Analog Devices And General Motors Launch Wireless Battery Management System For EVs
General Motors (GM), a pioneer of traditional vehicles is focusing on the electric vehicle industry by utilizing Analog Devices’ (ADI) Wireless Battery Management System (wBMS) across GM’s Ultium battery platform.
ADI’s wBMS allows for 15% less battery storage than the standard EV power supply layout. Image used courtesy of Analog Devices.
As consumers find wireless charging, internet, speakers, and controls to make everyday tech lifestyles simpler, the same goes for automotive manufacturers. Less wiring throughout can make a design and battery storage versatile. The demand for long-range trips, improved safety, lower costs, and faster charging times has also increased exponentially.
Most consumers think of Tesla Motors when they hear talk for a technically advanced electric vehicle (EV) however there are other manufacturers such as GM that are not too far behind.
ADI’s wBMS
ADI was founded in 1965 and its markets include aerospace, automotive, environmental sustainability, data center, and industrial automation. ADI’s portfolio includes the first integrated high voltage battery stack monitor. Now ADI is working on 5th generation solutions and making strides in the automotive industry by designing the first-ever wireless system, wBMS, for EVs.
With an ARM Cortex 32-bit processor, the wBMS is able to quickly and efficiently distribute power to various loads while monitoring the temperature and performance of the entire system. Image used courtesy of Analog DevicHeading 5es.
Automotive systems are becoming computers on wheels, with an increase in demand, a battery system is expected to deliver larger amounts of power, ranging from 48 to 800V sensors, monitors, and devices. Battery packs for EVs are composed of thousands of battery cells working together as one unit. This comes with challenges for design engineers, If one cell dies in a long stack of battery cells, all of them could fail due to the battery cells being tied in series.
ADI’s management system is supported by ARM’s Cortex M3 32-bit processor which offers an 8-region memory protection unit that was built for dynamic, real-time applications. This processor controls and monitors various precision sensors along with 6, 12, and 18 channel multicell batteries.
Mike Kultgen, the General Manager of wBMS at ADI described how much workload the system can handle.
“The BMS is constantly monitoring the cells, delivering reliable measurement accuracy over time, temperature, and operating conditions. It knows what is going on every single moment and relies 100% on the information it receives from ADI chips,” Kultgen said.
GM Jumps at Production of New EVs with ADI’s wBMS
General Motors recently announced its strategy to advance in the automotive industry by providing a new battery solution for EVs.
What makes GM’s new Ultium batteries unique? They can be stacked vertically or horizontally, giving engineers the freedom to design various layouts for any vehicle. These batteries are estimated to produce 400 miles of travel when at full charge.
GM’s new battery platform is built for electric trucks, SUVs, crossovers, cars, and commercial vehicles and drives battery cell costs below $100/kWh. Image used courtesy of GM.
“We are pleased to collaborate with ADI to take the wBMS technology to production as part of our ground-breaking Ultium battery platform,” said Kent Helfrich, executive director of GM Global Electrification and Battery Systems.“ADI’s wBMS technology enables the more widespread electrification of our fleet, and we look forward to a continued collaboration with ADI to deliver innovation in safety, quality, and performance for the future.”
Wireless Battery System vs A Hardwired System
Think about the amount of landline ethernet cables it would take to provide internet for each room of a house. Well, it is no different from the brains of an EV. There is so much effort put in to conceal complex battery designs with conductors and wires running in various directions to power the vehicle.
Engineers have the flexibility to layout sensors, ICs, and automotive components while not worrying about having a battery setup take up a large amount of space.
Patrick Morgan, Automotive Vice President at Analog Devices shared his thoughts on ADI’s milestone.
“Our wBMS solution not only simplifies manufacturing but also allows new systems to be built on wireless data, accelerating the entire industry towards a sustainable future,” Morgan said. “We are honored to bring this breakthrough system innovation to market with General Motors.”
Having a wireless battery system allows GM to design with a near 90% reduction in wiring schemes. Image used courtesy of GM.
GM utilizing ADI’s wireless battery management system not only yields a protected cybersecurity design but also allows for them to repurpose the system. Once the batteries are capacity-reduced to the point where they are not at normal performance levels, they can be combined with other wireless battery packs to form clean power generators.
This new wireless battery system should reach mass production starting in 2021.
