|
Date: 27th July 09
Multiple cell lithium-ion battery
pack monitor IC for electric and hybrid vehicles
The new MAX11080 from Maxim Integrated Products is a high-voltage,
12-channel battery-protection IC for high-cell-count lithium-ion
(Li+) battery packs. MAX11080 indicates over voltage and
under voltage faults as per user selected threshold to prevent
Li-ion batteries from exploding (thermal runaway). Up to
31 MAX11080s can be daisy-chained to monitor up to 372 Lithium-ion
cells.
The capacitor-based interface provides low-cost isolation
from one bank of batteries to the next, eliminating cascading
electrical failures, slow cost solution hybrid car, Maxim
claims this solution reduces the cost of the battery-management
system (BMS) by up to 80%. This is a less complex and is
suitable for safeguarding and monitoring batteries used
in latest automotives such as, electric/hybrid, and vehicle/car.
From transportation to smart grids, energy storage technologies
are critical to enabling the transition from fossil fuels
to clean energy. The energy storage market is thus poised
for unprecedented growth as green initiatives gain traction
among consumers and governments worldwide. Lux Research
predicts that the overall energy storage market will grow
by 55% to $64 billion in 2012. The transportation energy
storage market, meanwhile, will benefit from increasing
demand for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), growing from
$12.9 billion in 2007 to $19.9 billion in 2012.
The fuel tank of the future, HEV battery packs are a critical
part of the drive train for next-generation transportation
systems.
Though nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) was the battery chemistry
of choice in the first HEVs, Li+ batteries are expected
to dominate the market by 2015, as they offer a higher energy
density and, therefore, longer per-charge driving range.
Lux Research predicts that Li+ battery sales will jump from
$6.8 billion in 2007 sales to $16.9 billion in 2012.
Yet, Li+ batteries are particularly volatile, requiring
careful design and sophisticated monitoring schemes to ensure
safe operation. Cell overvoltages can cause a rapid increase
in cell temperature, producing a thermal-runaway condition
in which gases are vented. Since HEVs often require hundreds
of cells in series, the consequences of a failure are substantial:
a fault in one cell could cause the entire battery pack
to burn or explode.
For more information visit: www.maxim-ic.com/MAX11080-Battery.
|
