Cell‑level testing of lithium‑ion and emerging chemistries is conducted to investigate thermal runaway progression and gas generation under a wide range of abuse conditions. These experiments support safety needs across multiple industries—including stationary energy storage, consumer electronics, electric vehicles, industrial systems, and global transportation—through evaluations aligned with relevant standards such as UL9540A (energy storage), UL1642 (consumer use), UL1973 (vehicles), UL62619 (industrial use), and UN 38.3 (transportation). In addition to meeting these established requirements, FAI can also design and perform customized, non‑standard test programs tailored to unique product designs, failure modes, or safety questions.
Abuse Methods
Controlled abuse methods are used to replicate credible failure modes and assess battery behavior under a range of conditions. Testing is performed using adapted adiabatic calorimetry systems that capture high‑resolution thermal and pressure data. Methods include combinations of the following:
The VSP2 has been adapted for cell-level testing to provide thermal initiation under adiabatic conditions, enabling detection of self-heating, determination of peak runaway temperature and pressure, and measurement of temperature and pressure rise rates. It also captures venting behavior, including vent temperature, while containing evolved gases for later collection and analysis. Testing can be enhanced through in-situ preconditioning and voltage monitoring, interchangeable heater options for coin, cylindrical, and pouch cells, and in-situ video recording. Tests are conducted in either a 70 L vessel or a standard 4 L vessel used to contain the “test can.”
The ARSST has been adapted for thermal abuse testing on smaller cells, including coin cells, with extensions to monitor temperature, pressure, and voltage throughout thermal abuse.
Cell Materials of Construction Testing
Understanding the behavior of the materials inside a battery is key to designing safer cells. Laboratory-scale tests are conducted to measure how materials react to heat, pressure, and abuse. These tests reveal when materials start to self-heat, how quickly they break down, and whether they release flammable gases.
As lithium-ion cells are heated, they often vent evaporated electrolyte solvents and other potentially flammable gases. Capturing gases both prior to and after thermal runaway enables preparation of bulk mixtures for flammability testing and supports safe system design.
Capabilities
Gas capture before and after thermal runaway
Identification and quantification of evolved gases (e.g., via GC/MS)
Fall 2025 P2SAC, West Lafayette, Indiana - The Versatile VSP2: Battery Testing, Liam Horan & Caleb Coulthard (Presenters), 12/3/2025
2025 Spring Meeting and 21st Global Congress on Process Safety, Dallas, TX - The Versatile VSP2: Battery Testing, Presenter: Ken Kurko, April 6-10, 2025
2024 DIERS Fall Meeting, Houston, TX - The Versatile VSP2: Battery Testing, Presenter: Ken Kurko, 10/30/24
Contact our team to discuss your battery testing needs and safety requirements.
