| Because of their advantages of no memory effect, relatively long lifetime, and high energy density, lithium ion batteries have now become one of the most popular rechargeable batteries. However, there are some limitations on the usage of these batteries such as low temperature tolerance, potential danger of overcharge, and potential damage of over discharge. Therefore, a battery management system (BMS) is required to guarantee the maximum performance and safety.;A traditional battery management system (BMS) for lithium ion batteries can take measurements and turn the system on and off based on the measurement results. This type of BMS also always has an equalization method for balancing the voltages of the series connected cells. However, these standard functions are not sufficient for modern lithium ion battery applications.;The smart BMS is an updated system that inherits the functions of a traditional BMS, and adds new features to meet additional requirements. This BMS is able to store and analyze the measurement data in order to detect defective cells. This is necessary to provide maintenance or replacement before these cells influence the performance of the whole battery pack. The smart BMS is also able to enhance the safety of the battery by reducing the measurement and communication time intervals, and a study of these new features also has been conducted.;In addition, the smart BMS also has some optimization features such as higher measurement accuracy, EMI reduction, a user friendly GUI, and state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) determination. Some comparisons also have been made with similar BMS products currently available in the market in order to demonstrate the special advantages of the smart BMS. |
