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Hazard: Passenger Baggage
Passengers transport a variety of goods that could present a hazard to the aircraft. Some examples of such goods are
- Lithium-ion batteries in devices like laptops, tablets, mobile phones, power banks, and e-cigarettes
- Oxygen generators
- Aerosol cans
Lithium-ion batteries are capable of overheating and undergoing a process called thermal runaway. Thermal runaway can occur without warning as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged, or improperly packed. Thermal runaway can also occur on its own due to manufacturing defects, without any environmental or mishandling factors. See video: Battery Thermal Runaway
Devices such are laptops, tablets, mobile phones, power banks, and e-cigarettes can be placed in their carry-on bags. The device could have been subjected to thermal, electrical, or physical abuse prior to placing it in the bag without the passenger realizing the potential threat these items pose. In the cabin the bag can either be placed under a seat or in the overhead bin, where the battery could undergo thermal runaway and ignite the contents surrounding itself. The fire could subsequently spread to the seats or to adjacent baggage creating a potentially uncontrollable hazard.
These devices could also be mistakenly placed in checked-in bags or carry-on bags that are checked in at the gate and placed in the cargo compartment. A battery in thermal runaway could pose an even larger threat by igniting bags adjacent to itself as well as igniting other flammable material that might be carried in the cargo compartment. Another threat that these batteries in thermal runaway might pose is the collection of the vent gases within the bag that subsequently ignites explosively when the right conditions present themselves. Oxygen bottles are commonly transported by airlines in case of emergencies or by passengers with a medical need to do so in the aircraft cabin.
Oxygen bottles could leak due to malfunctioning valves or regulators. A fire that develops near the generator could heat up the bottle leading to failures of its container. Oxygen is very reactive and makes other materials more flammable and easier to ignite. Pure oxygen, such as from a cylinder, can react violently with common materials. It could also react spontaneously with other materials while making it impossible to suppress or extinguish the fire.
Aerosol cans, typically hairspray or shaving cream, are commonly placed in checked bags by passengers. Aerosol cans are highly pressurized with a various types of hydrocarbon propellants. Aerosol cans when exposed to excessive heat, from a fire for example, can result in the can exploding.
The hazards of oxygen bottles and aerosol cans can increase as they can be transported with a lithium battery operated device. The lithium battery can provide the thermal energy necessary to exacerbate the situation.
Links to more details of above mentioned concepts
- Images (also provided in above text)
- Laptop Batteries
- Tablet Batteries
- Mobile Phone Batteries
- Power Banks
- E-Cigarette Batteries
- Oxygen Bottles
- Aerosol Cans
- Videos (also provided in above text)
- Hazards
- Energy
- Flammable Gases
- Lithium Battery Thermal Runaway Vent Gas Analysis
- Flammability Limits of Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Runaway Vent Gas in Air and the Inerting Effects of Halon 1301
- Thermal Runaway Initiation Methods for Lithium Batteries
- Impact of Lithium Battery Vent Gas Ignition on Cargo Compartment Fire Protection
- Summary of FAA Studies Related to the Hazards Produced by Lithium Cells in Thermal Runaway in Aircraft Cargo Compartments
- Oxygen Bottles
- Oxygen Enhanced Fires in Cargo Containers
- Evaluation of Oxygen Cylinder Overpacks Exposed to Elevated Temperatures
- Aerosol Cans