In the battery laboratory, hazard testing of laptop batteries (usually lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries) is conducted to evaluate their safety performance and prevent fires caused by battery failures

Risk of explosion or leakage. The following are common testing items and methods:

1. Common hazard testing items

(1) Electrical performance testing

Overcharge test

Simulate the reaction of a battery when the charging voltage exceeds the design upper limit (such as charging a single cell of 4.2V to 4.5V or above), and detect whether there is a fire, explosion, or gas leakage.

Over discharge test

Discharge the battery to a voltage far below the minimum voltage (such as 2.5V or below) and observe whether it causes an internal short circuit or permanent capacity decay.

Short circuit test

Connect the positive and negative terminals of the battery directly with wires, simulate an external short circuit, and detect whether the protection circuit is triggered or thermal runaway occurs.

(2) Mechanical testing

Squeezing test

Squeeze the battery with a hydraulic device to simulate safety under external impact (such as a laptop being pressed by a heavy object in a bag).

Acupuncture test

Puncture the battery cell with a metal needle to trigger an internal short circuit and observe whether it catches fire or explodes (one of the most rigorous tests).

Vibration/Drop Test

Simulate vibration and drop scenarios during transportation or daily use, and detect whether the battery structure is damaged.

(3) Environmental testing

hot test

Place the battery in a high-temperature environment (such as above 85 ° C) and observe for expansion, leakage, or thermal runaway.

Low temperature

Charge and discharge at extremely low temperatures (such as -20 ° C) to detect any sudden drops in performance or potential safety hazards.

Temperature cycling test

Quickly switch between high and low temperatures to verify battery tolerance.

(4) Other security tests

burning test

Place the battery in a flame and evaluate its flame resistance or combustion spread rate.

Protection circuit testing

Check if the Battery Management Module (BMS) can effectively prevent overcharging, overdischarging, and overcurrent.

2. Laboratory testing standards

Laptop batteries must comply with international safety certification standards, such as:

UN/DOT 38.3 (United Nations Transport Safety Standards)

IEC 62133 (International Electrotechnical Commission Safety Standard for Lithium Batteries)

UL 2054 (US Safety Certification)

GB 31241 (Safety Standard for Portable Lithium ion Batteries in China)

How do users identify potential hazards of batteries?

If the laptop battery shows the following symptoms, it should be immediately stopped and sent for inspection

Drum bump (shell deformation, touchpad or keyboard raised).

Abnormal fever (even when not in use).

Leakage (leakage of electrolyte, with a pungent odor).

Sudden drop in battery life (such as only a few minutes of use when fully charged).

The significance of laboratory testing

Accident prevention: Conduct extreme condition testing to ensure that the battery can safely fail under abnormal conditions (such as only smoking instead of exploding).

Improved design: Help manufacturers optimize battery materials and protective circuits.

Compliant listing: Only certified batteries can be legally sold and transported.