BMS's safety protection function: the key line of defense to protect battery safety

In today's era of rapid development of battery technology, from new energy vehicles to energy storage systems to various consumer electronic products, the application of batteries is everywhere. However, the battery faces many safety risks during use, such as overcharge, overdischarge, overcurrent, overtemperature and other problems. Once these problems occur, they will not only shorten the service life of the battery, but may also cause serious safety accidents. Therefore, the battery management system (BMS) came into being and became a critical technology to ensure the safe operation of the battery.

The core role of BMS

BMS is the "smart housekeeper" of the battery. Its core function is to monitor the status of the battery in real time and ensure that the battery operates in a safe, stable and efficient range through a series of safety protection functions. In terms of battery safety protection, BMS mainly has the following key functions:

Overcharge protection

Overcharging is one of the common safety hazards in battery use. During charging, if the voltage exceeds the upper limit voltage specified by the battery, it may cause the chemical reaction inside the battery to lose balance, generate gas, increase the pressure inside the battery, and even cause dangerous situations such as battery bulge, fire or explosion. BMS can accurately monitor the voltage of each battery cell. When it is detected that the voltage is about to reach the overvoltage threshold, it will take quick measures, such as cutting off the charging circuit or stopping the charging process, thereby effectively preventing the occurrence of overcharging and protecting the safety of the battery.

Over-release protection

Overdischarge of the battery will also cause irreversible damage to the battery. Overdischarge will cause irreversible chemical changes in the electrode material inside the battery, reducing the performance and life of the battery, and in severe cases, it may even cause failures such as short circuits inside the battery. BMS can monitor the discharge current and voltage of the battery in real time. When the battery voltage drops to close to the undervoltage threshold, cut off the discharge circuit in time to avoid excessive discharge of the battery and ensure that the battery maintains the healthy state of the battery within a reasonable working range.

Overcurrent protection

Excessive current passing through the battery, whether it is charging or discharging, may cause the temperature inside the battery to rise sharply, exceeding the range that the battery can withstand, thereby damaging the internal structure of the battery and causing safety problems. The BMS can monitor the battery charge and discharge current in real time. Once the current is detected to exceed the set safety threshold, the protection mechanism will be activated immediately, such as limiting the current through the current limiting device or cutting off the circuit to prevent overcurrent from causing damage to the battery and ensuring the safe operation of the battery.

Overtemperature protection

The battery will generate heat during operation, and excessive temperature will affect the performance and life of the battery, and may even cause heat to run out of control, resulting in serious accidents such as a fire or explosion of the battery. BMS monitors the temperature changes of the battery in real time by setting a temperature sensor in the battery pack. When the battery temperature exceeds the set upper limit, the BMS can take a variety of measures to cool down, such as starting the cooling fan, turning on the cooling system, etc. At the same time, it will also adjust the charging and discharging power or current of the battery according to the temperature to reduce the heat generation of the battery and prevent the battery from becoming dangerous due to overtemperature.

BMS's industry development trends and technological innovations

With the continuous advancement of battery technology and the continuous expansion of application areas, BMS technology is also constantly developing and innovating to meet the growing safety and performance needs.

• High-precision monitoring technology: Nowadays, BMS has an increasingly high accuracy in monitoring battery status. For example, high-precision analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and advanced sensor technology can more accurately measure the battery's voltage, current and temperature parameters, providing more reliable data support for battery safety protection.
• Intelligent algorithms and predictive maintenance: With the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, BMS can analyze the historical data and real-time data of the battery to achieve accurate evaluation and prediction of the battery's health status. By predicting possible battery failure or safety risks, take measures to maintain or adjust in advance, thereby improving the reliability and safety of the battery system.
• Application of wireless communication technology: Wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are increasingly widely used in BMS. Through wireless communication, BMS can realize data transmission with external devices or cloud servers, which facilitates users to remotely monitor the status of the battery, and also provides a more convenient means for intelligent management of the battery system.

As the guardian of safe operation of the battery, BMS has its safety protection functions such as overcharge, over-discharge, over-current, and over-temperature. Against the backdrop of the continuous development of battery technology and the increasing application scale, BMS technology will continue to innovate and improve, and escort the sustainable development of the battery industry with higher performance and more reliable safety guarantees. Whether it is a new energy vehicle manufacturer, energy storage system operator or consumer electronic equipment manufacturer, we should fully pay attention to the role of BMS, choose the right BMS solution, ensure the safe, stable and efficient operation of the battery, bring users a more reliable product experience, and jointly promote the healthy and sustainable development of the battery industry.