Battery Testing
How battery testing prevents failures before they arise
Efficient testing for safe batteries
For today’s technology, reliable batteries are a must. A battery failure of any kind can have serious consequences – from unplanned computer shutdowns to vehicles coming to a complete standstill. Systematic battery testing holds the key to ensuring that these energy storage units keep performing reliably.
What makes battery testing so important
Battery testing not only ensures that products operate as they should, but is also a useful tool in conducting research and development for advanced technologies. It plays a essential role in electromobility in particular, as batteries have an impact on the performance, range, acceleration, and overall power of a vehicle.
Safety is another important consideration: Battery tests help to identify potential issues that could have a negative impact on battery performance, such as degradation, overheating, and charging or discharging problems. Testing also investigates batteries’ resistance to vibrations, shocks, and mechanical stress – reducing the risk of failure and improving safety as a whole.
SoH and SoC
The state of health (SoH) is a quality indicator that describes the condition of a battery in comparison to its ideal condition. It is expressed as a percentage, where 100 percent represents a battery in perfect condition. Mathematically, the SoH is defined as the ratio of the maximum battery charge to its nominal capacity. A battery whose SoH is 80% is only able to hold 80% of the charge that it was able to hold when it was new.
The state of charge (SoC) indicates the current energy status as a percentage of the overall capacity – in other words, it provides a snapshot of the energy available at that point in time in much the same way as a fuel gauge does.
Classification and standards
In industry, battery tests are regulated by various national and international standards that ensure batteries meet certain safety and performance levels.
EUCAR Hazard Levels
The European Council for Automotive R&D (EUCAR), a consortium of European automotive manufacturers, has developed an important classification system for battery safety. This system divides potential hazard situations into eight clearly defined classes. The EUCAR Hazard Levels range from level 0 (no effect) to the critical level 7 (explosion), and provide an exact description of the reactions that batteries demonstrate under test conditions.
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | No effect, no loss of functionality |
| 1 | Passive protection mechanisms activated, reversible damage |
| 2 | Irreversible damage |
| 3 | Electrolyte loss <50%, no flame formation, no gas escape |
| 4 | Electrolyte loss ≥50%, no flame formation |
| 5 | Fire or flame, no explosion |
| 6 | Rupture, no explosion, flying parts |
| 7 | Explosion, complete disintegration |
This classification helps to estimate hazards in battery tests and identify suitable protective measures for test personnel and the test environment.
Test types in battery testing
Various test methods are used to perform comprehensive evaluations of batteries:
Aging tests
Aging tests investigate battery degeneration by simulating long-term operation through repeated charging and discharging cycles under controlled conditions. The aim is to determine the battery’s service life and performance degradation (capacity loss). Cyclical aging tests simulate regular use through repeated charging and discharging, while calendar aging tests investigate capacity loss over time without active use. In high-temperature and low-temperature aging tests alike, the battery is used over extended periods in a range of temperature conditions.
BINDER solutions:
Performance tests
Performance tests investigate the fundamental performance parameters of a battery under various operating conditions. First, the actual capacity is determined by fully charging the battery and then discharging it in a controlled manner with a constant current.
The following parameters are also tested:
- Internal resistance and impedance for the purpose of evaluating the electrical properties
- Performance at various temperatures (-30°C to +60°C)
- Self-discharge rate during extended storage periods
Specialist battery testing systems with high-precision measuring equipment are used for these tests and record voltages, currents, and temperatures extremely accurately.
BINDER solutions:
- Package P for aging and performance tests (up to EUCAR Hazard Level 4)
- Package P Plus for advanced performance tests (up to EUCAR Hazard Level 5)
- Package G with additional safety features and enhanced sensor technology for advanced performance tests (up to EUCAR Hazard Level 5)
Stress tests
Stress tests investigate how batteries behave under extreme conditions. At Hazard Level 6, stress tests simulate critical, but still controlled fault scenarios involving batteries. The aim is to provoke a strong reaction such as out-gassing, a pressure increase, or structural deformation, but without causing open flames, explosion, or complete thermal runaway. Typical triggers are targeted overcharging, external heating below critical thresholds, and incorrect electrical loads. During the test, gas emissions, temperature profiles, and structural changes are continuously monitored in order to identify potential safety risks early on. These tests provide key insights into stress limits and make it possible to allocate the battery to a hazard classification as part of a safety evaluation.
BINDER solution:
- Package S for stress tests up to EUCAR Hazard Level 6
BINDER Battery test chambers
Specialist test environments are essential for conducting battery tests with precision and safety. Battery test chambers are the most important pieces of equipment used in modern testing procedures and ensure that controlled conditions are maintained in all test scenarios.
Customer-specific solutions
BINDER has developed special solutions for battery tests that are tailored to the requirements of different test procedures. As test conditions and test environments vary from one customer to the next, BINDER offers customized solutions for battery testing rather than one-size-fits-all units. Each battery test chamber that BINDER supplies is an individually configured unit. The foundation for each unit is a proven series model such as a dynamic climate chamber or cooling incubator, which is then combined with an equipment package:
Reports from practice
These customer projects show how our solutions are used in actual battery testing scenarios.
BINDER Battery Test Chambers
Battery test chambers can be customized to your specific requirements and equipped with additional functionalities. Have questions? Our expert team is happy to assist!