Why are real-life simulations important?
Most devices do not consume energy at a constant rate throughout the day. Large applications such as electric vehicles and grid storage go through periods of high and low energy demand. Even portable devices such as smartphones or laptops may be more heavily used at certain times of the day. How something is used – charged and discharged – has an effect on the overall health of a battery. By testing a battery with a simulation that mimics how a device is used in real life, manufacturers can more accurately estimate the performance of a consumer product battery over time and identify the areas that need improvement.
What features can support accurate simulations?
Good battery testing equipment with features that can support accurate simulations can go a long way. Arbin’s Regenerative Battery Testing Series (RBT) is optimized for dynamic test profiles. Here are a few key features that can support this:
-Data Points
The RBT can support over 300,000 data points for one simulation, allowing testers to plot an intricate and nuanced simulation that better reflects real-life battery usage. This can be done without any complicated programming, as test files can be uploaded in Excel or CSV formats.
-True Bipolar Circuitry
True bipolar circuitry means that the test equipment can switch between charging and discharging with no switch time in between. With this feature, dynamic test profiles can be accurately performed and properly mimic real usage. Moreover, the interval between data points can be as low as 50ms, giving testers a wide range of flexibility in their test profiles.
-Fast Data Sampling
The presence of integrated microcontrollers allows for fast data sampling at 0.3ms. Data is logged at 5ms intervals or 2000 points per second, meaning that the system can log every little detail of the charge and discharge simulation, giving testers an accurate snapshot of battery performance.
-High-Resolution Equipment
As with all of Arbin’s equipment, the RBT series has high resolution at 24-bit, compared with the industry standard of 16-bit. This means that even the smallest change in current or voltage is visible to a greater number of digits, catching even the smallest patterns or deviations in a battery’s performance.
On top of all of the aforementioned features, Arbin’s RBT is equipped with high-efficiency circuitry and power density. With regenerative circuitry, power is sent back to the grid when discharging, which lowers the energy costs of running the testing equipment. The RBT has a regenerative efficiency of 90-92%, providing testers with a more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective battery testing solution.
High-quality battery testing equipment can support the research and development of batteries and battery-powered devices. Contact us now to see how we can support your next challenge.
