> I think it's Li-Ion batteries in laptops, not LiPo.
The important difference between the two is physical construction more than chemistry, though the electrolytes differ slightly. Cylindrical Li-ion cells have a rigid metal case and a breakable seal that will release gas and permanently disable the cell in the event of excessive internal pressure. Pouch and prismatic cells do not have a rigid metal case and are at higher risk of mechanical damage. Since they're made of softer materials, they often don't have a valve to release pressure, and bulge instead.
Pouch cells may be a little less safe than cylindrical cells for these reasons, but are present inside literally billions of consumer devices such as phones, laptops and tablets. Catastrophic failures are quite rare, hence Samsung's incendiary phones being a huge news story.
I suspect the high failure rate of drone batteries is due to the extreme loads drones put on batteries. Very few other devices are continuously operated at loads that will drain their batteries in a few minutes. There may also be an issue of sellers making claims about the maximum safe discharge rate of their batteries that are not based in reality.
> I suspect the high failure rate of drone batteries is due to the extreme loads drones put on batteries. Very few other devices are continuously operated at loads that will drain their batteries in a few minutes.
Indeed. The charge / discharge cycle causes physical strain on the carbon anode. Microscopic pieces of it break off with use, and are part of the cause of capacity degradation over time.
The important difference between the two is physical construction more than chemistry, though the electrolytes differ slightly. Cylindrical Li-ion cells have a rigid metal case and a breakable seal that will release gas and permanently disable the cell in the event of excessive internal pressure. Pouch and prismatic cells do not have a rigid metal case and are at higher risk of mechanical damage. Since they're made of softer materials, they often don't have a valve to release pressure, and bulge instead.
Pouch cells may be a little less safe than cylindrical cells for these reasons, but are present inside literally billions of consumer devices such as phones, laptops and tablets. Catastrophic failures are quite rare, hence Samsung's incendiary phones being a huge news story.
I suspect the high failure rate of drone batteries is due to the extreme loads drones put on batteries. Very few other devices are continuously operated at loads that will drain their batteries in a few minutes. There may also be an issue of sellers making claims about the maximum safe discharge rate of their batteries that are not based in reality.