Battery Pack Sensing and Protection — Lesson 3

This lesson covers the integral aspects of battery pack protection and management. It delves into the undesirable events that necessitate the use of protection schemes, such as excessive current draw during charging or discharging, short circuits, overvoltage, undervoltage, and abuse conditions. The lesson also explains how Battery Management Systems (BMS) use sensors and algorithms to detect these conditions and take necessary actions, such as disconnecting the battery pack. It further discusses the importance of effective communication between the BMS, charger, and grid for efficient charging control. The lesson also highlights the significance of state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), and power estimates in battery performance management.

Video Highlights

00:23 - Battery pack sensing
06:20 - Sensing voltage signals using analog to digital converter
09:33 - How to relate ADC value to voltage
12:02 - Sensing thermistor values and example problem
15:07 - Two ways to sense current values

Key Takeaways

- Battery pack protection involves monitoring for excessive current draw, short circuits, overvoltage, undervoltage, and abuse conditions.
- BMS uses sensors and algorithms to detect these conditions and take necessary actions, such as disconnecting the battery pack.
- Effective communication between the BMS, charger, and grid is crucial for efficient charging control.
- State of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), and power estimates are significant parameters in battery performance management.
- The BMS should regularly report its SOC and condition for proper decision-making.