Comprehensive Analysis of Pre-Charge Sequence in Automotive Battery Systems

Electric vehicles (EV) have brought promising technologies for future mobility solutions. As one of the key components of EVs, battery systems have fundamental functions which disconnect the battery during parking and in case of failure. To provide a safe system, specialized high voltage (HV) electromechanical switches are used to perform these major functions such as switch on, switch off or pre-charging. Due to these components can be easily damaged, expensive, heavy and bulky, a solution based on pure semiconductors may be desired to accomplish these operations. Many studies were exhibited on EV battery systems regarding developing solid-state systems for HV switchgear. Developing technology on semiconductor devices allows to make a safety concept based on only solid-state components. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of pre-charge sequences between conventional and semiconductor switchgear to be used in electric vehicle battery systems. Spice simulations are presented to investigate advantages and drawbacks of these systems.