Battery Simulators

AMETEK Programmable Power’s Sorensen™ Mi-BEAM, Mi-BEAM Power Rack and i-BEAM platforms provide bidirectional, regenerative battery simulation for testing battery-powered systems without relying on physical batteries. These systems emulate programmable battery voltage, current and internal resistance to reproduce conditions such as state of charge, voltage sag, charge and discharge behavior, and dynamic operating profiles. The Elgar Battery String Simulator (BSS) supports spacecraft and integrated-system testing where safe, repeatable battery-string power is required.

Mi-BEAM supports modular battery simulation from 10 kW to 37.5 kW per unit and scales to 8.6 MW+ through parallel operation. Mi-BEAM Power Rack integrates up to seven Mi-BEAM modules in a 42U cabinet, delivering up to 262.5 kW and ±7,000 A per rack and scaling up to 8.6 MW. i-BEAM supports 5 V to 1,500 V, current up to ±1,200 A per system and ±2,400 A in parallel, power up to 650 kW per system and parallel configurations scalable up to 5 MW. Together, the platforms support battery-management systems, converters, chargers, electric drivetrains, energy-storage systems and other battery-connected devices across R&D, qualification and production environments.

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Compare voltage, current, power, channel count, form factor, battery-model requirements, regeneration, safety features, communication interfaces and scalability to determine the appropriate battery-simulation platform.
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Frequently Asked Questions

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  • What is battery simulation?
    Battery simulation tests battery-powered systems without physical batteries by using a programmable DC system to reproduce battery voltage, current and internal resistance. It enables repeatable emulation of state of charge, voltage sag, charge/discharge behavior and fault conditions.
  • What is a battery simulator / battery emulator?

    A battery simulator (battery emulator) is a programmable source/sink that reproduces battery voltage and current for repeatable testing. It can model battery behavior such as internal resistance/ESR and SoC/SoH-like conditions without needing real cells.

  • What is a battery simulator power supply?

    A “battery simulator power supply” is typically a bidirectional programmable DC power supply used to emulate both discharge and charge behavior. AMETEK Programmable Power positions its battery simulation platforms as bidirectional and regenerative for efficient, repeatable testing.

  • What does AMETEK Programmable Power offer for battery simulation?
    AMETEK Programmable Power offers Mi-BEAM for modular battery simulation, Mi-BEAM Power Rack for integrated rack-level and multi-megawatt simulation, i-BEAM for high-power or multichannel simulation, and the Elgar BSS for spacecraft battery-string simulation.
  • Can battery simulation be used for battery management system (BMS) simulation?

    Yes—battery simulation is used to validate battery management systems (BMS) without physical packs. The category positioning highlights use in BMS, converters, and drivetrains testing across industries.

  • Do these solutions support bidirectional testing (charge + discharge)?

    Yes—bidirectional capability helps simulate both battery discharge (source) and battery charging (sink) behavior. i‑BEAM and Mi‑BEAM are described as bidirectional and regenerative platforms (model dependent).

  • What is battery cell simulation vs pack simulation?

    Battery simulation can scale from cell/module-level to pack/system-level depending on required voltage/current/power. Mi‑BEAM is positioned as modular and scalable, i‑BEAM is positioned for higher-power battery simulation with parallel scalability.

  • What is battery simulation software?

    Battery simulation software helps run repeatable test scenarios by applying a battery model and controlling simulator output behavior. Mi‑BEAM is positioned as a “complete solution” that includes battery simulation capability and related resources (drivers/software sections vary by product page).

  • What automation interfaces are available for integration?

    Battery simulation platforms often provide interfaces for automation and test stand integration. i‑BEAM lists options such as Ethernet/VNC, Modbus, CAN, EtherCAT, Profinet, plus integration workflows with LabVIEW and MATLAB/Simulink.

  • What is the Battery String Simulator (BSS) used for?

    The Battery String Simulator (BSS) is positioned to provide safe, reliable battery power for spacecraft testing and integrated system testing. BSS is described with static and dynamic modes, spreadsheet-based charge tables, and optional sensor simulation for more complete emulation.

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  • What battery behaviors can be emulated (SoC, voltage sag, internal resistance)?

