Battery Testing Calorimeter
New Li-ion batteries being developed for vehicles (EV and HEV) as well as for other applications pose a potential hazard, especially in adverse conditions, leading potentially to fire and the release of toxic and corrosive chemicals. Safety testing is best performed under adiabatic conditions as this typically the worst case scenario. HEL has developed a custom Battery Testing Calorimeter (BTC) based on the industry standard “ARC” calorimeter developed by Dow Chemicals over 30 years ago. The BTC is a large scale version of HEL’s Phi-TEC adiabatic calorimeter that has now become an industry benchmark.
Compact but robust, with a range of safety features – both hardware and software based – the BTC is fully software controlled and can be wheeled in and out of test locations easily and quickly.
It’s advanced features enable the user to understand what may happen during a worst case scenario arising from mal-operation. Specifically, BTC can provide information such as exotherm ‘onset’ temperature, heat release (or temperature rise), pressure increase, global reaction kinetics, time to maximum rate (TMR), and SADT (commonly used in storage / transportation studies).
The BTC is designed to test a wide range of battery types, size up to 35cm x 35cm. Performance while charging under different conditions, as well as physical damage, can be simulated, allowing for the development of safer batteries with carefully determined operating limits.
About HEL Ltd
Established in 1987 as a hazard evaluation consulting company, HEL (Borehamwood, UK) is now an international supplier and manufacturer specializing in research and pre-pilot scale chemical reactors and related tools for the process R&D in the pharmaceutical, fine chemical and petrochemical industries. HEL’s range of products includes both off-the-shelf and custom designs, manual and fully automated controls, low and high pressure/temperature applications, single and parallel/multi-
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
