Technique determines battery state of charge in real time

‘This improved accuracy will… give us additional insight into the dynamics of the battery, which we can use to develop techniques that will lead to more efficient battery management. This will not only extend the life of the charge in the battery, but extend the functional life of the battery itself,’ said Dr Mo-Yuen Chow, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper detailing the research.

At present, it is difficult to determine how much charge a battery has left. Existing computer models for estimating the remaining charge are not very accurate. The inaccuracy stems, in part, from the number of variables that must be plugged in to the models. For example, the capacity of a battery to hold a charge declines with use, so a battery’s history is a factor. Other factors include temperature and the rate at which a battery is charged, among others.