Simulation Study of the Battery System for Automotive Traction Applications 2008-01-0746

Traction Assistance (TA) is essential to ensure drivability around corners, on wet/slippery road surfaces and under off-road wheel conditions. Automotive OEMs are exploring TA mechanisms, based on battery driven, electronically controlled, traction motors. Such mechanisms, incidentally, reduce emission, improve fuel efficiency and enable the engine to operate at more optimal operating points. Since TA mechanisms are not continuously switched ON, it is a design requirement that the electric power requirement to operate the traction motors are smartly mobilized for the TA systems. We have designed Battery Management System (BMS) wherein the 12V vehicle battery is augmented to provide a charging mechanism for the traction batteries. This paper presents the high level features of the designed system.