Online Cell Screening Algorithm Considering Cell Inconsistencies for Maximum Available Current Estimation

In this paper, a novel online cell screening algorithm is proposed to estimate the available maximum current considering the inconsistencies of the hundreds of cells in the battery pack for electric vehicles. The available maximum current is defined based on the allowable terminal voltage, and the inconsistency parameters which affect the maximum available current are analyzed. The proposed algorithm screens the small number of candidates of which terminal voltages first exceed the allowable range by comprehensively comparing the inconsistency parameters. The proposed algorithm uses just the comparison operation for the parameters basically measured and estimated from the battery management system, which can reduce the computational burden significantly. The proposed algorithm is validated by experiments conducted on a nickel manganese cobalt oxide-type battery pack commercially manufactured for electric vehicles.