External Short Circuit Testing

External Short Circuit testing evaluates how a battery behaves when its terminals are connected through a very low resistance, simulating real electrical fault scenarios such as wiring damage, contactor welding, or pack assembly failures. In this test, the cell rapidly discharges, generating internal heat due to resistive losses, which can lead to venting or thermal runaway.

We perform this test using the EVx ARC^® instrument under controlled conditions that go beyond conventional open-air short-circuit tests. The battery is mounted inside the calorimeter and shorted using low-resistance, high-current cabling designed to avoid artificial current limitation. Tests can be run in adiabatic mode, where the calorimeter tracks the cell temperature to quantify total heat release, or in isothermal mode, where the chamber temperature is held fixed to evaluate whether the cell can dissipate short-circuit heat without escalating to runaway.

The EVx ARC^® provides unique advantages for ESC testing. Adiabatic operation allows direct measurement of temperature rise and internal heat generation that cannot be captured in standard fume-hood tests.

Instrument

Thermal Hazard Technology EVx ARC^®

The EVx Accelerating Rate Calorimeter (ARC^®) is a specialized safety testing device used to study the thermal runaway behavior of large-format electric vehicle (EV) batteries, modules, and small packs. It simulates a self-heating scenario by raising the temperature of a battery until it starts to self-heat, then operates in a near-adiabatic mode to accelerate the reaction and collect data on temperature and pressure rise.

Sample Preparation

If you are unsure or have questions, call us at 1-844-ioKinetic to discuss.