Online Design Kit Makes EV Battery Design Easier and Faster

About:Energy and STMicroelectronics have collaborated to develop a software technology demonstrator to accelerate the design cycle for battery management systems in electric vehicles (EVs).

The demonstrator fuses About:Energy’s Voltt battery data software platform with ST’s battery management system (BMS) hardware and automotive development tool kits to help designers develop and prototype new battery management solutions more quickly. 

About:Energy, a London-based startup, presented the integrated battery development solution at the recent Plug and Play EXPO2024 in Stuttgart, where it received the Global Innovation Award.  STMicroelectronics is a global semiconductor manufacturer.

Battery performance testing. Image used courtesy of About: Energy

High Stakes for Battery Design and Management

For automotive OEMs electrifying vehicle drivetrains, the stakes could not be higher when designing EV batteries and battery management systems. As electrical systems replace the internal combustion engine of traditional gas-powered vehicles, the EV battery and electric drivetrain performance define the modern EV’s competitiveness regarding vehicle range, charge times, and cost.

Within an EV's battery and powertrain system, the BMS performs the critical roles of monitoring the battery pack, managing charge and discharge cycles, and helping to maintain the vehicle and driver’s overall safety.

Automotive battery management system. Image used courtesy of STMicroelectronics

For designers, STMicroelectronics’ AutoDevKit platform offers 72 development boards with software for various automotive electronics applications. 

The battery management system module is based on the L9963E battery management IC, which is AEC-Q100 qualified and capable of monitoring up to 14 battery cells in series. The L9963E is designed to meet the requirements of automotive 48 V and higher-voltage powertrain battery applications. 

L9963E battery management IC. Image used courtesy of STMicroelectronics

Optimizing Battery Design With Cell Data, Web Tools

The Voltt software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform from About:Energy comprises an extensive and searchable battery cell library, downloadable battery models, and a series of online web design tools.  

According to About:Energy, the Voltt platform's broad library of cell types and manufacturers can reduce the time needed to select cells for new battery designs from months to days. Additionally, various available electrical, thermal, electrochemical, and degradation models relax many requirements for expensive and time-consuming physical prototyping.

For each cell model accessible through the online library, web tools allow design teams to explore battery cell anatomy and chemical composition and predict cell performance and lifetime characteristics at the module or pack level.  

Voltt online library of battery cells. Image used courtesy of About:Energy 

Commenting on his company’s recent collaboration with STMicroelectronics, About:Energy Co-Founder and CEO Gavin White emphasized how the two companies' fusion of battery system design expertise would empower customers of all sizes across a wide range of industries (such as automotive, aviation, and energy storage) to advance their electrification initiatives.