JRC135870 01

ISSN 1831-9424
JRC TECHNICAL REPORT
Overview of battery safety tests

in standards for stationary battery
energy storage systems
Hildebrand, S., Eddarir A., Lebedeva, N.
2024
EUR 31823 EN
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Contact information
Name: Stephan Hildebrand
Address: Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE Petten, The Netherlands
Email: stephan.hildebrand@ec.europa.eu
Tel.: +31 224 56 5918
Name: Natalia Lebedeva

Address: Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE Petten, The Netherlands
Email: natalia.lebedeva@ec.europa.eu
Tel.: +31 224 56 5343
EU Science Hub
https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu
JRC135870
EUR 31823 EN
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How to cite this report: Hildebrand, S., Eddarir, A. and Lebedeva, N., Overview of battery safety tests in standards for stationary battery
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Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
2 Standards dealing with the safety of batteries for stationary battery energy storage systems ................................ 5
2.1 Chemistry agnostic ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
2.2 Lithium(-ion) chemistry .........................................................................................................................................................................................................5
2.3 Nickel Metal Hydride chemistry .....................................................................................................................................................................................6
2.4 Lead acid chemistry ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
2.5 Sodium High Temperature chemistry ......................................................................................................................................................................6
2.6 Flow Batteries .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
2.7 Standards addressing safety and functionality of protective and auxiliary systems ...............................................6
3 Analysis of safety tests required in the Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste
batteries ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Level of integration ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
3.2 Thermal shock and cycling .................................................................................................................................................................................................9
3.3 External short circuit protection .................................................................................................................................................................................12
3.4 Overcharge protection .........................................................................................................................................................................................................15
3.5 Over-discharge protection ...............................................................................................................................................................................................17
3.6 Over-temperature protection ........................................................................................................................................................................................19
3.7 Thermal propagation.............................................................................................................................................................................................................21
3.8 Mechanical damage by external forces ..............................................................................................................................................................27
3.8.1 Impact test ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................27
3.8.2 Drop test .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................28
3.9 Internal short circuit...............................................................................................................................................................................................................31
3.10 Thermal abuse ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................32
3.11 Fire test ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34
4 Emission of gases .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................36
5 Other safety tests mentioned in the standards that are not required in Annex V of the Regulation (EU)
2023/1542 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................37
6 Gap analysis................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................43
6.1 Availability of standards containing test required by the Regulation....................................................................................43
6.2 Applicability to different battery types and chemistries ....................................................................................................................44
6.3 Applicability to batteries for second-life application .............................................................................................................................44
7 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................45
References .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................46
List of abbreviations and definitions ...........................................................................................................................................................................................49
List of figures .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................50
List of tables ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................51
i
Abstract
The newly approved Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries [1] sets minimum
requirements, among others, for performance, durability and safety of batteries, covering many types of
batteries and their applications. Batteries for stationary battery energy storage systems (SBESS), which have
not been covered by any European safety regulation so far, will have to comply with a number of safety tests.
A standardisation request was submitted to CEN/CENELEC to develop one or more harmonised standards that
lay out the minimum safety requirements for SBESS. Batteries that have been tested according to the
harmonized standards are presumed to be in conformity with the (requirements of) the Regulation.
This overview of currently available safety standards for batteries for stationary battery energy storage
systems shows that a number of standards exist that include some of the safety tests required by the
Regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries, forming a good basis for the development of the
regulatory tests. Nevertheless, none of the standards covers all the tests listed in the Regulation. The current
report provides a comparative analysis of safety tests in various existing standards and attempts to identify
gaps to be addressed.
1
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Marc Steen and Andreas Pfrang for carefully reviewing this report and Bagdagül Tan for
designing the cover page.
Input from Mr. W. Hao (China Automotive Technology & Research Center (CATARC), China), Mr. A. Nilar (Australian
Government, Australia), Mr. D. Kutschkin (Australian Government, Australia), Mr. S. Spencer (Australian
Government, Australia) and Mrs. L. Rasmussen (Australian Government, Australia), Mr A. Murdoch (Energy Safe
Victoria, Australia), Mr. N. Agarwal (Bureau of Indian Standards and Government of India, India), Mr. M. M. Desai
(The Automotive Research Association of India, India), Mr. B. Moon (Korea Automobile Testing & Research
Institute (KATRI), Korea) on the national standards in these jurisdictions is gratefully appreciated.
Authors
Hildebrand, S.
Eddarir, A.
Lebedeva, N.
2
1 Introduction
The newly approved Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries [1] sets minimum
requirements for, among others, performance, durability and safety of batteries, covering many types of
batteries and their applications. The aim is to ensure that only the sustainable, “green” and safe batteries are
placed on the European market, reducing the environmental and societal impacts of battery materials sourcing,
production and use including re-use and recycling.
Batteries are deployed in a wide range of applications ranging from portable consumer electronics to electric
vehicles and stationary battery energy storage systems (SBESS). The regulation is aimed to ensure the safety
of SBESS and defines such systems as follows [1]:
“‘stationary battery energy storage system’ means an industrial battery ( 1) with internal storage that is
specifically designed to store from and deliver electric energy to the grid or store for and deliver electric energy
to end- users, regardless of where and by whom the battery is being used”
SBESS can be found at many different positions of the power grid over a significant range of sizes and
applications. In Front-of-Meter applications, they are used for storage of energy produced by intermittent and
variable renewable power sources such as wind and solar that is not immediately used. In addition, batteries
are used for capacity firming, load levelling, peak shaving and smoothing of the electricity production
independent from the source of electricity [2]. SBESS are used for ancillary services and frequency control.
During the distribution, they are used for load management, peak shaving and voltage control. In Behind-the-
Meter applications, SBESS are used for off-grid solutions, back-up power and also peak shaving at home
whereas commercial and industrial sites use SBESS besides off-grid solutions for load levelling, peak shift and
uninterruptable power supply (UPS).
In a nutshell, the power of SBESS ranges from several kW up to tens of MW [2].
The most relevant chemistry for home SBESS and many other applications is the lithium-ion technology [3].
There are, however, other battery chemistries, whose current market shares are small [3] but whose market
share are forecast to grow in the near future on a global scale [4] from 4 % in 2021 to 15% in 2021.
RWTH (Aachen Technical University) developed a tool to analyse all the battery energy storage installations in
Germany [5]. Other battery chemistries than Li-ion are represented in various SBESS installations in Germany
with a total power of 139 MW ( 2) leading to about 2.2% German market share [5]:
— Lead-acid (112 MW)
— Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) (13 MW)
— Sodium-sulfur / Sodium-high temperature (Na HT) (13 MW)
— Flow batteries (1 MW)
Since Germany is the country with the highest population in the EU (status 2023) [6], these figures give a good
indication about the relevant emerging battery chemistries on the SBESS market.
Article 12 of the Regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries (EU) 2023/1542 addresses safety of
stationary battery energy storage systems. The compliance of battery systems with safety requirements is
evaluated by performing the following tests listed in its Annex V:
— thermal shock and cycling
— external short circuit protection
— overcharge protection
— over-discharge protection
— over-temperature protection
1
“The definition for an industrial battery is as follows [1]: “‘industrial battery’ means a battery that is specifically designed for industrial
uses, intended for industrial uses after having been subject to preparation for repurposing or repurposing, or any other battery that
weighs more than 5 kg and that is neither an electric vehicle battery, an LMT [light means of transport] battery, nor an SLI [lighting
and ignition] battery”
2
Status 5th October 2023
3
— thermal propagation protection
— mechanical damage by external forces
— internal short circuit
— thermal abuse
— fire test
— emission of gases ( 3)
To meet the requirements set by the safety tests in the Regulation, battery manufacturers can prove the
compliance with either a harmonised standard or with technical specifications issued by the European
Commission itself. Harmonised standards are developed (or respectively, adopted from IEC/ISO) by recognised
European standardisation bodies (CEN, CENELEC or ETSI) and also provide technical specifications for which -
when fulfilled- compliance with requirements given in the corresponding EU regulatory text is presumed.
A standardisation request for the development of a harmonised standard was submitted by the European
Commission to CEN/CENELEC on the 7th December 2021 [7].
A number of standards for the safety of SBESS exist [8–26]. However, not a single standard covers all the safety
tests mentioned in Annex V of the Regulation [1].
The current report provides a detailed comparative analysis of safety tests in various existing standards and
attempts to identify gaps to be addressed in the future, e.g. through a harmonised standard.
Even though batteries with external storage, i.e. batteries that have their energy stored in one or more attached
external devices, e.g. flow batteries, are not in the scope of Article 12 of the new Regulation, for the sake of
completeness and because flow batteries are used in SBESS, this report covers this type of battery systems as
well.
3
Although “emission of gases” appears as a separate test in the list of tests in Annex V of the Regulation, it is a requirement on all the
tests mentioned before (see chapter 4)
4
2 Standards dealing with the safety of batteries for stationary battery
energy storage systems
There are numerous national and international standards that cover the safety of SBESS. This analysis aims to
give an overview on a global scale. However, many national standards are equivalent to international IEC or ISO
standards (e.g. the Koran standard KS C IEC 62619 [27], the Australian standard AS IEC 62619 [28] and the
Indian standard IS 17067:Part 5:Sec 2:2021 [29]). In that case, only the international standard is analysed. The
standards are presented in the subchapters below.
The scope of this report is limited to standards that specifically address SBESS. However, for the thermal
propagation test, the EV standards ISO 6169-1/AMD1:2022 [30] and GB 38031-2020 [31] were included in the
scope for completeness. Ruiz et al. already published an analysis of safety standards for Li-ion batteries in
electric vehicles (EVs) in 2018 [32].
2.1 Chemistry agnostic

— UL 1973:2022 “Batteries for Use in Stationary and Motive Auxiliary Power Applications” [8]
This standard defines requirements for battery systems used in stationary application including
photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine storage or UPS. In addition, battery systems used in light electric rail (LER)
applications for regenerative breaking of trains, vehicle auxiliary power (VAP) providing power for lighting
and appliances and as back-up power in emergency situations, are also in the scope of this standard. This
standard does not apply to batteries for traction power.
This standard contains a high number of battery safety and abuse tests that are mostly but not always
chemistry agnostic. Alternative test protocols are included that are specific to certain battery chemistries.
— UL 9540A:2019 “Test Method for Evaluating Thermal Runaway Fire Propagation in Battery Energy Storage
Systems” [9]
In this standard, the battery is tested for its behaviour during thermal runaway and its fire and explosion
hazard characteristics using the generated data for the design of fire and explosion protection of the
installation. Although chemistry agnostic, this standard is rather relevant for batteries with flammable
components. For flow batteries there is a specific procedure.
2.2 Lithium(-ion) chemistry

— IEC 62619:2022 “Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Safety
requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries, for use in industrial applications” [19]
This standard covers cells and batteries with lithium-ion chemistry in stationary (telecom, UPS etc.) as well
as traction applications (forklift truck, golf cart, etc.), but not in road vehicles. It is an umbrella standard to
IEC 63056:2020 [20] that deals with the safety of SBESS and other standards for industrial applications.
This means that the requirements set out in this standard are common and minimum for all the
applications.
— IEC 63056:2020 “Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Safety
requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in electrical energy storage systems” [20]
This standard outlines the product safety requirements and tests for secondary lithium (i.e. Li-ion) cells and
batteries with a maximum DC voltage of 1500 V for the use in SBESS.
— UL 1642:2020 “Lithium Batteries” [21]
This standards is about the safety of primary and secondary lithium batteries used as power sources. Not
only lithium-ion but also metallic lithium and lithium-alloy batteries are in the scope. It is applicable to
single cells and cells connected in parallel or in series. Although the SBESS are not explicitly mentioned,
battery packs and “multicell installations” are in the scope of this standard which is the reason it is included
in this analysis.
— VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 “Stationary battery energy storage systems with lithium batteries - Safety
requirements” [22]
5
This German application rule deals with the safety of battery energy storage systems (BESS) containing
lithium-ion batteries throughout its entire lifecycle. It is limited to applications in private households and
small businesses. Medical applications are out of scope.
— GB 40165-2021 “Lithium ion cells and batteries used in stationary electronic equipment - Safety technical
specification” [23]
This Chinese standard sets the basic safety requirements for stationary lithium-ion batteries. Batteries for
uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and emergency power supply (EPS) are specifically mentioned in the
scope of this standard. Therefore, the terminology can deviate from the original.
2.3 Nickel Metal Hydride chemistry

— IEC 63115-2:2021 “Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Sealed
nickel-metal hydride cells and batteries for use in industrial applications - Part 2: Safety” [24]
This standard covers nickel-metal hydride cells and batteries and specifies tests and requirements for safe
operation in industrial applications including the use in SBESS.
2.4 Lead acid chemistry

— EN 60896-21:2004 “Stationary lead-acid batteries - Part 21: Valve regulated types - Methods of test” [25]
EN 60896-22:2004 “Stationary lead-acid batteries - Part 22: Valve regulated types – Requirements” [26]
This standard with its parts 21 and 22 applies to valve regulated stationary lead-acid cells and monobloc
batteries that are permanently connected to a load and a DC power supply (float charge application), not
intended to be moved (static) and used in a stationary equipment such as battery rooms for telecom, UPS,
utility switching or emergency power. It mainly contains tests designed to test the performance of the
battery system. However, there are some tests related to its safety. It does not apply to lead-acid batteries
used as engine starter batteries in vehicles, solar photovoltaic energy systems or general purpose
applications. Part 21 contains the test themselves and part 22 contains the pass/fail criteria for the tests
described in part 21.
2.5 Sodium High Temperature chemistry

— IEC 62984-2:2020 “High-temperature secondary batteries – Part 2: Safety requirements and tests” [10]
This standard includes safety requirements and test procedures for batteries with a minimum operating
temperature of 100°C that are used for mobile and stationary use and whose rated voltage does not exceed
1500 V.
2.6 Flow Batteries

