Electrochemical Power Systems Lab

Dr. Bor Yann Liaw directs the Electrochemical Power Systems Laboratory (EPSL) at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute of the University of Hawaii. The researchers in the laboratory have been engaging in battery and fuel cell research since 1989. The group's research activities are focused on solid-state ionics and electrochemistry. The group's strength is the ability to integrate knowledge from fundamental study of thermodynamic and kinetic properties of electrode materials used in advanced batteries, ultracapacitors and fuel cells, and effectively utilizing instrumentation together with computer simulation and modeling to facilitate research and development of electrochemical power systems for energy storage and conversion applications.

Facilities of EPSL are located at two major areas, one on the UH Manoa campus and another near downtown Honolulu.

UH R&D Facility: The EPSL research facility on the UH Manoa campus is located in the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics (HIG) building and equipped with an array of sophisticated electrochemical testing equipment, including:

An Arbin Instruments BT-2043 8-channel galvanostat/potentiostat computer-controlled battery test station. Four low-current channels are capable of delivering from 1 mA to 2 ADC and from -2 to 20 VDC per channel for high-accuracy low-capacity cell characterization. Four high-current channels can deliver up to 20 ADC per channel for high-capacity module tests. Each channel also comes with high precision temperature and pressure sensors for monitoring the cell thermal and gas evolution/recombination behaviors.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy using a Solartron 1260 impedance analyzer and 1287 electrochemical interface combination. This piece of equipment can be used to conduct electrochemical impedance spectroscopic study of cell kinetics and degradation. The useful frequency range is from 1 MHz to 10 µHz. The 1287 unit has 2 ADC maximum current capability and can act as a stand alone potentiostat or galvanostat for various electrochemical measurements.

Keithley 236 and 238 Source and Measuring units, which can provide accurate current or voltage sources and conduct high quality precise measurements of corresponding electrical response. Accuracy of the current can go down to 10 fA, and 10 µV for voltage. The 238 unit can handle current as high as 1 A.

A Vacuum Atmosphere glove box station filled with argon to handle air-sensitive materials and cell assembly. Electrical and electronic feedthroughs are installed to provide access to cells in the glove box for electrochemical measurements.

An assortment of furnaces, including a high temperature Micropyretics Heaters International silicon carbide unit that can operate up to 1,700 °C, to process electrode or solid electrolyte materials and for cell testing. The facility is also equipped with gas lines and mass flow controllers for gas mixing and supplying for fuel cell testing.

Other high voltage and current DC power supplies from HP and Sorensen for high power electrochemical measurements.

All instrumentation is computerized and networked with high bandwidth for on-line access and real-time control. The facility is also connected with the downtown EV test facility (described below) using a wide area network for real-time on-line access and test control.

Downtown Honolulu EV Test Facility: The EPSL also has access to an industrial type electric vehicle test facility near downtown Honolulu. The Hawaii Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project (HEVDP) EV Test Facility is located at 531 Cooke Street, in Kakaako, very close to downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. The facility occupies about 18,000 square feet of floor space and is equipped with state-of-the-art tools and test equipment for vehicle assembly, repair, and maintenance; for parts inventory; for testing electrochemical power source systems; and for rapid recharging electric vehicles.

The major pieces of equipment include:

Two AeroVironment ABC-150 battery cyclers, rated at 120 kW, and capable of handling battery pack testing up to 470 VDC and 530 ADC. The battery cyclers are computer controlled to allow automated tests of battery packs with a SmartGuard data acquisition system which can collect sophisticated test data with detailed information including individual cell voltage and temperature. Additional data acquisition capabilities are also available. The cyclers are operated using the Remote Operation System application on NT 4 workstations that support NIDAQ interface built by National Instruments. This unique capability allows the use of NIDAQ data acquisition boards with excellent flexibility for sophisticated tests and data acquisition. The capability of the cyclers meets any advanced stringent test requirements including complex driving cycle tests, such as the Federal Urban Driving Schedule (FUDS).

A Mustang MD-250-l/BI chassis dynamometer, rated at 300 horsepower continuous and 500 horsepower peak. The dynamometer is computerized for automated vehicle testing and data collection. It can perform various types of dynamic tests, including FUDS cycle or other standard driving schedules defined by EPA, SAE or vehicle manufacturers. The wide roller base can accommodate vehicles up to a full-size 40-ft transit bus.

A 28 foot x 8 foot environmental chamber with temperature control down to -10 C (14 F). The chamber is capable of testing a typical mid-sized vehicle in a controlled temperature environment to facilitate on-board battery pack testing. Up to four full-sized battery packs can be tested in the chamber simultaneously. A high bandwidth Ethernet connection is also available for high-speed data acquisition. The chamber is equipped with a flammable gas sensor, which constantly monitors the gas composition in the ambient. If the flammable gas composition exceeds a safety limit, the tests will be automatically shut down to prevent any possible disastrous consequence.

Various conductive or inductive charging stations, including 60 kW PosiCharge (AeroVironment), for rapid charging vehicles.

The facility also has four fully-equipped vehicle-assembly bays, a machine shop, a battery/parts inventory storage area, offices and conference rooms.

Pictures may be viewed on the graphic version.

For more information contact Bor Yann Liaw.

This page was last updated on Thursday, March 27, 2003

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Electrochemical Power Systems Lab

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