Battery Safety and Abuse Testing Facility

Three purpose-built test chambers for the safety and abuse testing of lithium-ion batteries at cell to module level

These facilities are used to initiate and monitor the failure of cell and battery packs and examine the consequences and impact of abusing batteries to failure conditions.

This knowledge is essential for battery pack design and cell failure mitigation choices, as well as for emergency response planning.

Key features

• Three purpose-built test chambers
• Initiation of cell failures via the application of electrical methods, heat or impact
• Comprehensive data acquisition and control systems
• Measurement of current, voltage and temperature
• Measurement of gas volumes and forces generated
• Video recording with four high-definition cameras, plus the option to include specialist cameras such as thermal imaging and high speed
• Gas sampling in real-time or by means of sampling tubes
• Residue sample analysis
• Filtered extraction systems
• On-site meeting room and welfare facilities

Notable uses/Related projects

HSE's Battery Abuse Testing facilities have been used on a number of key industry projects, including LIBRIS, a Faraday Battery Challenge funded project, which sets out to understand the implications of a phenomenon known as thermal runaway and how it can be triggered, suppressed, contained and detected and RECOVAS, a project that aims to provide a standardised and reliable route for recycling and repurposing lithium ion car batteries at a scale.