Design of an experimental test rig to determine the battery internal resistance beyond normal operating condition.

Abstract

The necessity of a precise battery thermal management system is to maximize the efficiency of energy storage capacity, driving range, cell longevity and system safety which requires a better understanding on battery thermal distribution and behavior. Since most of the research work is conducted based on the normal operating temperature, there is lack of data of the batter internal resistance at high temperature mostly above 60 ℃. Hence, it is necessary to design a test rig where the battery can be tested for a wide range of temperature. During the design process, several parameters were considered such as battery box shape, material and strength, air tunnel material and efficiency, chassis strength and stability, alignment and battery positioning. This test rig was designed to test the battery up to 80 ℃ of temperature. Finalized design was validated through finite element analysis and flow simulation in Solidworks. Justification was made through simulation results that the battery box fulfills the design requirements of safety and efficiency with 0.05 mm of displacement at maximum load and 28 m/s of maximum air velocity during operation.