Reducing battery-related breakdowns with Conti intelligent sensor

Breakdown statistics collected by Germany motorists’ organisation ADAC indicate that its crews were called out to 2.6 million breakdowns last year. In almost one-third of these cases, motorists summoned the ADAC because their car simply failed to start due to a flat or defective battery. Battery-related problems are the single most common cause of breakdowns, and have been so for a number of years now. But in future, vehicles will be able to identify a low battery and report this to drivers via a smartphone app.

Modern cars bristle with electronic components that take care of safety, efficiency and comfort, and the demands placed upon batteries are significant. Since 2008, automotive supplier Continental has manufactured a small sensor that can provide assistance – the Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS). “About the size of a matchbox, our intelligent battery sensor monitors critical parameters,” elaborates Dr. Lutz Kühnke, head of the Advanced Sensors & Satellites (ASAT) segment of the Continental Chassis & Safety Division. “It can be used in combination with any standard battery, which means we can greatly reduce the number of battery-related breakdowns, despite the rising number of electrical components at work in the electrical system.”

The IBS provides information on key parameters such as the battery’s state-of-charge, state-of-function (power ability) and state-of-health (aging). The sensor is particularly essential to the reliable operation of automotive start-stop systems. The IBS informs a higher level control unit, such as the engine control unit, whether there is sufficient energy left in the battery, ensuring the engine can be automatically shut off and cranked again. It also supports the continued operation of electrical devices such as the radio or the ventilation fan during the stop phase.

Compatible with standard batteries

The unit is mounted directly onto the battery and fits exactly into the niche around the negative terminal. This means it can be deployed with any standard battery. In addition to being able to monitor the battery, the IBS also helps to detect defective electronic components in the car, thanks to its monitoring of the key-off current. The sensor enhances the car’s diagnostic ability and can thus warn of possible breakdowns that may not even be caused by the battery. Moreover, the IBS helps extend battery life by 10 to 20 per cent via an improved charging strategy.

Engineers at Continental are working on a high-voltage current sensor for the lithium-ion high-voltage batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles. “Whereas a battery in a car with an internal combustion engine is relatively inexpensive, it can easily account for one-fourth of the cost of an electric vehicle,” says Dr. Bernhard Klumpp, executive vice-president of the Passive Safety & Sensorics Business Unit of the Continental Chassis & Safety Division. “Permanent monitoring and optimisation of battery life is therefore a must. Our high-voltage current sensor represents a ready-made solution. By measuring the current exactly, it provides information on the charge level and protects the battery, thanks to a separate overcurrent monitoring.” 

Fewer breakdowns thanks to intelligent networking

As cars become increasingly linked, both internally and with their surroundings, drivers will experience fewer and fewer breakdowns. Vehicles will be able to recognise more and more defects themselves and will report those defects to drivers in timely fashion – via the instrument cluster or via an app on a smartphone. Drivers can then make an appointment directly with a garage and the garage can make sure that the necessary spare parts are on hand. The end result is fewer frazzled nerves and greater safety on the road.