Testing and Evaluation of EV-1300 Lead-Acid Modules for the Hybrid Vehicle Application

This paper presents the results of testing and evaluation of GE/Globe EV-1300 lead-acid modules developed by Globe Battery Division of Johnson Controls, Inc. for the hybrid vehicle, HTV-1, developed by General Electric (GE) for the Department of Energy. The design of this battery was derived from that of the Globe Improved State of the Art (ISOA) battery under development for the ETV-1 all-electric vehicle. Key differences in the battery performance requirements for the HTV-1 hybrid vehicle, as opposed to the ETV-1, are higher specific power [137 W/kg versus 104 W/kg sustained for 15 seconds at 50% depth of discharge (DOD)] and less specific energy (36.1 Wh/kg versus 37.5 Wh/kg at a 3h discharge rate). Higher battery power is required for two reasons. First, in HTV-1, the battery is a smaller mass fraction of the design vehicle (341 kg battery/~800 kg vehicle = ~0.19) compared to the ETV-1 (488 kg battery/~1660 kg vehicle = ~0.29). Second, the performance requirements for the HTV-1 are referenced to the more-demanding EPA urban driving schedule compared to the SAE J227aD urban driving schedule for the ETV-1. Less specific energy was specified for the HTV-1 to allow the battery developer to concentrate on high specific power; furthermore, petroleum energy is available to achieve extended range. The objective of the hybrid vehicle is to reduce petroleum consumption in overall driving. Tests of two 6-cell, EV-1300 modules with a capacity of 105 Ah (1235 Wh) were conducted at the computer-automated National Battery Test Laboratory at Argonne National Laboratory to verify the above design requirements. In addition, the following tests were completed to more fully characterize the performance of the battery: (1) capacity measurements over a range of constant-current discharges of 35-400 A (Peukert Plot); (2) energy measurements over a range of constant-power discharges of 10-100 W/kg (Ragone Plot); (3) open-circuit stand testing (self-discharge); (4) partial DOD testing (memory effect); (5) projected range based on simulated driving profile discharges representing the EPA urban driving schedule negotiated by the HTV-1 hybrid vehicle with minimum ICE operation; (6) projected range based on simulated driving profile discharges representing the SAE J227aD urban driving schedule negotiated by an improved ETV-1 (an all-electric vehicle); and (7) peak-power measurements at various depths of discharge. The significant results are as follows: (1) at a 3h discharge rate,