— IEC 62932-2-2:2020 “Flow battery energy systems for stationary applications – Safety requirements” [11]
Flow battery systems for stationary application including their installations with a voltage below 1500 V
DC are in the scope of this standard. It addresses the safety hazards that are relevant to flow battery
systems when they are used as intended. It includes indoor and outdoor as well as commercial and
industrial application.
2.7 Standards addressing safety and functionality of protective and auxiliary

systems
— IEC 62933-5-2:2020 “Electrical energy storage (EES) systems - Part 5-2: Safety requirements for grid-
integrated EES systems - Electrochemical-based systems” [33]
This standard considers safety aspects for the vicinity of grid-connected energy storage systems using an
electrochemical storage subsystem. It gives key parameters for risk analysis and hazard identification of
different use cases (residential, commercial, industrial and utility scale). It considers the hazards under
normal and abnormal conditions for lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, nickel batteries, high
temperature sodium batteries, flow batteries as well as lithium metal solid state batteries.
6
— IEC 62485-2:2010 “Safety requirements for secondary batteries and battery installations - Part 2:
Stationary batteries” [13]
This standard covers the measures and guidelines for auxiliary systems for protection against hazards from
electricity, gas emission and electrolyte of lead-acid, NiCd and NiMH batteries that are used for example in
telecom, power station operation or UPS. It does not contain abuse testing of batteries or their protective
devices.
— IEC 62485-5:2020 “Safety requirements for secondary batteries and battery installations - Part 5: Safe
operation of stationary lithium ion batteries” [14]
This standard includes guidelines for protective equipment (e.g. overcurrent protective device) for the
installation, use, maintenance and repair of stationary secondary lithium-ion batteries with up to 1500 V
DC under normal and certain fault conditions (electricity, short-circuits, electrolyte, gas emission, fire,
explosion). It does not contain abuse tests.
— EN 60896-11:2002 “Stationary lead-acid batteries - Part 11: Vented types – General requirements and
methods of test” [15]
This standard applies to stationary lead-acid batteries that are of vented type. It contains performance and
endurance measurement requirements in order to create safety recommendations for battery installations.
It does not contain battery safety or abuse tests.
— IS 17092:2019 “Electrical Energy Storage Systems: Safety Requirements” [16]
This Indian standard deals with the safety of all kinds of electrical energy storage systems (including
SBESS). It sets requirements for auxiliary systems and refers to UL 1973 for battery specific safety
requirements.
— AS/NZS 5139:2019 “Electrical installations - Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion
equipment” [17]
This standard from Australia and New Zealand focusses on the installation and safety requirements for
SBESS connected to power conversion equipment and installed in an enclosed space. It applies to systems
with an energy between 1 kWh and 200 kWh. It does not apply to systems used for telecommunication,
electric vehicles, portable equipment or UPS. It does not contain safety tests.
— GB/T 34866:2017 “Vanadium flow battery - Safety requirements” [18]
This Chinese standard contains the safety requirements for auxiliary systems of vanadium flow battery
systems (e.g. leakage collection trays or grounding system) to ensure a safe operation under normal
condition and foreseeable misuse indoors and outdoors. It does not contain safety or abuse test
requirements.
The domain of functional safety and security (e.g. ISO 13849 [34,35], IEC 62061 [36], ISO/SAE 21434 [37]) is
beyond the scope of this report.
7
3 Analysis of safety tests required in the Regulation (EU) 2023/1542
concerning batteries and waste batteries
The Regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries [1] lists several safety tests that SBESS have to
successfully pass (see chapter 1).
Besides the individual test criteria that are required by the nature of each test, common criteria are compared:
the level of the device under test (DUT), the state-of-charge (SOC), the pass/fail criteria and their verification
method. For these criteria, the report cites as close as possible the original terms in the standard. GB 40165-
2021 was machine translated and therefore the translated terms can have a different meaning to the ones
used in the rest of the standards. The actual meaning was then added in square brackets.
3.1 Level of integration

