xcel
06-08-2009, 11:39 AM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg On the same day GM announces they are shuttering their medium duty truck lines, they open an advanced battery lab. A good direction albeit maybe 4-years to late :( (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=213341)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/GM_Global_Battery_Lab.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) - June 8, 2009
Just one of the 42 thermal chambers at GM’s new battery lab that can duplicate extreme real-world driving patterns, hot and cold temperatures and calendar life.
Warren, MI. – GM expanded its battery R&D capabilities today by opening the largest and most technologically advanced battery lab in the United States on its Technical Center campus in Warren, Mi.
The new Global Battery Systems Lab will lead GM's global advanced battery engineering resources and expedite the introduction of BEVs, PHEVs and HEVs driven vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt and fuel cell vehicles.
"The new global GM battery lab will benefit consumers across America by helping us advance the development of battery technology in the United States and put cleaner, more efficient vehicles on the road more quickly and affordably," said Fritz Henderson, GM president and CEO. "Our new lab improves GM's competitiveness by speeding the development of our hybrid, plug-in and extended-range electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt."
The Global Battery Systems Lab spans 33,000 sq. ft. - four times larger than GM's previous Tech Center battery lab - and will be used by GM's growing team of more than 1,000 engineers working on advanced batteries and electrically driven vehicles.
Planning began in December 2007 and construction started in August 2008. Operations began in January - nine months ahead of schedule. The lab became fully functional in May, equipped with 160 test channels and 42 thermal chambers duplicating extreme real-world driving patterns, hot and cold temperatures and calendar life. The lab's maximum power capacity is 6 megawatts, or enough electricity to provide power to approximately 1,400 homes.
"This facility is state-of-the-art and represents one of the largest and most capable battery test labs in the world," said Jim Queen, GM group vice president, Global Engineering. "More than half of the lab is dedicated to testing the electrochemical battery cells and their enclosures, known as modules, a capability not available in GM's previous battery lab. The lab's remaining floor space is committed to evaluating completed battery packs."
The Global Battery Systems Lab was built within GM's Alternative Energy Center facility, and includes many environmentally friendly features such as a center hallway with high-efficiency LED lighting and a floor made from recycled tires. Approximately 90 percent of the electricity used for battery testing can be returned to the local energy grid for use by homeowners and businesses.
Additional new benefits offered by the Global Battery Systems Lab include a thermal shaker table for battery structural integrity testing, a battery teardown area for failure analysis and competitor benchmarking, an integrated test automation system and improved Design of Experiments methodology - an information-gathering exercise that allows GM to perform more thorough battery tests more quickly.
The Global Battery Systems Lab complements GM's other battery labs in Mainz-Kastel, Germany, Honeoye Falls, N.Y., and the Warren Technical Center's Research Chemical Engineering facility. The opening of the Global Battery Systems Lab is the latest move in GM's comprehensive battery strategy, which includes ramping up "in-house" responsibility for advanced battery technology and a broad portfolio of supplier partners.
Benefits
Increased pack testing
32 cyclers (serve as treadmills for batteries).
64 test channels (available for individual battery tests).
25 thermal chambers (duplicates extreme temperature conditions).
New cell and module testing
32 cyclers.
96 test channels.
16 small thermal chambers.
Environmental control capability - to allow for test correlation and repeatability
New humidity-controlled walk-in chambers.
New air flow benches to provide specific temperatures and levels of humidity to test air-cooled battery packs.
New coolant chillers to cool or heat liquid-cooled battery packs.
Enhanced capability
Integrated test automation system enables around-the-clock standardized testing, customized test schedules and monitoring tests from desk or at home.
New thermal shaker table for structural integrity testing.
Improved Design of Experiments methodology - an information-gathering exercise that allows GM to perform more thorough battery tests in a shorter period of time.
Battery teardown area for failure analysis and competitor benchmarking.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/GM_Global_Battery_Lab.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) - June 8, 2009
Just one of the 42 thermal chambers at GM’s new battery lab that can duplicate extreme real-world driving patterns, hot and cold temperatures and calendar life.
Warren, MI. – GM expanded its battery R&D capabilities today by opening the largest and most technologically advanced battery lab in the United States on its Technical Center campus in Warren, Mi.
The new Global Battery Systems Lab will lead GM's global advanced battery engineering resources and expedite the introduction of BEVs, PHEVs and HEVs driven vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt and fuel cell vehicles.
"The new global GM battery lab will benefit consumers across America by helping us advance the development of battery technology in the United States and put cleaner, more efficient vehicles on the road more quickly and affordably," said Fritz Henderson, GM president and CEO. "Our new lab improves GM's competitiveness by speeding the development of our hybrid, plug-in and extended-range electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt."
The Global Battery Systems Lab spans 33,000 sq. ft. - four times larger than GM's previous Tech Center battery lab - and will be used by GM's growing team of more than 1,000 engineers working on advanced batteries and electrically driven vehicles.
Planning began in December 2007 and construction started in August 2008. Operations began in January - nine months ahead of schedule. The lab became fully functional in May, equipped with 160 test channels and 42 thermal chambers duplicating extreme real-world driving patterns, hot and cold temperatures and calendar life. The lab's maximum power capacity is 6 megawatts, or enough electricity to provide power to approximately 1,400 homes.
"This facility is state-of-the-art and represents one of the largest and most capable battery test labs in the world," said Jim Queen, GM group vice president, Global Engineering. "More than half of the lab is dedicated to testing the electrochemical battery cells and their enclosures, known as modules, a capability not available in GM's previous battery lab. The lab's remaining floor space is committed to evaluating completed battery packs."
The Global Battery Systems Lab was built within GM's Alternative Energy Center facility, and includes many environmentally friendly features such as a center hallway with high-efficiency LED lighting and a floor made from recycled tires. Approximately 90 percent of the electricity used for battery testing can be returned to the local energy grid for use by homeowners and businesses.
Additional new benefits offered by the Global Battery Systems Lab include a thermal shaker table for battery structural integrity testing, a battery teardown area for failure analysis and competitor benchmarking, an integrated test automation system and improved Design of Experiments methodology - an information-gathering exercise that allows GM to perform more thorough battery tests more quickly.
The Global Battery Systems Lab complements GM's other battery labs in Mainz-Kastel, Germany, Honeoye Falls, N.Y., and the Warren Technical Center's Research Chemical Engineering facility. The opening of the Global Battery Systems Lab is the latest move in GM's comprehensive battery strategy, which includes ramping up "in-house" responsibility for advanced battery technology and a broad portfolio of supplier partners.
Benefits
Increased pack testing
32 cyclers (serve as treadmills for batteries).
64 test channels (available for individual battery tests).
25 thermal chambers (duplicates extreme temperature conditions).
New cell and module testing
32 cyclers.
96 test channels.
16 small thermal chambers.
Environmental control capability - to allow for test correlation and repeatability
New humidity-controlled walk-in chambers.
New air flow benches to provide specific temperatures and levels of humidity to test air-cooled battery packs.
New coolant chillers to cool or heat liquid-cooled battery packs.
Enhanced capability
Integrated test automation system enables around-the-clock standardized testing, customized test schedules and monitoring tests from desk or at home.
New thermal shaker table for structural integrity testing.
Improved Design of Experiments methodology - an information-gathering exercise that allows GM to perform more thorough battery tests in a shorter period of time.
Battery teardown area for failure analysis and competitor benchmarking.