Battery Management Systems (BMS) plays a critical role in most new energy storage technology. The role of the BMS is to
- Facilitate the safe charging and discharging of lithium ion batteries;
- Gather and analyse data to increase operational performance and cell longevity;
- Forecast throughput and capacity attenuation given variable battery conditions; and
- Provide better State of Health (SoH) metrics and maintenance information.
![battery management systems](http://regenpower.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/battery-management-systems.png)
In order to achieve the points mentioned above for battery management systems, the following parameters in the table below could be monitored for the following use:
Parameter | Use |
Voltage | Under/Over Voltage for basic BMS Safety and State of Charge (SoC)
dV/dt for charge / discharge magnitude and duration |
Temperature | Under/Over Temperature for basic BMS Safety
dT/dt for extrapolation of internal stress |
Current | For Coulomb counting to substantiate SoC
dI/dt for determination of internal resistance |
Internal pressure | Monitor for charge retention attenuation and SoH indicator
dP/dt for internal battery fault warning |
BMS – Lithium Ion Vs. Lead Acid
As compared to Lead Acid batteries, Lithium-ion batteries are being used to deliver higher-quality performance in a safer, longer-lasting package, as detailed below:
Feature/ Battery | Lithium Ion | Lead Acid |
Weight | One-third | |
Efficiency during charging and rapid discharging | 100% efficient | Drops |
Can be discharged | 100% | 50% to 80% |
Cycle Life – Rechargeable | 1500 to 2000 | 300 to 400 |
Voltage during discharge cycle | Maintain constant voltage | Drops voltage consistently |
Life Cycle/ Upfront cost | Low/ Higher | High/Lower |
Environmental Impact | Cleaner technology, safer |