I'm just surprised there isn't more damage from the fire! I use similar chemistry batteries (although much smaller) in RC planes (they are very energy dense for their weight).
When they are damaged (normally through charging incorrectly but in some cases through puncture / crash damage) they burn extremely rapidly and very violently for their size.
The damage in the photographs of the 787 is not on the scale i was expecting.
This is a bit off-topic, but I have been considering retrofitting my roomba with Li-ion batteries but am a bit concerned about the fire risk (partly because I don't want to loose the roomba, but mostly since it is in my apartment.) Is there anything that comes to mind that I should particularly look out for or consider?
May be worth exploring the differences between "safer" cells such as LiFe / A123 vs the riskier Li-ion & LiPo types.
I understand the charging strategy for A123 is much simpler to implement than for Li-Ion (may not even need a micro controller) but i'm not 100% confident in that statement!
When they are damaged (normally through charging incorrectly but in some cases through puncture / crash damage) they burn extremely rapidly and very violently for their size.
The damage in the photographs of the 787 is not on the scale i was expecting.