General > General Technical Chat
(discharged) Super capacitor in checked luggage on airplane?
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james_s:
I think packing them with a datasheet is probably a good idea. I flew out of London with several HID and fluorescent lamp ballast chokes in my carry on bag and a light fixture, a bunch of lamps and other assorted electrical hardware packed in the dirty laundry in my checked bag. The security guy pulled me aside at the xray machine with a puzzled look on his face and asked me what the ballasts were so I told him and then he sent me on my way. My checked bag showed no signs of having been gone through by the time I got home.
Psi:

--- Quote from: james_s on January 16, 2023, 08:20:11 pm ---I think packing them with a datasheet is probably a good idea.

--- End quote ---

yep, packed with datasheet and shorted link across terminals with a label on the wire link saying "Capacitor terminals shorted, zero stored energy"   
tggzzz:

--- Quote from: Psi on January 16, 2023, 08:32:13 pm ---
--- Quote from: james_s on January 16, 2023, 08:20:11 pm ---I think packing them with a datasheet is probably a good idea.

--- End quote ---

yep, packed with datasheet and shorted link across terminals with a label on the wire link saying "Capacitor terminals shorted, zero stored energy"

--- End quote ---

Channelling Mandy Rice-Davies' statement in court, the traditional pithy response is "well, the terrorists would write that, wouldn't they".
Psi:
You just want it obvious that you know what you're doing when they bring in an expert to look at it.
That will always be better than just a large supercar capacitor with no other info.

A fully charged supercap (like 3000F) will very happy start fires and melt steel, so there's definitely risk having one loose in your luggage if it's got any charge left.
tggzzz:

--- Quote from: Psi on January 17, 2023, 06:57:51 am ---You just want it obvious that you know what you're doing when they bring in an expert to look at it.

--- End quote ---

You think they have such experts readily available at a few minutes notice?

If there is any doubt in their minds, what do you think they will do? Load the plane, delay the flight, pull the owner off the flight so they can question them, retain the item for testing?

Don't forget standard screening questions are along the lines of "is this all your stuff" and "did you pack this yourself" and "has it been out of your possession". The passenger would give the "wrong" answer to two of those.


--- Quote ---That will always be better than just a large supercar capacitor with no other info.

--- End quote ---

But will it be good enough?
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