The following are three thematic contents created around the environmental reliability test chamber for power batteries, aiming for clear logic, professionalism, and readability:
I. Industry Concept of Battery Environmental Reliability Test Chambers for Power Batteries
Definition
Battery environmental reliability test chambers for power batteries are testing equipment serving the research and development and production of new energy vehicles and energy storage batteries. By simulating complex environmental conditions such as extreme climates, mechanical vibrations, and chemical corrosion, they verify the durability, safety, and performance stability of power batteries under actual working conditions. Their core function is to accelerate battery aging tests and identify failure modes, providing scientific basis for battery design optimization, quality control, and standard certification.
Industry Background and Significance
Under the global trend of carbon neutrality, power batteries, as the core components of new energy vehicles and energy storage systems, directly affect the user experience and industry reputation in terms of safety and lifespan. Environmental reliability tests are a crucial part of the battery development process, helping enterprises avoid risks such as material defects and structural failures before mass production. Meanwhile, with the accelerated iteration of battery chemical systems (such as ternary lithium, lithium iron phosphate, and solid-state batteries), test equipment needs to be compatible with multiple battery technologies, driving the industry towards automation, intelligence, and precision.
Application scenarios
Covering cell, module, pack and system-level testing, the main customer groups include vehicle manufacturers, battery manufacturers, third-party testing institutions and research institutes. In recent years, with the introduction of new product forms such as 800V high-voltage batteries and 4680 large cylindrical batteries, the test chambers need to be adapted to higher voltages (>1000V), larger currents (>500A) and extreme temperature variation conditions (-70°C to 150°C).
II. Definition and Characteristics of Battery Environmental Reliability Test Chamber
Technical Definition
The battery environmental reliability test chamber is a specialized equipment with core functions of precise temperature and humidity control, mechanical simulation, and chemical erosion reproduction. Its design must meet the testing requirements throughout the battery's entire life cycle, including:
Extreme environment simulation capability: supports extreme temperatures (-80°C to 180°C), wet and dry cycles (RH 5% to 98%), and high-altitude (low-pressure simulation).
Dynamic load application: Built-in vibration table or drop device to simulate transportation and shock conditions;
Safety monitoring: Real-time monitoring of key parameters such as voltage, internal resistance, gas production volume, and thermal runaway temperature.
Differentiating features
Compared with general environmental test equipment, the power battery test chamber needs to meet the special requirements of the battery industry:
Chemical compatibility: The inner cavity material (such as stainless steel, Teflon) must be resistant to the corrosion of lithium iron phosphate electrolyte;
High-voltage electrical safety design: IP rating ≥ IP54, equipped with overvoltage protection and leakage protection modules.
Data traceability specification: Compliant with international and domestic testing standards such as UN 38.3 and GB 31485, with built-in data encryption and compliance report generation functions.
Trends in technological evolution
The current mainstream products in the market are upgrading towards high precision (temperature fluctuation ±0.3℃), high integration (coupled testing of multiple environmental factors), and cloud platform connection (remote monitoring + AI data analysis). Some leading enterprises have launched AI predictive test modules, which simulate the long-term degradation curve of batteries based on historical data.
III. Classification of Battery Environmental Reliability Test Chambers
Classification by Test Dimensions
Single Environmental Variable Test Chambers
Temperature cycling test chamber: Focused on alternating high and low temperature tests to verify the material's tolerance to expansion and contraction.
Wet and dry alternating test chamber: Study the influence of moisture penetration on battery separators and packaging structures.
Multi-environment coupling test chamber
Temperature and humidity - vibration combined test chamber: Simultaneously applies temperature gradients and mechanical vibrations to simulate complex road conditions.
Temperature-chemical corrosion composite test chamber: Inject corrosive gases (such as SO₂, H₂S) to evaluate the resistance to chemical erosion.
Classified by application scenarios
R&D test chambers
Small-sized (volume: 0.5 - 3 m³), high-precision (±0.1% RH), with a focus on material-level or single-cell battery testing.
Production quality inspection test chamber
Programmed batch testing, compatible with automatic loading and unloading systems, supports 24/7 continuous operation.
Extreme simulation test chamber
It meets the extreme condition tests such as overcharge in Part 3 and external short circuit in Part 16 of UN 38.3, and is equipped with explosion-proof pressure relief design.
Battery environmental reliability test chambers play a significant role in multiple fields. Here is a detailed introduction to their main application scenarios for you:
1、Battery R&D and Design Phase
Material Screening and Formula Optimization: When developing new types of batteries, it is necessary to evaluate and screen various battery materials for their performance. By using environmental reliability test chambers to simulate different conditions such as temperature, humidity, and vibration, the stability and performance of materials under various environments can be quickly tested, thereby selecting the most suitable materials and optimizing the battery formula. For instance, during the development of lithium-ion batteries, high-temperature and high-humidity tests can be conducted to assess the corrosion resistance of electrode materials and the stability of electrolytes, and then improve the battery design accordingly.
Structural Design Verification: The structural design of batteries directly affects their performance and safety. By simulating various mechanical environments in actual use, such as vibration, shock, and collision, using environmental reliability test chambers, the structural design of batteries can be verified and optimized. For example, in the design of battery packs for electric vehicles, vibration tests can be carried out to detect the structural reliability of the battery pack during driving, preventing safety accidents caused by structural loosening or damage.
2、Product Certification and Testing
Meeting Industry Standards: To ensure the safety and reliability of battery products, various countries and regions have established corresponding industry standards and certification requirements. Environmental reliability test chambers can assist battery enterprises in conducting product certification tests to ensure compliance with relevant standards. For instance, China's GB 31485 - 2015 "Safety Requirements and Test Methods for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles" and the IEC 62660 series standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission all stipulate performance and safety test items for batteries under different environmental conditions.