A battery consists of several sub-units at which safety testing could take place.
The regulation introduces terms for the level of assembly of a battery [1]
— (Battery) cell
“‘battery cell’ means the basic functional unit in a battery, composed of electrodes, electrolyte, container,
terminals and, if applicable, separators, and containing the active materials the reaction of which generates
electrical energy” [1]
— (Battery) module
“‘battery module’ means any set of battery cells that are connected together or encapsulated within an
outer casing to protect the cells against external impact, and which is meant to be used either alone or in
combination with other modules” [1]
— (Battery) pack
“‘battery pack’ means any set of battery cells or modules that are connected together or encapsulated
within an outer casing, to form a complete unit which is not meant to be split up or opened by the end-
user” [1]
— Battery (system)
“‘battery’ means any device delivering electrical energy generated by direct conversion of chemical energy,
having internal or external storage, and consisting of one or more non-rechargeable or rechargeable battery
cells, modules or of packs of them, and includes a battery that has been subject to preparation for re-use,
preparation for repurposing, repurposing or remanufacturing” [1]
Among the standards, the term “battery” is interchangeable used along with the term “system”
In addition to the levels of assembly that match the definition in the regulation, an additional level of assembly
is introduced by IEC 62619:2022 [19].
— Cell block
“Group of cells connected together in parallel configuration with or without protective devices (e.g. fuse or
positive temperature coefficient device (PTC)) and monitoring circuitry
Note 1 to entry: The cell block is not ready for use in an application because it is not yet fitted with its final
housing, terminal arrangement and electronic control device.”
For lead acid batteries, an additional level of assembly is used in EN 60896 standard series [15,25,26]:
— Monobloc battery
“Secondary battery in which the plate packs are fitted in a multi-compartment container”
Testing can be done at all the levels described above. However, testing at a lower level of integration is not
always representative for the whole battery system which can have multiple layers of protection (similar to the
“defence-in-depth” concept in nuclear safety [38]). Apart from the safety at cell level (e.g. intrinsically safer
electrode materials or flame retardant electrolyte additives) the safety of a battery system can be increased
by many other factors such as the BMS, temperature controls, protective devices or durable enclosures [39,40].
These protective measures can have a significant influence on the outcome of a safety test at system level.
8
3.2 Thermal shock and cycling
Text of the Regulation [1]:
“This test shall be designed to evaluate changes in the integrity of the battery arising from expansion and
contraction of cell components upon exposure to extreme and sudden changes in temperature, and potential
consequences of such changes. During a thermal shock, the battery shall be exposed to two temperature limits
and held at each temperature limit for a specified period.”
Table 1 summarises the requirements for the tests in the standards that fit to the “Thermal shock and cycling”
requirement in the Regulation that is cited above. The name of the test is not always the same. However, the
sequence of steps to be followed is similar for all standards (see Figure 1). The DUT is heated to an upper test
temperature, then the temperature is decreased to an intermediate test temperature (in all standards, this is
close to room temperature) and subsequently to the lower test temperature. At the end of the cycle, the DUT is
brought back to the temperature of the intermediate test temperature.
Figure 1. Test sequence for the one cycle in the test "Thermal shock and cycling"
Upper test
temperature
Temperature
Temperature at
end of cycle
Intermediate test
temperature
Lower test
temperature
Time
Source: JRC, 2023
The first difference that can be extracted from the analysis of the different standards is the DUT. In IEC 63115-
2 the test is and in GB 40165-2021 the test can be conducted at cell level whereas in the other standards the
whole battery (system) is to be tested. This has implications for the outcome of the test. A cell might react
differently compared to a whole battery system for several reasons. In a system battery cells and other
components influence each other during a safety test (e.g. by dissipating heat to other cells and parts of the
pack or active cooling by a thermal management system) while tests at cell level only take into account the
individual cell and disregard these influences. This makes a direct comparison between cell- and system-level
tests challenging.
The majority of the standards set the SOC criterion to “fully charged”. This leaves it up to the manufacturer to
set the upper charging voltage limit.
The time the DUT is held at a certain temperature varies from 1 hour (only for flow batteries) and 4 to 6 hours
with a varying number of cycles.
The upper, intermediate and lower test temperatures are relatively similar except for Na high temperature
batteries (higher) and flow batteries. This makes sense since Na high temperature batteries work at higher
temperatures and flow batteries store their electrolyte externally in tanks which are not part of the DUT. GB
40165-2021 does not have an intermediate temperature step.
9
Only three standards include an observation time and two require a functionality check after the thermal shock
and cycling test. All the standards have no fire and no explosion in common as pass/fail criteria. Apart from
these two criteria the standards vary in stringency with regard to which pass/fail criteria apply. Moreover, often
no verification method is stated, which leaves room for interpretation as to how the occurrence of a given
phenomenon is to be verified. For IEC 63115-2 and IEC 62932-2-2 visual inspection is sufficient to verify the
“no leakage” requirement, fire and explosion. In UL 1973 the pass/fail criteria shall be verified using a gas
monitor to detect combustible vapour concentrations and toxic gas release (see chapter 4) and a dielectric
voltage withstand test to exclude an electric shock hazard.
10
Table 1. Comparison of different standards for the test on "Thermal shock and cycling"
UL 1642:2020 UL 1973:2022 UL 1973:2022 IEC 63115-2:2021 IEC 62932-2-2 GB 40165-2021
Standard no.
Temperature Cycling Test Thermal Cycling Test Cell temperature cycling Temperature cycling Heat shock strength Temperature cycling
Battery chemistry/type Li-ion Li-ion, NiMH, FB Na HT NiMH FB Li-ion
DUT Battery (1) Battery system Cell Cell Stack or sub-stack Battery [cell] (4), cell block, module or pack
SOC Fully charged Fully charged Fully charged Fully charged Not specified Filled with electricity [charged]
Stack: Tmax+5°C (2)
Upper test temperature, hold Ramp to (70±3)°C within 30 Ramp to (75±2)°C within 30 Ramp to (85±2)°C within 30 Ramp to (70±5)°C, within 30
Liquid: Tmin-5°C (3) Ramp to (72±2)°C within 30 min, 6 hours
time min, 4 hours min, 6 hours min, 4 hours min, 4 hours
1 hour
Intermediate test Ramp to (20±3)°C within 30 Ramp to (20±2)°C within 30 Ramp to (20±2)°C within 30 Ramp to (20±5)°C within 30
- -
temperature, hold time min, 2 hours min, 2 hours min, 2 hours min, 2 hours
Stack: Tmin-5°C
Lower test temperature, hold Ramp to (-40±3)°C within 30 Ramp to (-40±2)°C within 30 (Ramp to -40±2)°C within 30 Ramp to (-20±5)°C within 30
Liquid: Tmax+5°C Ramp to (-40±2)°C within 30 min, 6 hours
time min, 4 hours min, 6 hours min, 4 hours min, 4 hours
1 hour
Temperature at end of cycle, Ramp to (20±3)°C within 30 Ramp to (20±2)°C within 30 Ramp to (20±2)°C within 30 Ramp to (20±5)°C within 30
- (20±5) °
hold time min min min min, 2 hours
No. of cycles 10 10 10 5 10 10
Observation temperature and
(20±5)°C, 24 hours (25±5)°C, 24 hours - 24 hours - 12 hours
time
One full charge and One full charge and
Functionality check - discharge cycle at discharge cycle at normal
manufacturer’s specifications operating temperature
Maximum inlet pressure
Additional requirements - - -
applied
No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion
No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire
No leakage No leakage No leakage No leakage No leakage
No venting
No combustible vapour
concentrations
Pass/fail criteria No toxic vapour release
No electric shock hazard
(dielectric breakdown)
No rupture
No loss of protection controls
max. mass loss 0.1%,
for NaS: casing temperature
equal or less than before the
test
Visual inspection (rupture,
leakage),
dielectric voltage withstand
Verification method - test (electric shock hazard), - Visual inspection Visual inspection
gas monitoring (combustible
vapour concentrations, toxic
vapour release)
1
In UL 1642 the term “battery” means “a single cell” or “a group of cells connected together either in series and/or parallel configuration”
2
Tmax: Maximum fluid temperature or ambient temperature (whichever is higher) of the stack
3
Tmin: Minimum fluid temperature or ambient temperature (whichever is lower) of the liquid
3
For cell-level testing cell block or module are also acceptable as DUT, but cell is the preferential choice.
Source: JRC, 2023
11
3.3 External short circuit protection
“This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery when applying an external short circuit. The test
can evaluate the activation of the overcurrent protection device or the ability of cells to withstand the current
without reaching a hazardous situation (e.g. thermal runaway, explosion, fire). The main risk factors are heat
generation at cell level and electrical arcing, which can damage circuitry or lead to reduced isolation resistance.”
As can be seen from this description, two different approaches can be taken: either the ability of the DUT to
withstand harsh conditions of high current and heat generation or its ability to activate a protective mechanism.
These two approaches are reflected in the names of the tests in the different standards (see Table 2).
During an external short circuit the two poles of the battery are connected with an external load of a certain
resistance that is relatively low so that a high current can flow leading to a fast discharge of the DUT and heat
generation. The external short circuit test conditions in the standards vary significantly from each other in terms
of testing level (complexity of the DUT, i.e. system, module or even cell), SOC and external resistance (see Table
2).
Most of the standards listed in Table 3 recommend testing for external short circuit at room temperature,
usually defined to be between 20±5°C and 25±5°C. Only in the UL 1642, the test is required to be conducted
at higher temperature of 55±5°C. VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 and IEC 62984-2:2020 stipulate a test at
(normal) operating temperature and conditions.
The external short circuit resistance has a high influence on the current that is flowing and hence the cell
heating. The choice of resistance is therefore of importance for the outcome of the test. It also depends on
what is tested: the protective device or the cell’s ability to withstand a short circuit. Most of the standards
require a fixed external resistance independent of the number of cells comprising a system. The external short
circuit resistance applied in the different standards ranges from 5 mΩ to 100 mΩ. In battery systems with cells
connected in series, the current in case of a short circuit increases with the number of cells at a fixed external
short circuit resistance. Increasing the external short circuit resistance with the number of cells therefore makes
sense to maintain comparability between cell and system level tests. For parallel-connected cells the current
that flows from each cell is, however, a fraction of the total number of cells if the resistance is kept fixed. The
external short circuit resistance should therefore decrease with the number of cells. Therefore, in IEC
63056:2020 the external short circuit resistance rightly increases with the number of cells connected in series
and decreases with the number of cells connected in parallel.
There are also large differences in the termination criteria: after the temperature of the DUT has decreased to
less than 20% of the temperature rise or after 6-24 hours (IEC 62619:2022, IEC 63056:2020 and IEC 63115-
2:2021); after the current has decreased to 1 % of the nominal discharge rate (IEC 62984-2:2020); full
discharge (UL 1973:2022, UL 1642:2020 and IEC 62932-2-2:2020); and after the protective device has been
triggered (IEC 62984-2:2020, UL 1973:2022, UL 1642:2020, VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05, IEC 62932-2-
2:2020 and GB 40165-2021).
The pass/fail criteria set in all standards are “no explosion/bursting” and “no fire”. Other criteria defined in some
standards include “no rupture” (IEC 63056:2020 and IEC 62984-2:2020), “no (electrolyte) leakage” (IEC 62984-
2:2020, UL 1973:2022 and IEC 62932-2-2), “no electric shock hazard” (IEC 62984-2:2020 and UL 1973:2022)
and “no flammable/toxic gas emission/release” (IEC 62984-2:2020 and UL 1973:2022). UL 1973:2022 requires
gas monitoring to exclude the release of toxic gas, combustible vapour concentrations and a dielectric voltage
withstand test to exclude an electric shock hazard. In addition, IEC 62984-2:2020 introduces “no loss of
protection controls” and GB 40165-2021 “no non-recoverable short-circuits” as a pass/fail criterion.
As the only standard in the list, UL 1973 requires a functionality check. This means that for the other standards
it cannot be guaranteed that the test has not been destructive to a DUT.
12
Table 2. Comparison of standards for the test on "External short circuit protection"
GB 40165-
IEC
IEC 63056:2020 VDE-AR-E 2510- IEC 63115- IEC 62932-2- 2021 GB 40165-
62619:2022 IEC 62984- UL 1642:2020
Protection against short UL 1973:2022 50:2017-05 2:2021 2:2020 High 2021
Standard no. External 2:2020 Short-Circuit
circuit during transport Short circuit test External short External short- External temperature Short circuit
short-circuit Short circuit test Test
and installation circuit circuit test short-circuit external short control
test
circuit
Battery Li-ion, NiMH, Pb acid,
Li-ion Li-ion Na HT Li-ion Li-ion NiMH FB Li-ion Li-ion
chemistry/type NiMH, FB
Cells connected in
series only: cell or
Battery [cell] (2),
System or lower level if Batteries and module Module, pack and
DUT Cell or cell block Battery (1) Cell and battery System cell block or Battery system
dismantled for transport modules Also parallel system
module
connected cells:
System
Charged/discharged with
0.2C to SOC for installation Filled with
SOC Fully charged 100% SOC Fully charged Fully charged 100% SOC Fully charged Fully charged Fully charged
and maintenance, if not electricity
specified: fully charged
Maximum operating
temperature for at
least 12 hours
Test Operating setpoint (20±5)°C and
(25±5)°C (25±5)°C (25±5)°C (preconditioning), (20±5)°C 20 - 25°C. (55±5)°C (20±5)°C
temperature temperature (55±5)°C
prior to the test:
Normal operating
conditions
(30±10) mΩ x (no. of
series connections divided (80±20) mΩ (or
External by no. of parallel more if an
(30±10) mΩ <5 mΩ ≤20 mΩ 20(+0 /-10) mΩ (80±20) mΩ ≤20 mΩ ≤30 mΩ (30±10) mΩ
resistance connections) or <5 mΩ overcurrent device
(whichever is higher), not would be activated)
more than 100 mΩ in total
• 0% SOC • Battery is
• Current decreases • Protection has • Fire completely
• 6 hours • Short-circuit • 24 hours • 24 hours
to less than 1% operated • Explosion discharged
Termination • T of maximum • 6 hours protection device • T declined by • T declined by
of the nominal • Temperature of the • Complete • the protective
criteria temperature • T of maximum has interrupted the 20% after 50% after • BMS cut the
discharge rates module has discharge (<0.2 V) device was
(whichever rise has temperature rise has circuit maximum maximum circuit
• Activation of the reached steady and the return to triggered
comes first) declined by declined by 80% • Venting, explosion temperature temperature
short circuit state condition and ±10°C of ambient • the battery
80% or fire occurs rise rise
protection 7 hours have temperature structure
elapsed failed
Repetitions
with same - - - - - - - - - 2
DUT
1 hour after cell
Observation until no
Observation voltage is below
further change of
temperature - - - - - 0.8 V and has - - 1 hour
the test result is to
and time decreased by
be expected
<0.1 V in 30 min
13
Operational DUTs
Functionality
- undergo 1 charge - - - - -
check
and discharge cycle.
If protective device
If modules are was activated, test
intended to be shall be repeated
Additional
replaced, this test with the maximum - -
requirements
has to be conducted load not to trigger
at module level too. the protective
device.
No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion
No rupture No rupture,
No bursting
No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire
No electric shock No electric shock
hazard hazard
Pass/fail No electrolyte
criteria no leakage No leakage
leakage
No non-
No loss of
recoverable
protection controls
short-circuits
No
No flammable/toxic
flammable/toxic
gas release
gas emission
Visual inspection
(rupture, leakage),
dielectric voltage
withstand test
Verification (electric shock
- - - - - - - - -
method hazard),
gas monitoring
(combustible vapour
concentrations, toxic
vapour release)
1
2
Source: JRC, 2023
14
3.4 Overcharge protection
“This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery in overcharge situations. The main safety risks
during overcharge are the decomposition of the electrolyte, cathode and anode breakdown, exothermic
decomposition of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, separator degradation, and lithium plating, which
can lead to self-heating of the battery and thermal runaway. The factors affecting the outcome of the test shall,
as a minimum, include, the charging rate and the finally reached state of charge. The protection can be ensured
either by voltage control (interruption after reaching the limit charging voltage) or current control (interruption
after exceeding maximum charging current). ”
In all the standards that include a test that deals with “overcharge”, the functionality of the protective devices
to control the voltage is tested. In addition, IEC 61619:2022, UL 1973:2022 and GB 40165-2021include a test
for protective devices that control the current. All test conditions and requirements are summarised in Table 3.
Among the standards, the testing level varies from cell to system level.
Most of the standards require the test at ambient temperatures between 20 and 25°C. Only IEC 62984-2:2020
and UL 1973:2020 do not specify the test temperature.
The overcharging voltage varies from 10 % (IEC 62619:2022, IEC 62984-2:2020, UL 1973:2020 and GB
40165-2021) to 150 % (IEC 63115-2:2021) exceeding the upper limit charging voltage. IEC 62619:2022, UL
1973:2022 and GB 40165-2021 include another test (“Overcharge control of current”, ”High Rate Charge” and
“Overflow charging control” respectively) in which the charging current is exceeded by 20 %. In principle, both
tests are relevant for meeting the requirements of the Regulation.
IEC 62619:2022 relies completely on the protective device (or the BMS) to be triggered as termination criterion
in both the cell level and the system level test.
The observation time is longest for IEC 62984-2 with 3 hours, many other standards stipulate 1 hour as
observation time, while others do not specify this at all (see Table 3). Only UL 1973:2022 requires a functionality
check after the test.
IEC 62984-2 and UL 1973:2022 are much more stringent in terms of pass/fail criteria. The whole structure
must remain intact to pass the test whereas other standards allow, for example, leakage of electrolyte.
15
Table 3. Comparison of standards for the test on "Overcharge protection"
IEC 62619:2022 IEC 62619:2022 GB 40165-2021
IEC 62619:2022 IEC 62984-2:2020 IEC 63115-2:2021 UL 1973:2022 UL 1973:2022 GB 40165-2021 GB 40165-2021
Standard no. Overcharge Overcharge control of Overflow charging
Overcharge test Overcharge Overcharge test Overcharge test High Rate Charge Overcharge Overcharge control
control of voltage current control
Battery Li-Ion, NiMH, Pb Li-Ion, NiMH, Pb
Li-ion Li-ion Li-ion Na HT NiMH Li-ion Li-ion Li-ion
chemistry/type acid, Na HT, FB acid, Na HT, FB
Battery [cell] (1),
DUT Cell or cell block System System Batteries or modules Cell and battery Battery system Battery system Battery system Battery system
cell block or module
Discharged at 0.2C
Discharged at 0.2C to Discharged at 0.2C to
to final voltage Discharged at 0.2C
SOC final voltage specified final voltage specified Fully discharged Fully discharged Fully discharged Filled with electricity Discharged Discharged
specified by to 1.0 V
by manufacturer by manufacturer
manufacturer
Test temperature Ambient temperature (25±5)°C (25±5)°C - (20±5)°C - - - - (20±5)°C
Systems ≥3V:
Maximum continuous
charge current as
Charged to 250%
Maximum charge specified by the
Exceeding upper limit of the rated Charged with a
current until maximum Charged to 110% Charged to 110% manufacturer Charged to 110%
Overcharge charging voltage by Charged with max. capacity using Charged with max. current exceeding
voltage possible without SOC at maximum SOC at maximum SOC at maximum
condition 10% at maximum charge current+20% charging method in charge current+20% 20% max. charge
triggering the protective charging rate charging rate Systems <3V; charging rate
charging rate according with IEC current
device Charged to 1.5 times
63115-1:2020, 7.2
the maximum charged
cap voltage specified
by the manufacturer
Temperature of the
cell surface: • 1 h after passing
• BMS detects • 110% SOC reached, • 110% SOC reached max. voltage
• Voltage and • reaches steady Overcurrent detected
Termination overcharging current charging is • charging is specified by the • 110% SOC reached
temperature reached state (<10°C • Charging by BMU/BMS and
criteria • BMS terminates and controls it to below terminated by terminated by the manufacturer; or • charging is
steady state variation in 30 terminated by controlled to below
(whichever comes charging max. charge current protective circuitry protective circuitry • battery temperature terminated by the
• cell returned to min) ; or protective device maximum charging
first) until DUT is fully • Fail criteria is • fail criteria is decreases by 50% of BMS
ambient temperature • has returned to current
charged triggered triggered the maximum
ambient
temperature rise
temperature
Repetitions with
- - - - - - - 2 2
same DUT
DUTs undergo 1 DUTs undergo 1
Functionality
charge and charge and - - -
check
discharge cycle. discharge cycle.
Observation time - 1 hour 1 hour 3 hours - 1 hour 1 hour 1 hour 1 hour
No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No non-recoverable No non-recoverable
No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire short-circuits short-circuits
No electric shock No electric shock No electric shock
hazard hazard hazard
No bursting,
No leakage No leakage No leakage
Pass/fail criteria No rupture No rupture No rupture
No loss of protection No loss of protection No loss of protective
controls controls controls
No combustible No combustible
No flammable gas
vapour vapour
emission
concentrations concentrations
No toxic gas No toxic vapour No toxic vapour
emission release release
Visual inspection Visual inspection
(rupture, leakage), (rupture, leakage),
dielectric voltage dielectric voltage
withstand test withstand test
Verification (electric shock (electric shock
- - - - - - -
method hazard), hazard),
gas monitoring gas monitoring
(combustible vapour (combustible vapour
concentrations, toxic concentrations, toxic
vapour release) vapour release)
1
For cell-level testing cell block or module are also acceptable as DUT, but cell is the preferential choice. Source: JRC, 2023
16
3.5 Over-discharge protection
“This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery in over-discharge situations. Safety risks during
over-discharge include polarity reversal leading to oxidation of the anode current collector (Copper) and to
plating on the cathode side. Even minor over-discharge can cause dendrite formation and ultimately short-
circuiting.”
The testing level ranges from cell to system among the standards. For IEC 62619:2022, IEC 63056:2020 and
GB 40165-2021 the test temperature is defined whereas UL 1973:2022 and UL 1642:2020 do not specify a
test temperature. The SOC of the DUT ranges from fully charged to fully discharged. Tests that start with a DUT
at a fully charged state will most likely cause more heat generation.
A controlled monitored discharge is to be conducted for most of the standards that include the over-discharge
test (see Table 4). In UL 1642, however, a fully discharged cell is connected in series to other fully charged cells.
Subsequently, the whole system is to be short-circuited. This, as well, leads to an over-discharge of the
discharged cell. Though, the current that flows cannot be controlled – similar to an external short-circuit. This
could lead to additional heating caused by the high current during discharge on top of that coming from the
over-discharge test itself and hence to higher temperatures. The C-rate in which the batteries are over-
discharged varies from 1.0 C (IEC 62619:2022, IEC 63056:2020 and GB 40165-2021) to maximum discharge
rate specified by the manufacturer (UL 1973:2022) and uncontrolled discharge by short-circuiting a discharged
cell with charged cells. Overcharging with a higher current leads to more heat generation that will likely affect
the outcome of the test.
IEC 63056:2020 and UL 1973:2022 use the triggering of a protective device or the BMS as a termination
criterion for the test whereas the other tests set minimum voltage criteria or a maximum discharging time and
therefore check for an intrinsic capability of the DUT to withstand over-discharge.
Besides “no explosion” and “no fire” that is common in every standard, relying on the triggering of a protective
device is also a pass/fail criterion for IEC 63056:2020. UL 1973:2022 has many more pass/fail criteria that
also require gas monitoring as verification method for the presence of combustible vapour concentrations or
toxic gas release. IEC 62619:2022 requires visual inspection after the test to check all pass/fail criteria. For the
others, the verification method for the pass/fail criteria is not stated.
IEC 63056:2020 and UL 1973:2022 require an observation time after the test. In addition, UL 1973:2022
requires a functionality check.
17
Table 4. Comparison of standards for the test on "Over-discharge protection"
IEC 62619:2022 IEC 63056:2020 UL 1973:2022 UL 1642:2020 GB 40165-2021
Standard no.
Forced discharge test Over-discharge control of voltage Overdischarge protection test Forced Discharge Test Forced discharge
Battery chemistry/type Li-ion Li-ion Li-ion, NiMH, Pb acid, Na HT Li-ion Li-ion
Battery [cell] (3), cell block or
DUT Cell or cell block Battery system Battery system Cell
module
Discharged at 0.2C to final voltage
SOC Fully charged Fully charged Fully discharged Discharged
specified by manufacturer
Test temperature (25±5)°C (25±5)°C - -
Cell is connected in series with fully DUT is discharged with 1C. If
Discharged at 0.2C to 30% of the rated Discharged with a constant discharge charged cells of the same kind. maximum negative voltage is
Over-discharge condition Forced discharge at 1.0 C capacity, then discharged at the specific current/power at the specified maximum Positive and negative terminal of the reached within 90min, the
maximum discharging current discharge rate series are short-circuited with a voltage should be maintained by
resistance load of (80±20) mΩ reducing the current.
• Discharging for 90 min
• Passive protection device(s) are
• target voltage reached (1,2):- activated
o Number of protections or • ≤0.2V has been reached
Termination criteria • minimum cell voltage/maximum
controls ≥2 or only one cell or • BMS terminates discharging • return to ambient temperature • Discharging for 90 min
(whichever comes first) temperature protection is activated
cell block in the system:-Umax (±10°C)
• 30 min after reaching the normal
o Number of protections or
discharge limit
controls ≤1: -(n-1) x -Umax
DUTs undergo 1 charge and discharge
Functionality check - - - -
cycle.
Observation time - 1 hour 1 hour - -100 min
No cell voltages below their specific
limits
Pass/fail criteria No electric shock hazard
No leakage
No rupture
No combustible vapour concentrations
No toxic vapour release
Visual inspection (rupture, leakage),
dielectric voltage withstand test (electric
Verification method Visual inspection - shock hazard), - -
gas monitoring (combustible vapour
concentrations, toxic vapour release)
Additional requirements - Cooling system may remain functional. - - -
1
Umax: Upper limit charging voltage
2
n: number of cells connected in series
3
Source: JRC, 2023
18
3.6 Over-temperature protection
“This test shall evaluate the effect of temperature control failure or failure of other features for protection
against internal overheating during operation.”
Among the standards that include the over-temperature protection test, the testing level ranges from module
to system (see Table 5 for comparison).
The heating method, initial/starting SOC and the temperature at the beginning of the test depend on the over-
temperature test principle:
In IEC 62984-2:2020 that sets requirements for high-temperature cells, the heaters that heat the cells to the
operating temperatures are required to be permanently on. This leads to a higher temperature than the normal
operating temperature of the battery. DUT is required to be fully charged. The temperature of the test chamber
is 25±5°C.
In UL 1973:2022, however, the heating is purely caused by charging of the fully discharged DUTs, while the
cooling system is disabled. DUTs are preconditioned (7 hours at maximum operating temperature), discharged
and charged at the maximum operating temperature. IEC 62619:2022 is similar to UL 1973:2022, except for
the requirements on the test temperature, which are dependent on the SOC of the DUT (see Table 5). GB 40165-
2021 has similar requirements to IEC 62619:2022 except that the DUT is externally exposed to higher
temperatures instead of the cooling system being switched off.
What all the standards have in common is the triggering of the protective device as a termination criterion.
Both UL 1973:2022, IEC 62619:2022 and GB 40165-2021 require observation time of 1 hour. Only UL
1973:2022 stipulates a functionality check after the test.
Most of the standards have “no fire” and “no explosion” (“no bursting” in IEC 62984-2:2020) as pass/fail criteria.
No non-recoverable short-circuits is set as a pass/fail criterion by GB 40165-2021. UL 1972:2022 and IEC
62984-2:2020 do not allow the emission of flammable or toxic gases, electric shock hazard and the rupture of
the DUT. Only UL 1973:2022 states a verification method of the pass/fail criteria (gas monitoring) for
combustible vapour concentrations and toxic gas release and electric shock hazard (dielectric voltage withstand
test).
19
Table 5. Comparison of standards for the test on "Over-temperature protection"
IEC 62984-2:2020 UL 1973:2022 IEC 62619:2022 GB 40165-2021
Standard no.
Overheating test Failure of Cooling/Thermal Stability System Overheating control Overheating control
Battery chemistry/type Na HT Li-ion, NiMH, Na HT, Pb acid, FB Li-ion Li-ion
DUT Battery/module Battery system System Battery system
Discharged at 0.2C to final
SOC 100% Fully discharged to the manufacturer’s end of discharge condition voltage specified by Discharged
manufacturer
(25±5)°C (0-50% SOC) (25±5)°C (0-50% SOC)
Test temperature (25±5)°C Tmax (1)
Tmax (1) +5°C (>50% SOC) Tmax (1) +5°C (>50% SOC)
1. DUT charged at maximum charge rate with cooling/thermal stability system
Internal heaters are turned on permanently until the switched off until fully charged or operation of protective device is
Charging at recommended
Over-temperature safety cut-off temperature is reached or the temperature triggered. Charging at recommended
current with cooling system
condition has reached a steady state in which it does not vary 2. After 7 h or thermally stable, the DUT is then discharged at the maximum current
disconnected
more than 1°C per hour. discharge rate until end of discharge condition or operation of protective
device
• After reaching safety cut-off threshold: Temperature
has dropped below the minimum operating temperature • End of discharge condition reached • BMS/BMU (2) terminates
Termination criteria • BMS terminates charging
• In case of a self-resetting safety cut-off: 3 h or after 5 • Operation of a protective device is triggered charging
cut-offs, whichever is longer.
Repetitions with same
- - - 2
DUT
Functionality check - DUTs undergo 1 charge and discharge cycle. - -
Observation time - 1 hour 1 hour 1 hour
Prior to the test, the DUT is fully discharged to the end of discharge condition
The temperature shall be measured every 10 s and specified by the manufacturer and then conditioned at the maximum operating
Additional requirements - -
plotted temperature for 7 hours or until temperature change ≤2°C after 3 temperature
measurements with 15 min interval
No bursting No non-recoverable
No explosion No explosion, short-circuits
No fire No fire No fire
No electric shock hazard No electric shock hazard
Pass/fail criteria No leakage No leakage
No rupture No rupture
No emission of flammable/toxic gas No toxic gas release
No combustible vapour concentrations
Visual inspection (rupture, leakage),
Verification method - dielectric voltage withstand test (electric shock hazard), - -
gas monitoring (combustible vapour concentrations, toxic gas release)
1
Tmax : maximum operating temperature
2
The standard states that the BMS is sometimes called BMU (battery management unit)
Source: JRC, 2023
20
3.7 Thermal propagation
“This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery in thermal propagation situations. A thermal
runaway in one cell can cause a cascading reaction throughout the entire battery which can be composed of
numerous cells. It can lead to severe consequences including a significant gas release. The test shall consider
the tests that are under development for transport applications by ISO and the UN (United Nations) Global
Technical Regulation.”
ISO 6469-1/AMD1:2022 and GB38031:2020 are standards that establish safety requirements for electric
vehicles, particularly focusing on the propagation of a thermal runaway event resulting from lithium-ion battery
cell failures (see Table 6). These standards have been operational since 2020 and are currently undergoing a
revision process. Although the application of these standards may vary, the methodologies outlined in the
standards for EVs can provide helpful approaches and can be partially applicable for stationary applications.
For most of the standards, the DUT to be tested is a module or a battery system/pack. However, cell level testing
is allowed by UL 9540A:2019 (see Table 7) if the thermal runaway cannot be induced in the cell.
Thermal propagation tests are usually performed on a fully charged DUT. Some standards, i.e., VDE-AR-E 2510-
50:2017-05, specify that the DUT needs to be charged to its maximum operating voltage.
The temperatures for the test are defined slightly different in the listed standards: for IEC 62619:2022, UL
9540A:2019, IEC 62984-2:2020 and UL 1973:2022, the tests are to be performed at 25±5°C or 25±10°C.
However, for VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05, the test temperature is to be set to the maximum
specified/operating temperature for the DUT, which may in some cases exceed 35°C.
Prior to commencing the test, the DUTs must be fully charged and allowed to stabilise. The stabilisation time is
only specified in the UL 9540A:2019 and UL 1973:2022 standards.
Except for IEC 62984-2:2020 standard, which covers thermal propagation testing for sodium batteries, most
standards outline the thermal propagation test using lithium-ion cells. UL 9540A:2019 standard does not refer
to the battery chemistries to be tested.
All standards use a single cell to initiate the thermal runaway in the DUT. However, the selection of the specific
cell to trigger the thermal runaway is not explicitly mentioned in most standards, except for UL 9540A:2019
and IEC 62984-2:2020, which offer brief guidelines to identify the initiation cell.
For effective monitoring of thermal propagation, it is advisable to install multiple thermocouples within the DUT.
Among the standards, only IEC 62984-2:2020 provides more detailed guidelines for the exact location of
thermocouples in the DUT.
The standards employ various trigger methods for inducing thermal runaway, including laser, heater, nail
penetration, cell failure, among others. However, IEC 62619:2022, UL 9540A:2019 and IEC 62984-2:2020
standards provide a clear and detailed explanation of their primary trigger method; for example, IEC
62619:2022 adopts the laser method as a primary trigger method, while UL 9540A:2019 uses an external
flexible heater and IEC 62984-2:2020 uses the cell failure technique to induce thermal runaway. On the other
hand, UL 1973:2022 standard and VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 application rule offer more general
information and brief explanations of the methods used to trigger thermal runaway in the battery system.
Despite IEC 62619:2022 and UL 9540A:2019 specifying their main trigger method, they also mention
alternative methods to initiate thermal runaway within the DUT; for example, they propose to use mechanical,
overcharging, heating or nail penetration methods.
In most cases, the termination criterion is met when thermal runaway takes place within the DUT, resulting in
an elevated temperature that subsequently stabilizes or begins to decrease after reaching its peak. Detecting
thermal runaway requires data collection throughout the test using various recording methods. One common
method is to observe the temperature increase, which all standards specify. Additionally, UL 9540A:2019 and
VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 employ the monitoring of gases released from the DUT to detect thermal runaway.
UL 1973:2022 and VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 standards propose additional verification methods to detect
thermal runaway, such as monitoring voltage levels or using video recording.
Repeatability in the thermal propagation test is addressed by the standards IEC 62619:2022 and UL
9540A:2019 and it is not always explicitly specified in other standards. After a thermal runaway event, the
observation period varies among standards. For instance, the IEC 62984-2:2020 standard recommends a short
21
observation period of three hours, while the UL 1973:2022 standard suggests a longer observation period of
one day. However, in some cases, the observation period is not clearly specified.
To prevent potential issues or hazards within the battery system, all standards provide safety guidelines related
to the BMS with the exception of the UL 9540A:2019 standard.
When thermal runaway occurs within a battery, and the need arises to validate pass-fail criteria, a range of
tests can be implemented to ensure the battery system complies with safety standards. These verification
approaches aim to analyse the battery's behaviour under thermal runaway. A universally employed verification
method across the various standards presented is the assessment of cell temperature profile. Moreover, the
VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 application rule includes the use of thermographic videos to detect electrolyte
leakage within the DUT. UL 9540A:2019 and VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 include visual verification
approaches, they identify any indicators of unusual behaviour within the battery system, like swelling, venting,
leakage, deformation, or re-ignition from thermal runaway. UL 9540A:2019 introduces an array of verification
methods, including monitoring diverse gas types (O2, CO, CO2) released and assessing heat release rate during
thermal runaway.
Most standards consider the absence of fire propagation, of battery rupture, or of explosion as the primary
criteria for a successful test. However, standard UL 9540A:2019 does not define specific pass/fail criteria,
instead it permits observation methods of potential damages within the battery system.
22
Table 6. Comparison of standards for the "Thermal propagation" test in automotive traction batteries
ISO 6469-1/AMD1:2022 GB38031:2020
Standard no. Thermal propagation test Thermal propagation test
• RESS (Rechargeable Energy Storage System) level • Secondary cell
DUT • RESS subsystem level • Battery pack
• in-vehicle RESS level • Battery system (constituted by one or more battery packs)
SOC ≥ 95% SOC ≥ 95% SOC
Test temperature Between 18°C to maximum permissible operating temperature Above 0°C, a relative humidity of 10-90% and an atmospheric pressure of 86-
Stabilisation time prior to test (stabilization of voltage and temperature) - 106kPa
Trigger level 1 cell 1 cell
Li-ion Li-ion
Type of battery (chemistry, design)
Pouch, cylindrical and prismatic cells Pouch, cylindrical and prismatic cells
Intimate thermal contact between the heating element and the target cell surface
Selection of initiation cell The selection of a single cell depends on the chosen trigger method and the RESS Center within the battery pack or surrounded by other secondary cells
design
The position of temperature sensor shall be as near as possible to the short
Specification of thermocouples Attach the thermocouples on the initiation module and on the adjacent modules circuit point. The thermocouple is arranged at the side far away from the heat
conduction
• Internal heater
• External heating
Preferred trigger methods • Localized rapid external heating
• Nail penetration
Alternative trigger methods - -
Set of criteria is met and last more than 3s for battery <130Wh/kg:
• Temperature rise dT/dt> 1K/s and temperature exceeding the thermal runaway
onset temperature (determined by the cell manufacturer)
• Temperature exceeding the thermal runaway onset temperature with a rapid and
distinct voltage drop
• Temperature exceeding the thermal runaway onset temperature with venting gas
or smoke release • The trigger object produces a voltage drop, and the drop value exceeds
• Temperature rise dT/dt>1K/s and venting gas or smoke release and rapid voltage 25% of the initial voltage and Temperature rise dT/dt≥1ºC/s, and last for
drop. more than 3s.
Termination criterion or
Set of criteria is met and last more than 0,5s for battery ≥130Wh/kg: • Temperatures of monitoring points reach the maximum work temperature
• Temperature rise dT/dt> 15K/s and temperature exceeding the thermal runaway specified by the manufacturer and Temperature rise dT/dt≥1ºC/s, and last
onset temperature for more than 3s.
• Temperature exceeding the thermal runaway onset temperature with a rapid and
distinct voltage drop
• Temperature exceeding the thermal runaway onset temperature with venting gas
or smoke release
• Temperature rise dT/dt>15K/s and venting gas or smoke release and rapid voltage
drop.
In the RESS or RESS subsystem level:
• Occurrence of ejected solid material
• Failure of the BMS or signal faults
• Mass loss greater than its electrolyte mass of the initiated cell
• Temperature rise
Detection of thermal runaway • RESS or cell rupture
• Voltage drop
• Material formation indicating high temperatures;
• Specific reaction products;
• Current collector foil absence;
• Thermal decomposition of polymer materials.
Test repeatability - -
23
Observation period Minimum of 1 hour 1 hour
• BMS
• Single cell voltages, temperatures, isolation faults
• Thermal event alarm signal
• Alarms to vehicle occupants
• Manufacturers shall provide verification procedures and results documents
Safety indication (BMS, warning indication) • Information screen
for risk mitigation functions or characteristics of battery packs or system
• Venting
safety
• Cooling
• Gas permeability
• 5min prior to single cell thermal runaway causing thermal propagation
therefore hazard in occupant compartment, battery pack or system shall
• A statement that the safety case of thermal propagation of the RESS is conducted provide a thermal event alarm signal
according to the requirements of ISO 6469-1/AMD1:2022 shall be provided. • Manufacturer shall provide the documents for description of battery pack
Additional requirements
• Information shall be provided about the professionals who have constituted the or system safety: description of thermal event alarm signal and the
practitioners ‘team, their technical expertise and role. technical documents for description of battery pack
• The testing body shall report technical documents for description of risk
mitigation functions: procedure and result data of verification test
Pass/fail criteria - -
• Temperature recording (heating element and the target cell)
• Temperature recording
• Current and voltage recording of the target cell
• Voltage recording
• Video camera
• Alarm signal
Verification methods • Audio (warnings)
• Photo
• Multi-gas measurement
• External smoke
• BMS data recording
• Observation of fire or explosion
• Observation of: fire / explosion / smoke / rupture or damages within the DUT
24
Table 7. Comparison of standards for the "Thermal propagation" test in non-motive storage applications.
UL 9540A:2019 UL 1973:2022 VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05
IEC 62619:2022 IEC 62984-2:2020
Standard no. Thermal runaway fire Single Cell Failure Design Internal short-circuit
Propagation test Cell failure propagation test
propagation Tolerance (propagation test)
• Cell level
• Module level • Cell block
DUT Battery system Battery system Battery system
• Unit level • Module
• Installation level
Final voltage within the operating
SOC Fully charged 100% SOC 100% SOC Fully charged
range
Test temperature
(25±5)°C (25±5)°C (25±10)°C (25±5)°C Maximum operating temperature
Stabilisation time prior to test
1 hour for the Cell/Module level and
(stabilization of voltage and - - -
8 hours for the Unit/Installation level
temperature)
Trigger level 1 cell 1 cell 1 cell 1 cell 1 Cell
Na HT Li-ion
Li-ion
Li-ion (High-Temperature batteries whose Na HT
Type of battery (chemistry, design) Containing alkaline or other non-acid Li-ion
Flow battery rated voltage does not exceed 1500 Pb acid
electrolytes
V) NiMH
Shall present the greatest thermal There should be 2 cells surrounding
Selection of initiation cell - - -
exposure to adjacent cells the target cell in every direction
Thermocouples attached to the
At least one thermocouple shall be Monitoring temperature at three central component cell or module.
Temperature sensors applied to
located below the heater film at the different heights of the faulted cell: Temperature measurements shall be
Specification of thermocouples Use multiple thermocouples adjacent cells or higher levels of the
centre of the cell surface and one 10%, 50% and 90% of the total cell made with the measuring junction of
system
near the positive cell terminals height from the top the thermocouple held tightly against
the component being measured.
• Overcharging
• Overheating
Arbitrary (e.g., heating, nail
Laser (parameters are set such that • Short-circuiting (≤5 mΩ)
Cell failure penetration, internal defect, short
Preferred trigger method the initiation cell enters the thermal External heater • Overvoltage impulses
circuit, overcharge)
runaway within 10min) • Nail penetration
• Other methods recommended by
the manufacturer
• Mechanical
• Heating
• Overcharging, over-discharging
Alternative trigger methods • Overcharging - - -
• Short-circuiting
• Alternate heating sources
Thermal runaway No more reactions occur within the
Termination criterion Maximum surface temperature • Thermal runaway- Thermal runaway
cell
• Thermal runaway
• External heater: rapid and • Rise of the cell temperature
• Temperature rise
uncontrolled heating resulting in an increase of the
• Gas release (oxygen, carbon temperature of adjacent cells
• Nail penetration: once the voltage
Rapid increase of cell temperature monoxide and carbon dioxide
of the failed cell drops by 500mV • Venting of gaseous electrolyte
Detection of thermal runaway indicates a thermal runaway event analysers) Temperature rise
or the depth of penetration • Burning of the cell
• Weight loss shall be measured
reaches half of the cell. • Sparking and ignition of vented
through the module
• Internal defect: effect on the gas mixtures
• -Visual inspection
charge /discharge cycling • Explosion of the cell
25
Test repeatability 3 times 3 times - - -
Observation period 8 hours - 3 hours 24 hours -
BMS guidelines Yes No Yes Yes Yes

