NETZSCH Instruments North America LLC recently announced that the new isothermal battery calorimeter IBC 284 284 developed based on National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s technology has been named among this year’s most significant innovations by R&D Magazine. The R&D 100 Awards reportedly provide a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia as proof that the product is one of the most innovative ideas of the year.

The need for better performing and safer batteries reportedly created a market opportunity for instrumentation designers in battery development. With this in mind, NETZSCH approached the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a leader in battery calorimetry technology, to develop a better way to detect heat loss in electric-vehicle batteries. 

“With forecasts of more than half a million hybrid and electric cars this year–and with manufacturers needing to meet the regulated increased fuel efficiency–we saw a real gap in the marketplace for accurate testing of the larger battery systems,” said Gilles Widawski, Ph.D., president of NETZSCH Instruments North America. “The IBC 284 allows auto manufacturers to address safety and efficiency issues long before drivers have to rely on battery packs to get them back home. NREL has been working on battery thermal testing and calorimetry for over 15 years, and the R&D Award is a fantastic recognition of their work.” 

The new instrument is designed to test the performance and safety of large-format Li-Ion batteries used in electric vehicles, airplanes, and military applications, as well as stationary power backup and storage applications. The instrumentation is reportedly able to safely and accurately characterize heat output and efficiency of the batteries under varying temperature, pressure, load and use conditions, providing precise and critical information previously unavailable.

For additional information, visit www.netzsch-thermal-analysis.com .