Automated Battery Management Systems for Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicle (EV) safety, efficiency, and lifetime are strongly influenced by how well battery cells are managed, and as EV adoption accelerates, improving battery performance has become critical to vehicle reliability, cost, and public trust. This report conducts a field study on the core technologies and challenges in Battery Management Systems (BMS), focusing on the classification of BMS circuit topologies (design/structures) and systematically reviewing different topologies of active cell balancing circuits (systems that move energy from stronger battery cells to weaker ones). The study provides a detailed analysis of the working principles, advantages, and disadvantages of various active balancing circuit topologies. Additionally, it elaborates on the key algorithms underpinning battery balancing. The report also examines the main challenges in designing these systems, including balancing efficiency, cost, reliability, and the ability to scale. It also highlights the difficulty of accurately understanding battery conditions and making real-time decisions as operating conditions change. The study also summarizes and reviews major breakthroughs in balancing algorithms within the field. By conducting comprehensive research on circuit topologies and core algorithms, this report informs the design and performance optimization of BMS, particularly active balancing systems. Addressing these challenges is essential to improving EV safety, reducing costs, and supporting the broader adoption of electric vehicles.
Woonki Na, PhD
Dr. Na received his B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering from Kwangwoon University, Seoul, South Korea, in 1995 and 1997, respectively, and earned his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in May 2008. From 2008 to 2009, he was with Caterpillar Inc, Peoria, IL and participated in several hybrid electric drives programs as a Senior Engineer. From 2009 to 2010, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. He was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bradley University, Peoria, IL between August 2010 and July 2013. Since August 2013, he has been a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, California State University, Fresno, and he is a senior member of IEEE. His research interests include power electronics, power systems, electric drives, and digital signal process (DSP)–based control designs for hybrid electric vehicle and renewable/ alternative energy applications.
Yuanyuan Xie, PhD
Dr. Yuanyuan Xie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Fresno. He earned his doctorate degree from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, in 2013. His research spans from transport phenomena, energy storage and conversion, and modeling. Dr. Xie has produced more than 30 journal articles and is a member of the Electrochemical Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineering, and the American Chemical Society.
-
Contact Us
San José State University One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192 Phone: 408-924-7560 Email: mineta-institute@sjsu.edu
