Why is battery balancing important?

Battery balancing and battery balancers are crucial in optimizing multi-cell battery packs’ performance, longevity, and safety. This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricacies of battery balancing, explore various balancing techniques, and provide insights into choosing the correct battery balancer for your needs. Part 1.

What is battery cell balancing?

Battery cell balancing brings an out-of-balance battery pack back into balance and actively works to keep it balanced. Cell balancing allows for all the energy in a battery pack to be used and reduces the wear and degradation on the battery pack, maximizing battery lifespan. How long does it take to balance cells?

Why do EVs need a balanced battery pack?

In EVs, balancing ensures each cell contributes equally, enhancing range and performance. Renewable energy systems benefit from balanced battery packs by improving energy storage and reliability, while portable electronics experience extended battery life and safety.

How to balance a battery pack correctly?

needs two key things to balance a battery pack correctly: balancing circuitry and balancing algorithms. While a few methods exist to implement balancing circuitry, they all rely on balancing algorithms to know which cells to balance and when. So far, we have been assuming that the BMS knows the SoC and the amount of energy in each series cell.

What happens if a battery is out of balance?

Imbalanced cells lock away otherwise usable energy and increase battery degradation. Batteries that are out of balance cannot be fully charged or fully discharged, and the imbalance causes cells to wear and degrade at accelerated rates. This reduces both the revenue of every cycle and the lifespan of the battery.

How do I choose a battery balancer?

Selecting the appropriate battery balancer depends on several factors: Battery chemistry: Ensure compatibility with the specific battery type (e.g., lithium-ion, LiFePO4, lead-acid). Number of cells: Choose a balancer that supports the required number of cells in series. Balancing current: Consider the required balancing speed and efficiency.