Electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS) we use today are equipped with battery packs made up of multiple cells, along with a management system called a Battery Management System (BMS) that monitors the battery’s condition and controls its functions. Recently, Battery Management Total Solution (BMTS), which integrates cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) with BMS, has emerged and is gaining significant attention across the industry. Let’s examine what BMTS is and what benefits we can expect.
Role of BMS (Battery Management System)
BMS is a system that monitors the current, voltage, and temperature of the battery and controls it to keep the battery in its optimal state. The main functions of BMS include cell balancing to reduce variation among battery cells, estimating the State of Charge (SoC) and State of Health (SoH) through monitoring, and controlling the system to prevent over-charging, over-discharging, and overcurrent. Using these functions of BMS helps manage the longevity, performance, and safety of batteries.
*Curious about the BMS? Learn more in the [Battery Glossary] BMS.
What is BMTS (Battery Management Total Solution)?
Then, how does BMTS differ from BMS? BMTS is a “battery management total solution” that combines existing BMS hardware with cloud and AI-based software functions. It is a further advanced concept than the existing BMS, offering enhanced degradation and lifetime prediction as well as safety diagnostics with high accuracy based on cloud and machine learning. By analyzing the driver’s patterns using AI and offering optimized solutions, BMTS can also provide new customer experiences. In other words, BMTS is an integrated management solution that helps users use their batteries in good condition over an extended period.
LG Energy Solution’s ‘B.around’: Spanning from Software to SDV solutions
In September 2024, LG Energy Solution launched its new BMTS brand, B.around. This is due to the growing need to use various battery-powered applications safely and efficiently. The B.around slogan, “Be around your side,” means staying closest to both clients and end users, providing the most optimized battery solutions.
LG Energy Solution has been actively conducting BMS design research since 2005. Notably, LG Energy Solution holds over 8,000 BMS-related patents, securing overwhelming technological capability in the BMTS field. This capability is based on extensive field-validated empirical data obtained by analyzing more than 130,000 battery cells and 1,000 battery modules, through which LG Energy Solution has continuously accumulated high-quality diagnostic data.
■ Advanced Data Analysis: LG Energy Solution’s BMTS, B.around, collects and monitors field data based on cloud and machine learning technologies, delivering battery status to users in real time. In addition, it measures SoX such as SoC, SoH, and SoP, while enabling prediction of battery material degradation status and the battery’s remaining useful life (RUL) based on technologies including FRISM (Cell Data-Free SoH Model), LLAZER (LAM/LLI Analyzer), and BLiS (Battery Life Simulator), thereby allowing efficient management of the battery life cycle.
*Curious about the SoC? Learn more in the [Battery Glossary] SoC.
*Curious about the SoH? Learn more in the [Battery Glossary] SoH.
*Curious about the SoX? Learn more in the [Battery Glossary] SoX.
■ Advanced Diagnostic and Predictive Capabilities: BMTS of B.around performs proactive safety diagnostics by detecting abnormalities in battery cells through more than 50 diagnostic items. In particular, safety diagnostic technologies using AI algorithms such as MAVD (Moving Average Voltage Deviation), RdV (Relaxation Deviation Voltage), and dSOH (Delta State of Health) have been validated with an accuracy of over 90%, enabling continuous quality improvement. As of 2023, battery data collected from 12,000 EVs in Korea were analyzed and also applied to multiple algorithms, which were then refined. As a result, the error rate of B.around’s battery degradation diagnostics has reached an industry-leading level of 1–2%.
■ SDV Platform Solution: SDVs (Software Defined Vehicles) refer to vehicles that control various functions through software and continuously update driving performance, safety, and convenience features. In other words, it is a vehicle that manages hardware systems via software, and this is considered a key factor of future mobility. B.around’s SDV solution offers optimization of performance and configuration in line with SDV development concepts.
Various algorithms are deployed either through transfer to high-performance computing (HPC) systems installed in vehicles or by embedding them into a single chip (SoC, System on Chip), which is then integrated into the vehicle.
■ Delivering a New Customer Experience: B.around analyzes battery usage patterns and habits of application users and manages their usage history to offer solutions optimized for individuals. Through its comprehensive battery care service that manages the entire battery life cycle, B.around is poised to redefine the customer experience—offering users a truly transformative and personalized way to interact with their batteries.
Want to learn more about LG Energy Solution’s BMTS technology and B.around?
*Read B.around Interview Part 1
*Read B.around Interview Part 2
We expect that BMTS-driven technological innovation will bring about a groundbreaking transformation in our daily lives that makes use of batteries. In particular, BMTS is anticipated to play a pivotal role in ensuring battery safety by proactively predicting cell conditions and delivering intelligent, real-time solutions. Based on numerous BMS technologies and strong capabilities, LG Energy Solution’s B.around is set to deliver a safe and efficient battery experience to offer differentiated customer value. Please stay tuned to LG Energy Solution’s continued evolution as a total solution provider.
