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HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA - Rixbecker Str. 75 - 59552 Lippstadt - GermanyPh. + 49 2941 38-0 - Web: www.hella.com/caravan

In early 2017, the lighting and electronics specialist HELLA laun-ched its second generation of intelligent battery sensors (IBS)specially for the recreational vehicle sector (caravan and motor-homes). HELLA product manager Przemyslaw Draus explains inan interview why intelligent battery sensors are important andwhat the new generation can do.

Energy management in modernmotorhomes

Peter Wagner (Sales Leisure Vehicles HELLA) and Przemyslaw Draus

(Product Management HELLA)

HELLA is an automotive supplier forlighting and electronics products. Whydoes the company offer specialized pro-ducts for caravans?HELLA has always applied its expertise andtested technologies from the automotiveindustry to other areas, intelligent batterysensors are an excellent example.More than ten years ago, wedeveloped the first device forpassenger cars to manage theelectricity flow within vehicles in amore stable and reliable way. Thesame requirement is of course alsoimportant for caravans and motorhomes.Our developers therefore worked onenabling this technology for thesetypes of vehicle. They were successfuland since 2009 the sensor has providedoptimal energy management. Battery mana-

gement was additionally extended to theliving space of recreational vehicles.

Why is an intelligent battery sensorimportant?Especially for caravans and motorhomes,expectations regarding comfort are conti-nuously rising. Interior lighting, television,refrigerator and other electrical appliances

must be reliably supplied at all times.Add to this ever-higher power consum-

ption due to air conditioningor stereo systems orelectrically adjusta-ble satellite systemson the roof as well

as caravan parkingsystems. These additional

electrical loads have become atrue test for the battery. Against this back-

drop, intelligent battery sensors are necessa-ry elements of energy management. Thanksto the sensor information, the driver will beable to keep an eye on energy storage andcan recognize and turn off unnecessary ener-gy consumption before the battery has beenharmed due to exhaustive discharge, orenergy supply to electric devices can no lon-ger be secured. Thanks to the data capture,motorhome rental companies are also ableto determine the cause of battery damageearly.

In early 2017, HELLA launched thesecond generation of intelligent batterysensors. Why?We further developed our battery sensorsoftware and hardware due to the everhigher RV industry expectations. The result: itis now possible to up the standard capacity.

Words Giorgio Carpi

Instead of 250 Ah, the sensor cannow be configured for up to

500 Ah. It is addi-tionally equip-ped with state-

of-the-art techno-logy from thea u t o m o t i v eindustry. It ena-bles users to

determine the char-ge status and aging of consu-

mer and starter batteries even more precise-ly. The compact design is a further decisiveadvantage.

Why is that important?Very simple: it allows customers to easilymount the sensor to batteries even in smallspaces, for example underneath the driver’sseat or in lockers underneath the floor.However, it is important to note that the sen-sor cannot simply be retrofitted in existingsystems. The original equipment manufactu-rer has to do that.

Where exactly do you install the sensor? The intelligent battery sensor is mounteddirectly to the battery's negative pole using apole terminal. It is thus directly integratedinto the power circuit. There, the sensorreliably and accurately measures the keyvalues of 'Voltage', 'Ampere' and

'Temperature' and uses these to calculate thestate of charge (SOC) and battery aging(SOH). If the starter battery is monitored aswell, the sensor is also capable of calculatingthe expected starting ability (SOF) of theengine.

And what makes it so "intelligent"? The intelligence is the software algorithmsdeveloped by HELLA that have been establi-shed and verified in the automotive field overmany years. Simply put: the measured valuesare being continuously fed into our proprie-tary algorithms in real time. This allows relia-ble and more exact conclusions on how thebattery will behave under stress and whetherit may become inoperable in the foreseeablefuture. Thanks to the ability to adjust theintelligent battery sensor for various batterytypes typically used in the RV segment, it ispossible to achieve extremely good measure-ment accuracy. All intelligent battery sensorsintegrate with HELLA’s tried-and-tested CIbus interface, which is increasingly becomingthe standard in the RV segment. This com-munication interface can be used, for exam-ple, to convey the battery’s charge status tothe charging system, which, if necessary,switches on automatically, or adjusts thecharging behavior accordingly. This enablesmore efficient and quicker battery charging.

Which customers are already using theintelligent battery sensor?The intelligent battery sensor is already inwidespread use in Europe and customers inthe USA increasingly recognize the advanta-ges of optimal battery management. Thiswas shown by the successful feedback to ourfirst meetings with American RV customersand system suppliers. We are looking for-ward to the upcoming RVIA National RVTrade Show in Louisville, where we will pre-sent in detail our intelligent battery sensor.

Visit HELLA at the RVIA National RVTrade SHOW in Louisville, Kentucky,from November 27 - 30, 2017 (Standnumber 833).

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Contacts:Global Director Sales RV: Franco Ricchiuto - Franco.Ricchiuto@hella.com

Technical data: Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS)12 V Generation II► Operating voltage: 6 – 16.5 V► Permanent load current1: ± 200 A► Maximum current²: 2,000 A► Protection class: IP 6K7► Operating current: ≤ 15 mA► Max. battery capacity: 500 Ah► Operating temperature: -40 °C to +115 °C

► Threaded bolt, ground connection: M6► Output signal: LIN (2.0) or higher

Typical condition: Ta ≤ 105 °C; Ub = 14 VTypical ground cable: 35 mm²Other load configurations on request.

Approved for maximum 500 ms.

HELLA is a global, family-owned company, listed on the stock exchan-ge, employing over 38,000 people at more than 125 locations in

some 35 countries. The HELLA Group develops and manufactures pro-ducts for lighting technology and electronics for the automotive industryand also has one of the largest retail organizations for automotive parts,accessories, diagnostics, and services within Europe. With some 7,000 peo-ple working in research and development, HELLA is one of the mostimportant innovation drivers on the market. Furthermore, with sales of6.6 billion euros in the fiscal year of 2016/2017, the HELLA Group is one ofthe top 40 automotive parts suppliers in the world and one of the 100 lar-gest German industrial companies.

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