Safe Handling of High Voltage Battery Systems
I.D. # C1019 Duration 1 Day

Electric and hybrid vehicles are becoming more visible on today's roadways and the automotive companies are working hard to make these vehicles as transparent as possible to enhance consumer acceptance. The battery system forms a key part of any of these vehicles and is probably the least understood. With practically no moving parts the battery systems show no visible or audible warning of any latent dangers. This seminar will introduce participants to the risks encountered in handling high voltage battery systems and their component parts. With the understanding of these risks, the seminar will then address how to raise risk awareness and then methods of dealing with those risks. The outcome of this seminar should be improved avoidance of personal injury, reduced risk of reputation loss and product liability actions and reduced risk of loss of property and time.

Students will have an opportunity to participate in a real world battery handling case study scenario in which they will identify solutions for potential risk situations.

Learning Objectives
By attending this seminar, you will be able to:
  • Identify the handling risks of the battery system
  • Respect the risks and work with them
  • Develop a safety program to manage the risks
Who Should Attend
This seminar is primarily intended for vehicle and battery engineers, battery system integration engineers, battery testing engineers, safety systems engineers, electrical engineers and thermal management engineers recently assigned to their roles or returning to hybrid or electric vehicle programs. It will also be beneficial to those involved in the specification, design, development, testing and planning of hybrid vehicle programs. Prototype shop staff will find the safety protocol aspects helpful.
Prerequisites
SAE course C0626, Introduction to Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Battery Systems, is recommended as a prerequisite. Material presented will be practical in nature and is based on selected fundamentals of chemistry, materials science, electrical and mechanical engineering. An undergraduate degree in electrical, mechanical or chemical engineering will assist in gaining maximum benefit from the material presented. Experience or training in battery electrochemistry is helpful, but not essential.
Seminar Content
  • High Voltage Batteries
    • Electrochemical energy
    • Construction aspects and controls
    • DC vs AC
    • Lithium Ion aspects
  • Risks of HV Batteries
    • Team exercise: identifying the risks
    • Risk drivers
    • Hazards classifications
    • Cell vs pack level
  • Risk Management
    • Abuse prevention
    • Best practices, design measures, error proofing
    • Prevention & warnings
    • Claims vs. test data
    • Housekeeping
    • Containment
  • High Voltage Issues in Engineering and Manufacturing Environments
    • Avoidance of internal dangers from handling
    • What can go wrong in different environments
    • MSDS
    • Special tools
    • Handling of 'failed' batteries or cells
    • Dealing with an incident - team exercise
Instructor(s): Erik J. Spek
Mr. Spek is Chief Engineer for TÜV SÜD Canada, a member of the global TÜV SÜD third party testing services organization for cell and battery manufacturers, vehicle OEMs and utility grid users of energy storage systems. He is also a consultant in the field of energy storage systems focusing on applications, verification testing, cell and battery production facilities safety and sodium ion battery development. Mr. Spek is co-holder of a patent for next generation sodium metal chloride architecture for low cost and very high energy density. He has authored articles on Weibull statistics for battery life and BEV range modeling and has been active in the battery industry since 1984. Mr. Spek is a member of SAE International and is a Certified Manufacturing Engineer with SME. He received an M.A.Sc. from the University of Waterloo and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada.
Fees: $765 SAE Members*: $605 - $685
* The appropriate SAE Member discount will be applied through the Registration process.  Discounts vary according to level of membership: Elite Member 20%; Premium Member 15%; Classic Member 10%
CEU .7