Date: 27/07/2009

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