New system for accurate battery pack health analysis

VIPER battery pack analysis system partners (Photo: Eatron Technologies)

UK-based organisations Eatron Technologies and WMG, University of Warwick, have developed a new system which can deliver an accurate estimation of the remaining life of an electric vehicle battery.

The process uses the combined power of WMG’s electrochemical models with Eatron’s cloud battery management and integration expertise.

Known as VIPER (Validated & Integrated Platform for Battery Remaining Useful Life), the system was developed with funding from the Faraday Institution.

According to related project details, the remaining battery life estimates are more than 90% accurate.

Traditional RUL estimates rely on basic voltage-based analytics that can miss complex failure conditions. Other systems are also noted as being ‘overly cautious’, meaning that a healthy battery pack could be marked as unusable.

By accurately predicting a battery’s RUL (remaining useful life), it is possible to extract maximum performance and longevity without compromising safety.

The solution developed by Eatron and WMG can be embedded in the battery management system or deployed across a cloud-based platform. The latter is said to be particularly useful for fleet management.

Additionally, when a battery pack is eventually redeployed to second-life applications, it can be accompanied by an accurate picture of its health – a type of battery passport.

“Unlocking the hidden capacity of a battery has the potential to increase an EV’s usable range and extend its lifetime,” said Dr Umut Genc, CEO of Eatron. “There are benefits for the used EV market, too; as a result of these highly accurate RUL estimates, buyers could have confidence in the condition of a vehicle’s battery and be reassured about its ability to perform for many years to come.”