Validation Testing of Battery Packs under Extreme Real-world Driving Conditions
WMG's Energy Innovation Centre provides testing capabilities and characterisation of hybrid powertrains, components and control systems. The high power pack level battery cycler provides a system for testing whole battery packs. These tests provide information on battery pack capacity, performance characteristics and ageing.
Research Challenge:
Much research and development work has be done on energy management systems in order to improve the reliability and economy of batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles. However, in the real world, the actual economy and reliability of such battery packs will also be influenced by their use - this can include driver behaviour, weather, speeds and road types.
Working with Goodwolfe Energy, this research aimed to evaluation and characterise a protoype vehicle battery pack under extreme real-world driving conditions.
Outcomes:
The prototype battery system was successfully tested over a number of high power real-world driving cycles and characterisation test cycles. This has resulted in an improved and detailed understanding of how the pack performs under such extreme conditions.
Results from this work have been used to inform the design of a next generation battery pack and battery management system to deliver improved power, performance and reliability.
Energy Innovation Centre at WMG:
