Autolab/Electronic load combination
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P a g e
Autolab/Electronic load combination
The Autolab range of instruments is limited in terms of maximum current or power
that can be supplied to or extracted from an electrochemical cell. When working
with high power energy storage or energy conversion devices, the power
requirements can often exceed those available with a normal Autolab PGSTAT,
even when it is extended with a Booster 10A or 20A.
To meet these experimental requirements, the Autolab can be easily combined
with a third-party programmable electronic load.
Modern electronic loads are capable of reaching over 100 A easily. This
combination therefore extends the measurable range of the Autolab by decades of
current or more.
When the Autolab is combined with an electronic load, the load will sink the
current while the Autolab will measure the voltage across the electrochemical cell.
The combination of the Autolab and the electronic load requires the dedicated
DYNLOAD interface (Article code: LOAD.INT).
Using the DYNLOAD interface, several types of measurements are possible:
•
DC measurements at high current densities (up to the maximum current
allowed by the load).
•
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements at high current
density (up to the maximum current allowed by the load).
Most electronic loads can be controlled in four operation modes:
•
Constant current (CC) mode
: current is drawn from the cell until the
specified current value is reached.
•
Constance voltage (CV) mode: current is drawn from the cell until the cell
voltage reaches a specified value.
1
This installation note only covers this operation mode. Please contact Metrohm Autolab for more
information on the other modes (
).
Note
It is also possible to combine the Autolab with a programmable power supply.
In this case, the power supply will be used to source high currents to the cell
and the Autolab is used to control the voltage across the cell. The use of a
programmable power supply is not specifically covered in this manual. More
information can be obtained by contacting Metrohm Autolab (
).
