60 Second Spotlight on Martin Brown, HORIBA MIRA
Ahead of the Real-World Challenges in Battery Testing Seminar taking place on 12 March at UKBIC, we caught up with Martin Brown to hear his thoughts on the topic.
Please briefly explain your current role.
While Improvement Consultant sounds a bit of a strange job title, my job is to ensure that as we see new technologies come into the automotive industry HORIBA MIRA can test, build and develop vehicles with these new technologies is a safe manner and understand the new hazards that they may present.
What do you see as the biggest challenges in battery testing?
Dedicated UK facilities that are built specifically for battery safety testing, which will help with research work.
What is the most exciting development or trend in your area of interest in relation to battery testing?
For me the most interesting trend is the work being undertaken into chemical residue created during thermal events and the residue left behind afterwards.
How important is real-world testing when validating battery performance and safety?
Very important, very often something that works well in a lab environment does not perform the same way when it gets into the real world, especially when it is vibrated in a vehicle driving down the road.
How is the growing focus on battery safety changing the way batteries are tested?
I don’t think it has really changed the way we are testing but it has reduced the number of thermal events we are witnessing during the testing, which of course is a good thing!
What emerging tools, methods, or approaches do you think will have the greatest impact on battery testing over the next few years?
I think the work we are undertaking on chemical residue released during thermal events and new approaches to tackling battery fires will have a big impact on battery acceptance.
What excites you most about the future of battery technology and testing?
Knowledge! As we test and develop battery systems, we learn more, and while we may find issues, it is only by understanding these issues we can resolve them.
Why is it important for engineers to attend this seminar?
To help understand that whilst EVs are not any more dangerous than conventional vehicles, they are dangerous in a different way. It is only by understanding these new hazards that we can ensure this new technology benefits not only us now but also for our future generations.