Battery Stack Monitor Maximizes Performance of Li-Ion Batteries in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

White Paper Overview

Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries are a popular way to store energy in electric and hybrid vehicles. These batteries offer the highest energy density of any current battery technology, but to maximize performance, a battery monitoring system (BMS) is mandatory. A state-of-the-art BMS not only allows you to extract the highest quantity of charge from your battery pack, but also lets you manage the charge and discharge cycles in a safer way, which results in an extended life. Analog Devices provides a full portfolio of BMS devices with focus on accuracy and robust operation.

Accurately measuring a battery’s state of charge (SOC) increases battery run time or decreases weight. A precise and stable device does not require factory calibration after PCB assembly. Stability over time improves safety and avoids warranty problems. A self-diagnostics feature helps reach the right automotive safety integrity level (ASIL). A battery pack is a challenging environment for electromagnetic interferences (EMI), so special care has been put into designing the data communication link in order to ensure robust and reliable communication between the measurement chips and the system controller. Cables and connectors are among the main causes of failures in battery systems, so wireless solutions are presented here. Wireless communication designs increase reliability and reduce total system weight, which in turn increases mileage per charge.

This white paper explores the ways a battery stack monitor can maximize performance of Li-Ion batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles.