India expands Battery Testing Protocols

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), a leading academic institution for scientific and technological research and  H.E.L Group, manufacturers of laboratory tools for process optimisation, safety and scale-up, are collaborating on a national initiative to develop new testing laboratories for conducting  research into battery storage, new chemistry development and thermal characteristics.

 An understanding of heat patterns generated during battery operation is critical to ensure that appropriate safety precautions and usage recommendations are put in place, minimising the risks of thermal runaways and combustion.

As part of the agreement, H.E.L will provide IIT Kanpur with its Iso-BTC+ non-abusive and non-destructive isothermal calorimeter designed to characterise thermal behavior of battery cells during charge and discharge testing, giving enhanced performance, lifespan and safety data.

“Global demand for batteries is rapidly growing and this is especially true in India. Change is occurring very fast and we at IIT Kanpur are working to understand the testing requirements for larger batteries”, commented Dr. Raju Kumar Gupta, Professor at IIT Kanpur. “The Iso-BTC+ will give extremely tight control of the battery temperature and will enable us to obtain thermal characteristics of cells during operation, (while) the software-integrated battery cycling function will allow us to understand how charge/discharge profiles affect heat generation, “ Dr Gupta added.

Rajeev Kumria, General Manager, H.E.L India added, “Poor understanding of battery thermal behavior can lead to unsafe batteries being integrated into devices with inadequate safety precautions in place and safe batteries being used inefficiently – leading to shortened product lifetimes and poor energy management. As we strive for a more sustainable world, batteries are becoming more prevalent in, for example, electric vehicles and e-scooters, and it is imperative that we continue to research and develop efficient and safe cells appropriate for all environments and applications. As such, we are delighted to be working with IIT Kanpur on this important initiative to help India transition into a more sustainable energy environment, and look forward to providing the latest technology and sharing our experience in developing battery testing and process safety tools."

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