Eaton and WMU work together on battery testing for hybrids

A new generation of engineers now has an opportunity to take on emerging engineering challenges that come with developing vehicles with electric power.

With a flourish that included Sen. Fred Upton, a host of Eaton and Western Michigan University officials and a string trio, the CHEAR Lab -- CAViDs Hybrid Electric Applied Research Lab -- WMU showed off exactly what the new lab can accomplish.

To make the lab a reality, Eaton Corp. entered into a five-year agreement with Western Michigan University to invest in and jointly staff a 1,000-square-foot testing lab to focus on hybrid drive systems for commercial and military vehicles.

The lab provides room for research that the company did not have at its Galesburg facility, east of Kalamazoo.

Students who will be part of the ongoing research at the lab explained the kind of testing that will go on there and the experience they will receive as they work alongside Eaton engineers.

Eaton officials demonstrated the battery testing area where they will be able to do round-the-clock testing of batteries to find out more about the life of the batteries from various companies. Batteries from two companies that have been tested since the lab unofficially 10 months ago have been tested for the equivalent of four years.

WMU's William W. Liou, who was instrumental in development of the Center for Advanced Vehicle Design and Simulations and its partnership with Eaton, says four undergrads and two masters students have been able to be part of the research ongoing in the laboratory. Because of the research nature of the work done there the numbers of students will not be equal to that in other kinds of courses.

"It's been a good experience so far," says Cody Kammeraad, a WMU engineering student.

Eaton also sees the lab as a way to foster engineers with the specific skills it needs.

"As we grow our business there is a war for talent out there," says Dimitri Kazarinoff, of Eaton Corp. "As partners with WMU we can help create the talent we need and we should have a home for that talent."

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: WMU, Eaton Corp.