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Written by Shirley
Product Manager, Doaho Test (DHT®)
In today’s rapidly growing new energy vehicle industry, battery R&D has become a key battleground for technological competition. However, the development path is far from smooth. One power battery company, during high-low temperature cycle life testing, experienced significant discrepancies in cell degradation data due to excessive temperature uniformity deviations in their test chambers. During client audits, the results were deemed unreliable, forcing the company to spend additional time and resources on re-validation. The project was delayed by several months, and critical market opportunities were lost.
This case highlights a core reality: battery R&D is highly sensitive to test conditions, and environmental chambers for battery testing are essential to ensure both scientific validity and reliable results. Choosing the right chamber not only impacts R&D efficiency but can also determine whether a company can pass critical customer audits.
Key Technical Parameters
As industry professionals, we typically advise clients to focus on the following technical parameters:
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Temperature Range and Ramp Rate Battery testing often requires coverage from -40°C to +120°C, or even wider. The rate of temperature change determines the ability to simulate real-world scenarios, such as rapid cold starts or prolonged high-temperature exposure.
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Temperature Uniformity and Fluctuation High-quality environmental chambers for battery testing usually maintain temperature uniformity within ±1.5°C and fluctuations within ±0.5°C. This directly affects consistency across samples in the same batch.
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Safety Protection Design Given the potential thermal runaway risk of batteries, chambers must include:
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Pressure relief ports
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Gas monitoring and exhaust systems
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Over-temperature protection and emergency power-off mechanisms
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Chamber Size and Load Capacity From single cells to full battery packs, sample sizes vary significantly. When selecting equipment, consider expansion needs over the next 3–5 years to avoid premature obsolescence.
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Control Systems and Data Acquisition Modern chambers feature touchscreens, remote monitoring, and automatic data logging, improving efficiency and facilitating client audit compliance.
Recommended Brands
In battery R&D and reliability testing, choosing the right chamber brand often directly affects data credibility and long-term ROI. Key brands in the market each have distinct advantages:
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ESPEC (Japan): Renowned for high precision and long-term stability, especially in humidity control and long-cycle testing. Ideal for high-end laboratories with stringent data consistency requirements. Limitations include higher costs and longer delivery times, which may challenge companies with tighter budgets.
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ASC (USA): Strong in safety-focused design, equipped with robust explosion-proof and gas handling systems, making it particularly suitable for high-risk battery safety testing. Drawbacks include relatively specialized product lines and lower flexibility, with higher maintenance costs.
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BINDER (Germany): Excels in material research and small-scale lab testing. User-friendly and precise enough for research-grade applications. However, large-capacity cells or full-pack tests are limited, making it less suitable for mass testing scenarios.
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Thermotron (USA): Offers significant advantages in customization and automation integration, capable of seamless connection with Battery Management Systems (BMS) and data acquisition setups. The downside is higher costs and slower after-sales support in some regions.
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DHT® (China): Rapidly growing in recent years, with extensive applications in the new energy battery sector. DHT® chambers provide flexible configurations, balancing high performance with cost-effectiveness, particularly suited for daily large-scale testing of cells and modules. Fast service response and controllable costs make it a preferred choice for many companies seeking to reduce overall testing expenses.
Pre-Purchase Checklist
Before purchasing a battery test chamber, consider the following checklist:
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Clarify testing requirements: temperature range, humidity control, sample size?
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Budget assessment: equipment cost plus long-term maintenance expenses.
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Laboratory conditions: sufficient power supply, ventilation, and load-bearing capacity?
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Safety standards: compliance with IEC, UL, GB, or other international standards?
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After-sales service: does the supplier provide fast, local support?
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Scalability: can the equipment be upgraded or used in parallel if future testing needs increase?
Conclusion
The battery industry is evolving at an accelerating pace. Every step, from lab R&D to mass production, tests a company’s technical capability and operational efficiency. In this context, choosing the right environmental chambers for battery testing is not merely a procurement decision—it is a strategic choice that influences R&D speed, verification depth, and competitive positioning.
If you are planning or upgrading a battery laboratory, consider whether your equipment selection truly aligns with the next three to five years of development needs. Contact DHT® to receive the most suitable solution. DHT® is ready to be your long-term partner in reliability verification.