IEC 62133-2 test report is the international standard for the safety of rechargeable batteries. IEC 62133-2 test report specifies requirements and mechanical tests for the safe design, manufacture, and operation of batteries.
The standard is developed and maintained by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Edition of IEC 62133-2 test report
IEC 62133-2 test report is divided into two parts:
- General requirements for portable sealed secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes.
- Specific requirements for lithium-ion batteries
Part 1: General requirements for portable sealed secondary cells and batteries
IEC 62133-2 test report covers general requirements that apply to all types of batteries covered by the standard. This includes requirements for materials, design, construction, marking, labeling, production, inspection, testing, and shipping of lithium batteries.
Part 2: Specific requirements for lithium-ion batteries
IEC 62133-2 test report covers specific requirements that apply to lithium-ion batteries. This test report is a mandatory requirement for many battery certifications, such as UL certification.
Therefore, lithium battery manufacturers submit test reports from accredited laboratories to demonstrate that their lithium-ion batteries meet the requirements of the standard.
What aspects IEC 62133-2 cover
IEC 62133-2 2017 covers the following aspects:
Design Requirements
The design must allow for safe operation and must prevent risks such as short-circuits, overcharging, and overheating.
Material Requirements
The materials used in the construction of the battery must be compatible with the intended use and must meet any applicable safety standards.
Production Requirements for cells and batteries
The manufacturing process of lithium cells and batteries must be controlled to ensure that the finished product meets safe operation standards.
Shipping and Storage Requirements
The lithium battery must be packaged and labeled correctly to ensure safe shipping and storage.
Safety Tests and Methods of Measurements
The standard defines several safety tests that must be performed on lithium cells and batteries.
Safety tests of IEC 62133-2 test report
The safety tests of IEC 62133-2 test report include:
- Insulation and wiring (Batteries);
- Charging procedure for test purposes (Batteries and Cells);
- Continuous charging at constant voltage (Cells);
- Moulded case stress at high ambient temperature (Batteries);
- External short circuit (Cells);
- External short circuit (Batteries);
- Free fall (Batteries and Cells);
- Thermal abuse (Cells);
- Crush (Cells);
- Over-charging of battery (Batteries);
- Forced discharge (Cells);
- Transport tests (Cells);
- Design evaluation – Forced internal short circuit (Cells);
These tests are used to assess the risks associated with the use of the battery. Also, the methods of measurement are also specified in the standard.
Requirements to qualify for tests
To qualify for these IEC tests, the requirements are:
- The 18650 cells must have a minimum capacity of 2.0 Ah
- The battery must have a voltage not exceeding 4.2 V
- Must be able to withstand short-circuit currents of at least 3 times the capacity of the cell
- Must also be able to withstand overcharge currents of at least 2.5 times the capacity of the cell.
- Must have an external short-circuit protection device
- Also, the battery must be able to withstand a crush test of at least 10 kPa
- Must withstand a drop test of at least 1 m
After the successful completion of these tests, the 18650 cells are certified and can be used in a wide variety of devices.
Types of batteries covered by IEC 62133 test report
IEC 62133 applies to the following types of batteries:
- Lithium-ion battery products
- Lead-acid batteries containing alkaline
- Nickel-cadmium batteries
- Nickel-metal hydride batteries containing alkaline
Instructions and Warnings
The lithium-ion battery products must be accompanied by instructions and warnings that are necessary for safe use.
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