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 does battery balancing work?

The solution is battery balancing, or moving energy between cells to level them at the same SoC. In the above example, balancing would raise the cell at 90% SoC to match the other cells at 100% SoC. Thus, the previously locked-away energy is recovered, returning the pack to its nameplate capacity.

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 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?

What is a battery energy storage system?

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) stabilize the electrical grid, ensuring a steady flow of power to homes and businesses regardless of fluctuations from varied energy sources or other disruptions. However, fires at some BESS installations have caused concern in communities considering BESS as a method to support their grids.

What does unbalanced battery pack mean?

This unbalanced pack means that every cycle delivers 10% less than the nameplate capacity, locking away the capacity you paid for and increasing degradation on every cell. The solution is battery balancing, or moving energy between cells to level them at the same SoC.