Battery Vibration Testing Of Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

Perform mechanical durability tests of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries using HBK vibration testing equipment and electrical testing solutions.

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Table of content

Electric Battery Testing Equipment
Live Testing of Batteries Webinar

Competition in the automotive industry and the speed of development in hybrid drive technologies are prompting manufacturers to invest in research and development of batteries. Time to market is critical, whereas thorough product testing of batteries should not be neglected, as vehicle recalls are associated with significant costs.

During their long life, batteries and their subsystems, such as connections, cooling, etc., are susceptible to failures that can range from a decrease in battery performance to complete failure. Since batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles exist in a wide range of sizes, shapes, weights and chemical compositions, different test methods are critical to verify durability. The three main battery types are battery cells, modules and packs.

In compliance with major regulations and standards for hybrid and electric vehicle batteries such as ISO, MIL and USABC, mechanical, electrical, environmental and chemical testing must be performed on the battery cells, modules, packs and subsystems.

HBK offers a battery testing solution for mechanical vibration testing, thermal testing and electrical testing – sold separately or packaged.

Electric Battery Testing Equipment

In addition to vibration test simulation, physical vibration testing of a vehicle’s battery and its subsystems is crucial.

HBK LDS vibration test systems enable a turnkey solution for altitude, mechanical vibration and shock testing including regulations UN 38.3 and ECE Reg 100, which state that before any battery cell, module or pack can be transported, it must be tested under the dangerous goods act. There are, however, many other regulations which apply to different countries, and in turn focus on different technology/battery types (cells, modules, packs, etc.).

Since different battery types and their subsystems have different sizes, weights and required vibration test profiles, a powerful and versatile system is critical. The system must be easily adaptable to multiple testing demands to simulate the life of the vehicle.

But that’s not all. As durability testing is often repetitive, the vibration test solution needs to be easy to set up, conduct and sign off, ensuring that the test is accurate and consistent throughout.

To strictly control the humidity and temperature during vibration testing, a climatic chamber can be integrated. Moreover, HBK turnkey solutions enable a simultaneous measurement of mechanical vibration and thermal/power cycling of a battery.

From the sensors and transducers, the data acquisition and integration to the analysis software, with HBK vibration test solutions you can test the durability of your batteries fast and effectively.

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Vibration Transducers

Vibration transducers are used not only to monitor and control the vibration imparted into the test object based on defined profiles, but also to acquire data for immediate or post process analysis.

HBK vibration transducer includes accelerometers, force transducers, impedance heads, impact hammers, vibration calibrators, and accessories, such as cables and other important equipment for conducting accurate measurement.

Vibration Testing Equipment

LDS shakers are used to induce vibration into the test object. Besides a wide range of electrodynamic shakers, HBK LDS shaker systems also provide thermal barriers, slip tables, head expanders, and work closely together with manufacturers of climatic chambers and ancillary equipment.

LDS amplifiers provide the drive signal to the shaker. The wide range of HBK LDS linear and digital-switching amplifiers are designed to drive HBK LDS shakers as well as third party shakers.

LDS vibration controllers provide the testing profile for the LDS amplifier to produce a drive signal into the shaker. HBK offers LDS Vibration Controllers for simple setups as well as for advanced testing technologies and work closely together with controller manufacturers for high channel counts.

Vibration Control Software

LDS vibration control software enables an immediate and/or post process analysis and is automatically integrated in each LDS vibration controller.

nCode software can be used to generate a power spectral density loading spectrum which represents the fatigue damage in an accelerated timeframe. Datasets containing generic PSD, sine sweep profiles from ISO, MIL, USABC standards are provided to deliver baseline qualification. This PSD spectrum can either be used for physical testing to drive an LDS Shaker System but also to drive virtual shaker table analysis.

Are you interested in learning more about the appropriate shaker systems for different battery types as well as their test profiles? Find more information in the flyer on battery vibration testing.

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Live Testing of Batteries Webinar

The purpose vibration testing batteries, especially during charge & discharge cycles, is to evaluate the effect of long-term vibration profiles – representative of driving – on the battery, both in terms of the durability and in terms of identification of design flaws. In the recorded webinar you will get to know the core requirements for vibration testing batteries, how to overcome key issues and how the results affect battery and vibrator design.