The Challenge: Balancing Speed, Efficiency, and Sustainability
One example of this balancing act is the case of a leading marine battery manufacturer, facing surging demand from electric propulsion system suppliers.
To remain competitive, they need to increase development and production speed without compromising the rigorous safety and performance standards each battery must meet. However, the existing battery testing processes, which require significant time and energy, pose a major obstacle.
Testing facilities are notoriously energy-intensive, with inefficient systems consuming large amounts of electricity. This drives up operational costs and impacts the company’s environmental footprint.
Moreover, the lengthy testing procedures cause delays in product development, further pressuring their time-to-market goals. The challenge is clear: reduce testing times and energy consumption without sacrificing safety or reliability.
The Technologies Driving Efficiency
The push for faster, more energy-efficient battery testing has spurred innovation in power electronics and control systems. Several key advancements are helping companies overcome the barriers to efficient, sustainable battery testing:
1. High-Efficiency Power Conversion
Traditional battery testing systems often lose significant energy during the charging and discharging process. Modern systems leverage advanced materials like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN), which enable higher efficiency by minimizing energy lost as heat. This results in systems that can handle more power while using less energy, ultimately lowering costs and improving sustainability.
2. Low-Latency Control Systems
Speeding up testing cycles requires rapid data collection and processing. Older systems suffered from delays in data exchange, prolonging tests. Today’s advanced systems, equipped with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), provide near real-time data processing. These innovations enable faster, more accurate tests, drastically cutting down time-to-market.
3. Scalable Testing Solutions
As battery technology evolves, manufacturers require flexible, scalable testing systems. Modular designs now allow multiple cells or modules to be tested in parallel, significantly increasing throughput and built-in advanced features eliminate the need for additional equipment. This scalability improves operational efficiency and reduces bottlenecks in production timelines.
Terma Battery Cell Tester: A Game-Changer in Battery Testing
A prime example of these advancements is the Terma Battery Cell Tester, which addresses the dual challenge of speed and sustainability. Through innovative design, it helps companies like the marine battery manufacturer above streamline testing processes while dramatically cutting energy consumption.
Achieving 95% Efficiency
The Terma Tester’s standout feature is its impressive 95% energy efficiency. By incorporating a three-stage power conversion system, the tester recycles energy throughout the process.
Components such as the SiC-based Vienna Rectifier (VR), Dual Active Bridge (DAB), and Multi-Phase Buck Converter (MPB) minimize energy losses, leading to reduced operational costs and a smaller environmental footprint.
Speed and Responsiveness
Powered by DSP and FPGA technologies, the Terma Tester excels in reducing testing times. Its low-latency control system processes data almost instantly, allowing for real-time adjustments during tests. Fast data exchange via EtherCAT ensures the system keeps pace with demanding schedules.
For the marine battery manufacturer, this responsiveness cut testing times and significantly accelerated their product development cycle.
Flexible, Modular Design
The Terma Tester’s modular architecture allows for up to 64 independently controlled outputs , available in a single 2 rack unit device, enabling parallel testing of multiple cells or modules.
This scalability was essential for the manufacturer, as it enabled them to expand testing capacity without additional capital investment. The system’s flexibility allows manufacturers to adapt quickly to changing production needs, driving greater efficiency.
Advanced Safety and Monitoring Features
Battery testing carries inherent safety risks, particularly with high-energy cells. The Terma Tester addresses these concerns with built-in safety features, including an embedded oscilloscope that provides real-time monitoring of critical parameters like voltage and temperature.
This monitoring capability helps engineers detect issues such as thermal runaway before they occur, ensuring a safe and efficient testing environment.
Snapshot Feature for High-Resolution Data
A unique feature of the Terma Tester is its "Snapshot" capability, which functions like an oscilloscope by capturing high-resolution temporal data at key moments.
This tool records up to 8,000 data points per signal, allowing engineers to pinpoint critical phenomena, such as failure modes or transient peaks during testing. The “Snapshot”-feature makes sure that no performance-degrading events go unnoticed, enhancing both product reliability and safety.
Conclusion: A Sustainable Path Forward for Battery Manufacturers
As the battery industry continues to evolve, the demands for faster production cycles and more sustainable practices will only intensify. Advanced testing systems like the Terma Battery Cell Tester are key to address these challenges. By improving energy efficiency, increasing testing speed, and offering flexible, scalable solutions, these modern systems empower manufacturers to stay competitive while adhering to sustainability goals.
The Terma Battery Cell Tester exemplifies how cutting-edge technology can transform the testing landscape, helping companies reduce time-to-market and operational costs while significantly lowering energy consumption. For the marine battery manufacturer—and countless others in areas like the electric vehicle and energy storage market— these innovations are not just about improving efficiency; they represent a greener, more sustainable future for the industry.