Battery test bench

Battery test bench from durability to research

STS has created a multi-stage battery test bench solution. It takes into account the need for benches to develop from endurance tests to research tests. As it is an open and scalable solution, it can be adapted to all bench equipment, present and future: Power drives, climatic chambers, cooling systems, etc. Its flexibility and performance allow it to change with future methodologies: More complex testing procedures, robust databases, integration of models in real time on the bench, etc.

These solutions have been implemented at eDLP, the new FEV battery test center: take a look on the world leading battery test center.

The battery tests are performed either on a complete battery — called a pack — or on one or more cells that make up the battery. To optimize the cost of tuning the battery, it is better to work on the cell than on the pack. Simulating and integrating models therefore allows the cell’s full environment to be considered.

STS also offers abuse testing facilities: short-circuit tests, simulation of internal cell errors, acceleration and impact tests in the event of a crash under extreme situations.

Battery Cell Benches

These benches have voltages up to 10 V with currents reaching recently for some OEMs >1000A. They include climatic chambers fitting multiple UUTs and often Electro impedance spectroscopy measurements. Special care is taken in this type of bench for optimizing the test field layout to minimize the total footprint of the set-ups as well as the length of the expensive copper cables.

Cells:

up to 24 channels depending on the device
From 0 up to 10 V / up to 1000 A for each channel
Climatic chambers -40°C to +90 °C
Current nominal continuous: up to 1000 A
Current parallelization: up to 6 channels
1 MORPHEE® Ausy for the power unit for controlling up to 32 channels

Battery Module Benches

With voltages up to 200 V and currents up to 600 A, a module is usually a combination of multiple cells. These modules have sometimes there dedicated BMS and are becoming more and more liquid cooled.

Modules:

up to 16 channels depending on the device
Voltage: From 0 up to 300 V
A climatic chamber: -40°C to +90 °C
Fire protection: Fire + smoke detection + CO2 extinguishing system + smoke exhaust
Current nominal continuous: 600 A
Current parallelization up to 4 channels
1 MORPHEE® Ausy for up to 16 channels

Battery Pack Benches

With voltages and currents up to 1200, also know as the battery system that Is combining multiple modules and sometimes multiple packs also known as string packs. Battery packs need big walk-in chambers to be easily installed, these chambers can sometimes take-up to 8 packs at the same time depending on the configuration. The category is certainly the most complex as it could have multiple BMSs as well as multiple cooling circuits. Special care is taken in this type of bench in regards of the safety concept and the safety rating of the hardware used.

Packs:

Charge/discharge cabinet, up to 1200 kW, output voltage: 20- 1200V, output current: +/- 2400 A
Fully integrated solution with all safety components
Climatic chambers: Available in different sizes, including Walk-in Chamber. -40°C to 90°C
Safety solution includes a sensor system, an extinguishing system, fire flap
Cooling system: eCoolCon from FEV
MORPHEE® Ausy: control of up to 8 packs