Morning all
I have just been lying in bed thinking about the 2 video clips on utube to which Miles was so kind as to provide links.
I recon I have the pyrotechnic display in the first clip sussed. What they have done is to connect the Li Ion to a 12 volt car battery, if you think about it; it goes with the location, an underground car park.
Obviously, a car battery is capable of delivering a lot of power with no current restriction, shorting one is how cars are set on fire. Obviously a power supply such as would form part of a proper charging arrangement could not deliver this kind of power.
From Wikepedia:
Lithium-ion batteries can rupture, ignite, or explode when exposed to high temperature environments e.g. in an area that is prone to prolonged direct sunlight. Short-circuiting a Li-ion battery can cause it to ignite or explode and any attempt to open or modify the casing or circuitry is dangerous. For this reason they normally contain safety devices that protect the cells from abuse.It appears that it’s the heat that causes the problem. As I have remarked elsewhere, overcharging Ni MH causes them to swell and therefore become useless in most devices. I have little doubt that leaving on charge indefinitely would cause the case to rupture.
My avatar is a poor likeness.