The NRC’s Battery performance and safety evaluation research facility in Ottawa, Ontario, tests energy storage devices under a variety of situations and operational conditions to evaluate safety and performance.
Our experts evaluate battery cells and systems by adhering to strict operational limits or pushing them beyond their limits to understand how they will react and how designs can be improved. Our research is at the forefront of battery technologies, applications, and innovations.
Click video screen during playback and drag mouse for a 360o view of the facility.
360o video: Battery performance and safety evaluation research facility - Transcript
[On screen: 360o - Battery performance and safety evaluation, Ottawa, Ontario]
Welcome to the National Research Council of Canada's Battery Performance and Safety Evaluation Research Facility in Ottawa.
This is where energy storage devices are evaluated for safety and performance under a variety of situations and operating conditions.
[On screen: Central bay]
[On screen: battery charge-discharge cycle performance evaluation, customization, diagnostics]
This room is the central bay, which contains multiple battery charge-discharge cyclers capable of monitoring the status of a full range of cells, modules and batteries. They are used to test batteries for capacity, life-span and other performance specifications. These systems can monitor up to 800 volts of direct current and 500 amps.
This unique facility is outfitted with specialized equipment that enables battery charge-discharge cycle performance evaluation, customization, and diagnostics, to meet specific test requirements, such as industry standards or unique testing protocols.
The central bay has a number of adjacent test bays. One side of the building is dedicated to performance testing, while the other is for safety evaluations.
[On screen: Multipurpose performance room]
The multipurpose performance room permits testing and staging of large battery packs and their potential applications. For example, extracting battery packs from electric vehicles.
The larger bay also enables climate controlled fire-resistant testing of various battery size and chemistry configurations.
As leaders in battery evaluation, NRC's experts provide clients with useful tools and feedback throughout the various phases of their development cycle.
[On screen: Environmental chamber]
The room can be equipped with several environmental chambers which are used to set humidity and temperature between negative 60 and 100 degrees Celsius to simulate a wide range of environmental conditions.
[On screen: between -60oC and +100oC]
[On screen: Control room for safety evaluation]
The control room is located off the central bay and adjacent to the battery abuse bays, where we evaluate batteries beyond their operational limits.
This stress testing is necessary to understand the way batteries will react in a system in case of accident or failure. The results may also yield information that can be used to improve the design and produce a safer product.
The test bays are equipped with multiple cameras and sensors with customization to suit clients' needs.
All pollutants from testing are captured or managed on site for proper disposal.
At the National Research Council of Canada, we are at the forefront of battery technologies, applications and innovations. The Battery Performance and Safety Evaluation Research facility permits year round indoor testing and has been carefully designed to ensure that all your battery testing needs are met.
If you would like more information, contact one of our highly qualified experts.
[On screen: official signature, National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada]
[On screen: Government of Canada Wordmark]