Battery Management System for Electric Vehicle

Application
Jiaxi Qiang, Lin Yang, Guoqiang Ao, Hu Zhong

Abstract-In order to solve the key technology of electric

vehicle (EV), a battery management system (BMS) is proposed
here to settle the critical issues. The system includes several
common modules: data acquisition unit, communication unit and
battery state estimation model. Two additional management units
are developed here, one is thermal management and the other is
high voltage management which improve the safety condition of
the battery. The BMS has been successfully used in the Qi Rui
Pure Electric Vehicle (QRPEV), the test results prove the validity
and reliability of the system.
Index Terms-BMS, Thermal management,
management, SOC
CANH
CANL|
I. INTRODUCTION
challenge of ener shortae and environment pollution
THEe gy g
1 ails for the development of new energy vehicle. EV as a
zero emission vehicle is considered as the future
transportation tool. The power supply of it is battery. Batteries
for high performances EV should be a nice tradeoff between
"drive performance" and "high reliability." The battery used in
EV is different from other occasions which usually
accompanied by charge and discharge with large current and its
Safety working environment is seriously. A BMS is required
necessarily to solve the critical issues. Some works have been

Data Display

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AD I chip 256K Flash
--------------------[Temperature signal and
Latch [mr)A/D airflow rate signal
(converted into
ten Ieratur si nal

1il l Photomos Photomos |Photomos|

a;F----|;IL--lal t~~ ~ ~ ~hal E

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thermal resistor hermal esistor thermal resistor 1 12

Fig. 1 System Structure

Jiaxi Qiang is with the School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, Shanghai, China (phone: 86-13524665676; Fax: 86-021-64075359;
email: qiangjiaxi@sjtu.edu.cn)
Lin Yang is with the School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, Shanghai, China (phone: 86-021-64472388; Fax: 86-021-64075359;
email: yanglin@sjtu.edu.cn)
done by the other researchers: a charge and discharge
mage ntidscbdin[]oalatry aaeet
maaeeti ecie n[1,ttlbteymngmn
(TBM) iS developed in [2], the on-board management system is
created and a generally battery management system is
summarized in [3]. The main work of the management system
proposed in this paper is to ensure the security, reliability and

1-4244-0759-1/06/$20.OO ©2006 IEEE. - 1 X4 -

lengthen the battery's service life. To reach the aims above, the A. Voltage measurement
management system can be split into the following tasks: The batteries used for EV always connected in series. To the
(1) Data acquisition NiMH battery, 10 cells are usually connected together as a
(2) Thermal management module, the nominal voltage of a module is 12V. If the nominal
(3) High voltage management voltage of the battery pack is 312V, 26 modules are needed. So
(4) The SOC estimation to measure the each module's voltage, 27 measurement points
are needed at least, it is showed in the Fig.2 (just list 3 modules).
Each module's voltage can be got through controlling switches
II. SYSTEM STRUCTURE (S1,S2,S3,S4). RC low-pass filters are used to address the
Fig. 1 shows the structure of the BMS. The system is based high noise and the PHOTOMOS is used as the switch to solved
on MC68376 which is the highly-integrated 32-bit isolation issue. The PHOTOMOS is controlled by the code
microcontroller with powerful peripheral subsystems. Its translator and turned on by receiving the low level. When the
modules can be used respectively to satisfy our demand, such switch close-up, i.e. S1 and S2 are closed, the VIN (voltage of
as the A/D module used for data acquisition, the serial B 1) has been got, it should be processed by the amplifier.
communication interface (SCI) and controlled area network According to the sequence of closing the switches, the positive
(CAN) modules used for communication and the I/O ports used and negative voltage appears alternately. An absolute value
for logic controlling. This design is redundant, it can be used in amplification system is created in Fig.3 to match the circuit in
different voltage range and also for Hybrid Electric Vehicle Fig.2. The key point here is the sample ground, it is isolated
(HEV). If the system needs expansion, the work will be done by from the system ground which is the cathode ofthe 12V or 24V
the communication unit and choosing the master and slave battery system, the power supply of the amplifier uses the
computers. isolated power source.
B. Temperature and current measurement
III. DATA ACQUISITION The temperature and current are easy to measure comparing to
the voltage. NiMH battery is sensitive to the temperature, it's
The main tasks of BMS is sampling, ^ all algorithms of the ~~~~necessary to monitor the temperature real-time. The
BMS use measured and calculated data as input information, heat-variablheat-variable resitor
resistor iue emically witigh.good
iS used economically with high good
TheThesystem
systemhere different fom
here isis dfferent the others
from the which has so many
othrs which performance. They are multi-metering and put in the seam of
as so man

measurement points and the sampling rate is faster, how to the batteries. The current as the main parameter to calculate
sample and how to avoid the interference among each other are SOC should be measured with high accuracy. The Hall sensor
is used here compared to the diverter. The output signal is
current instead of voltage to avoid the high-frequency
interference, because the current signal is not interfered easily.
A resistor is required to convert the current signal into voltage
signal before sent to the A/D port.

