How to Simulate a Battery Cell Model with the CMDE Add-on

Simulating battery cells allows engineers to test and validate battery management system (BMS) algorithms without the need for physical batteries. This ensures that communication, safety functions, cell balancing, and fault monitoring algorithms work as expected. Simulated cells enable researchers to explore different battery chemistries without physically manufacturing each variant, accelerating the discovery of optimal compositions and materials.

VeriStand provides the necessary features to build battery cell models, load them into the VeriStand System Definition, map cell model channels to and from the emulated device channels, and finally execute the solution. These battery cell models execute on the CPU of the real time target, while the cell monitoring device is emulated on the FPGA. This guide provides an overview of the model creation process.

Cell Model Creation

1. Choose Environment

   • Review the VeriStand documentation for Integrating and Executing Models and select the desired model development environment. MathWorks Simulink is commonly used.

2. Evaluate Requirements

   • Determine the application requirements:

     • Identify the total number of cells to be simulated.

     • Identify the data to be transmitted between each cell and its corresponding cell monitoring device. Refer to the Device documentation for a comprehensive list of supported data channels.

3. Plan Model Structure

   • Applications containing many simulated cells may require the cells to be divided among multiple models to optimize CPU performance.

   • Ensure that groups of cells interfacing with the same cell monitoring device are contained within the same model.

   • Be prepared for some trial and error to find the optimal configuration for CPU performance. Contact OPAL-RT Support if necessary.

4. Write Model

   • Create the cell model(s) in the chosen environment. Although there are no standard models for battery cells, model generation environments like Simulink often provide many required components.

   • Add inputs and outputs to exchange data with the emulated cell monitoring devices. Model inputs and outputs will later be mapped to device channels in VeriStand.

5. Compile Model

   • Compile the model(s) for the Linux platform. Refer to Integrating and Executing Models and its supporting documents for information about compiling models in your chosen model development environment.

Project Configuration

1. Add Model

   • Add the compiled models to the VeriStand project. Refer to Adding and Configuring a Model for detailed instructions.

2. Map Signals

   • In the VeriStand Editor, use the Mapping Diagram to connect signals between the cell models and the cell monitoring devices.

Open

3. Create User Interface

   • The data mapped to the input and output channels of each emulated cell monitoring device can come from a CPU model or from a VeriStand Screen. Certain channel values may not need to come from a cell model. In this case, these channels can be mapped to the UI for the user to manipulate or view during the execution of the project.