What is cell balancing?

What is cell balancing?

Battery balancing refers to using different technical means to ensure that each unit in the battery pack can be used effectively and maintain a healthy state. This includes monitoring and maintaining the state of charge (SoC) of each battery cell to prevent cell damage due to overcharging/deep discharging. The purpose of battery balancing is to extend system operation time, improve charging efficiency, and reduce battery life reduction.

What is passive cell balancing and active cell balancing?

Passive cell balancing dissipates excess charge through bleeder resistors so that all cells have approximately the same state of charge (SoC), but it does not extend system runtime. Active cell balancing is a more complex balancing technique that redistributes charge within battery cells during charge and discharge cycles, thereby increasing the total available charge in the battery pack and extending system runtime.

What is the role of active cell balancing during discharge?

During discharge, the role of active cell balancing is to redistribute charge from strong cells to weak cells to completely deplete the energy in the battery pack.