1470E Multichannel Potentiostat / CellTest System for Electrochemistry and Energy Storage Studies

Model 1470E 8 Channel Potentiostat/Galvanostat

Model 1400A Chassis for housing up to  8 model 1451A/1455A FRAs

Solartron Analytical systems are widely used for charactering fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors. Our products that are designed for typical research electrochemistry applications, such as the Modulab system, may also be be for this work. However, testing these devices can often require parallel measurement on several channels, so we also offer multichannel systems that are optimized for such work.

Fuel Cells
These are a highly efficient, zero emission, noiseless power source, which in the future could replace batteries and even the internal combustion engine. Numerous cell technologies exist that have significant potential in many application areas - from stationary power supplies for domestic use through to micro fuel cells for mobile telephones and laptop PCs. Development is being aided by advances in Solartron Analytical test instrumentation used for analyzing electrochemical and material properties.

Traditional DC techniques such as current interrupt for the determination of ohmic losses within the cell and polarization scans are being complemented with AC techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) that allow the measurement of all processes within a single frequency sweep. This technique has already been proved to increase research and development productivity since accurate and repeatable measurements can be performed within minutes, yielding mechanistic information that was until now beyond the scope of traditional DC techniques.

Solartron Analytical is a pioneer in the field of DC and AC electrochemical techniques and has developed products specifically to meet the requirements of the fuel cell industry. Our 1470E Battery Test System is designed specifically for running multi-channel high speed pulse and impedance tests on energy storage devices such as fuel cells. It not only allows the impedance of the whole cell to be tested, it can also test individual fuel cell components such as membranes, bipolar plates and catalyst structures by use of auxiliary voltage inputs. The system is the only multi-channel test product on the market at this time that is able to integrate testing (up to 1MHz) over a wide frequency range at high current densities (up to 4A per channel).

Energy Storage
Battery testers and supercapacitor testing manufacturers rely heavily on energy storage device test equipment, yet until the advent of our battery test system were limited either to high performance single channel units such as our own 1260A/1287A, or relatively low performance multi-channel systems. As well as battery companies, manufactures of laptop computers, mobile telephones, camcorders, palmtops and powertools are also trying to find the optimum cell properties. This is to make sure that they get the best battery cycle life, shortest charge times and best standby performance, longest discharge capability and smallest size and weight.

Our 1470E Multichannel Potentiostat / CellTest System is designed to specifically address the shortcomings of other multi-channel devices allowing high speed pulse and impedance test on batteries and supercapacitors. The system is now widely used in research, development and quality assurance applications.

System Components

Model 1470E and Options

• Model 1470E CellTest 8 channel potentiostat / galvanostat
  This includes the CellTest software and a set of 8 cables for cell connections.
• Model 147009A Rack Mounting Kit for 1470A, 1480A & 1470E
• Model 14703A 8 channel temperature & control option for 1470E
  This option allows the 1470E to measure 8 temperature inputs, one per channels, by directly connecting to thermocouples of types E, J, K or T.
• Model 14702A 8 channel auxiliary voltage option for 1470A/1480A/1470E [available only with 14703A]
  This option provides eight additional voltage measurement channels.

Click here for more information about the model 1470E and its options

The ability to perform AC impedance measurements can be added to the system by using one of the following methods:

Multiple Channel Measurements
If it is necessary to measure AC impedance in parallel on several channels then a separate FRA is required for each active channel, selected from the following models:

• Model 1400A chassis housing for up to eight model 1455A of 1451A FRA's
• Model 1455A FRA (1 MHz) module
• Model 1451A FRA (100 kHz) module

For example, if an experiment requires four channels capable of DC and AC impedance studies at frequencies up to 1 MHz then the model 1470E could be used with a 1400A and four model 1455A FRA's. As with the model 1470E, the FRA's are controlled from a PC using our CellTest software via an industry-standard Ethernet connection.

Click here for more information about the model 1455A and 1451A FRA's

Single Channel Multiplexed Measurement
The 1470E directly supports one single channel FRA selected from the following units:

• Model 1255B Frequency Response Analyzer, 10 µHz to 1 MHz operating frequency, computer control only via IEEE488 interface
• Model 1252A Frequency Response Analyzer, 10 µHz to 300 kHz operating frequency range, computer control only via IEEE488 interface

In this case, DC conditions are maintained on all channels while each channel is sequentially connected to the FRA to allow AC impedance measurements to be made. This technique is cost-effective if studying phenomena that are changing relatively slowly when compared to the time taken to cycle through the channels.

Since the FRA's use an IEEE488 control interface,  the controlling PC needs a suitable interface card or adaptor, as well as a connection to the Ethernet link to the 1470E.

If currents greater than 2 A are to be generated, the system may be used with one of our External Power Boosters - click here for further information

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