• Each module shall be equipped
with a fire protection enclosure in
accordance with DIN EN 62368-1
(VDE 0868-1)
• Surface temperature • The BMS shall prevent the battery • Initiation cell is chosen that is • Cell defects shall only propagate
measurements along from entering a hazardous state expected most likely to lead to within the module in which the
instrumented wall surfaces shall • Heaters use to maintain the cells propagation. thermal instability of the cell was
The battery system may be modified not exceed 60°C of temperature at specified operating • The number of cells that fail due intentionally caused
to facilitate the thermal runaway of rise above ambient temperatures shall be to propagation from the triggering • A propagation from this module to
Additional requirements the target cell. The modification • The surfaces temperature of dimensioned for the current and cell shall be documented an adjacent module shall be
should be minimized, and it shall not modules within the target BESS voltage to prevent breakages and • Determination of potential for fire precluded by testing
affect the thermal properties of the units adjacent to the initiating short circuit hazard: a gas monitor suitable for • Hazards shall not propagate
battery system. BESS shall not exceed the • Temperature shall be monitored detecting 25% of the lower beyond the system boundaries
temperature at which thermally at 10, 50 and 90% of total height flammability limited of the • The BMS shall ensure compliance
initiated cell venting occurs of the initiation cell evolved gases being measured with the permissible operating
range of the cell. This requires the
monitoring of different
parameters: cells voltage; battery
system current; cells temperature
No external fire from the battery - No external fire No fire propagation from DUT No propagation from module to
system module
No battery system case rupture No rupture of DUT enclosure
exposing hazardous material
No electric shock hazard (dielectric

