Pre-compliance vibration testing of a LFP battery pack prototype for electric powertrains

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries play a crucial role in electric vehicles (EVs) for mitigating climate change by facilitating the use of clean electricity and storage of renewable energy, thereby promoting a sustainable transition in industrial needs that aligns with environmental and economic standards. To ensure a safe and long operation of the LFP batteries, they must be developed and tested in advance under realistic conditions. The battery pack in EVs is subjected to road-induced vibrations that constitute one of the potential causes of battery pack failure, since they may induce structural damage and deformation of cells due to fatigue and resonance phenomena. Within the broader scope of a project focusing on Fuel Cell (FC) powertrains for EVs, this research experimentally explores the dynamic behavior of an innovative LFP battery pack, through vibration tests performed with an electrodynamic shaker. Various sensors, including a resistive strain gauge and a piezoelectric strain sensor, along with accelerometers, are employed for this investigation. The main objectives are to assess the mechanical robustness of the LFP prototype battery, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the different transducer types in tracking the battery response.