Ensuring Safety in Battery Management Systems: A Control Barrier Function Approach

Abstract

Safe and efficient operation of batteries is paramount to extending their lifespan and ensuring reliability in battery management systems. This work presents a new approach for maximizing safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries in a variety of applications with a view towards efficiency in computation. The aim is to maximize a battery’s output (its power, speed of charging, and overall efficiency) while preserving its longevity and ensuring operational safety. This challenge is tackled by developing a novel control algorithm for advanced lithium-ion battery management leveraging control barrier functions (CBFs) to ensure safe and efficient operation during fast charging and discharging. Moreover, the proposed approach is extended to state of power (SOP) estimation, where the charging problem is reformulated to determine the maximum sustainable power over a predefined horizon that the battery can deliver or absorb while remaining within safe operating bounds. The aim is to help pave the way for more reliable and effective battery management systems in electric vehicles and energy storage applications.