Without balancing, when one cell in a pack reaches its upper voltage limit during charging, the monitoring circuit signals the control system to stop charging, leaving the pack undercharged.
Why is a lithium battery pack designed with multiple cells in series?
Contributed Commentary by Anton Beck, Battery Product Manager, Epec When a lithium battery pack is designed using multiple cells in series, it is very important to design the electronic features to continually balance the cell voltages. This is not only for the performance of the battery pack, but also for optimal life cycles.
Battery balance is an important function of BMS. And every lithium ion battery pack has its own BMS. Thus battery balancing is necessary. For other kinds of battery packs, battery balance is a great way to prevent them from overcharging and over-discharging.
What is battery balance?
The meaning of battery balance is to keep the voltage of the lithium-ion battery cell or the voltage deviation of the battery pack within the expected range. So as to ensure that each battery cell remains in the same state during normal use, in order to avoid overcharging and over-discharging.
The BMS compares the voltage differences between cells to a predefined threshold voltage, if the voltage difference exceeds the predetermined threshold, it initiates cell balancing, cells with lower voltage within the battery pack are charged using energy from cells with higher voltage (Diao et al., 2018).
What is a lithium ion battery?
With the advancement of EV technologies, lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology has emerged as the most prominent electro-chemical battery in terms of high specific energy and specific power. The Li-ion battery pack is made up of cells that are connected in series and parallel to meet the voltage and power requirements of the EV system.
However, like any battery, LiFePO4 cells need to be balanced to ensure optimal performance and longevity. Balancing is the process of equalizing the voltage and state of charge (SOC) of each cell in a battery pack. This prevents overcharging or undercharging of individual cells, which can cause damage, reduce capacity, and shorten lifespan.