EA Elektro-Automatik Announces High-Power, High-Efficiency Triple Output Battery Testing Devices

Germany (Viersen) – May 23, 2023 – EA Elektro-Automatik, a leading manufacturer of DC programmable power supplies, bidirectional power supplies and regenerative loads, introduces the EA-BT 20000 Triple Battery Tester, the only battery tester instrument with three channels and the highest voltage and current outputs.

The Industry’s Highest Power Battery Testing Instrument

The new instruments can test up to three battery cells, modules or packs simultaneously with the power capacity of 4 kW/channel, 6 kW/channel or 10 kW/channel. Furthermore, to test higher capacity batteries, the channels can be paralleled to test batteries with either 12 kW, 18 kW or 30 kW. The EA-BT 20000 Triple series consists of eight models with output voltages from 10 V to 920 V and output current/channel of 40 A to 600 A. Unlike other battery testing instruments on the market, one EA-BT 20000 can continuously deliver three channels of 600 A or a single channel supplying 1800 A.

Extensive Applicability

The EA-BT 20000 Triple Output Battery Testers address the full range of the battery life cycle from materials research to battery development, manufacturing, incoming inspection, and second-life battery recycling. The EA-BT 20000 can test individual cells, battery modules, and large battery packs for basic research and industries, including the automotive industry, the aerospace/defense industry, and consumer renewable energy systems.

A Flexible Integrated Solution for Easy System Integration

The EA-BT 20000 battery testers include all the functionality, in one instrument, to charge and discharge battery packs for battery testing, battery simulation and battery recycling. The testers measure parameters such as battery State-of-Health (SOH) and End-of-Life (EOL). With their relay outputs, the test devices are able to control external contactors and safety circuits.

The EA-Power Control and EA-Battery Simulator software packages enable automated tester control and allow logging and sequencing without requiring the use of a programming language.

To enable software development in custom systems, EA offers driver support that includes IVI drivers and NI LabView drivers. In addition, the EA-BT 20000 can interface to either a PC with SCPI commands or a programmable logic controller (PLC) with ModBus commands. All devices in this device family have the same programming interface and can therefore be quickly and easily adapted. Standard interfaces include USB, Gb/s Ethernet, EtherCAT, and CAN FD. With CAN FD, the battery tester conveniently interfaces with automotive test stands.

EA devices are predestined for installation in cabinet systems to set up multi-device battery test systems. STEP files help with construction. The compact 4U housing enables the construction of high-performance cabinet systems.

Triple Turbo Performance for the Highest Throughput

With three channels, the EA-BT 20000 battery testers can simultaneously test three batteries. Thus, these instruments can maximize throughput compared with single-output instruments, allowing manufacturers to reduce test costs and save on capital costs for instrumentation.

In addition, the EA-BT 20000 processes commands and performs readings at the fastest control speed of 1 ms. Combined with the latest versions of the interfaces, EtherCAT, CAN FD, and Gb/s Ethernet, the EA-BT 20000 further optimizes throughput.

Power to 1.92 MW for Large Systems

For large battery systems, up to 64 battery testers with 30 kW capacity can test a system with as high an output as 1.92 MW. A Master-Auxiliary bus creates a multi-instrument system that operates like a single instrument. The single master instrument controls all other instruments and displays total power, total current, and individual instrument warnings and alarms. A second bus, the Share-Bus, ensures that each instrument safely carries an equal portion of the total load.

Other configurations of testers can create a system that can test high-voltage battery packs with voltages up to 2000 V. EA-BT 20000 systems offer the widest range of performance with the highest voltage and the highest current available on the market.

Highest Efficiency for Energy Savings

When acting as a load to test the battery or to discharge the battery, EA battery testers can feed approximately 96% of the received energy back to the power grid, the highest efficiency available. As a result, the EA-BT 20000 can save significant kilowatt-hour consumption and enable the instruments to pay for themselves. In addition, when supplying power, the battery testers have active power factor correction, typically 0.99, and high-efficiency switch-mode supply circuitry to optimize power delivery efficiency.

Wide Voltage and Current Range

EA Elektro-Automatik employs true autoranging in its battery testers to provide wide output and input ranges for both voltage and current. True autoranging allows sourcing and sinking at full power over the full voltage output range. One battery tester can test a wide range of battery pack voltage and current combinations with one instrument compared with other manufacturers needing either two instruments or a higher power instrument to address the full range of a battery pack’s output.

Complete Solution for Battery test and Recycling

The EA-BT 20000 Triple is a fully integrated battery tester. It has the highest power to test a wide range of cells, modules, and battery packs. The EA-BT 20000 is the complete solution to enable the development, testing, and recycling of current and future battery technologies and battery capacities.

A single-channel version of the EA-BT 20000 is also available for applications requiring less capacity. The single-channel version has all the safety and high-speed communication advantages of the triple output instrument but with up to 2000 V and 1000 A output. For more information, visit https://www.eapowered.com/ea-bt-20000-triple/.

About EA Elektro-Automatik

EA Elektro-Automatik has been producing state-of-the-art programmable DC power supplies and electronic loads since 1974. The company is dedicated to providing power solutions that lead in technology advancement for research and development and manufacturing in the automotive, energy storage, telecommunications, alternative energies and aerospace industries. With a presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, EA Elektro-Automatik’s autoranging power supplies lead the industry in output power flexibility, density and operating efficiency. For more information, visit:
www.elektroautomatik.com in EMEA and APAC
www.eapowered.com in the Americas