Presentation:
Towards the development of a safer battery management system: a functional safety perspective.

Due to the increasing electrification and automation of today’s society and thanks to the advances in electric and electronic (E/E) systems, nowadays not only quality and performance, but also safety aspects rely heavily on E/E controlling and monitoring devices. A clear example of this trend is the evolution of E-Mobility. With the development of electric vehicles and the increasing implementation of energy storage systems (especially Li-ion batteries) as power-drive source, the need for controlling and monitoring units has drastically increased. Hence the development of a safe battery management system (BMS) has become a matter of utmost importance for the employment of Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles. In order to assure an acceptable level of residual risk of such an electronic control unit, it has to be assessed from a functional safety perspective.

This process, which describes methods and processes for the prevention and control of failures within the product development, has been adapted in time to each industrial branch and is now an essential and substantial part of the development of any E/E system. With the help of the processes and models provided by functional safety norms and guidelines it is possible to approach the development of a battery management system in a way that leaves as little room to failure as possible. In the talk an overview of the functional safety aspects of a BMS development and the basic safety functions of a BMS will be presented. The influence and advantages of a functional safety approach in the development of a BMS will be discussed with the help of examples from real-life applications.