technologies
Review
Review of Battery Management Systems (BMS) Development
and Industrial Standards
Hossam A. Gabbar * , Ahmed M. Othman and Muhammad R. Abdussami
Citation: Gabbar, H.A.; Othman,
A.M.; Abdussami, M.R. Review of
Battery Management Systems (BMS)
Development and Industrial
Standards. Technologies 2021, 9, 28.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
technologies9020028
Academic Editor: Manoj Gupta
Received: 15 March 2021
Accepted: 9 April 2021
Published: 11 April 2021
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional affil-
iations.
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology,
Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5, Canada; ahmed_othman80@yahoo.com (A.M.O.);
mdrafiul.abdussami@ontariotechu.net (M.R.A.)
* Correspondence: Hossam.gaber@uoit.ca
Abstract: The evolving global landscape for electrical distribution and use created a need area for
energy storage systems (ESS), making them among the fastest growing electrical power system
products. A key element in any energy storage system is the capability to monitor, control, and
optimize performance of an individual or multiple battery modules in an energy storage system and
the ability to control the disconnection of the module(s) from the system in the event of abnormal
conditions. This management scheme is known as “battery management system (BMS)”, which
is one of the essential units in electrical equipment. BMS reacts with external events, as well with
as an internal event. It is used to improve the battery performance with proper safety measures
within a system. Therefore, a safe BMS is the prerequisite for operating an electrical system. This
report analyzes the details of BMS for electric transportation and large-scale (stationary) energy
storage. The analysis includes different aspects of BMS covering testing, component, functionalities,
topology, operation, architecture, and BMS safety aspects. Additionally, current related standards
and codes related to BMS are also reviewed. The report investigates BMS safety aspects, battery
technology, regulation needs, and offer recommendations. It further studies current gaps in respect
to the safety requirements and performance requirements of BMS by focusing mainly on the electric
transportation and stationary application. The report further provides a framework for developing
a new standard on BMS, especially on BMS safety and operational risk. In conclusion, four main
areas of (1) BMS construction, (2) Operation Parameters, (3) BMS Integration, and (4) Installation for
improvement of BMS safety and performance are identified, and detailed recommendations were
provided for each area. It is recommended that a technical review of the BMS be performed for
transportation electrification and large-scale (stationary) applications. A comprehensive evaluation
of the components, architectures, and safety risks applicable to BMS operation is also presented.
Keywords: energy storage safety; control
1. Introduction
The electrical power system is one of the only supply networks where the product—
electricity—is consumed instantaneously after it is generated. It is mainly because a
safe and reliable means to store electrical energy has been missing. The evolving global
landscape for electrical distribution and use created a need for energy storage systems
(ESSs), making them among the fastest-growing electrical power system products.
The maturity of electrical energy storage technologies can be divided into three cate-
gories: deployed, demonstrated, and early-stage technologies. Pumped hydro, compressed
air energy storage, battery, and flywheel are examples of the deployed electric energy
storage system. The demonstrated energy storage technologies include flow batteries
and advanced Pb-acid, superconducting magnetic energy storage, and electrochemical
capacitor. The early stage energy storage technologies are adiabatic compressed air energy
storage (CAES), hydrogen, and synthetic natural gas. Among all the above-mentioned
technologies, batteries and capacitors are susceptible to risks and safety issues [1].
Technologies 2021, 9, 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies9020028 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/technologies