03/27/2008 (Susanne Bruesch)
With the release of BATSO 01 Manual on March 18, 2008 in Hsinchu, the BATSO project has reached an important milestone on the way towards safer batteries used in light electric vehicles. BATSO was a major topic at LEV Conference and Workshops in Taipei and Hsinchu on March 15 - 19, 2008.
BATSO battery safety and certification standard was one of the major topics at LEV Conference in Taipei and Hsinchu, from March 15-19, 2008. The project partners of BATtery Safety Organization – ExtraEnergy of Germany, ITRI, TUV Rheinland Taiwan, and UL of Taiwan – had good news for the audience: On March 13, 2008 they had passed the BATSO 01 Manual.
This 44-page manual specifies the testing methods and requirements for secondary lithium batteries for the safe application in light electric vehicles. “In releasing the first BATSO manual, we have reached an important milestone towards safer batteries for LEV applications”, said ITRI Representative Dr. Yang. “Standardized testing methods and BATSO labeled batteries will make it easier for everyone involved in the Light Electric Vehicle business to find and utilize safer batteries”, added ExtraEnergy President and BATSO initiator Hannes Neupert.
Two Test Options and a Unique Document
The BATSO manual provides two test options:
1) The full BATSO testing program including the safety tests and transport safety tests following the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. The so-called UN-T tests are internationally required for the utilization of lithium batteries.
2) This option has been designed for battery manufacturers who have obtained UN Transport tests already.
In addition to detailed testing specifications, Manual 01 includes selected transport regulations related to LEVs, application guidelines of the BATSO test seal, a list of information to be provided by the battery manufacturer, first aid advice and an action plan in case of fire, as well as a directory of related norms. This collection of information has especially been compiled for LEV application and is the first and only of its kind.
Exploding Number of Lithium Batteries
The goal of BATSO is to increase safety of new battery technologies. With an exploding number of lithium batteries being used all over the globe and potentially dangerous batteries being sold to customers, a safety standard such as BATSO is inevitable, said Project Manager Tim Schaefer. In 2007, more than 250 million lithium cells were shipped. According to Takeshida/JP, the worldwide sales of lithium-ion batteries exceeded 5 billion USD in 2007 and this number will double in 2010.
BATSO Milestones Presented at Hsinchu Workshop
During a BATSO Workshop that was held at the ITRI facility in Hsinchu, on March 18, 2008 the BATSO Manual 01 was presented to industry representatives in detail. On a guided tour, the testing laboratory was shown to the participants. It consists of a control chamber and a test chamber. Crush test, short circuit and overcharge tests are performed here. So far, 20 batteries have been tested, 7 of them caught fire, explained lab operator Josh Tsai from ITRI. Within the next few months, this testing lab will be modified in a way that BATSO tests can be executed to full extend.
Other milestones for this year include the foundation of a formally independent BATSO organization.
A certification body will be founded to authorize future BATSO testing laboratories. In addition, a technical committee will be set up to improve and extend the BATSO 01 Manual. Future versions will extend the testing program to battery chemistries other than lithium, fuel cells and more detailed environmental aspects. Members of the technical committee are supposed to be players of the LEV industry, consumer and testing organizations, government bodies, and test houses. First BATSO labeled lithium battery packs can be expected on the market in approximately one year.
Downloads
BATSO 01 Manual and other BATSO related files
Lectures of LEV Conference and Workshops 2008
