This viewgraph presentation provides a detailed description of the Johnson Space Center's Power Systems Facility located in the Energy Systems Test Area (ESTA). Facilities and the resources used to support power and battery systems testing are also shown. The contents include: 1) Power Testing; 2) Power Test Equipment Capabilities Summary; 3) Source/Load; 4) Battery Facilities; 5) Battery Test Equipment Capabilities Summary; 6) Battery Testing; 7) Performance Test Equipment; 8) Battery Test Environments; 9) Battery Abuse Chambers; 10) Battery Abuse Capabilities; and 11) Battery Test Area Resources

Situ, Cindy H.

NASA Technical Reports Server

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20100040656 2019-08-30T13:36:39+00:00Z
• Isolated from main JSC 
campus
• Safety provisions to 
accommodate hard failures 
and hazardous conditions
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER (JSC)
Energy Systems Test Area 
(ESTA)
• Located in the Energy Systems Test Area (ESTA) -
Bldg 361
– 1 MVA of facility power
• 450 kVA of clean, isolated, monitored, power
– 45 tons of cooling
– Humidity control
– Access control
•South Side•North Side•East Side
POWER SYSTEMS FACILITY
POWER TESTING
• Flight Testing:
– Acceptance testing on hardware 
before flight
– Involves independent 
verification from Quality 
Control
– Support Shuttle and Station 
projects
• Development Project Support:
– Power systems research
– Power system component and 
system development and testing
• Sources:
•8 to 445 VDC, ±530 ADC, 125 kW
•5 to 120 VDC, ±500 ADC,30 kW
•300 VDC, 200 ADC, 60 kW
•50 kVDC, 24 mADC, 1200 W
•Various DC and AC sources
• Loads:
•24 - 300 VDC, 100 ADC, 30 kW
•0 – 40 VDC, 360 ADC, 10 kW
•120 VDC, 1200 ADC, 6000 W
•150 VDC, 33 ADC, 165 W 
•500 VDC, 150 ADC, 1000 W 
•Various DC and AC loads
• Test Equipment:
•Calibrators
•Spike Generators
•Scopes
•Digital Multimeters
•Spectrum Analyzers
•Dielectric Analyzers
•High Voltage Switching Units
•Low Voltage Switching Units
•High Speed Data Systems
•Power Amplifiers
•Impedance Analyzers
•Data Acquisition and Control Systems
•Thermal Imagers
•Microscope Camera System
•Chillers
POWER TEST EQUIPMENT
CAPABILITIES SUMMARY
• AeroVironment
• Dual Channel Cycling 
Stations
• ABC-150
– 8 to 445 VDC, ±530 ADC, 125 kW
– Quantity:  2
• MT-30
– 5 to 120 VDC, ±500 ADC,
30 kW 
– Quantity:  1
SOURCE / LOAD
• Lamda EMI Inc 
– DC Regulated High Power Supplies
– EMHP300-200D42214
• 300 VDC, 200 ADC, 60 kW
• Quantity:  2
– EMHP150-130D42211
• 150 VDC, 130 ADC, 20 kW
• Quantity: 1
– EMHP40-600D42214
• 40 VDC, 600 ADC, 30 kW
• Quantity: 3
• Spellman High Voltage Co
– High Voltage Power Supply
– SL50PN1200/220
• 50 kVDC, 24 mADC, 
1200 W
• Quantity:  1
SOURCE
• Resistive Load Banks
– 24 - 300 VDC, 100 ADC, 
30 kW
– Parallelable for higher power 
levels
– Quantity:  2
– 0 – 40 VDC, 360 ADC, 10 kW
– Parallelable for higher power 
levels
– Can be modified for higher 
voltages
– Quantity: 2
LOAD
• Kikusui Electronic Corp.
– Multifunctional DC Electronic 
Load
– PLZ164W
• 150 VDC, 33 ADC, 165 W 
• Quantity 20
– PLZ1003WH
• 500 VDC, 150 ADC, 
1000 W 
• Quantity 10
• NH Research Inc.
– High-Power / High-Current 
Electronic Load
– 4700-6
• 120 VDC, 1200 ADC, 6000 W
• Parallelable for higher power 
levels.
• Quantity:  5
LOAD
– Test battery performance (rate capability, cycle life test, 
thermal cycling and exposure, vacuum, vibration)  
– Test battery safety (crush, drop, external short circuit, heat-to-
vent, overcharge and overdischarge, vent and  burst pressures)   
– Provide long-term cold storage
• Associated infrastructure to accomplish the above includes trained, 
experienced personnel, approved  procedures, safety equipment, test 
chambers, proper facility ventilation.. etc. 
Located Primarily in the Energy Systems Test Area –
Bldgs 350, 354, & 354P
BATTERY FACILITIES
• Performance Testing:
•10 V / 15 A - 36 channels 
•30 V / 30 A - 9 channels
•15 V / 15 A - 12 channels
•50 V / 50 A - 4 channels
•5 V / 10 A - 2 machines with 12 channels
•80 V / 80 A with 12 channels (needs to be installed)
• Abuse Testing:
2" and 4" Chamber: 0.1 to 700 psig
4" Chamber: 10-3 torr to 700 psig
2’ Chamber currently being installed
Crush testing (internal short simulator)
Vent/burst testing (vent tester)
TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental 
Quality) 
8Ch 15V /15A
6Ch 40V / 30A
• Environments:
•Chambers from 2’ to 15’
•Vacuum (1x10-6Torr to 100PSI).
•Thermal (-300°F to 500°F).
•Humidity control from 5% to 95% 
• Test Equipment:
•Calibrators
•Scopes
•Digital Multimeters
•High Speed Data Systems
•Data Acquisition and Control Systems
•Thermal Imagers
•Microscope Camera System
BATTERY TEST EQUIPMENT
CAPABILITIES SUMMARY
• Flight Testing:
– Acceptance testing on hardware before flight
– Involves independent verification from Quality Control
– Support many Shuttle and Station projects
• Performance testing:
– Long and Short Term Cycling 
– Determine capacity of batteries
– Determine optimal charge/discharge rates
– Capacities at different thermal environments
– Vacuum tolerance
• Safety/Abuse Testing
(We do everything the label tells you not to):
– Overcharge / Over discharge
– Short Circuit
– Thermal/Heat-to-Vent
– Drop Test
– Crush Test
– Vibration
– Vent/Burst
BATTERY TESTING
• Automated Battery Test Stands
– 12 Systems ranging from 5 V to 500 
V and 10 A to 600 A
– Off-the-shelf units (Arbin, Maccor, 
PEC)
– NASA constructed units (Labview)
– Each channel is independent of the 
other
– Can record voltage, current, and 
temperature
– Constant voltage, current, and power 
modes
PERFORMANCE TEST EQUIPMENT
• Bell Jar Vacuum Chamber
• 10-4 torr
• Pyrex see-thru design
• Protective blast barrier
• 16" diameter x 24" high
(pressures and rates of depress and repress are programmable)
• Vacuum Environments
• 10-6 torr
• 8ft and 15ft (Thermal Vacuum)
• Thermal Chambers
 Various sizes ranging from 2ft to 8ft
 Some have cryogenic capabilities 
of -300oF (-185oC)
 Some chambers reach 500oF (260oC)
 Precise humidity control 
 Unattended operation
BATTERY TEST ENVIRONMENTS
• 2" and 4" Chamber: 0.1 to 700 psig
• 4" Chamber: 10-3 torr to 700 psig
• 2’ Chamber currently being installed
• TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) 
– approved purge of battery vent products 
• Connected to:
– Arbin 8Ch 15V /15A; 
– Labview 6Ch 40V / 30A
BATTERY ABUSE CHAMBERS
• Drop Test Stand
– Trap door operated by solenoid valve 
connected to a remote switch behind 
blast wall. 
– 6" long x 7" wide trap door 
– Adjustable drop height of 0' to 8' 
– Video camera capability 
BATTERY ABUSE CAPABILITIES
• Crush Test Stand
– Operator protected by a blast wall 
– Simulates an internal short
– Cause deformation without 
penetration 
– Can measure pressure of hydraulic 
system and calculate force 
– Monitor OCV and temperature
– Video camera capability 
BATTERY ABUSE CAPABILITIES
• Vent/Burst Test Stand
– Can apply water pressure to battery and 
measure the pressure the battery vents.
– Can block vent hole and measure the 
pressure the battery bursts
– MAWP 2500psig 
BATTERY ABUSE CAPABILITIES
• Vibration
– Poorly constructed battery prone to 
internal shorts
– Vibrate in the x, y and z axes to a 
defined spectrum
– Cells and batteries undergo charge 
& discharge cycling before and 
after testing
• Shock testing is also performed
BATTERY ABUSE CAPABILITIES
• Walk-In Freezer
– Temperature range: -4oF to 80oF (-20oC to 27oC) 
– Usable envelope: 
• 40' long x 9.5' height x 8' width
• 8' entrance with 2 swing doors 
– Temperature data recording
– Alarm
– Fire Protection System
• Other Resources
– Spot welding (tabs onto cells for battery build-up 
– (for flight or just ground test)
– Wet and Dry Chemistry Labs (GCs, IR, UV, HPLC, 
– Glove Box, Programmable oven, venthood, 
– microcalorimeter)
BATTERY TEST AREA RESOURCES
• What Do We Have To Offer:
– 40+ years of power and battery systems design, development and test expertise.
– Facilities and resources designed to support power and battery systems 
development and testing.
– Proven processes for the development and testing of all power system components.
– Use of all resources from entire Energy Systems Test Area:
• Local machine shop.
• Local welding shop.
• Local chemical analysis lab.
• Local clean processing area.
• Local in place calibration.
• Land for buildups/materials lay down.
• Controlled access 
SUMMARY


Energy Systems Test Area (ESTA). Power Systems Test Facilities

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