Pass/fail criteria breakdown)
No leakage (external to enclosure of
DUT)
No bursting
No explosion
No hazards beyond the system
boundaries
• Temperature measurement
• Gas monitoring (O2, CO, CO2) • Temperature measurement
• Voltage recording • Voltage recording
• Time recording from the start of • Temperature measurement
Temperature measurement • Heat release rate vs time
Verification methods Temperature measurement applying the failure to the • Voltage recording
• Visual inspection
observable initiation of the cell • Video
• Video
failure should be recorded • Visual inspection
• Module weight loss
• Video
• Observation of re-ignition
Source: JRC, 2023
26
3.8 Mechanical damage by external forces
“These tests shall simulate one or more situations in which a battery is accidentally exposed to mechanical
stresses and remains operational for the purpose for which it was designed. The criteria to simulate these
situations should reflect real life uses. ”
This requirement is reflected in two scenarios:
— the battery system is impacted by an object while in place.
— the battery (system) is accidently dropped on the ground during installation or failure of its suspension
Standards include two different tests for these scenarios: the impact test (see chapter 3.8.1 and Table 8) and
the drop test (see chapter 3.8.2 and Table 9).
3.8.1 Impact test

During the impact test, the DUT is subjected to an impact by either the object itself with a certain geometry and
weight or a mould of a certain geometry that is impacted by an object of a certain weight (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Illustration of the impact test in (IEC 62619:2022 and UL 1642:2020)
Object
DUT
Source: JRC, 2023
The testing level of the DUT ranges from cell to system among the standards.
Apart from IEC 62619:2022, which requires a SOC of 50%, the DUT has to be fully charged.
UL 1973:2022 does not specify the level of assembly, all other standards require to test at cell (or cell block)
level.
Two different testing approaches are taken. IEC 62619:2022 and UL 1642:2020 use a mould that is hit by a
weight to distribute the impact to the whole battery cell whereas UL 1973:2022 impacts the DUT with the
impact mass (535 g heavy sphere) directly (i.e. without an impacting mould) on several locations that could be
exposed to an impact leading to more localised impacts. UL 1642:2020 requires the Round Bar Crush Test for
cells with a capacity of 300 mAh and higher. In this test, the weight is not dropped onto the DUT but crushed
with a certain crush force that depends on the shape of the DUT. GB 40165-2021 requires the squeeze test
(similar to the crush test) for bigger cylindrical, pouch and prismatic cells.
The weight of the impacting object can have an influence on the outcome. E.g. in UL 1973:2022 the weight of
the impacting object is almost one twentieth of that used in UL 1642:2020 and IEC 62619:2022. More
information about the properties of the impacting object can be found in Table 8.
27
Only UL1973:2020 requires an observation time of one hour. “No explosion” and “no fire” are the pass/fail
criteria that all the mentioned standards have in common. UL 1973:2022 lists more pass/fail criteria. Only UL
1973:2022 states the verification method of the pass/fail criteria: gas monitoring to verify the presence
combustible vapour concentrations or toxic gas release and a dielectric voltage withstand test to exclude an
electric shock hazard.
.
3.8.2 Drop test

For the drop test the DUT varies from cell to system among the standards. IEC 62619:2022 even distinguishes
between two types of drop tests, depending on the weight of a cell or a cell block (group of cells connected
together but not ready for use in its final application). This similar approach is also taken in GB 40165-2021
where the drop conditions depend on the weight of the DUT.
The DUT is mostly fully charged. VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 and EN 60896-21+22 do not state an SOC and
IEC 63056:2020 allows to adjust SOC to that for transport and maintenance, if specified.
The Drop Test experimental setup varies among standards. The cell is either dropped on a metal or concrete
surface with different orientation depending on the standard (from the corner, the shortest edge or bottom
down). The drop height depends on the weight of the DUT, but gradually decreases with the weight of the DUT
from 1 m for small batteries to a couple of centimetres for heavier batteries. See Table 9 for precise values.
The amount of drop repetitions ranges from 0 to 2 times.
Most of the standards include an observation time (1-2 hours) to account for a delayed reaction. Interestingly,
while IEC 62619:2022 required an observation time of 1 hour for the Drop Test, this is not necessary for the
Impact Test.
The pass/fail criteria are different in every standard. “No explosion” and “no fire” are present in almost every
standard (“no bursting” in IEC 62984-2:2020) except for EN 60896-21+22 for Pb acid batteries. UL 1973:2022
and VDE-AR-E 2510-50:2017-05 require many more pass/fail criteria to be met to pass the test. IEC
62619:2022 and IEC 63115-2:2021 state visual inspection as verification method. UL 1973:2022 requires air
monitoring to verify combustible vapour concentrations or toxic gas release and EN 60896-21+22 a dielectric
breakdown test to exclude presence of leakage. In addition, UL1973:2022 requires a dielectric voltage withstand
test to exclude an electric shock hazard. GB 40165-2021 sets the presence of leakage as a pass/fail criterion
only at system level.
28
Table 8. Comparison of standards for the “Impact” test as part of the test on “Mechanical damage by external forces"
IEC 62619:2022 UL 1642:2020 UL 1642:2020 UL 1973:2022 GB 40165-2021 GB 40165-2021
Standard no.
Impact test Impact Test Round Bar Crush Test Impact Test Heavy impact Squeeze
Battery chemistry/type Li-ion Li-ion Li-ion Li-ion, NiMH, Pb acid, Na HT Li-ion Li-ion
Cylindrical battery [cell] with
Cells (cylindrical, prismatic and Cylindrical battery [cell] with
DUT Cell or cell block Pouch cells (>300 mAh) not specified diameter >18.0 mm, pouch
pouch (1) ≤300 mAh) diameter ≥18.0 mm
cell, prismatic cell
Discharged at 0.2C to 50% of
SOC Fully charged Fully charged Fully charged Filled with electricity Filled with electricity
the rated capacity
Impact mould Type 316 stainless steel bar Bar Round steel bar - Metal rod Two plates
at least 60 mm length or the
Dimensions of the longest dimension of the cell
(15.8±0.1) mm diameter (25±1) mm diameter - (15.8±0.2) mm diameter -
impacting mould whichever is greater, (15.8±0.1)
mm diameter
Vertical axis of cylindrical
Top of the DUT, perpendicular to
cells and broad surface of
Location to place the the tab of the cell extending by
Centre of the DUT Centre of the DUT - Perpendicular the DUT pouch cells and prismatic
mould at least 5 mm the width of the
cells is placed between the
sample
two plates
Type of impacting object Steel sphere (50.8 mm diameter
Weight, 9.1 kg Weight, (9.1±0.46) kg Crush plate Weight, 9.1 kg
and weight and 535 g in weight)
Crush force 1-13 kN (depending
Force of impact - - 6.8 J - Squeeze force (13±0.78) kN
on the cell width)
Drop height (610±25) mm (610±25) mm - - (610±25) mm -
any surface that could be
Location of impact Centre of mould Centre of the mould - Centre of the mould -
exposed to an impact
Observation period - - - 1 hour - -1 hour
Cells are to be impacted at both
Prismatic cells are to be
the longitudinal axis parallel to
impacted at both the
the flat surface and the axis
longitudinal axis parallel to the For the side impacts the sphere Test terminated if voltage
Additional requirements perpendicular to it. Prismatic Crushing direction of (90±1)° -
flat surface and the axis shall be suspended by a cord. drops by 100 mV
cells are to be impacted on both
perpendicular to it (one impact
the narrow and the wide sides
per DUT).
(one impact per DUT).
No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion
No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire
concentrations
Pass/fail criteria No toxic vapour release
No electric shock hazard
No leakage
No rupture
leakage),
dielectric voltage withstand test
Verification method - - (electric shock hazard), -
gas monitoring (combustible
vapour concentrations, toxic gas
release)
1
UL 1642:2020 requires the Round Bar Crush Test for pouch cells with a capacity of more than 300 mA.
Source: JRC, 2023
29
Table 9. Comparison of standards for the “Drop” test as part of the test on "Mechanical damage by external forces"
EN 60896-21+22
IEC 62619:2022 VDE-AR-E 2510- Stability against
IEC 62619:2022 IEC 63056:2020 IEC 62984-2:2020 UL 1973:2022 IEC 63115-2:2021 GB 40165-2021
Standard no. Edge and Corner 50:2017-05 mechanical abuse of
Whole Drop test Drop test Drop test Drop Impact test Drop test Fall down
Drop test Drop Test* units during
installation
Battery chemistry/type Li-ion Li-ion Li-ion Na HT Li-ion, NiMH, Pb acid, Na HT Li-ion NiMH Pb acit Li-ion
Cell or cell block, Cell or cell block, System or lower level, if Module/ Battery system and its 2 cells or monobloc Battery [cell] (2), cell
DUT Battery or modules Cell and battery
battery system <20 kg battery system ≥20 kg dismantled for transport component pack components batteries clock, module or pack
Fully charged or, if
specified, SOC for
SOC Fully charged Fully charged 100% SOC Fully charged - Fully charged - Filled with electricity
installation or
maintenance
< 20 kg:
<50 kg: 100 cm Class 20: <50 kg: 10.0 cm
≤50 kg: 100 cm <50 kg: 10.0 cm
10.0 cm 20 kg ≤ mass<50 kg: 20 cm ≥50 kg mass <100
<7 kg: 100.0 cm ≤7 kg: 100 cm ≥50 kg mass <100 kg: ≥50 kg mass <100 kg:
50 kg≤ mass <100 kg: 50 cm class 100: kg:
Drop height 7≤ mass <20kg: >7 kg but ≤100 kg: 10 cm 5.0 cm 5.0 cm 2.5 cm to 100 cm
5.0 cm 50 kg ≤ mass < 100 kg: 100 cm 5.0 cm
10.0 cm >100 kg: 2.5 cm ≥100 kg: ≥100 kg:
≥100 kg: 5 cm class 300: ≥100 kg:
2.5 cm 2.5 cm
2.5 cm ≥100 kg: 300 cm (1) 2.5 cm
2.5 cm
Repetitions with same
2 1 <50 kg: 0 ≥50 kg: 1 - - 2 - 1 <20 kg: 0 ≥20 kg: 1
DUT
< 7 kg: < 7 kg:
≤50 kg: shortest edge,
random random
corner and
7 kg ≤ mass<50 kg: most representative 7 kg ≤ mass<50 kg:
<7kg: random, Shortest edge and perpendicular onto front Shortest edge down
Drop orientation Bottom down Corner down manner for handling or Bottom down Bottom down
≥7kg: bottom down corner or rear Corner down
≥50 kg: maintenance ≥50 kg:
≥50 kg: Shortest edge
Shortest edge and Shortest edge and
and corner
adjacent corner adjacent corner
Flat concrete or metal Concrete covered with a Concrete or metal
Surface type Flat (metal or concrete) Flat (metal or concrete) Concrete Concrete or insulated metal Level concrete floor Concrete or metal panel
floor metal plate floor
Observation time 1 hours 1 hour 1 hour 3 hours 1 hour - 1 hour - 1 hour
Battery is heated to Insulation resistance is
The DUT shall be
operating temperature measured before and
dropped two times on
Additional requirements - - - if rated for handling, - after the test - -
the same edge or
while operational ≤50 kg: Test conditions
corner
otherwise to 70 - 80°C. of IEC 62619 apply
No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion No explosion
No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire No fire
No bursting No venting
concentrations
No hazardous surface
Pass/fail criteria No electric shock hazard
temperatures
No ejected parts that
No leakage No leakage may lead to injury of No leakage No leakage (module)
bystanders
No rupture
No access to active
No loss of protection
parts above the
controls
protective low voltage
leakage),dielectric voltage
Dielectric breakdown
withstand test (electric
test, He leak and H2
shock hazard),
Verification method Visual inspection Visual inspection - - - Visual inspection detector or Visual inspection
gas monitoring
pH indicator (leak
(combustible vapour
testing)
concentrations, toxic gas
release)
1
The drop height depends on the drop severity class reflecting mechanical requirements during handling and operation. Class 20 resembles falling from a pallet.
2
Source: JRC, 2023
30
3.9 Internal short circuit
“This test shall evaluate the safety performance of a battery in internal short-circuit situations. The occurrence
of internal short circuits, one of the main concerns for battery manufacturers, potentially leads to venting,
thermal runaway, and sparking which can ignite the electrolyte vapours escaping from the cell. The generation
of such internal short circuits can be triggered by manufacturing imperfections, the presence of impurities in the
cells or dendritic growth of lithium, and is the cause of most in-field safety incidents. Multiple internal short
circuit scenarios are possible (e.g. electrical contact of cathode/anode, aluminium current collector/copper
current collector, aluminium current collector/anode) each with a different contact resistance. ”
There is only one standard that includes instructions for an Internal Short-circuit test (see Table 10). It uses a
nickel particle as short circuit trigger that is placed into the cell before the test. The standard refers to clause
A.5 and A.6 of IEC 62133-2:2017 [24] for the procedure to introduce the particle in different types of cells as
well as the particle dimensions. The DUT is a discharged cell that is charged during the test conducted at 25°C
to its upper charging voltage. Subsequently, the nickel particle that is already placed inside the cell is introduced
with a special pressing equipment in between the electrode layers to cause a short-circuit. The termination
criteria is a voltage drop or a certain press force on the cell.
Table 10. Standard for the test on "Internal short circuit"
IEC 62619:2022
Standard no.
Internal short circuit test
Battery chemistry/type Li-ion
DUT Cell or cell block
SOC Discharged at 0.2C to a specified final voltage
Test temperature (25±5)°C
Nickel particle (L-shape, height 0.2 mm, thickness: 0.1 mm, 1 mm long on
Short circuit trigger
each side), placed inside the cell during preparation[41]
1. DUT is charged to upper charging limit
Requirements 2. Nickel particle is introduced with a special pressing equipment in between
electrode layers after charging
Voltage drop (>50 mV) or force of the press reached 800 N for a cylindrical
Termination criteria
cell and 400 N for a prismatic cell.
Pass/fail criteria No fire
Verification method -
Source: JRC, 2023
31
3.10 Thermal abuse
“During this test, the battery shall be exposed to elevated temperatures (in IEC 62619 the temperature is 85°C)
which can trigger exothermal decomposition reactions and lead to a thermal runaway in the cell.”
The majority of the standards that include this test require to test at cell level. IEC 62619:2022 and UL
1642:2020 prescribe testing at cell block and battery level, respectively.
Table 11 summarises the test conditions for the thermal abuse test. All standards require testing of a fully
charged DUT. The test temperature varies among the standards. While IEC 62619:2022 requires 85°C, UL
1642:2020 and UL 1973:2022 require 130°C and more for batteries that have an operating temperature higher
than 100°C. Considering that at 130°C more exothermic decomposition reactions can be triggered than at 85°C,
it is reasonable that the test duration is reduced from 3 hours for exposure to 85°C to as little as 10 min for
that at 130°C. In GB 40165-2021 the test duration is dependent on the amount of cells that are connected;
more cells increase the test duration.
To test Ni metal hydride cells (IEC 63115-2:2021), the test temperature depends on the battery casing.
Only UL 1973:2022 requires an observation time of 1 hour.
Pass/fail criteria are the same for all tests, namely “no explosion” and “no fire”, and no verification method is
specified for these.
32
Table 11. Comparison of different standards for the test on "Thermal abuse"
IEC 62619:2022 UL 1642:2020 UL 1973:2022 IEC 63115-2:2021 GB 40165-2021

