Design and Implementation of a Battery Management System for a Formula Student Electric Vehicle

A Battery Management System (BMS) is an integrated system responsible for monitoring battery circuits and implementing protective measures in case of malfunctions. This thesis presents the design and implementation of a reliable low voltage BMS for an Electric Vehicle, specifically a Formula Student car. In this application, the system monitors temperatures and voltages of 12 cells, as well as the current drawn by the entire system, powering the car’s low voltage 48V system in compliance with the Formula SAE rules and safety requirements. Additionally, the cells are passively balanced through the LTC6811 integrated circuit. In the next chapters is presented an overview of the Formula Student rules and BMS systems, followed by the hardware design of the board, its prototyping and testing phases, including relevant datasheet parameters and design choices.