Battery performance and safety evaluation research facility

Our capabilities

The battery performance and safety evaluation group at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has been one of the leaders in battery safety assessment testing and has developed unique expertise in the subject. Our group uses our experience in battery testing to provide support to government regulators, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers. We provide useful tools and insightful feedback to improve battery designs under a variety of situations and operating conditions.

Our services

Safety assessment testing

• Analysis and characterization of thermal runaway and its propagation
• Mechanical, thermal (TRIM), and electrical integrity test
• Thermal stress testing
• X-ray autopsy
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
• High-temperature storage
• Small cell immersion testing

Performance analysis

• Cell aging analysis
• Thermal characterization
• Thermal management system evaluation
• Performance evaluation in controlled environments
• Galvanostatic rate mapping
• High-precision cycling
• Electric vehicle drive cycle
• Altitude evaluation

Equipment

• Battery cyclers: for the performance evaluation to determine if batteries meet claimed specifications
• Environmental: for the evaluation of batteries under extreme temperature limits (-50 °C to +85 °C) and humidity
• Thermal cameras and X-ray imagers: for non-destructive testing
• Walk-in test chamber: for battery testing beyond normal operating parameters in safe conditions
• 25 000 L liquid waste holding tanks: to prevent contaminated water from being released into the environment
• Thermal oxidizer: to prevent volatile organic compounds (VOC) released by the reacting cell/battery from being released into the atmosphere