Standard no.
Thermal abuse test Heating Test Heating Test Thermal abuse test Thermal abuse
Battery chemistry/type Li-ion Li-ion Li-ion, Na HT, FB NiMH Li-ion
Battery [cell] (2), cell
DUT Cell or cell block Battery (1) Cell Cell
block or module
Charged to
manufacturer’s specified
SOC Fully charged Fully charged Fully charged Filled with electricity
upper limit charging
voltage
Start temperature (25±5)°C (20±5)°C (25±5)°C (20±5)°C (20±5)°C
Batteries with operating
temperature <100°C:
(130±2)°C Batteries with operating
temperature <100°C:
Batteries with operating (130±2)°C
Cell case:
temperature >100°C:
Steel: (130±5)°C (130±2)°C
Test temperature 85°C (30±2)°C above the Batteries with operating
Plastic (85±5)°C
manufacturer’s temperature >100°C:
maximum specified (30±2)°C above
temperature maximum specified
temperature=
Lithium-metal batteries:
(170±2)°C
Heating rate (5±2)°C/min (5±2)°C/min (5±2)°C/min (5±2)°C/min (5±2)°C/min
1 cell: 1 hour
≤500 g: 10 min
Test duration 3 hours 10 min 30 min n cells: 1+(n-1)∙0.1
>500 g : 30 min
hours
Observation period - - 1 hour - -
Pass/fail criteria
Verification method - - - - -
1
2
Source: JRC, 2023
33
3.11 Fire test
“The risk of explosion shall be assessed by exposing the battery to fire.”
The principle of the fire test is similar among the standards. The DUT is placed above a fire that is produced in
a certain way at a certain height for a certain time (see Figure 3). UL 1642:2020 requires an additional steel
wire mesh container for the DUT to hold back possible projectiles.
Figure 3. Illustration of the fire test: On the left using a Meker type burner (required in UL 1642:2020) and on the right
using a fuel pan (required in UL 1973:2022 and IEC 62984-2:2020)
🔥🔥
DUT Mesh container
with screen cover
DUT
🔥
🔥🔥
🔥
Supporting structure
Meker type burner Fuel pan
Source: JRC, 2023
The test conditions for the fire test vary significantly among the standards (see Table 12). The DUT varies from
cell to system among the standards. However, the DUT is either fully charged or at 100 % SOC.
The standards give a wide range of ambient test temperatures. UL 1973:2022 requires the test to be conducted
free from wind or other environmental factors. In IEC 62984-2:2020 the test is conducted in the open air. In UL
1642:2020, the DUT is put in a steel wire mesh container with openings. UL 1973:2022 requires the test to be
done in a protective test chamber. The placement of the DUT above the fire varies among the standards from
3.8 cm to 50 cm above the burner/fuel surface.
UL 1973:2022 and IEC 62984-2:2020 use heptane (or a similar liquid hydrocarbon) as fire source while UL
1642:2020 uses gas (e.g. butane). The heat flux of the combustion in a gas burner can only be comparable to
a liquid hydrocarbon fire under a certain mass flow rate of gas [42]. UL 16420 does not specify a mass flow
rate or gas during the test.
The fire test has different purposes depending on the battery chemistry that lead to different pass/fail criteria.
In UL 1973:2022 and IEC 62984-2:2020 the cell is exposed to fire only for a certain amount of time whereas
in UL 1642:2020 the cell is exposed to the fire until ignition, explosion or burning out. Consequently, the pass
fail criterion for UL 1642 is merely that nothing shall have penetrated the protective wire mesh. In UL 1973 a
battery that catches fire would also pass as long as it does not explode and projectiles stay within a perimeter
of 1 m from the outer edge of the longest side of the DUT. The outcome of this test in UL 1973:2022 and
UL1642:2020 is expected to be destructive. IEC 62984-2:2020 has stricter pass criteria (e.g. no rupture) that
might come from the nature of the battery itself since the battery system has to withstand high temperatures
during normal operation.
34
Table 12. Comparison of different standards for the "Fire test”
UL 1973:2022
UL 1642:2020 IEC 62984-2:2020
Standard no. External Fire Exposure for Projectile
Fire exposure test (Projectile Test) External fire exposure test
Hazards Test
Battery chemistry/type Li-ion, NiMH, Na HT, FB Li-ion Na HT
DUT Battery system Cell and battery (1) Battery/module
SOC Fully charged Fully charged 100% SOC
Ambient temperature 0 to 46°C - Ambient temperature, at least 0°C
Steel wire mesh (20 openings per 25.4 mm
DUT container - -
and a wire diameter of 0.43 mm
Pool of burning heptane or similar
Type of fire Meker type burner Pool of heptane
hydrocarbon
Screen with a hole (102 mm diameter) in
Fire container Steel pan Steel pan
the centre
Centred max. 10 cm on top of the fuel
Placement of the DUT Centred 50 cm on top of the fuel surface 38 mm above the burner
surface
Exposure time 20 min Until ignition, explosion or burning out 30 min
Hose down to represent a fire fighter
response from discharge angle of 30° and a
Action after exposure minimum discharge of 4.7 L/s from a nozzle - -
with 38 mm diameter and a pressure of
517 kPa.
DUT observed until surface temperature back
Observation time 1 hour -
to ambient temperature or at least 3 hours.
Approx. 15.24 cm (6 inch) of water is added
Additional requirements to the pan prior to adding the fuel for a - Water is added to the pan
consistent flame during the test
No explosion
No part of DUT has penetrated the wire
No projectiles outside a perimeter of 1 m
mesh
No fire
Pass/fail criteria No bursting
No leakage
No rupture
No emission of flammable/toxic gas
Verification method - - Visual inspection (bursting, fire, leakage)
1
Source: JRC, 2023
35
4 Emission of gases
“Batteries can contain significant amounts of potentially hazardous materials, for example highly flammable
electrolytes, corrosive and toxic components. If exposed to certain conditions, the integrity of the battery could
be compromised, resulting in the release of hazardous gases. Therefore, it is important to identify emissions of
gases from substances released from the battery during tests: the risk of toxic gases emitted from non-aqueous
electrolytes shall be properly taken into account for all safety parameters listed in points 1 to 10.”
Even though the measurement of the emission of gases appears in the list of safety tests in Annex V of the
Regulation, it is a not a self-standing test but can rather be considered a requirement for all listed tests.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the emission of toxic gases is to be set as pass/fail criterion for all tests and
a proper verification method is needed. This has implications to the execution of the tests (e.g. execution in an
enclosed environment). It is worth to mention that unlike for combustible vapour concentrations (in UL
1973:2022) – for which a concentration of a gas is to be measured – only the presence (the release) of toxic
gases is to be determined. This results in other requirements on verification equipment.
UL 1973 contains a section on the determination of toxic emissions. It applies to those (destructive) tests that
could result in toxic gas emissions. The potential of an exposure to these gases can be verified with this
measurement. Established methods for determination of toxic emissions, cited in UL 1973:2022, are listed in
Table 13. SESS systems that are placed in open air with natural ventilation or are equipped with a ventilation
system are exempt from the determination of toxic gas emissions.
Table 13. Summary of information in UL 1973:2020 for the requirement "Emission of gases"
UL 1973:2022
Standard no.
Determination of Toxic Emissions
Continuous sampling conducted in a closed test chamber of known volume
Sampling procedure
during destructive tests
SESS that are installed outside or SESS that are equipped with a ventilation
Exemptions
system to prevent exposure
ASTM D4490 [43]
ASTM D4599 [44]
Analysis methods OSHA Evaluation Guideline for Air Sampling Methods Utilizing Spectroscopic
Analysis [45]
NIOSH Manual of Analytic Methods [46]
Source: JRC, 2023
Standards that deal with air monitoring provide general information and methods that can be relevant to verify
the emission of gases:
— ISO 16000 - Indoor air [47]
This series of standards deals with the identification and quantification of indoor air pollution. Relevant
parts are
● ISO 16000-1:2004 Indoor air — Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy [47]
● ISO 16000-5:2007 Indoor air — Part 5: Sampling strategy for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [48]
● ISO 16000-6:2021 Indoor air — Part 6: Determination of organic compounds (VVOC, VOC, SVOC) in
indoor and test chamber air by active sampling on sorbent tubes, thermal desorption and gas
chromatography using MS or MS FID [49]
● ISO 16000-29:2014 Indoor air — Part 29: Test methods for VOC detectors [50]
— EPA Method TO-15 for the determination of VOC's (volatile organic compounds) in air Collected In Specially-
Prepared Canisters and analysed by Gas Chromatography and Mass spectrometry [51]
— EPA Method TO-16 for Long-Path Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared Monitoring Of Atmospheric
Gases [52]
— EPA Methods TO-17 for the determination of VOC's in air using active sampling onto sorbent tubes [53]
— “Protection against internal ignition from external spark sources” test in EN 60896-21+22:2004 [25,26]
36
5 Other safety tests mentioned in the standards that are not required in
Annex V of the Regulation (EU) 2023/1542
The Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 requires additional considerations on possible additional safety hazards not
addressed in its Annex V and their successful mitigation for which state-of-the-art testing methodologies shall
be used [1].
There are a number of safety tests described in various standards that are not mentioned in Annex V of the
Regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries. It is worth to take a closer look at them. Table 14 gives an
overview of these tests. The list may not be exhaustive. Some of them (e.g. “leakage test” or “valve operation”)
are specific to batteries with a certain chemistry and the resulting design. Others are specific to the environment
in which the battery is operated or transported (e.g. “vibration” during transport on a bumpy road) and where it
is installed (e.g. ”enclosure stress at high temperatures” when the DUT is run in relatively hot regions or “support
structure test” when it is suspended).
There are several reasons why the tests in Table 14 are not included in the Regulation (EU) 2023/1542. After
the analysis of all the tests it can be concluded that
— Some of the features are already covered by testing the safety of the battery itself rather than its auxiliary
system (e.g. drop test in case of a failing wall mount fixture).
— Since the safety of SBESS during their application is covered by tests listed in Annex V of the Regulation
(EU) 2023/1542, tests that assess the transport capabilities (e.g. vibration) or safety during installation
(e.g. Wall Mount Fixture) are not applicable.
— Tests specifically designed for flow battery systems are not relevant for the Regulation since it does not
contain safety requirements for flow batteries. However, the safety of flow batteries might become
relevant in future.
The safety tests required in Annex V of the Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 are based on Li-ion chemistry. Other
chemistries, may require different safety tests for example on
— Leakage protection
— Pressure relief valves in case of pressure build-up
Table 14. Standardised tests addressing safety aspects that are not mentioned in Annex V of the Regulation.
Test Standards Chemistries/ Description

