weisstechnik and DSA have combined their expertise for an innovative test system

Das Plug&Test Lab integriert Prüfkammer, Prüftechnik und Bedienplatz in einem Container. / The Plug&Test Lab integrates test chamber, test technology and operating station in one container.

The market for electric vehicles is on the move and the pressure to introduce new innovations in the field of electric mobility is increasing. This also increases the need for readily available test solutions for the standard temperature and climatic testing of lithium-ion batteries found in vehicles. weisstechnik and DSA have developed a mobile, container-based plug & test solution for just this purpose. This enables standard-compliant testing and fulfils all the necessary safety specifications.

Mobile and ready for testing in just one day

The test laboratory is mobile and designed as a plug & test system. It is versatile and able to cover a wide range of tests for high-voltage batteries. This makes it suitable for the expansion of existing testing capacities, as a replacement for testing facilities that have failed at short notice and for the cost-effective establishment of new testing locations, for example for start-up companies. At the same time, it offers highly convenient tests and safety equipment according to Hazard Level 6. As a turnkey solution, it relieves the burden on in-house staff, who no longer have to deal with the planning and commissioning of a test solution. Since the container is a mobile structure, a simplified official approval can be expected during installation.

Large testing range in a small area

The fully air-conditioned Plug&Test Lab achieves temperatures from -40 to +80 °C with a temperature change rate of 3 K/min. and humidities of 10 to 95 % RH. It is as suitable for carrying out short end-of-line tests and prototype tests as it is for long-term testing. The testing software with its stored standard test scenarios is particularly user-friendly. After a short training period, users can program their own test scenarios. All the interfaces of the testing system, software and visualisation are already perfectly coordinated with each other.

Tests and standards

The test editor and the test tools of the compact test system are designed to perform a wide variety of electrical and physical tests on the batteries, the battery management system and individual components. These include, for example, tests for charging and discharging cycles, the simulation of different climatic conditions or entire seasons, driver and load profiles as well as insulation and leak tests. All data can be easily read out and fed directly into a database or made available for further processing and analysis.

Compact on the outside, lots of space on the inside

Despite the compact external dimensions of a 40" container, the system contains a complete test laboratory including test chamber, battery charging/discharging unit, measurement technology, test stand automation, cooling water treatment and operating station. It is delivered by semitrailer and can be easily moved later if required. All that is required for installation is a concreted surface or a strip foundation and the necessary connections. The test room measures (HxWxD) 2.3 x 2.2 x 3 m and is suitable for testing battery packs and smaller electric vehicles. All connections are designed in such a way that they can be connected quickly and easily, so that startup can be achieved within one day.

Cleverly combined expertise

The Plug&Test Lab combines the testing and industry expertise of two highly specialised companies. weisstechnik is a long-standing and world-leading specialist in environmental simulation. One focus is the automotive sector, which the company supplies with a wide range of test solutions from compact climatic chambers to chassis dynamometers for complete vehicles. As a leading expert in innovative and customised diagnostic solutions for automotive electronics, DSA offers hardware, software and services for testing vehicles and components such as high-voltage batteries. weisstechnik is responsible for the entire construction of the container, air-conditioning technology and project coordination. DSA supplies the hardware and software for the lab automation, measurement technology and test GUI for the battery tests, the DUT contacting and the higher-level safety PLC.