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		Johnson Controls creates a battery system that thinks for itself Watch the Power with PowerWatch Everything is going green. From ecological initiatives in the home to recycling in the office and more ecologically friendly solutions on the road, America’s environmental consciousness has increased significantly. And while an environmental focus requires new ways of thinking, it also requires new technologies.

Take for example, the automotive battery. In most cars with an internal combustion engine, the battery serves a limited purpose. It helps start the car through the ignition and helps power the lights and ancillary electronic components. Pretty simple.

A Different Sort of Need
In a hybrid electric vehicle, however, the battery plays a direct role in the continuous operation, feeding energy to the vehicle’s powertrain when the combustion engine is disengaged. In fact, with hybrid electric vehicles an engine computer oversees operations, determining when the combustion engine should fire and when the electric power should take over. That sort of energy diversity demands sophisticated battery control subsystems that must communicate effectively with the vehicle powertrain computers.
To that end, Johnson Controls has developed a battery management system, or BMS, that can “think” for itself. The system communicates with the battery and vehicle powertrain controller, tracking energy needs to determine when and how much battery energy is needed throughout the car during operation.

A Better Battery
The PowerWatch™ System offers significant enhancements in vehicle performance because it can gauge when power is needed. This helps in amping up fuel economy while reducing harmful vehicle emissions. That’s because the system switches off the charging load to the alternator when the battery doesn’t need charging, reducing emissions by as much as 1 percent to 2 percent.
The “thinking” system also gauges when the engine needs to keep running. For example, a hybrid engine typically shuts down when the car comes to a stop or is idling for a time, saving fuel. But with PowerWatch, the system will keep the engine powered up if there isn’t a sufficient charge to restart the car. The system also notifies the driver in advance when the battery needs to be replaced. That’s smart thinking, indeed.