Netzsch Instrument North America LLC and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have announced a joint collaboration to develop an instrument designed to test the performance and safety of large-format lithium-ion batteries (LFLIB) used in electric vehicles, airplanes, military application, as well as stationary power back-up and storage applications. The instrumentation will be able to safely and accurately characterize heat output and efficiency of LFLIB, in varying temperature, pressure, load, and use conditions, providing precise and critical information previously unavailable. Temperature has a strong impact on performance, safety, and life of batteries, therefore understanding and control of temperature is necessary to successfully operate lithium ion batteries, particularly for electric drive vehicles that are critical for a lowering dependence on imported oil and air pollution.
The new instrument is an isothermal calorimeter, a device that measures heat, based on patent-pending technology developed by a team of NREL researchers.
Netzsch and NREL have been working together under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and licensing agreement to industrialize NREL’s isothermal battery calorimeter technology. The new calorimeter is currently under a rapid development and verification process and is expected to be released in the beginning of summer 2013.
Source: Netzsch