LG Energy Solution, Analog Devices team up for BMS innovation

Roger Keen (left), general manager of battery management systems at Analog Devices, Inc., and Lee Dal-hoon, vice president and head of the battery management solution research and development center at LG Energy Solution, shake hands at the partnership ceremony on Tuesday at ADI's headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. (LG Energy Solution)

LG Energy Solution said Wednesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with American semiconductor manufacturer Analog Devices, Inc. to enhance battery management technologies for electric vehicles.

Over the next two years, ADI will supply high-performance battery management integrated circuits, or BMIC, while both companies develop algorithms to measure the internal temperatures of EV battery cells accurately.

Analog Devices specializes in impedance measurement technologies. Impedance, the resistance to alternating current and voltage, is measured using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, or EIS. ADI’s EIS solutions use advanced BMICs to measure impedance precisely, providing insights into a battery’s state, age and temperature.

Traditional battery management systems use external sensors to measure cell temperatures, which are then monitored by the BMIC. These external sensors cannot provide real-time internal temperature readings, resulting in conservative safe charging temperatures that limit charging speeds. EIS technology can estimate internal cell temperatures accurately, allowing for faster and safer charging.

Currently, EIS technology is used to diagnose defects in used batteries, and its application in EV batteries is being researched extensively. The LG Energy Solution and ADI partnership aims to commercialize real-time impedance measurement for EV batteries.

LG Energy Solution will combine its battery manufacturing and management expertise with ADI’s impedance measurement technology to enhance its Battery Management Total Solution.

"Working with ADI, known for their cutting-edge BMIC technology, will really amp up our battery management systems and help us continue to provide exceptional value to our customers," said Lee Dal-hoon, vice president and head of the battery management solution research and development center at LG Energy Solution.

By Moon Joon-hyun(mjh@heraldcorp.com)