The BMS – Battery Management System – is an essential component in lithium battery packs
It is used to monitor the battery status, measuring and acting, in case of need, to operate in security and optimize all performances.
What BMS can achieve
Temperature control: even if that’s an extremely rare case, a battery overheating, smoke production or even a battery catching on fire may happen. In that situation, BMS measures the temperature of any single cell disconnecting then the full battery to the user, in case the temperature reaches an established limit.
Minimum tension control: to avoid overdischarging damages, BMS isolates the battery if the discharge has reached the established limit.
Maximum tension control: during battery charging or, in case of electric car batteries, during brake energy recovery, tension may rise beyond the established limit. BMS, in this case, acts to avoid damages and overheating.
Current control: BMS blocks the supply of currents that battery cannot support
Recharging management: during recharging, BMS completes several operations that comes along with the recharge. It notices the driver about the loaded charge, about the time left, etc.
Equalizing: in one battery the majority of cells are connected in series, so it’s of main importance that none of them is more stressed or damaged than others. BMS constantly controls the charge equal distribution between all cells and acts, especially during the recharging phase, to level all characteristics so that, when not operating, all cells can have the same tension. This operation helps to improve the battery performances and life.
Battery charge status calculation: BMS supplies the quantity of available battery charge in every moment. This is fundamental to calculate the km that a car can still run.
Battery cycle calculation: BMS stores an historic record about battery life and all maintenance and fixing operations.
Battery and car communication: BMS transfers all available data to the communication system CAN on board on all modern cars. On board computers may show all this information on the car instrument panel.