Design and Development of a Cloud-Assisted Cell Test Bench for Evaluating Cycle Life and Functional Performance of Electric Vehicle Batteries

Abstract

Evaluating the performance of lithium-ion batteries under varying operational and climatic conditions is crucial before their commercialization for EV applications to ensure safety and reliability. This paper presents the development of a cloud-based battery test bed designed to facilitate cell testing under diverse operating conditions, user-defined test protocols, and climatic scenarios within a controlled laboratory setting. Integration with a cloud platform enables remote operation of the test bed from anywhere worldwide, offering users seamless data monitoring and visualization capabilities. An advanced test bed controller has been developed to ensure the safe execution of multiple functions, including data acquisition, charge-discharge management, and chamber temperature control, serving as a vital link between the test bed and the cloud platform. Various established cell testing protocols, including the hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) test, columbic efficiency test, temperature-dependent open circuit voltage (OCV) - state of charge (SOC) characteristic test, standard cyclic testing experiments, and critical drive cycle tests are performed to validate the effectiveness of the developed cloud-based battery test bed.