With the development of modern technology, the use of rechargeable lithium batteries has become more common in the world today. Modern applications include mobile phone batteries as well as electric cars which are becoming more popular due to their low environmental emissions.

With the development of modern technology, the use of rechargeable lithium batteries has become more common in the world today. Modern applications include mobile phone batteries as well as electric cars which are becoming more popular due to their low environmental emissions.

However due to their characteristics, they need to be subjected to an accurate series of tests to establish their life cycle, prevent malfunctions and mitigate environmental impact. Among these tests, there are climatic chamber tests.

What are Lithium Rechargeable Batteries?

Also known as a lithium-ion battery, it was first proposed in the 1970s by an American chemist John Goodenough, an idea for which he won a recent Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019, along with his colleagues Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino.

However, real progress and development in the field has only occurred in the last twenty years during which the applicability of the technology and its large-scale production has been optimized.

Rechargeable lithium batteries use a lithium compound on the cathode and lithium graphite or titanate on the anode. They can be built in many shapes and sizes and therefore are very flexible in their applications. In addition, lithium batteries a very low "memory effect", they are among the longest-lived rechargeable batteries known.

How do Lithium Ion Batteries work?

Fig 1.1 Inside the typical Lithium Coin Cell Battery

Which sectors are involved in the Battery Testing using a Climatic Chamber?

The principle of the lithium accumulator can be implemented in different scales, supplying energy to different devices and machines: from the mobile phones to airplanes, even now with electric cars in the market.

Consequently, consumer electronics, military and aerospace engineering and automotive are sectors involved in research on lithium-ion batteries and related safety tests in the climatic chamber.

Currently, the automotive sector seems to be the most promising and expanding sector, also due to some accidents and malfunctions that have occurred in other sectors in recent years.

What standards are applicable to Battery Testing using a Climatic Chamber?

There are a variety of standards that apply to testing batteries in environmental test chambers to ensure that all batteries meet the requirements for safety, reliability, and performance. Published standards by UL, IEC, and SAE specify environmental tests such as : short circuit while hot, heat resistance, temperature cycling, and thermal abuse.

Examples of battery testing standards include:

UL 1642 - Standard for Lithium Batteries

EN/IEC 61960 - Secondary lithium cells and batteries for portable applications

How do the Battery Tests in the Climatic Chamber work?

 

One of the main risk factors of rechargeable lithium batteries is heat, making it a potential fire or explosion hazard. Common failures of lithium ion batteries include undercharging, overcharging, overheating or a crack in the separating membrane.

High temperatures and direct exposure to sunlight affects both longevity (the number of recharge cycles varies from 400 to 1200) and characteristics of the battery, leading to malfunctions and potential explosions.

Climatic Chamber testing is performed to determine the longevity of the battery and to avoid these common failures. The former is called accelerated aging tests and the latter, fatigue tests.

Fig 1.1 Inside the typical Lithium Coin Cell Battery

Conclusion:

The use of lithium-ion batteries has become increasingly commonplace and with technological advances, longer lasting and higher capacity batteries are being developed. With many applications and uses in today’s world, safety of batteries remains a crucial aspect and battery testing standards continue to improve.

Additional Resources

  1. https://www.dellamarca.it/en/chamber-climatic-per-test-on-batteries/
  2. https://www.associatedenvironmentalsystems.com/the-aes-guide-to-lithium-ion-battery-test-chambers




 

 

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