Formula Student Battery Testing Consortium

Sign up here!

What is it?

The Formula Student Battery Testing Consortium (BTC) is a database that has been created to provide Formula Student teams with the required information to design and build a high-performance electric vehicle. This database can be used for characterising predictive electrochemical models, building bulk thermal models, optimising accumulator cell selection, comparing cell degradation and end-of-life characteristics, calibrating battery management systems, and more. This data is acquired through industry standard testing methods as well as Formula Student endurance drive-cycles to provide a real-world perspective.

Due to the vast selection of possible cells available to Formula Student teams, this project will utilise cells that align best with the harsh conditions of a Formula Student vehicle. The equipment used in the BTC has been purchased for its capabilities in high-power / high-precision electrochemical testing. The specifications for this equipment can be found on the equipment page.

In an effort to minimise the barrier of entry for electric formula student teams, we are excited to offer this data free to all Formula Student / SAE teams. To join this project and access the data, please fill out this form.

Background

With the rapid acceleration of consumer battery electric vehicles, motorsport applications have similarly accelerated to fill this market segment. Alongside Formula E, series such as Extreme E, eSkootr, and MotoE World Cup are showcasing the fast-paced advancements in high-performance electrified vehicles. The international engineering competition, Formula Student, currently leads many of these advancements due to the open rule structure, diverse powertrain availability, and world-wide competition structure. Expansions in electrified powertrain and lithium-ion energy storage have resulted in a large diversity in the selection of designs and resulting operating conditions. To facilitate this change in direction, adequate data is needed.

The Data

The BTC has been developed around providing a wide variety of data that provides insight for battery management calibration, accumulator design, thermal management optimisation, cell degradation, and more. Further information on the testing performed can be viewed here. In order to ensure cells were at an adequate state-of-health across all tests, up to twelve cells were used per model.

Twelve different cell models have been selected for the initial round and can be found in the table below. If there is enough interest and support, the group will look at releasing a second round. Moving forward, teams will be able to provide feedback on cell selection.

For an introduction into this project, an open-source repository has been created for one prospective cell. This repository can be found on GitHub, and students are encouraged to report issues and comments.

Round 1 Status: 70.1% Complete

Industrial Support

The HVES group would like to thank Shenzhen Melasta Battery Company for providing a discount on the pouch cells purchased to date. If you would like to support this project or become a sponsor, please reach out to the group. We look forward to working with you!