Communication via infrared light - LION Smart’s LIGHT Battery concept

While the most rapid market growth for electrical vehicles can currently be witnessed in Asia, a technological breakthrough has been achieved by a technology high-flyer from Germany. Originally a spin-off from Technical University Munich, LION E-Mobility AG today is a listed holding in Switzerland that fully owns LION Smart GmbH. The company has been extremely successful in its joint venture with TÜV SÜD, resulting in the TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH based in Garching near Munich. It is one of the largest testing facilities and one of the few CBTL (CB Testing Laboratory) certified facilities in Europe. LION Smart’s key competencies include the development and testing of EV batteries and especially Battery Management Systems (BMS). The BMS is a key component of a battery system, in charge of monitoring, controlling and protecting the battery system and the single cells.

So far key reasons stopping potential customers from buying EVs, are the short driving range as well as reservations about the reliability and safety. To overcome the limitations of traditional battery systems LION Smart has developed a proprietary new battery concept, utilizing optoelectronic components by Osram Opto Semiconductors.

The new modular and wireless LIGHT Battery concept offers an outstanding improvement of the driving range, high safety, lower costs, longevity and high-performance. The first realization of the battery concept has achieved a capacity of 100 kWh, corresponding to a driving range of 700 km. It has been implemented in the unmodified installation space of a BMW i3, tripling the capacity of the original battery within the same space.

Optical data transfer

Infrared interfaces enable data rates up to 10 Mbps and realize system monitoring with high resolution and fast sampling rates. With the SFH 4254 and SFH 4551, LION Smart selected two different surface mounted side-looking infrared emitters in combination with the SFH 2500FA, a fast SMT side-looking photodiode by Osram Opto Semiconductors. These components show very low installation height, with and without lenses – each ideally suited for the specific infrared data transmission ranges and applications within the Battery Management System.

Eliminating the use of cables was a huge factor in saving space and therefore in rising the capacity within the system footprint. The BMS ensures a consistent and speedy charging process of each battery cell and monitors the function, temperature and condition during the electrical vehicle’s drive-time, which enhances the security. Avoiding the use of cables, the data transmission is also not sensitive to electromagnetic radiation and is robust against mechanical stress. The modular optical data transmission can be arranged very flexible and eliminates costly and complex work steps like cable connections. Therefore, the new concept raises the bar for automated manufacturing processes.

LION Smart emphasizes how important the quality of each component is within the battery concept, which will only be produced with the selected components from partners such as Osram Opto Semiconductors, the No 1 globally for light based automotive components.

Additional information:

More information on LION Smart’s LIGHT Battery concept can be found here.

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