Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Division Engineering of Adaptive Systems EAS
The lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars today can still be improved considerably in terms of energy utilization and potential energy capacity. If the capacities of each individual battery cell were used optimally, it would be possible to charge more deeply and draw more power. This could increase the range of electric vehicles already today.
Project goals
In order to achieve this goal, the project partners are working on optimizing the software and hardware of management systems that monitor and regulate the rechargeable batteries. They are developing new procedures for designing more reliable microelectronic circuits for these systems. The focus here is on virtual design and simulation processes. They will make possible management systems capable of determining the battery status more precisely and identifying critical situations earlier. Factors that can influence the performance of energy storage, such as temperature, the charge state of the cells and their aging, are intended to be reliably detected in this way.
With charging and discharging algorithms adapted to these insights, the stored energy will be used more effectively, significantly increasing the time before the next required charging of an electric vehicle. The service life of a battery is also extended through optimized use. Such a management system could additionally promptly detect faulty behavior and the failure of individual cells, making batteries more reliable and safer.
Project status: completed