types
Continuity test UL 1973:2022 Li-ion This test evaluates the continuity of the protective grounding
and bonding system of the battery system that is intended
NiMH
to provide an electrically conductive path. The measured
Pb acid resistance between any two bonding connections shall be
less than or equal to 0.1Ω and is measured with a milli-
Na HT ohmmeter.
Flow batteries
Dielectric Voltage UL 1973:2022 Li-ion This test evaluates the electrical spacing and insulation at
Withstand Test high voltage to exclude an electrical breakdown or insulation
NiMH
failure within the DUT. A voltage is applied between the
Pb acid voltage circuits of the DUT and accessible non-current
carrying but conductive part. No evidence of a dielectric
Na HT breakdown (arcing, breakdown of insulation) shall be
Flow batteries detected by the test equipment
37
Enclosure stress at IEC 63115- Li-ion In this test, the enclosure of the DUT is tested for integrity at
high temperatures / 2:2021 higher temperatures. The discharged DUT within an
NiMH
Mold Stress Test enclosure is exposed to temperatures moderately higher
UL 1973:2022
Pb acid than the maximum operating temperature. Its integrity shall
GB 40165- not be compromised. UL 1973:2022 includes an observation
Na HT period after which the DUT is subjected to a dielectric voltage
2021
Flow batteries withstand test and is visually examined for signs of rupture
and evidence of leakage.
Resistance to UL 1973:2022 Li-ion During the moisture resistance test the DUT’s ingress
Moisture Test protection rating in accordance with IEC 60529 or CAN/CSA-
NiMH
C22.2 No. 60529 is evaluated. It is tested whether the DUT
Pb acid can withstand exposure to moisture in its intended use. After
the test, the DUT is subjected to one discharge and charge
Na HT cycle (if still intact), an observation period, dielectric voltage
Flow batteries withstand test, a visual inspection for signs of rupture and
leakage. If venting is anticipated, combustible vapour
concentrations shall be measured as well as the release of
toxic gases. Other pass/fail criteria besides no dielectric
breakdown, no rupture and no leakage are: no explosion, no
fire, no combustible vapour concentrations and no toxic
vapour release.
Salt Fog Test UL 1973:2022 Li-ion The DUT is exposed to salt fog conditions like near a marine
environment according to IEC 60068-2-52. The DUT is fully
NiMH
charged. This test is not intended for DUTs that are not
Pb acid intended to be used near marine environments. After the
test, the DUT is subjected to one discharge and charge cycle
Na HT (if still intact), an observation period, dielectric voltage
Flow batteries withstand test, a visual inspection for signs of rupture and
leakage. If venting is anticipated, combustible vapour
concentrations shall be measured as well as the release of
toxic gases. Other pass/fail criteria besides no dielectric
vapour release.
Temperature and UL 1973:2022 Li-ion The DUT is tested for its ability to function reliably and safely
Operating Limits under various environmental conditions (temperature) and
NiMH
Check Test operating scenarios (current, voltage) within its operational
Pb acid limits. After the test, the DUT is subjected to two charge and
discharges cycles, an observation period, dielectric voltage
Na HT withstand test and a visual inspection for signs of rupture
Flow batteries and leakage. Other pass/fail criteria besides no dielectric
vapour release. This test is different to thermal shock and
cycling as DUT is not subjected to extreme conditions.
Wall Mount Fixture / UL 1973:2022 Li-ion In this test, the support structure of the battery system to be
Support Structure / hung on the wall is tested. A force of three times the weight
NiMH
Handle Test of the DUT is applied to the centre of the mounting apparatus
Pb acid and held for 1 min. There shall be no damage to the
mounting apparatus. Nothing is stated on how to verify this
Na HT criterion.
Flow batteries
38
Imbalanced Charging UL 1973:2022 Li-ion The test aims to ensure that the charging current is
Test appropriately distributed among the cells of the DUT and any
NiMH
significant imbalances are prevented. All cells of a fully
Pb acid charged DUT are fully discharged except for one which is only
partially discharged to create an imbalance. After (partial)
Na HT discharging, the DUT is charged until end of charge condition.
During the test combustible vapour concentrations shall be
measured as well as the release of toxic gases. After the test,
the DUT is subjected to one discharge and charge cycle (if
still intact), an observation period, dielectric voltage
withstand test, a visual inspection for signs of rupture and
leakage. Other pass/fail criteria besides no dielectric
fire, no combustible vapour concentrations and toxic vapour
release.
Input UL 1973:2022 Li-ion The test aims to ensure that the battery system receives a
stable and appropriate voltage level for charging. This helps
NiMH
prevent overcharging or undercharging, which can degrade
Na HT battery performance and lifespan. Performing an input test
within a battery system involves changing gradually the
Flow batteries input parameters such as the voltage or the current and
simultaneously monitoring the battery voltage, current and
temperature response. When connected to an ac supply, the
input current shall not exceed 110% of the rated/specified
value of the device.
Leakage Current UL 1973:2022 Li-ion Leakage current testing helps ensure that there is no electric
current flow within the battery system when it is not
NiMH
supposed to be active. The current limit shall comply with the
Na HT protective touch voltage, touch current and protective
conductor current test of UL 62368-1/CSA. Other pass/fail
Flow batteries criteria are no hazardous behaviours such as leakage, electric
shock or fire.
Overload Under UL 1973:2022 Li-ion The purpose of tThis test helps assess how the battery
Discharge / system responds under conditions where the demand for
GB 40165- NiMH
energy exceeds its specified capacity. The fully charged DUT
Overload control 2021
Na HT shall be discharged at a current equal to 90% of the rated
overcurrent protection value of the BMS. Throughout the test,
Flow batteries both the current and temperature are under constant
observation. If required based upon installation, venting of
toxic releases shall be continuously monitored during the
test. The DUT shall be examined for signs of rupture and
evidence of leakage as a pass fail/criteria. This test is
different the over-discharge protection test as the DUT is not
subjected to extreme conditions.
Push-Back Relief UL 1973:2022 Li-ion The purpose of this test is to determine if the strain relief of
a non-detachable accessible cord provides adequate
NiMH
protection to connections and prevents hazardous
Na HT displacement of internal wiring and connections as a result
of push back. The supply cord shall be pushed back into the
Flow batteries product under test in 25.4mm increments until the force to
push the cord into the product exceeds 26.7 N. The test shall
not lead to disconnection, short circuits, sparks, or any other
hazardous conditions.
39
Strain Relief UL 1973:2022 Li-ion The strain relief test evaluates the mechanical integrity of
the battery’s connection under mechanical stress and
(similar as Push- NiMH
prevents damage or displacement upon being pulled. The
Back relief test)
Na HT battery system provided with a strain relief shall withstand
without damage to the conductors and without displacement,
Flow batteries a direct pull of 156 N applied to the conductors for 1 min. As
a result of the pull force, there shall be no damage or
displacement of internal connectors.
Working Voltage UL 1973:2022 Li-ion This The test purpose is to measure the working voltage of a
measurements battery system and helps prevent over-discharging within
NiMH
the DUT. The working voltage between live parts of opposite
Na HT polarity, live and dead metal parts, live parts and a metal
enclosure, and live and ground connections under both
Flow batteries normal charging and discharging conditions is measured. The
values obtained during the measurement shall be used to
verify electrical spacing criteria.
Crush test UL 1973:2022 - The DUT is crushed between two flat surfaces. It shall not
catch fire nor explode. UL 1973:2020 requires more: gas
UL 1642:2020 Li-ion
monitoring to verify the absence of toxic vapour release and
IEC 63115- NiMH combustible vapour concentrations. This test is partially
2:2021 required and included in chapter 3.8 for certain DUT sizes.
However, this test does not directly represent a scenario in
which a damage caused by external forces to a SBESS can
occur.
Shock test / UL 1973:2022 - The DUT’s capability to withstand shocks is assessed. The
DUT is subjected to shocks due to acceleration in each of the
Mechanical shock/ UL 1642:2020 Li-ion
3 mutual perpendicular directions. It shall not catch fire nor
Acceleration shock IEC 63115- NiMH explode. UL 1973:2020 requires more: gas monitoring to
2:2021 verify the absence of toxic vapour release and combustible
vapour concentrations as well as a dielectric voltage
GB 40165- withstand test and an examination for signs of rupture or
2021 leakage.
Vibration UL 1973:2022 - This test assesses the DUT’s capability to withstand vibration
during transport. The DUT is subjected to a harmonic motion.
UL 1642:2020 Li-ion
It shall not catch fire, explode or leak. UL 1973:2020 requires
IEC 63115- NiMH more: gas monitoring to verify the absence of toxic vapour
2:2021 release and combustible vapour concentrations as well as a
dielectric voltage withstand test and an examination for
GB 40165- signs of rupture or leakage.
2021
Low pressure UL 1642 Li-ion DUT is kept at sub-atmospheric pressure for a certain
(altitude simulation) amount of time. It shall not explode or catche fire.
IEC 63115- NiMH
2:2021
GB 40165-
2021
Reverse charge test GB 40165- Li-ion DUTs are tested for The reverse charge test is conducted toto
2021 identify potential weaknesses in battery design. s to
NiMH
withstand a reverse charge. The DUT is subjected to a reverse
IEC 63115-
charge for a certain time or until the BMS detects the reverse
2:2021
charge and interrupts the circuit. The pass/fail criteria for are
no explosion and no fire (for IEC 63115-2:2021).
Abnormal charge UL 1642:2020 Li-ion Discharged DUT is charged with a constant specified output
voltage and three times the maximum charging current for
7h or until reaching end-of-charge condition The pass/fail
criteria are: no explosion, no fire.
40
Protection for IEC Li-ion One pack or module in a discharged DUT is connected in the
reverse connection 63056:2020 opposite polarity. The fully charged DUT is discharged. One
cell is disconnected and connected with the opposite polarity.
Then, the DUT is charged until the safety protection stops the
charging or it is fully charged. After an hour of rest period,
the DUT is discharged again until lower discharge voltage
followed by an hour of observation time. The pass/fail criteria
are: no rupture, no fire, no explosion with no verification
method stated.
Resistance to IEC Li-ion The integrity of the non-metallic building parts of the DUT is
abnormal heat 63056:2020 assessed in this test. Non-metallic parts are subjected to a
The parts are impacted by a ball-shaped weight at elevated
temperatures. They shall be resistant to the its impacts and
the abnormal heat.
Reverse charge test IEC 63115- NiMH DUTs are tested for reverse charge test to identify potential
2:2021 weaknesses in battery designs to withstand a reverse charge.
The DUT is subjected to a reverse charge for a certain time.
The pass/fail criteria are no explosion and no fire.
High current EN 60896- Pb acid The DUT’s capability to withstand high currents is assessed.
tolerance 21+22:2004 The fully charged DUT is discharged at maximum discharge
current and afterwards visually inspected internally (i.e. by
opening the service caps) and externally for signs of
enclosure melting (pass/fail criterion).
Protection against EN 60896- Pb acid DUT are tested to evaluate the adequacy of design features
ground short 21+22:2004 against ground shorts. The fully charged DUT is put into
propensity contact with a metallic surface. A voltage is applied between
this metallic surface and a source. It shall remain in this
position for 30 days or until a current flow is detected. The
pass/fail criteria are no leakage (no verification method
stated) and no ground short detected by the system.
Start-To-Discharge UL 1973:2022 Valve In this test, the pressure relief valve is assessed by applying
Test (for valve regulated (e.g. a pressure to it that is higher than the maximum working
regulated systems) Pb acid) pressure. The pressure relief valve shall open in the range of
90-100% of its assigned start-to-discharge pressure setting.
Static force UL 1973:2022 Pb-acid The purpose of this test is to determine if the DUT enclosure
has sufficient strength to safely withstand a static force that
may be applied to it. The fully charged DUT is subjected to a
steady force of 250 N for 5 seconds on the top, bottom and
sides. After the test, the DUT is subjected to one discharge
and charge cycle (if still intact), an observation period,
dielectric voltage withstand test, a visual inspection for signs
of rupture and leakage. Other pass/fail criteria are: no
explosion, no fire, no loss of protective controls, no
combustible vapour concentrations and toxic vapour release.
For the latter two gas monitoring should be applied iof
deemed necessary.
Pressure release test UL 1973:2022 Valve This test assesses the capability of the pressure release
(for valve regulated regulated (e.g. valve to work when submerged in mineral oil. The DUT (or for
systems) Pb acid) larger DUT only the pressure relief valve) is submerged in
mineral oil and an increased charging current is applied
causing gas formation. The test is passed if bubbles are only
observed at the pressure relief valve.
41
Start-To-Discharge UL 1973:2022 Valve In this test, the pressure relief valve is assessed by applying
Test (for valve regulated (e.g. a pressure to it that is higher than the maximum working
regulated systems) Pb acid) pressure. The pressure relief valve shall open in the range of
90-100% of its assigned start-to-discharge pressure setting.
Cell abnormal UL 1973:2022 Na HT Discharged DUT is charged at maximum charging current

charging (constant current) to maximum abnormal charging voltage,
Charging charging is continued (constant voltage) for 7h.
There shall be no fire and no explosion.
Immersion test IEC 62984- Na HT Optional test to ensure safety when the battery is flooded.
2:2020 The fully charged DUT is immersed 0.15 m deep into a 0.15
m deep container of sea water (NaCl solution) for a minimum
of 2 hours until the temperature of the DUT drops below
50°C followed by an observation period of 3 hours. Pass/fail
criteria are: no bursting, no fire, no leakage, no rupture
(bulging allowed) with no verification method stated.
Electrolyte blockage UL 1973:2022 Flow batteries This test evaluates the DUT’s ability to withstand an
test overcharge condition caused by a blockage of the electrolyte
pumping system. Further details are not given.
Hydraulic pressure UL 1973:2022 Flow batteries This test is to assess the electrolyte containment vessel
test during a pressure build-up (e.g. 1.5 times the maximum
pressure) with an inactive pressure relief device. Pass/fail
criteria are: no burst, no leak, no rupture, no fracture and no
permanent deformation. A verification method is not stated.
Insulation resistance UL 1973:2022 Flow batteries This test shall ensure that the energised electrolyte fluids
that travel through the system are insulated. The insulation
resistance of the DUT is measured by high impedance (MΩ)
while applying a high voltage between the live parts of the
DUT and accessible conducting parts for a certain time. The
resistance shall be greater than 1 MΩ.
Leakage test UL 1973:2022 Flow batteries The DUT enclosure’s capability to hold the liquid even at a
higher pressure than specified is tested during the leakage
IEC 62932-2- Flow batteries
test. The DUT is subjected to a fluid pressure higher than the
2:2020
maximum fluid pressure (e.g. 1.5 times in UL 1973:2022). No
visible leakage shall occur. Other pass/fail criteria are: no
explosion, no fire, no combustible vapour concentrations, no
toxic vapour release, no rupture and no loss of protection
controls. A verification method is not clearly stated.
Source: JRC, 2023
42
6 Gap analysis
6.1 Availability of standards containing test required by the Regulation

There are several standards available that describe some of the required tests. Table 15 lists the tests and
shows which standard exists for the relevant chemistries for SBESS. There is not a single standard that covers
all the tests required by the Regulation. A harmonised standard will have to be inspired by different international,
national and industry-association authored standards.
Table 15. Safety standards listed in the Regulation on batteries and waste batteries for different battery chemistries
Chemistry Lithium-ion NiMH Lead-acid Na HT Flow batteries
UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973

Thermal shock
UL 1642 IEC 63115-2 IEC 62932-2-2
and cycling
GB 40165
UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973
UL 1642 IEC 63115-2 IEC 62984-2 62932-2-2
External short VDE-AR-E 2510-50
circuit protection IEC 62619
IEC 63056
GB 40165
UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973
IEC 62619 IEC 63115-2 IEC 62984-2
Overcharge
VDE-AR-E 2510-50
protection
IEC 62619
GB 40165
UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973
UL1642
Over-discharge VDE-AR-E 2510-50
protection IEC 62619
IEC 63056
GB 40165
UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973
Over-temperature
IEC 62619 IEC 62984-2
protection
GB 40165
UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973
Thermal
UL 9540A UL 9540A UL 9540A UL 9540A UL 9540A
propagation
IEC 62619 IEC 62984-2
protection
VDE-AR-E 2510-50
UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973
UL 1642 IEC 63115-2 EN 60896-21+22 IEC 62984-2
Mechanical
IEC 62619
damage by
IEC 63056
external forces
VDE-AR-E 2510-50
GB 40165
Internal short IEC 62619
circuit
UL 1973 IEC 63115-2 UL 1973 UL 1973
UL1642 IEC 62984-2
Thermal abuse
IEC 62619
GB 40165
UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973
Fire test UL 1642 IEC 62984-2
Emission of gases UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973

(1)
1
The emission of flammable and toxic gases is to be considered for every safety test in Annex V. Hence, the “Emission of gases” test
cannot be considered as a test on its own.
Source: JRC, 2023
43
6.2 Applicability to different battery types and chemistries
Lithium-ion batteries are covered by the highest number of standards.
For lead acid batteries, the number is significantly lower. For “Thermal shock and cycling”, the “internal short
circuit” test, the “thermal abuse” and the “fire test” there are no specifications that are explicitly made for lead
acid batteries. In addition, the applicability of all the tests listed in Annex V to battery chemistries that do not
contain a flammable electrolyte remains questionable and other, more specific safety tests not listed in Annex
V, might make more sense. According to the regulation, the assessment of additional hazards not addressed in
Annex V is the duty of the manufacturer. However, the Commission remains empowered to amend the
parameters in Annex V over time to follow technical and scientific progress [1].
For battery chemistries with a high volume of (aqueous) electrolyte, other test that challenge the DUT’s ability
to withstand a pressure build-up or to prevent a leakage might be relevant as well. Possible additional tests
were discussed in chapter 5.
6.3 Applicability to batteries for second-life application

