LiFePO4 batteries offer many benefits and proper management with their different sections. One of these parts is the BMS or the Battery Management System. The BMS is the intelligent component that manages and controls LiFePO4cells.
It also protects against overcharging, over-discharging, and short circuits for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, or portable devices. It ensures your battery longevity and maximum use.
This blog post will discuss everything there is to know about BMS and its effects on LiFePO4 batteries.
What is LiFePO4 BMS?
Any Lithium-ion battery has a BMS. The latter is considered the brain of the battery. In other words, it ensures the battery stays healthy by controlling the discharge and charging process.
The BMS ensures everything runs smoothly. LiFePO4 batteries last longer and can provide energy to your devices even after reaching 50% of their usage. Moreover, it monitors the battery cells and measures voltage, current, and even temperature.
Why Do You Need a Battery Management System?
The LiFePO4 Battery Management System is the critical component in your lithium-ion battery pack. It provides essential functions to ensure optimal performance and safety.
Safety
All batteries, especially LiFePO4, store a significant amount of energy. This can lead to some opportunities for overheating, overcharging, or over-discharging. As a result of these events, your battery may suffer from a thermal runaway, causing fires, explosions, and other serious incidents.
The BMS can monitor parameters like voltage, current, temperature, and state of charge. , prevent those events from happening.
Performance
BMS optimizes the overall performance of the battery. It maintains the ideal charging and discharging rate. It also extends the battery life by preventing deep discharge and overvoltage conditions. Plus, it provides an accurate state of charge and health information on the battery.
Convenience
LiFePO4 battery provides many features for your electronic devices. Plus, the BMS provides significant convenience characteristics to the battery. It allows you to monitor remotely wireless connectivity and programmable settings. It also enables fast charging and discharging. Doing this increases the productivity of the devices connected to it.
Basic Function of BMS
The primary function of BMS is to protect the battery cells. It includes over and under-voltage and over-current protection, diagnosis, data collection, and storage.
Over-Voltage Protection
The cells may reach the voltage limit depending on where you charge your battery. Once they hit the limit, the BMS disconnects the charge circuit. Once it is disconnected, the voltage drops naturally to its ideal voltage stability.
Under-Voltage Protection
The same happens when the battery is being discharged. The cells are dropping continuously, and the BMS will cut them off when it reaches their limit.
Performs Diagnosis
If there are any safety risks, errors in diagnosis, or cell-to-cell variations, the BMS monitors and sends warning signals to initiate the proper measure.
Collect and Store Data
The BMS will also record the individual and the pack´s cell signals. It will store the related data to the battery´s life cycle history.
What Happens If You Don´t Use a BMS?
Since BMS is vital to your battery, not having one would lead to the following.
Overcharge
When a battery is overcharged, it causes pressure increase leading to thermal runaway.
Overtemperature
Batteries have a temperature sensor that sends temperature signals to the BMS monitoring unit. If there is any potential danger in charging and discharging temperature, the BMS detects and cuts off any power to and from the battery.
Exposing any battery to extreme temperatures affects its lifespan. When we talk about lithium-ion batteries, overheating affects the most. Plus, it can potentially lead to catching fire and exploding.
Many more strategies are too complex to mention. The relevant part is that they all aim to protect the battery from extreme temperatures.
Cell imbalance / Reduced Life Cycle
LiFePO4 batteries are bought mainly due to their longer lifespan. Yet, when the points mentioned above happen, it leads to cell embracement. If your battery has cell imbalance, the entire lifespan of your battery system will be reduced.
Can I Charge a LiFePO4 Battery Without a BMS?
It is recommended to charge your battery with BMS. But yes, it is possible.
It is not recommended since charging your battery with a voltage or current higher than the recommended leads to thermal runaway. You will prevent serious safety issues if you closely monitor the charging conditions, voltage, current, and temperature.
There is also the option of using voltage, amperage meters, and temperature sensors for your battery cells. Doing this lets you know if your battery is under any stress and adjust the conditions accordingly.
If the BMS is not used, it will negatively impact your battery´s service life.
How To Choose the Right LiFePO4 BMS?
Batteries come in different sizes and shapes. The same happens with BMS. There are more simple BMS with a circuit board and all its electronic components exposed.
Goldenmate batteries protect the BMS from external conditions. The BMS comes in a waterproof, dustproof, and fire-resistant case.
We always recommend purchasing batteries that have BMS protection. Here are some factors to consider when choosing the right BMS.
Voltage and Current Rating
Check that the battery and BMS voltage and current rating match. If the BMS is low in voltage or current rating that differs from the battery, it can lead to insufficient protection and damage to the battery.
Safety Features
Ensure the BMS has all the essential safety features mentioned in this blog post. They are over-charging and under-charging protection.
Quality and Reliability
Look for reliable manufacturers that can provide warranty and reliability. All Goldenmate batteries have a year warranty, and our team is always ready to support all our customers.
To Conclude
BMS monitors the battery cells and ensures they are all functioning correctly within the battery pack. It is then a crucial component of any battery.
The BMS protects against overcharge, prevents overtemperature, and enhances battery performance. As a result, it maximizes the lifespan and efficiency of LifePO4 batteries.
Investing in a good quality lithium-ion battery is a wise decision. It will ensure the reliability and safe operation of the battery in every application you need.
