TESTING ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES
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TESTING ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES The battery is a key element in the acceptance of the EVs. In order to test and develop the battery pack, it is important to determine the effect of battery cycle life versus the peak battery power and battery rest periods, and to determine the impact of the charge method on the battery cycle life. From the battery pack management standpoint, it is important to study the thermal management characteristics and the utilization of active material in the batteries. The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has defined procedures for battery pack testing. These test procedures include battery pack life-cycle testing, destructive safety and/or special testing, destructive abuse testing, and posttest analysis. A typical battery test flow includes the following test steps (not necessarily in the same order): • • • •
Core battery performance testing Performance safety/abuse or life cycle testing Life cycle reporting Posttest analysis and reporting
Core Battery Performance Tests The core battery performance tests include the following: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Constant current discharge Peak power Constant power Variable power discharge Federal Urban Driving Schedule (FUDS) regime Dynamic stress test (DST) regime Special performance Partial discharge Standloss Sustained hill-climb power Thermal performance Battery vibration Charge completion or optimization Fast charging
A brief description of each of the above-mentioned tests provides an insight in to the nature of the battery test and how the test