In the Regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries [1] the second life of a battery is considered:
“The technical documentation shall be reviewed if a battery is prepared for re-use, prepared for repurposing,
remanufactured or repurposed.”
In the case of a SBESS this can be a battery that is e.g. repurposed by extracting it from a car and using it for
stationary application. There can be different levels of modification (e.g. re-using the whole pack or exchanging
modules or cells in it). Used batteries are often unique in terms of usage history and state-of-health (SOH),
which makes type approval safety testing prior to their second life through (potentially) destructive tests not
feasible. In the worst case, after changing the configuration of packs and modules that subsequently consist of
heterogeneous cells, safety tests on module and pack level passed by type testing in the battery’s first life
might not be valid/relevant for its second life and additional safety tests might be needed for every single
battery before its use in a second life application can be allowed.
There are a few standards that deal with the second life of a battery:
— SAE J2997 (under preparation since 2012): “Standards for Battery secondary use” [54]
This standard is in preparation and further information is not available.
— IEC 62933-5-3:2023 “Electrical energy storage (EES) systems - Part 5-3: Safety requirements for grid-
integrated EES systems – Performing unplanned modification of electrochemical based system” [12]
This part of IEC 62933 deals with the unplanned modification of SBESS, which also includes the
modification of a battery system to be re-used or repurposed. The standards contains safety considerations,
requirements and processes for adequate selection of batteries, their safety characterisation, system
design, monitoring and operation. Destructive safety testing does not appear in this standard. The safety is
estimated by several parameters of the battery’s first life and the current state of deterioration (e.g.
measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). During operation the battery’s SOC range shall be
narrowed for energy and power intensive application by increasing the lower and reducing the upper voltage
limit. For back-up power application, only the upper voltage limit needs to be reduced.
— UL 1974:2018: “Standard for Evaluation for Repurposing Batteries” [55]
UL 1974:2018 lays out testing requirements for assembled repurposed batteries. The standard requires
the battery to be suitable for its intended end use application and the cells inside the battery to be from
the same model and the same manufacturer. In the case of the end use application being a SBESS, it shall
be tested for the requirements published in UL 1973 with samples used for testing being representative
for the worst case state of health using actual repurposed cells. UL 1974:2018 does not give more
information what a representative (homogenous) sample is. Some information that can be used to find a
homogenous sample could be obtained from the battery passport (e.g. state-of-health or dismantling
information) [1]. For the requirement to comply with the tests outlined in UL 1973, UL 1974 does not
specifically exclude destructive tests which means that even after having found a sufficient number of
DUTs that can be considered representative, they would not be able to be used after the safety testing. A
more practical solution would be preferred, but at the moment it does not exist.
44
7 Conclusions
From the analysis of the existing safety standards the following conclusions can be drawn:
— There is an international or national standard or application rule for every test that is required in Annex V
of the Regulation EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries [1].
— There are significant and numerous differences among existing safety standards, which can have an impact
on the outcome of the test and hence on what is considered safe:
● The investigated standards and application rules show a large variation in device under test
complexity level (from a single cell to a full system) and test conditions (e.g. test temperature,
device under test state-of-charge, test procedure and the observation time after the test, to name
a few).
● The pass/fail criteria, if defined, vary widely in stringency among the standards. “No explosion” and
“no fire” are the two most commonly adopted pass/fail criteria for tests in all standards, but some
standards contain additional pass/fail criteria.
● In many cases, no verification method is specified for a given pass/fail criterion, leaving some
freedom of interpretation of the test outcome to the test performer.
● A requirement to monitor emissions of toxic gases in all tests, stipulated by art. 12 of the
Regulation [1], would essentially introduce a new pass/fail criterion for all safety tests.
Nevertheless, as no verification method is recommended, it can be difficult implement this criterion
in practice. Chapter 4 gives an overview of guidance documents and standards for determination
of emissions of toxic gases.
This shows that for a harmonised application of the Regulation in the field, standardisation bodies will have to
make considerations regarding the choice of the most fit-for-purpose standard(s) to be followed for a given
test.
— The safety tests listed in Annex V of the Regulation [1] address the typical safety risks of Li-ion batteries.
Besides the tests that are required by the Regulation [1], the analysed standards list additional tests that
are often specific for certain battery technologies (e.g. flow batteries) and/or battery designs (e.g. valve-
regulated lead-acid batteries). These additional tests can be relevant for the safety of the batteries with
these chemistries and should be considered in the future discussions to refine the Regulation.
— The Regulation requires safety testing to be performed for both factory-new and second-life batteries.
Destructive safety testing of batteries for second-life application remains impractical. So far, second life
batteries are only considered in two standards (UL 1974:2018 Standard for Evaluation for Repurposing
Batteries and IEC 62933-5-3: “Electrical energy storage (EES) systems - Part 5-3: Safety requirements for
grid-integrated EES systems – Performing unplanned modification of electrochemical based system”) and
a commonly accepted approach to safety testing of second life batteries that is compliant with the safety
requirements in the Regulation is still to be developed. The safety testing approach and the extent of
reverification for second-life batteries may depend on the application. As field experience with second-life
applications steadily grows, it is expected to feed into the standardisation process.
45
References
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[8] UL 1973:2022, Batteries for Use in Stationary and Motive Auxiliary Power Applications, 2022.
[9] UL 9540A:2019, Test Method for Evaluating Thermal Runaway Fire Propagation in Battery Energy
Storage Systems, 2019.
[10] IEC 62984-2:2020, High-temperature secondary batteries – Part 2: Safety requirements and tests,
2020.
[11] IEC 62932-2-2:2020, Flow battery energy systems for stationary applications - Part 2-2: Safety
requirements, 2020.
[12] IEC 62933-5-3:2023, Electrical energy storage (EES) systems - Part 5-3: Safety requirements for grid-
integrated EES systems – Performing unplanned modification of electrochemical based system, 2023.
[13] IEC 62485-2:2010, Safety requirements for secondary batteries and battery installations - Part 2:
Stationary batteries, 2010.
[14] IEC 62485-5:2020, Safety requirements for secondary batteries and battery installations - Part 5: Safe
operation of stationary lithium ion batteries, 2020.
[15] IEC 60896-11:2002, Stationary lead-acid batteries - Part 11: Vented types - General requirements and
methods of tests, 2002.
[16] IS 17092:2019, Electrical Energy Storage Systems: Safety Requirements, 2019.
[17] AS/NZS 5139:2019, Electrical installations - Safety of battery systems for use with power conversion
equipment, 2019.
[18] GB/T 34866-2017, Vanadium flow battery -- Safety requirements, 2017.
[19] IEC 62619:2022, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes -
Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries, for use in industrial applications, 2022.
[20] IEC 63056:2020, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes -
Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in electrical energy storage
systems, currently at stage Translation of Final Draft International Stan, 2020.
[21] UL 1642:2020, Lithium Batteries, 2020.
[22] VDE-AR-E 2510-50 Anwendungsregel:2017-05, Stationary battery energy storage systems with lithium
46
batteries, 2017.
[23] GB 40165-2021, Lithium ion cells and batteries used in stationary electronic equipments - Safety
technical specification [machine translated], 2021.
[24] IEC 63115-2:2021, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes -
Sealed nickel-metal hydride cells and batteries for use in industrial applications - Part 2: Safety, 2021.
[25] IEC 60896-21:2004, Stationary lead-acid batteries - Part 21: Valve regulated types - Methods of test,
2004.
[26] IEC 60896-22:2004, Stationary lead-acid batteries - Part 22: Valve regulated types - Requirements,
2004.
[27] KS C IEC 62619, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes —
Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries, for use in industrial applications (알칼리
또는 기타 비산성 전해질을 포함하는 이차전지 셀 및 전지 — 산업용 리튬이차전지 셀 및 전지의
안전 요구사항), 2023.
[28] AS IEC 62619:2023, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes -
Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries, for use in industrial applications, 2023.
[29] IS 17067:Part 5:Sec 2:2021, Electrical energy storage EES systems Part 5 Safety requirements for grid
integrated EES systems Section 2 electrochemical based systems, 2021.
[30] ISO 6469-1:2019/Amd 1:2022, Electrically propelled road vehicles — Safety specifications — Part 1:
Rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) AMENDMENT 1: Safety management of thermal
propagation, (2022).
[31] GB 38031:2020, Electric vehicles traction battery safety requirements, (2020).
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testing standards and regulations for lithium ion batteries in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, Renew.
Sustain. Energy Rev. 81 (2018) 1427–1452. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.195.
[33] IEC 62933-5-2:2020, Electrical energy storage (EES) systems Part 5-2: Safety requirements for grid
integrated EES systems - electrochemical based systems, 2020.
[34] ISO 13849-1:2023, Safety of machinery - Safety-related parts of control systems - Part 1: General
principles for design, 2023.
[35] ISO 13849-2:2012, Safety of machinery - Safety-related parts of control systems - Part 2: Validation,
2012.
[36] IEC 62061:2021, Safety of machinery - Functional safety of safety-related control systems, 2021.
[37] ISO/SAE 21434:2021, Road vehicles Cybersecurity engineering, 2021.
[38] G. Petrangeli, Defence in depth, in: Nucl. Saf., Elsevier, 2006: pp. 89–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-
075066723-4/50010-3.
[39] Y. Yang, R. Wang, Z. Shen, Q. Yu, R. Xiong, W. Shen, Towards a safer lithium-ion batteries: A critical review
on cause, characteristics, warning and disposal strategy for thermal runaway, Adv. Appl. Energy. 11
(2023) 100146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adapen.2023.100146.
[40] A. Pfrang, A. Kriston, V. Ruiz, N. Lebedeva, F. di Persio, Safety of Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems
with a focus on Li-ion Technology, in: Emerg. Nanotechnologies Recharg. Energy Storage Syst., Elsevier,
2017: pp. 253–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-42977-1.00008-X.
[41] IEC 62133-2:2017, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes -
Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary cells, and for batteries made from them, for use in
portable applications - Part 2: Lithium systems, 2017.
[42] H. Jung, B. Moon, S. Lee, J. Bae, A Study on Thermal Energy at Fire Resistance Test for REESS, in: 25th
Int. Tech. Conf. Enhanc. Saf. Veh., Location: Detroit Michigan, United States, 2017. https://www-
esv.nhtsa.dot.gov/Proceedings/25/25ESV-000348.pdf.
[43] ASTM D4490, Standard practice for measuring concentrations of toxic gases of vapours using detector
47
tubes, 2011.
[44] ASTM D4599, Standard practice for measuring concentrations of toxic gases of vapours using length-
of-stain dosimeters, 2014.
[45] OSHA: Evaluation guidelines for air sampling methods utilizing spectroscopic analysis, (2005).
[46] CDC, NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) 5th Edition, (2020).
[47] ISO 16000-1:2004, Indoor air — Part 1: General aspects of sampling strategy, 2004.
[48] ISO 16000-5:2007, Indoor air — Part 5: Sampling strategy for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 2007.
[49] ISO 16000-6:2021, Determination of organic compounds (VVOC, VOC, SVOC) in indoor and test chamber
air by active sampling on sorbent tubes, thermal desorption and gas chromatography using MS or MS
FID, 2021.
[50] ISO 16000-29:2014, Indoor air — Part 29: Test methods for VOC detectors, 2014.
[51] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic
Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Second Edition Compendium Method TO-15 Determination Of
Volatile Organic Compounds ( VOCs ) In Air Collected In Specially-Prepared Canisters And Analyzed By
Gas Chromato, 1999. https://www3.epa.gov/ttnamti1/files/ambient/airtox/to-15r.pdf (accessed 9 June
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[52] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic
Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Second Edition Compendium Method TO-16 Long-Path Open-Path
Fourier Transform Infrared Monitoring Of Atmospheric Gases, 1999.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-11/documents/to-16r.pdf (accessed 9 June 2023).
[53] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Compendium Method TO-17: Determination of Volatile
Organic Compounds in Ambient Air Using Active Sampling Onto Sorbent Tubes, 1999.
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2023).
[54] SAE J2997 (WIP), Standards for Battery secondary use (work in progress within the ‘Secondary Battery
Use committee’, 2012.
[55] UL 1974:2018, ANSI/CAN/UL Standard for Evaluation for Repurposing Batteries, 2018.
48
List of abbreviations and definitions
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials (USA)
BESS Battery energy storage system
BMS Battery management system
BMU Battery management unit
CEN Comité Européen de Normalisation
CENELEC Comité Européen de Normalisation Électrotechnique
DUT Device-under-test
EMC Electromagnetic compatibility
EPA Environmental Protection Agency (USA)
EV Electric vehicle
FB Flow battery
He Helium
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
ISO International Organization for Standardization
LER Light electric rail
Li-ion Lithium-ion
Na HT Sodium high temperature
NiMH Nickel-metal Hydride
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (USA)
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration (USA)
Pb acid Lead acid
SEI Solid electrolyte interphase SEI
SBESS Stationary battery energy storage system
SOC State-of-charge
SOH State-of-health
SVOC Semi-volatile organic compounds
UL Underwriters Laboratories
UN United Nations
VAP Vehicle auxiliary power
VOC Volatile organic compounds
VVOC Very volatile organic compounds
49
List of figures
Figure 1. Test sequence for the one cycle in the test "Thermal shock and cycling" ...............................................................9
Figure 2. Illustration of the impact test in (IEC 62619:2022 and UL 1642:2020) ............................................................. 27
Figure 3. Illustration of the fire test: On the left using a Meker type burner (required in UL 1642:2020) and on
the right using a fuel pan (required in UL 1973:2022 and IEC 62984-2:2020) .................................................................... 34
50
List of tables
Table 1. Comparison of different standards for the test on "Thermal shock and cycling" ............................................. 11
Table 2. Comparison of standards for the test on "External short circuit protection" ....................................................... 13
Table 3. Comparison of standards for the test on "Overcharge protection" ............................................................................ 16
Table 4. Comparison of standards for the test on "Over-discharge protection" ................................................................... 18
Table 5. Comparison of standards for the test on "Over-temperature protection" ............................................................. 20
Table 6. Comparison of standards for the "Thermal propagation" test in automotive traction batteries ............ 23
Table 7. Comparison of standards for the "Thermal propagation" test in non-motive storage applications. .... 25
Table 8. Comparison of standards for the “Impact” test as part of the test on “Mechanical damage by
external forces"................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Table 9. Comparison of standards for the “Drop” test as part of the test on "Mechanical damage by external
forces" .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Table 10. Standard for the test on "Internal short circuit" .................................................................................................................. 31
Table 11. Comparison of different standards for the test on "Thermal abuse".................................................................... 33
Table 12. Comparison of different standards for the "Fire test” .................................................................................................... 35
Table 13. Summary of information in UL 1973:2020 for the requirement "Emission of gases" .............................. 36
Table 14. Standardised tests addressing safety aspects that are not mentioned in Annex V of the Regulation.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Table 15. Safety standards listed in the Regulation on batteries and waste batteries for different battery
chemistries .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 43
51
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ISSN 1831-9424

JRC TECHNICAL REPORT

Overview of battery safety tests

Hildebrand, S., Eddarir A., Lebedeva, N.

Name: Natalia Lebedeva

Print ISBN 978-92-68-11781-1 ISSN 1018-5593 doi:10.2760/81430 KJ-NA-31-823-EN-C

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2024

© European Union, 2024

2.1 Chemistry agnostic

2.2 Lithium(-ion) chemistry

2.3 Nickel Metal Hydride chemistry

2.4 Lead acid chemistry

2.5 Sodium High Temperature chemistry

2.6 Flow Batteries

2.7 Standards addressing safety and functionality of protective and auxiliary

3.1 Level of integration

Observation period 8 hours - 3 hours 24 hours -

BMS guidelines Yes No Yes Yes Yes

No electric shock hazard (dielectric

3.8.1 Impact test

Figure 2. Illustration of the impact test in (IEC 62619:2022 and UL 1642:2020)

3.8.2 Drop test

Table 10. Standard for the test on "Internal short circuit"

IEC 62619:2022 UL 1642:2020 UL 1973:2022 IEC 63115-2:2021 GB 40165-2021

Meker type burner Fuel pan

Source: JRC, 2023

Test Standards Chemistries/ Description

Cell abnormal UL 1973:2022 Na HT Discharged DUT is charged at maximum charging current

6.1 Availability of standards containing test required by the Regulation

Chemistry Lithium-ion NiMH Lead-acid Na HT Flow batteries

UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973

Emission of gases UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973 UL 1973

6.3 Applicability to batteries for second-life application

FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU

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