overweight - cameras and lenses and notebook and other stuff like that.
BTW it was first time ever they checked the weight of my hand luggage...
"Could you remove something and put to your suitcase?"
"No, everything in this bag is forbidden in the suitcase"...
For those who would prefer to see the actual announcement rather than discussion of it on an add ridden site with auto-play video you can go to
https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/news...
What this means is people will do the same thing they do at the post office when shipping lithium batteries, They lie..
Who doesnt travel with at least one lithium powered device. DO check that fit bit in your luggage. Dont check that battery power razor, nose hair trimmer.
"According to the U.S. Department of Energy, fuel cells are generally between 40–60% energy efficient. ... In combined heat and power (CHP) systems, the heat produced by the fuel cell is captured and put to use, increasing the efficiency of the system to up to 85–90%."
Wasn't there some rule that nosing through your phone was fair game if you carry it on, but not if it was off and in your checked baggage?
"Luggage hold is not cargo hold."
It's literally the same hold.
Admittedly poorly worded. It's not about where it's held, but whether it's associated with a flyer. What they don't want is cases of lithiums flying on commercial airlines. This is the difference between luggage and cargo, not where it's held.
This isn't about banning your computer or camera from being in your luggage.
Err no. This is *exactly* about that, and has been a policy in Europe and Asia for a long time now. Here's an excerpt from some airline rules:
KLM (Netherlands): Therefore, lithium batteries and power banks for personal use in devices such as laptops, mobile phones and DVD players, and for medical equipment is restricted and may only be carried in hand baggage. Each spare battery must be packed separately in the original packaging. If you no longer have this packaging, you must cover the battery contact points with non-conductive tape to insulate them and pack each battery in a separate plastic bag.
QANTAS (Australia): Lithium Ion batteries (rechargeable) - not more than 100Wh {insert little picture with red X through the checked baggage symbol} - The battery terminals must be protected e.g. in a device or taping over the exposed terminals.
Singapore actually allow you to check in devices with lithium batteries, but any spare battery must be in carry-on.
Luggage hold is not cargo hold.
A distinction without a difference for firefighting.
This isn't about banning your computer or camera from being in your luggage.
Err no. This is *exactly* about that,
Err, no, it is not. Your computer or camera can still be in your luggage. Nothing in this new rule prohibits that.
and has been a policy in Europe and Asia for a long time now. Here's an excerpt from some airline rules:
Those rules don't ban cameras or laptops from luggage. Read them again. They talk about batteries, not the equipment they are installed in.
Singapore actually allow you to check in devices with lithium batteries,
So do KLM and QANTAS and United and ...
Packed batteries not contained in equipment are prohibited from passenger luggage. Batteries contained in equipment are allowed in cargo. Luggage and cargo are being treated the same.