Sigma Cells at CES: Smart Battery for Electric Cars, Bikes, Robots & Smartphones Powers on Even When Cell Fails
December 06 2018 - 12:30PM
Business Wire
The standard multi-cell battery has had a critical makeover: No
longer will the battery fail if a cell fails.
CEA’s Sigma Cells battery can power products ranging from
laptops to electric vehicles and is the world’s first three-in-one
battery solution with integrated inverter, charging and
battery-management functions. This revolutionary technology serves
as the battery’s brain, governing the smart use of battery cells.
If a cell is about to fail, Sigma Cells finds an alternative
pathway, activating the “best” cells and, in the process,
preventing downtime.
The innovative battery-management system (BMS) architecture and
operating mode deliver the inverter and charging functions by
default. In addition to freeing up space in the vehicle, the
position of the batteries is flexible. Because the system operates
with traditional grid voltage, any standard electrical outlet in
any region of the world can be used for charging.
The CEA team revisited traditional battery architectures to
create a multi-cell power supply, and deliver enhanced performance
by all three main functions: switching, charging and battery
management. The integrated charger and bidirectional system enable
fast charging directly off the grid at no additional cost. The
battery lifespan is increased by 15 percent.
“Electric-powered transportation is booming, but the industry
must solve several battery-management challenges,” said Philippe
Despesse, senior engineer at CEA-Leti. “Currently, if one cell in a
battery pack fails, it generates a fault on the whole pack. At
best, this puts the battery pack out of service until it can be
repaired. At worst, the battery is discarded. CEAswitched-cell
technology will revolutionize batteries by lengthening their
lifespans and reducing weight and size.”
In addition to powering small electronic devices, Sigma Cells
smart-battery technology meets the requirements of rapidly growing
electric-mobility markets: electric bikes, cars, buses and boats.
Production is slated to begin in September 2019.
Video: https://youtu.be/iAgnHeSf7O4
CEA (Leti & Liten) will host a ‘CEA Tech Village’ at
booth 51253 in Eureka Park
Visitors will see a battery-equipped with Sigma Cells technology
installed on an electric bike. The demonstration will allow them to
remove a battery cell to prove that the battery continues working,
because Sigma Cells has found an alternative pathway.
About CEA-Leti (France)
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