BTC-500

Large-scale adiabatic battery safety testing — cells, modules & packs

Subject batteries to mechanical, electrical and thermal stress and capture precise thermal-runaway data under real, worst-case conditions — engineered for true adiabatic accuracy and built to contain. Every system is fully customisable to your requirements.

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Adiabatic

Calorimetry

−40 to 500 °C

Temperature range

Ø500 × 500 mm

Test chamber

Heat loss (HLC)

Integrated

Thermal-runaway camera

Cells to packs

Sample capacity

Why choose the BTC-500?

Define safe operating limits

Establish safe working temperature, voltage and current from adiabatic temperature-rise and over-charge / over-discharge testing.

Watch thermal runaway unfold

An integrated camera visually captures thermal runaway and cell-to-cell propagation, so you can design effective mitigation.

True 0% heat loss

316 stainless steel with an aluminium heat spreader and H.E.L’s proprietary HLC calibration compensate for the environment in real time.

Engineered to contain

Containment vessel, N₂ purge and automatic shutdown — built to withstand high-capacity cell explosions.

What you can test

OverchargeOver-dischargeExternal short circuitNail penetrationThermal runawayPropagation pointAdiabatic temperature riseRapid charge / dischargeHeat capacity (MCp)

Standards & compliance

UN 38.3SAE J2464ECE R100 Rev3GB/T 36276-2023SAND2017-6925AIS 048:2009

Key specifications

Measurement type	Adiabatic calorimetry
Temperature range	−40 to 500 °C
Test chamber	Ø500 mm × 500 mm high
Cell & sample sizes	Cylindrical, prismatic & pouch cells, small modules
Data acquisition	Up to 10,000 Hz
Instrument size (W×D×H)	1200 × 900 × 1980 mm

Software

The BTC-500 runs on H.E.L’s WinISO software — a fully configurable workspace with multi-step recipes, real-time data display, automated safety monitoring and rapid data capture, so you can adapt experiments on the fly and export results for analysis.

Full specifications are in the specification book and brochure.

Frequently asked questions

What is the BTC-500 used for?

A large-scale adiabatic calorimeter for battery safety testing of cells, modules and packs — establishing safe operating limits and characterising thermal runaway under real, worst-case conditions.

What cell sizes and formats can it test?

Cylindrical, prismatic and pouch cells, plus small modules, inside a 500 mm diameter × 500 mm high test chamber.

Which safety standards does it support?

Testing is aligned to UN 38.3, SAE J2464, ECE R100 Rev3, GB/T 36276-2023, SAND2017-6925 and AIS 048:2009.

What makes it truly adiabatic?

316 stainless-steel construction with an aluminium heat spreader and H.E.L’s proprietary HLC calibration, which compensates for environmental fluctuations in real time for effectively zero heat loss.

Can I watch thermal runaway happen?

Yes — an integrated camera visually captures thermal runaway and propagation, alongside self-heat rate (dT/dt), critical temperature (Tcr) and evolved-gas analysis.

Is it customisable to my testing needs?

Yes. Every BTC-500 is configured around your requirements — chamber options, integrated charge-cycling, nail penetration, external shorting and automated gas analysis. Customisation is central to H.E.L’s approach.