Advances in battery management software on the Battery Technology Podcast
Unlocking a Battery's Full Potential with Software
Have you ever wondered why your smartphone's battery life seems to dwindle over time, even with a full charge? Or why charging your electric vehicle (EV) feels like it takes a lifetime? The answer often lies in the way a battery is managed, and surprisingly, the solution isn't always about a new battery with a different chemistry. It's about software.
We often focus on the physical components of a battery — the anode, cathode, and other materials. While these are crucial for performance, they're only half the story. The other, and increasingly more important, half is the battery management software that controls how the battery operates. This software, often an overlooked element, is the key to unlocking hidden performance from existing battery systems.
The Problem with Traditional Battery Management
Dr Ian Campbell, CEO at Breathe, explains that the traditional control strategies baked into most battery management systems (BMS) are surprisingly archaic. They treat every battery as if it were brand new, regardless of its age or health. This is a bit like a doctor giving the same advice to a 20-year-old athlete and a 70-year-old senior—it's simply not an effective approach.
This "one-size-fits-all" method leads to a number of problems:
Underutilisation: When batteries are new, their full potential is often not used because the control software is too conservative.
Premature Degradation: As a battery ages, the same aggressive control strategies that were used when it was new can cause a "knee point," where the battery's health suddenly declines. This is why your phone's battery suddenly seems to give up the ghost.
Inconvenience: It forces product designers to make difficult trade-offs between longevity and performance. Customers either get a car that charges quickly but might not last as long, or one with a great lifespan that takes forever to charge.
Breathe's Adaptive Approach
At Breathe, we believe batteries should be treated as individuals. Our software, developed from extensive research at Imperial College London and with support from the Faraday Institution, provides health-adaptive control. It continuously monitors the battery's health in real-time and adjusts charging and discharging parameters accordingly. This ensures the battery is always being treated in a way that is "electrochemically respectful."
This approach allows us to make batteries better, faster, and longer-lasting through software alone, without changing any hardware. Our toolchain comprises of three software solutions:
Breathe Design – battery cell design and simulation platform that enables fast, flexible development - from first concept through to system-level integration
Breathe Model – fully parameterised cell simulation that makes it easy to understand trade-offs and predict real-world performance
Breathe Charge – embedded adaptive charging software that replaces outdated, manual workflows with a faster, cheaper and more flexible way of developing and deploying optimal charge control strategies
The Future of Software-Defined Batteries
The world is moving towards software-defined products, from cars to consumer electronics. Just as the iPhone transformed hardware-defined cell phones into software-defined devices, we believe the same revolution is happening in the battery space. This means we can deliver meaningful improvements quickly and affordably. Our software can be seamlessly integrated into a battery's existing system and, in many cases, can even be delivered via over-the-air updates to products already in the market.
This technology isn't just a commercial opportunity; it's a necessity for our collective future. By getting more performance out of existing batteries, we can accelerate the mass adoption of electric vehicles and other battery-powered technologies, helping to combat climate change and build a more sustainable world.
Want to learn more about how our software can unlock the full potential of your products' batteries? Contact us to schedule a consultation.
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