The reliable access to electrically stored energy is becoming a critical parameter for the proper operation of modern vehicles. The total energy demand of electrical consumers in passenger cars is rising almost exponentially together with an increasing ratio of the peak to average current level. Such conditions can stimulate severe interactions between the various systems on the one hand, while on the other hand the battery charging state varies over a wide range. Recent field problems of high end cars from various vehicle manufacturers demonstrate the importance for an improved interaction analysis of the complete electrical system during the design phase and before the introduction of new functions. An efficient battery management is essential for modern vehicles to ensure a minimum state of charge and a proper lifetime of the battery.
The electrical energy storage in hybrid vehicles which use the battery to buffer the combustion engine is even more important. An efficient energy management is mandatory in this context and affects directly both the gasoline consumption and the emissions.
In order to address these concerns in the development and construction of the car electronics, detailed over-all simulations are necessary, which cover short-term high current dynamics as well as long-term time scales. The battery is the most important element in these systems, being the central energy storage device.
For this reason, a new battery model was developed, which is able to simulate both the long-term and the high dynamic behavior of diverse battery technologies with high accuracy.