Punch Powertrain Solar Team optimises solar race car with the battery management system of VITO/EnergyVille

^{Photo header: © Punch Powertrain Solar Team}

The Punch Powertrain Solar Team consists of 21 students that have to build a solar racing car in 15 months. With their self-made solar racing car they will participate in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, thé World Championship for solar car racing. It is not the first time they will be participating. In 2015 the team became fifth, in 2017 even third.

A battery management system for better batteries

To ensure a safe, reliable and high-performant operation of the battery in the end application, it is connected to a battery management system (BMS). The technology is a combination of hardware and software features that not only continuously monitors the individual battery cells but also manages the system so that its intrinsic capacity is used to the maximum and its lifespan is increased. The permanent dynamic cell balancing and the definition of a dynamic safe operating area in terms of voltage (V), current (I) and temperature (T) are only a few of the outstanding features of the system. Due to the constant measurement of the three parameters, the battery’s exact status is known at any given moment. This status can be expressed through the battery’s state of charge (SoC), referring to its energy content, and the state of health (SoH), referring to its condition compared to a fresh battery. 

Want to know more about the Battery Management System: www.battsense.eu

Want to know more about the Punch Powertrain Solar Team: www.solarteam.be

Or watch the video below.