Development and functional testing of battery management system algorithm for an electric bicycle using hardware in the loop testbench

An embedded Battery Management System (BMS) ensures the effective functionality and longevity of the vehicle battery systems. Testing the BMS using the Hardware in Loop (HIL) approach effectively increases safety and reduces product development time in the manufacturing sector. This research aims to develop an efficient battery management system with two-level protection for electric bicycles and test its functionality in the HIL configuration. The bicycle traction model and battery management system were first developed using a model-based design. Further, the model is tested and validated using battery emulators in the HIL methodology. The battery management system receives input data, such as current, voltage, and temperature, and monitors these parameters. The first level of protection involves the vehicle user receiving the warning when the monitoring parameters values exceed the given first safety threshold. As per the second safety threshold values, the BMS trips off the charging or discharging process when the voltage is 51V, the charge current is 5A, the discharge current is -5A and the IC temperature is 80 degrees. Also, BMS balances the cells in 3.84 min using passive balancing. Additionally, the BMS delivers a controlled current of 2.5A for safe battery charging. This methodology increases safety by reducing the potential risks of testing the BMS algorithms in the actual electric bicycle.