The Emitech Group inaugurates a new test centre for electric batteries and fuel cells
Environne'Tech, a subsidiary of the Emitech Group, has just inaugurated a new test centre on Thursday 28 September at its Bourgoin-Jallieu site.
Named BJ "zero", for zero greenhouse gas emissions, this extension is a laboratory that tests batteries and fuel cells (hydrogen) before they are commercialised in electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
In line with its long-standing commitment to green mobility, the Emitech Group is renowned for its exhaustive testing of vehicle batteries, from the BMS, the electronic core, to the cells, modules and packs. Its expertise extends to the interpretation of results and post-test analysis.
For BJ 'zero', the aim is to strengthen Emitech's ability to check resistance to vibration, climatic and cooling conditions, and the behavior of these batteries during charge/discharge cycles. Other Group centres are responsible for carrying out electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests for interference, as well as electrical, mechanical and thermal abuse tests to check the response of the battery in the event of a short-circuit, deformation or perforation of its envelope, its resistance to fire, etc.
Unique and complementary expertise in fuel cell qualification
As regards fuel cells, which produce electricity using hydrogen stored in tanks, Emitech's activities focus on the hydrogen sector in the Rhône-Alpes region, near Lyon, with its centres in Bourgoin-Jallieu for climatic and vibration testing, Chassieu for EMC and Saint-Chamond for fire and tank hydraulic testing.
Emitech's involvement in the development and qualification of fuel cells is based on three unique and complementary areas of expertise: test management, design of test benches and control systems, and engineering expertise.
A concrete example is the implementation of climatic tests on a fuel cell. As well as the test equipment itself, the Group's teams were involved in designing the servitudes required for the fuel cell to operate correctly, as well as the systems for monitoring the cell's functional information in real time. They also secured the test system by controlling the hydrogen content as closely as possible to avoid any ATEX risk.
Major strategic investments in sustainable mobility
This 3M€ investment strengthens the capacity of the Group's various centres in this specific market, and also sets the stage for the transition to low-carbon aircraft in the years ahead.
The transport sector represents 50% of the Emitech Group's turnover, which should reach 70M€ in 2023. Its other recent investments in this sector include a very large Faraday cage, the largest in France at 27m x 18m x 10.5m, dedicated mainly to vehicle homologation, and the development of an engine test bench specifically for combustion engines powered by hydrogen or ammonia, which is of major interest to the fluvial, maritime and rail transport sectors.
Picture Legend: M. Stephan LASSAUSSE, CEO of the Emitech Group -M. Marc MORTUREUX, CEO of the Automotive Platform (PFA), automotive and mobility sector – M. Vincent CHRIQUI, Mayor of Bourgoin-Jallieu, Isère departmental councillor – M. Patrice VERICEL, Director of the Environne'Tech site
