An open hardware, open source electronic load bank and data acquisition system for expanding the number of schools and students researching battery energy storage

Abstract

There is growing student interest in renewable energy and electric vehicles. Energy storage is a critical technology for electric vehicles and to some extent for intermittent renewable energy sources. Battery life, performance, and cost remain a barrier to widespread use of battery energy storage. Increasing the number of students researching these technologies would increase the likelihood of progress. The process of testing batteries to characterize performance and durability typically requires the use of specialized equipment that may be beyond the budget for many educators. Hence, many interested students may not have access to the tools to perform these experiments. To remedy this, we have begun the development of an open source battery-testing platform that can be built at a fraction of the cost of commercial systems. Furthermore, the development of the testing platform provides educational opportunities for students. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.