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.
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 |
