What types of battery faults require immediate intervention by the BMS?

Certain battery faults pose immediate risks to safety and require immediate intervention by the Battery Management System (BMS) to prevent catastrophic failure or hazardous conditions. These faults include overvoltage, overcurrent, overtemperature, short circuits, and cell voltage imbalances exceeding safe limits. Overvoltage occurs when a battery cell or module is charged above its maximum allowable voltage. This can lead to electrolyte decomposition, gas generation, and thermal runaway. The BMS must immediately stop the charging process and potentially disconnect the cell or module to prevent further voltage increase. Overcurrent occurs when the battery is subjected to a discharge or charge current that exceeds its maximum allowable limit. This can cause overheating, accelerated degradation, and damage to the battery's internal components. The BMS must immediately limit or interrupt the current flow to prevent further damage. Overtemperature occurs when the battery's temperature exceeds its maximum allowable limit. High temperatures can accelerate degradation, increase the risk of thermal runaway, and potentially lead to fire or explosion. The BMS must immediately reduce the current, activate cooling systems, or disconnect the battery to prevent further temperature increase. Short circuits occur when there is an unintended low-resistance connection between the positive and negative terminals of the battery. Short circuits can cause extremely high currents, rapid heating, and potentially fire or explosion. The BMS must immediately interrupt the current flow using fuses or circuit breakers and isolate the short-circuited cell or module. Cell voltage imbalances exceeding safe limits occur when individual cells in a battery pack have significantly different voltages. This can lead to overcharging or over-discharging of individual cells, increasing the risk of damage and thermal runaway. The BMS must immediately stop the charging or discharging process and initiate cell balancing to correct the voltage imbalances. The BMS typically responds to these faults by taking one or more of the following actions: interrupting the current flow, disconnecting the faulty cell or module, activating cooling systems, alerting the user, and shutting down the system. The specific response depends on the type and severity of the fault, as well as the application's requirements. Immediate intervention by the BMS is critical to prevent these faults from escalating into more serious problems and to ensure the safety and reliability of the battery system.