Topic: New TSA Lithium battery restrictions

[it-goes-to-eleven]

New restrictions on lithium batteries.  I'm not yet sure what this means in terms of spare "wally" style batteries or 7xx/sony camcorder style batteries.. Hope this isn't a dupe.


http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html

Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the spare lithium batteries you carry with you in case the battery in a device runs low:

    * Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
    * You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
    * You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!
    * Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.

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!

[flipp]

just waiting for the day when the TSA bans clothing 

not many folks I would want to see in an airport when that day comes

[rdfager]

This will be fun.  Most TSA employees don't know the difference between a lithium battery and a Ni-MH or alkaline, much less how many grams of lithium is in a battery.

[Loren]

Has anyone actually translated this reg yet?

Our reading implies unlimited batteries in carry-on if each is under the 8g lithium-equivalent standard.

(heck of a thing to blindside jamcruisers with ! )

[it-goes-to-eleven]

This will be fun.  Most TSA employees don't know the difference between a lithium battery and a Ni-MH or alkaline, much less how many grams of lithium is in a battery.

I imagine the burden of documentation will be on the traveler...  but it is very confusing.  If you don't want your batteries to end up on ebay, bring docs. I haven't found them yet for the sony camcorder bats.

Lithium batteries are potentially very hazardous (especially loose cells). Most folks have no idea. The cells are much more safe when enclosed in a case like the camcorder bats or wally bats.  But even then, if you drop a battery pack it becomes immediately suspect for possible dramatic failure.  This is a case where tighter regs were needed.

[SmokinJoe]

Someone check my math and logic...

A typical "wally world battery" is 5400 milliamp-hours at 9V...
5400 * 9 = 48,600 milliwatt-hours
48,600 / 1000 = 48.6 watt-hours, which is enough electricity to run a 40 watt light bulb a little over an hour.  Seems reasonable.

Then, referring to the TSA statement "8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours", we are at 48.6 watt hours, or about 1/2 of their 100 watt-hours, so I would think you one wallyworld battery would hold about half as much as their 8 gram limit.

Another TSA statement is "Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold."  In comparison, my stock Dell laptop battery is labeled 14.8V, 4400mah, and 66 watt-hours.  So this laptop battery should have 36% more lithium than my wally world battery, which this laptop battery is acceptable, so scientifically the wally world battery should be no problem.

Now all you have to do is convince the guy at the gate of that.   

~~~~~~~~~
The scientific logic present crowd mentality is best demonstrated in this clip from Monty Python... "If she weighs the same as a duck, she is made of wood, therefore she is a witch!"

[willndmb]

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/62899

[kbergend]

Thanks and +t, I fly my gear quite a bit and this is important to know! 

(also good to know our batteries will explode in the passenger cabin instead of the cargo hold)

[Josh P]

FYI, I just flew across the country with 3 722 batteries and 3 lithium ion video camera batteries on my person.  I took my video camera out, took my laptop out, left everything else in my carry on bag and put it through the xray.  They didn't even flinch.

I'm flying again on the 17th so I'll post again after that.

I'll also add that after I went through security my stealth mind started thinking and I don't think they can enforce this...I generally bring 2 carry-ons.  When I take everything out I generally end up with 2 bags and 2 plastic trays going through the xray machine.  What happens if I put 2 lithium batteries in all 4 places?  Its not like they check who goes with what bag as it goes through.  The only time they ask you to point out your bags are if they see something and want to pull you off to the side for a harder look.  Just a thought for those that have to carry on more batteries..