How can you safely check whether modules are still fit for use? The only solution is assessing the properties of batteries, which will tell you whether the damage is permanent.

Assessing battery properties – production, storage and transport

Batteries need to be tested after every accident involving them. Any kinetic incident can cause permanent damage – from electrolyte leakage to damage to the structure and electronics, creating a risk of an internal short circuit. 

Every facility that handles batteries should conduct tests to assess the condition of potentially damaged modules. 

Lithium-ion battery testing – what does it involve?

The tests consist of several stages designed to show how batteries behave in their typical operating environment.

  • Stage I – a static direct-current test with a constant load. It involves charging and discharging the battery while monitoring its temperature and checking its capacity.
  • Stage II – a dynamic direct-current test with a variable load and temperature monitoring. It can be conducted according to battery operating profiles specified by the client.
  • Stage III – battery quarantine. The modules must remain for a specified period in a separate room. During this rest period, their temperature is measured regularly, and at the end their voltage is measured, with its distribution across individual cells determined.

The test confirms whether kinetic damage is present or absent. It provides information about what to do next – approve the batteries for use or withdraw them from service.

Battery and cell parameters – performance tests

What exactly is checked during the tests? All the characteristics that determine battery operation and user safety: voltage, capacity, temperature and energy losses during the charging/discharging cycle. You can also immediately see whether the results match the reference data, while the summary and final assessment clearly indicate what should be done with the battery in question. 

The tests eliminate risks to people and the environment, including those associated with fire or contamination. This is how lithium-ion, lithium, zinc-carbon and other batteries are tested. 

Complete battery discharge – stationary and mobile

When it turns out that nothing more can be done with the modules, the only option is to discharge them to 0 V, so they cannot regain their energy potential and can be recycled. This procedure takes place at your facility and can be performed in two ways:

  • stationary, in the case of a large number of batteries and a constant need to discharge them,
  • mobile, if there are only a few batteries.

In the first case, a separate, roofed and unfrequented room must be set aside for the work. It will house the discharge device and provide storage space for the modules being tested.

In the second case, a space with a level surface is sufficient – the device will remain there for several days during testing. 

Both rooms must have access to a power supply. After discharge, the batteries also undergo quarantine, after which it is checked whether they have actually regained any charge.

Testing and charge removal – specialists with proprietary software

Do you store, manufacture or transport batteries and accumulators? At Battery Energy Back, you can check them for internal damage and, if necessary, discharge them completely. The company uses proprietary software that will tell you how to handle batteries involved in accidents.

No chemical solutions or brines are used during testing, allowing the batteries to retain their physical condition.