Sensata Technologies’ i-BMS enables battery hot swapping

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Sensata Technologies unveiled its i-BMS battery management system (BMS) for electrified applications up to 60V. Sensata said the cell chemistry agnostic, compact, integrated BMS is designed for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and robotics, among other products.

Hot swap functionality and parallel battery pack support allow for the ability to quickly exchange depleted batteries with fully charged batteries. For example, when a robot returns to its base to pick up a new load, its depleted batteries can be swapped for charged ones.

While measuring only 65 x 200 mm (2.6 x 7.9 in), the i-BMS PCB board is equipped with everything required to manage and maintain a battery system without the need for any external components. All critical components are pre-integrated into the system, including a pre-charge circuit, on-board current measurement, MOSFET power switches for battery disconnect, and a DC/DC power supply. The solution features key components that are ASIL C Safety rated and include self-test capabilities for safety critical measurement circuits.

The algorithms in Sensata’s BMS software ensure accurate state-of-power (SOP) predictions based on cell internal resistance, voltage and current constraints, precise state-of-charge (SOC) calculations, and (state-of-health) SOH calculated based on aging effect.

The BMS Creator configuration software allows the battery pack designer to create a unique battery setup by defining application-specific BMS parameters and safety strategies, optimizing battery operation.

Other software features include measurement of rate of change of temperature to predict thermal runaway, dynamical regulation of current in extreme thermal conditions, as well as advanced parameter settings for CAN communication.