\S1 \S2 \53 \S4 IV. THERMAL MANAGEMENT

B1 B2 B
L| IHl~I
| ~-Hi
H| 1 |A thermal management within a battery is a much
Fig.2 Voltage scan circuit overlooked but very important, subject for NiMH battery used
in EV. Cell equalization problems are often due to poor
the two key issues which should be solved. The method will be temperature management. A system is developed to equalize
proposed in the following parts. between the cells and cool ofthe battery. The series and parallel

R
LW-p
R -R

+ LT1O14 - OUT

Fig.3 Absolute value amplification system Fig.4 Air flow in the battery pack

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cooling modes are proposed in [4], by the means of finite
element analysis, the effect of parallel cooling is better than S1
series cooling. A program is developed in Fig.4. The air from -

the carriage blows into the battery box from the top to the R
bottom and uses the parallel venting for the temperature of S2l
electric pole is higher when the battery is working. The strategy 0
,

of fan controlling is created. Four conditions are used to

determine whether the fan was turned on or off based on the
study of the heat behavior of NiMH battery. The temperature - High Voltage
can be detected by the heat-variable resistor and the change rate T M
Management System
of it will also be taken into account, because during the
overcharge and over-discharge, not only the temperature is [ S3:
high but also the change rate is fast. A series of data about the BAT-
experimental heat behavior is recorded before hand. The
maximal temperature and the change rate are recorded as the Fig.5 Safety Controller
judgement standard. The fan will be turned on satisfied with
one of the following conditions:
(I)The average temperature greater than the maximal VI. BATTERY STATE ESTIMATION
temperature Battery state can be achieved if battery SOC can be
(2)One of the sensors' test results greater than the maximal accurately monitored. The method of calculating SOC used
temperature here is the modified coulomb -accumulation:
(3)The average temperature change rate greater than the t -cu uIdt
maximal change rate
(4) One of the sensors' test results' change rate greater than the
SOC(t) = SOC(t - At) f(" )f
tAth
h

36 (1)
maximal change rate Where r7, is the efficiency of charge and discharge, Ah no mm a
In the other hand, the fan will be turned off when the
opposite conditions above come into existence. is the nominal capacity of battery, SOC (t) is the current
capacity, SOC (t - At) is the capacity of last time.
The main task here is to calculate 7I7. When the battery is
V. HIGH VOLTAGE MANAGEMENT charge or discharge, it is the exothermic reaction, with the help
The safety management has to protect the battery against of the thermal model of battery [5], the 17,
can be calculate as
critical operation conditions. The battery used for EV is a high the following.
voltage system, the main task of the safety management is to
monitor the high voltage loop. According to safety standards of Qen Q1 + + + (2)
EV, the high voltage management is developed. The control Where Q is the sum of whole heat, Q, is the battery
module is showed in Fig.5. The safety controller has four
contacts (BAT+,BAT-,HV+,HV-) and control the three relays reaction heat, Q2 is the galvano-chemistry polarization
(S 1,S2,S3). The R is a pre-charge resister. When turning on the heat, Q3 is the battery joule's heat and Q4 is the electrolyte's
ignition key, SI and S3 close firstly, then measure the voltage decomposition heat, the unit of them is kj / h
between HV+ and HV-, if the voltage reaches to a certain value S

(we set it as the 80% of the battery pack's voltage) in a certain So when charge and discharge, the current flowing into the
time (lOs is defined here), cut off SI and close S2, or all the battery does no all convert into electric energy, some part of it
relays will be cut off. The load is usually considered as the converts into heat energy, the heat can be converted into the
integrality of capacitance and resister. The pre-charge fault may quantity of electricity:
be detected if the voltage between HV+ and HV- doesn't rises dAh Qgendt
up to a specific value in time. The system control the relays 3600dV 3
through measuring the voltage between BAT+ and BAT-(HV+ (3)
and HV-) and the current of relays, if there is any unusual According to the battery model [6], in one step length the Ah
things happen such as overcharge, over discharge, overload and can be defined:
short circuit, the relays will be cut off to ensure the safety. A I + j (RI + R2) dT
HVILC (High Voltage Interlock Circuit) is created to check the V 2
connection by measuring the backward signal of the signal - 3600 (4)
stimulus from signal source. An insulation monitor circuit is
also developed by measuring the voltage of positive anda o h 1IIcnb eie s
negative electrodes to the ground. If the voltage is not in the When charge: Q = Ah - dAh (5)
dimension of 3000O to 700/o of the battery voltage, the insulation I Ah
fault may be occurred. The safety controller also has the
function of cutting off by manual and emergency shut down.