Third-party Testing Institutions: Third-party testing institutions typically equip themselves with various advanced environmental reliability test chambers to provide professional battery testing services to clients. These institutions conduct comprehensive environmental reliability tests on batteries and issue authoritative test reports, providing a guarantee for the market entry of battery products.
Practical application scenario assessment
Electric vehicle field: Electric vehicle batteries need to operate under various environmental conditions, such as hot summers, cold winters, and complex road conditions. By simulating these actual usage scenarios with environmental reliability test chambers, the performance and safety of electric vehicle batteries can be evaluated, providing data support for the optimization of battery management systems (BMS). For instance, testing the charging and discharging performance of batteries in high-temperature environments and the starting ability of batteries in low-temperature environments ensures the normal operation of electric vehicles under various climatic conditions.
Energy storage field: Energy storage batteries typically need to maintain stable performance during long-term operation and adapt to different climates and environmental conditions. Environmental reliability test chambers can conduct long-term cycle tests and extreme environment tests on energy storage batteries to assess their reliability and lifespan under different working conditions, providing references for the design and operation of energy storage systems. For example, conducting environmental adaptability tests on energy storage batteries in high-temperature and high-humidity coastal areas or low-temperature northern regions ensures the safe and stable operation of energy storage systems.
Refrigeration system：
| No. | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Working Principle | Mechanical compression cascade refrigeration system |
| 2 | Refrigeration Compressor | French "Tecumseh" hermetic compressor or Emerson Copeland compressor |
| 3 | Main Refrigeration Components | Expansion valve, pressure controller, dryer filter, refrigeration solenoid valve, accumulator, oil separator, etc. |
| 4 | Evaporator | Finned tube heat exchanger (also functions as dehumidifier) |
| 5 | Condenser | Air-cooled type: finned tube heat exchanger |
| 6 | Throttling Device | Expansion valve / capillary tube |
| 7 | Refrigeration Control Method | Control system automatically adjusts refrigeration unit operation based on test conditions (including compressor suction line cooling circuit) |
| 8 | Refrigerant | R404A (ODP=0) or R23 |
control system
| No. | System Component | Technical Specification |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Controller Model | Professional temperature controller |
| 2 | Display | 7-inch high-definition color LCD touchscreen |
| 3 | Operation Mode | Program control mode / Fixed value control mode |
| 4 | Setting Method | Color touchscreen HMI Supports Chinese/English bilingual interface |
| 5 | Control Algorithm | Anti-integral-saturation PID + BTC (Balance Temperature Control) |
| 6 | Temperature Sensor | Class-A sheathed PT100 sensor (Accuracy ±0.15℃ @ 0-85℃) |
| 7 | Display Accuracy | Temperature: 0.01℃ Time: 1 minute |
| 8 | Overtemperature Protection | Independent overheat protection (Auto shutdown + alarm trigger) |
| 9 | Alarm Threshold | Triggered when chamber temp exceeds setpoint by +5℃ |
System water supply
Water supply mode: Pump lift
Location of water supply device: Front water tank, drawer-style water filling
Water quality requirements for water supply: Resistivity ≥ 500Ω·m
Safety protection device
| System/Category | Protection/Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigeration System | Compressor Overheat | Triggered when the compressor temperature exceeds the set limit. |
| Compressor Overload | Triggered when the compressor current exceeds the rated value. | |
| Compressor Overpressure | Triggered when the internal pressure of the compressor exceeds safe limits. | |
| Condenser Fan Overheat | Triggered when the condenser fan temperature is too high. | |
| Test Chamber | Adjustable Overtemperature Protection | Allows setting a temperature limit; shuts off power or alarms if exceeded. |
| Chamber Circulation Fan Fault Protection | Triggers protection if the chamber circulation fan fails or stops. | |
| Other Protections | Power Phase Sequence & Phase Loss Protection | Detects incorrect phase sequence or phase loss and shuts off power or alarms. |
| Leakage Protection | Detects electrical leakage and automatically cuts power to prevent electric shock. | |
| Overload & Short Circuit Protection | Detects circuit overload or short circuit and cuts power to prevent damage. | |
| Power Recovery Protection | Automatically starts or maintains a safe state when power is restored after an outage. | |
| Smoke Alarm | Smoke Detector | Triggers an audible/visual alarm when smoke is detected. |
| Smoke Exhaust System | Smoke Exhaust Fan (Linked to Smoke Detector) | Automatically starts when smoke concentration exceeds the limit. |
Performance
| Parameter | Specification | Condition/Note |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature Range | -40℃ to +150℃ | — |
| Temperature Stability | ≤ ±0.5℃ (at no load, when temperature is stable) | — |
| Temperature Deviation | ±2.0℃ (at no load, when temperature is stable) | — |
| Heating Time | -20℃ → +150℃ ≤ 60 min (at no load, average non-linear) | — |
| Heat Load | ≤ 300W (due to battery cell heating during operation) | — |
| Humidity Deviation | ±3.0%RH (when RH > 75%RH) ±5.0%RH (when RH ≤ 75%RH) | — |
| Compliance Standards | GB/T 2423.1-2008 (Low Temperature Test Method Ab) GB/T 2423.2-2008 (High Temperature Test Method Bb) GJB 150.3A-2009 (High Temperature Test) GJB 150.4A-2009 (Low Temperature Test) GB/T 10592-2008 (Environmental Test Chamber Technical Conditions) |
Derui focuses on the research and development of environmental test chamber, providing a full range of equipment including salt spray test chambers, walk-in test chambers, xenon lamp aging test chambers, etc. It accurately simulates complex working conditions such as temperature and humidity, corrosion, and light exposure, helping industries such as new energy, automobiles, and aerospace to enhance product reliability and shorten the R&D cycle.
