Lithium-ion battery fires are hazardous, high-profile product failures and carmakers attempt to forestall these issues partly by defending battery cells from outdoors intrusion. You will need to take a look at the integrity of the case containing the cells, particularly as OEMs more and more construct the battery’s case as a confused a part of the chassis slightly than as a bolt-on part.
Along with measuring the energy of the battery case, it’s also essential for automakers to measure the strain of the cells contained in the case.
In each conditions, pressure administration options from Interface, Inc. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) are helpful. “FEA and computerized modeling get the client many of the approach there,” noticed Interface vp of world gross sales Brian Peters in a telephone interview with Design Information. “Automotive OEMs are spending more time on numerous structural growth testing,” he mentioned. “They’re push-pull, multi-axis much like what we see with aerospace fuselage testing.”
That is essential as a result of, along with the torsional hundreds usually utilized to the battery field in the middle of regular driving, there’s additionally the necessity to mannequin for worst-case crash situations. “You’ve gotten fundamental (noise, vibration, and harshness) torsional rigidity necessities, however then you might have the crash necessities,” Peters famous. “How do you mannequin, take a look at, and have profitable take a look at outcomes? Whenever you run the complete system into the barrier, generally the end result is tough to mannequin.”
Consequently, automobile makers are understandably erring on the facet of extra energy. “We’re seeing overengineering from a structural standpoint,” mentioned Peters. However elevated familiarity over time and improved testing will let OEMs optimize the design of those components to scale back weight. “In all probability effectivity optimization from there’ll scale back mass and convey larger effectivity for the automobile,” he mentioned.
The power to seize a wider set of information factors utilizing pressure sensors from Interface helps paint a extra full image of how the construction performs beneath load. “As a substitute of simply establishing a take a look at for fundamental push-pull, we’re capturing potential facet load or bending forces,” Peters defined. “Even if you happen to suppose it’s not being launched to the take a look at article, it usually is.”
Along with testing the construction, Interfaces load sensors also can monitor cell strain ranges contained in the housing slightly than counting on voltage and present measurements as proxies for this information. Connecting the strain sensors to Interface’s 9330 Battery Powered Excessive-Velocity Knowledge Logging Indicator, implies that the pressure outcomes will be displayed, recorded, and logged with the equipped BlueDAQ software program.
The required parts for this embrace:
- LBM Compression Load Button Load Cell
- 9330 Battery Powered Excessive-Velocity Knowledge Logging Indicator with BlueDAQ software program
- Lithium-Ion Battery
- Garolite Plates
- Buyer PC or Laptop computer
The lowered barrier to entry to the automotive marketplace for electrical autos in comparison with combustion fashions has inspired startups to hurry into the market. However these lean new firms usually lack the strong in-house testing capabilities of legacy automakers, Peters factors out.
Consequently, “there’s a heavy burden on third-party take a look at homes,” he mentioned. This appears like excellent news for Interface, as the corporate gears as much as provide parts to fulfill the wants of each the third-party testing specialists and the OEMs that determine to construct in-house testing services to keep away from backups on the third events.