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 S()rv;O<~ ~Curent
When discharge: _Ah + dAh (6) 4
Ah 3J)l
l[heattxdta3e\<~~~~~~BP-dta
VII. EXPERIMENT RESULT
100 cLt/W4t
The vehicle parameters on which the BMS is applied are
listed in Tab. 1 0
A. Venting experiment -1W .
Fig.6 is the influence of cooling air to the battery temperature -2a}
using the parallel venting. When the ventilation quantity is -300° 4
0.05kg/s, the temperature ofthe battery is 40°C in the end ofthe v 14147 Tins)
working condition. Fig.7 The test trial curve of high voltage discharges
B. Discharge test
When the relays are cut off, the voltage of high voltage D. 50km/h accelerating experiment
system (HVS) should drop to the safety range in time. The test 50km/h accelerating capacity is the important index, it is
condition is: the high voltage bus voltage is 320V before 100 380
TABLE. 1
THE PARAMETERS OF EV 95 IVolage
Vo 280
Vehicle weight 1520kg
Type Direct 180
Electric Current 9
Machine Rated 23(kw)/ 80 X
Power/Speed 6000(r/min) 85 c_+
Rated 37(N.m)/ -20.
Torque/Speed 6000(r/min)
Rated Speed 6000(r/min) 80 -120
Battery Rated voltage 312V 0 400 800 1200 1600
pack Capacity lOOAh t (s)
Battery weight 530kg Fig.8 Characteristics of battery pack in UDDS cycle
cutting off, the equivalent capacity is 330uF and the equivalent related to the large discharge current of battery. They are
showed respectively in Fig.9. The maximum current is between
......01kg.....s. 145A and 175A, it is less-than the battery's maximum
0l.{} k.; '~ 5discharge current (300A).
40 380-~ ~~------------------ 0 5 5 G
40 0.^05kg/.
II-Sh 380 First Second Third |
ourt 320
u ano 360
S 35 ........... ......... ........
340 270
320 ~~~Voltage -220
a) 170

k I I, , I X 260 ! fi 8 fi ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
25 >24
240 -1 I 1J 70 °)
0 100 800 1200 1600 220 20
(S) 200 -30
Fig.6 The influence of cooling air to the battery temperature 180 -80
load is 800Q Fig.7 is the test trial curve of high voltage 0 51 103 155 207 258 310 362
discharges. time(s)
Fig.9 Voltage and current while EV accelerating from 0 to 50 km/h
C. UDDS Drive Cycle Experiment
Fig.8 shows SOC, voltage and current in the UDDS drive E. Simulation of Voltage Sampling Circuit
cycle. In the whole cycle, the highest voltage of battery is 380.3 Fig.10 shows the simulation result of the voltage sampling
V and the lowest is 324.3V, the SOC is 93.400 in the beginning circuit, it proved that the circuit has a good performance of
and 85.80o in the end. In the whole process, Soc decreases absolute value conversion.
7.600, its accuracy can meet the challenge.

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 - - 'Output Voltage
Input Voltage
1. 5

> 0.5 -
ce 0

-0. 5
-1
-1. 5

Fig. 10 The simulation result of voltage sampling circuit

VIII. CONCLUSION
A complete integrated BMS is developed for EV including
data acquisition, thermal and high voltage management and the
algorithm to estimate battery state. The method of measurement
with float ground and scan is used to detect the module's
voltage with high accuracy. Heat-variable resistor and hall
sensor also have good performance in temperature and current
measurement. As the NiMH battery's heat behavior, parallel
cooling is adopted and the strategy of fan controlling is
proposed. According to the safety standards of EV, a module is
developed to solve the safety issue. A modified adaptive
algorithm to calculate the SOc which determine the available
capacity of the battery satisfies the system demand. The BMS
described in this paper would be valuable in EV which enables
the implementation of intelligent control strategies and
increases the reliability and recycle ability of battery.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge Jianxi Zhu, Xinchao
Jin and Hangbo Tang for their assistance offered in this project.

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