Langtian Blog

1. What is Battery Cell Testing?

Battery cell testing equipment is basically a “health check system” for your batteries. It tells you if a battery is reliable, safe to use, how long it can charge and discharge, and its lifespan.

It’s not just a single machine—it’s a complete set of systems, including:

• Charge/Discharge Testing System

• Cycle Life Testing Equipment

• Safety/Abuse Testing System

• Environmental Chambers (temperature and humidity)

• Data Analysis System

2. Why Battery Testing is a Must

In short: untested batteries are like “time bombs.”
Battery cells are a mix of chemicals and electrical structures, extremely sensitive to:

• Slight temperature rise or fast charging may cause overheating

• Material batch differences or process variations affect consistency

• After hundreds of cycles, how much capacity is left and whether the cell bulges are unknown

Without testing, you’ll never know:

• Can this battery last 3 years?

• Will it overheat during fast charging?

• Will it work in cold conditions?

• Are there any hidden defective cells in a batch?

That’s why leading battery companies worldwide treat testing as a critical safety line—untested cells won’t be used in EVs or mass production.

3. 6 Key Types of Battery Tests

1. Battery Cycle Life Testing: Checks how much charge remains after hundreds or thousands of cycles to estimate lifespan.

2. Rate Charge/Discharge Testing: Tests battery performance under fast (high-rate) or slow (low-rate) charge/discharge.

3. Pulse Simulation Testing: Simulates sudden high-current discharges (like car acceleration) to see if the battery can handle it.

4. DCIR Testing: Measures internal resistance—lower resistance means higher efficiency and less heat.

5. GITT Testing: Slowly charges and discharges the battery while tracking voltage changes to analyze material reactions.

6. dQ/dV Differential Capacity Curve: Magnifies capacity and voltage changes during charge/discharge to spot anomalies and evaluate performance.

4. How Battery Testing Equipment Works (3 Steps)

Step 1: Apply “Stress”

• Repeated charge/discharge, high-rate fast charging

• Cycle in extreme temperatures (-40°C to 85°C)

• Simulate short-circuits, overcharge, and other risky scenarios

Step 2: Collect Data

• Record voltage, current, capacity, temperature, and internal resistance in real time

• Track charge/discharge curves, temperature rise, and capacity decay

• Precision up to 0.01% for detailed analysis

Step 3: Generate Results

• Output charts, reports, and risk alerts

• Help R&D determine if materials or formulas need adjustments

• Help factories decide if products can be shipped and suppliers are reliable

5. Who Needs Battery Testing Equipment?

6. How to Choose the Right Battery Testing Equipment (Avoid Pitfalls)

1. Check Testing Range

• R&D: Voltage 0-15V, Current 0-100A (wider range = more flexible)

• Production: Match battery specs (e.g., 3.7V cells → 0-5V range)

2. Precision is Critical

• Current: 0.05%-0.1% (avoid wrong capacity measurement)

• Voltage: 0.02%-0.05% (capture subtle changes)

3. Number of Channels

• Small team/R&D: 8-32 channels

• Pilot line: 64-128 channels

• Mass production: 100-1000+ channels

4. Temperature Control

• At least -20°C to 60°C for standard needs

• ESS/EV-grade: -40°C to 85°C to meet industry standards

5. Software Features

• Essential: Real-time curve view, automated testing, data export (Excel/PDF)

• Bonus: Remote monitoring, batch reports, exception alerts