    Battery simulators emulate battery behavior by controlling voltage, current, and internal resistance to reproduce real operating conditions without physical cells. This supports repeatable testing across modeled conditions like SoC and load-driven voltage sag, AMETEK Programmable Power describes emulation of behaviors including SoC and voltage sag via controlled parameters.

  • Why is internal resistance/ESR important in battery emulation?

    Internal resistance/ESR impacts terminal voltage under load and charge current, so modeling is key for realistic battery simulation. Without ESR modeling, tests may miss real behaviors like voltage sag, and charger/BMS edge conditions; AMETEK’s definition includes internal resistance/ESR reproduction.

  • What does “regenerative” battery simulation mean and why does it matter?

    Regenerative battery simulation means the system can sink power during charge simulation and return absorbed energy instead of dissipating it as heat, improving efficiency for long tests. AMETEK Programmable Power describes i‑BEAM as regenerative (up to ~96%) and Mi‑BEAM as regenerative (up to ~95%), supporting efficient, repeatable testing.

  • How do I choose among Mi-BEAM, Mi-BEAM Power Rack, i-BEAM and BSS

    Choose Mi-BEAM for a modular 4U platform with 80 V to 2,000 V output, current up to ±1,000 A per unit and expansion from 10 kW to multi-megawatt systems. Choose Mi-BEAM Power Rack when the application requires an integrated 42U rack with up to 262.5 kW and ±7,000 A per rack, built-in rack safety features and expansion to 8.6 MW. Choose i-BEAM for customized high-power or multichannel testing with 5 V to 1,500 V output, up to ±1,200 A per system and power up to 650 kW per system, with parallel scalability up to 5 MW. Choose BSS for spacecraft and integrated-system testing that requires battery-string simulation.

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  • Does battery simulation support drive-cycle or dynamic waveform testing?

    Many battery test workflows require dynamic profiles (changing voltage/current over time) to match real operating conditions more accurately than a static power source. i‑BEAM is positioned for advanced, integration-heavy test workflows.

  • Can I integrate battery simulation into HIL setups (BMS HIL)?

    Yes—battery simulation is widely used for BMS validation, including integration-heavy test setups. i‑BEAM lists HIL-relevant interfaces such as CAN, EtherCAT, Profinet, plus integration workflows using LabVIEW and MATLAB/Simulink.

  • Can AMETEK battery simulators scale to MW-class systems?

    Yes. Mi-BEAM systems scale up to 8.6 MW+ through parallel operation. Mi-BEAM Power Rack provides up to 262.5 kW and ±7,000 A per rack and scales up to 8.6 MW. i-BEAM provides up to 650 kW per system and scales up to 5 MW in parallel.

  • What applications use battery simulation?
    Battery simulation supports BMS validation, DC/DC converter and inverter testing, EV charger testing, electric-drivetrain development, energy-storage controls, battery-connected device testing, hardware-in-the-loop environments and spacecraft power-system validation.

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    Explore Sorensen™ Mi-BEAM, Mi-BEAM Power Rack and i-BEAM bidirectional regenerative battery simulators, plus Elgar BSS solutions for spacecraft battery-string simulation.
  • What makes BSS suitable for spacecraft battery string emulation (beyond two-terminal power)?

    Battery String Simulator (BSS) is positioned for spacecraft battery simulation, enabling integrated system testing beyond basic two-terminal power behavior. BSS is described with static/dynamic modes, spreadsheet-based charge tables, optional sensor simulators (e.g., thermistor/pressure/heater loads), and remote control via Ethernet/optional GPIB using SCPI format commands.

  • What safety features are available for rack-level battery simulation?
    Mi-BEAM Power Rack includes rack-level and branch circuit breakers, Emergency Power Off, CE marking and NRTL certification. An optional isolation relay chassis provides output isolation and polarity detection for supported configurations.
  • Why use a battery simulator instead of a physical battery?
    Battery simulation provides controlled, repeatable operating conditions without waiting for a physical battery to charge, discharge or reach a specific state of charge. It also enables controlled fault and corner-case testing while reducing reliance on high-energy physical batteries during development.