A MEMS Smart Battery Monitoring and Hybrid Power System

A hybrid power system for military vehicles, consisting of a battery/capacitor hybrid and a MEMS based integrated smart controller with wireless communication to the dashboard and to maintenance personnel is proposed. The hybrid increases available cranking capacity by utilizing the low current capacity of an automotive battery to charge a double layer capacitor bank which in turn is used to start the engine at the required high currents. The smart controller is based on Microns smart battery controller, which provides cell monitoring and status information of each cell inside a 12V automotive battery. The proposed technology includes a novel method for corrosion proof cell voltage access, the Micron OneWire system for a drastic reduction of the wire harness inside the battery, a novel charge algorithm to reduce gassing and a low temperature control system to prevent low temperature extremes. The control system is designed for integration in off-the-shelf automotive batteries and requires no changes to the battery case design of conventional batteries.