Analysis of Thermal causes and Prevention mechanisms in EVs using ISO 26262 (Functional safety)

Abstract

Today’s generation is highly dependent on electronics and embedded systems. They have become an indispensable part of our life. We live in an era when humans and machines can interact freely like long-time friends. This connection is due to the improved and increased usage of electronics and embedded systems. One such machine is our beloved vehicle. The use of electronics has increased in automobiles to such a level that they can control the vehicle on our behalf. However, this increase in electronics has also led to a rise in injury due to hazards caused by malfunctioning devices. With the increased use of EVs, there have been increased cases of vehicle batteries catching fire. Therefore, implementing systems to mitigate such hazards has become essential to any vehicle development to prevent injury. Hazard identification and analysis are needed with back traceability to implement such measures. Due to this, IEC61508 was introduced to implement the FuSa (Functional Safety) in electrical and electronic systems. However, it was a generic standard and could not be applied directly to automobiles; therefore, in 2011, ISO 26262 was introduced for automobiles, with the second and current version published in 2018. ISO 26262 standard provides a detailed framework to achieve functional safety in any road vehicle. It provides a framework to identify the ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) level and the required safety goals to implement such safety measures at the hardware and software levels. This project details the use of ISO 26262 by referencing the Battery Management System and suggesting methods for preventing thermal runaway in a battery using the reference of ISO 26262.