What is the difference between series and parallel battery packs?

The key differences between battery packs in series and parallel involve voltage and capacity configurations. Series battery packs increase voltage while maintaining the same capacity. In contrast, parallel battery packs increase capacity while maintaining the same voltage.

What are the different types of battery pack configurations?

When we compare different battery pack configurations, we’re looking at three main types: series, parallel, and series-parallel. Each type has its unique power characteristics; series increases voltage, parallel ups the capacity, and series-parallel does a bit of both.

What is a series-parallel battery?

The series-parallel configuration can give the desired voltage and capacity in the smallest possible size. You can see two 3.6 V 3400mAh cells connected in parallel in the image below, which doubles the current capacity from 3400 mAh to 6800 mAh. Because these parallel packs are connected in series, the voltage also doubles from 3.6 V to 7.2 V.

Are batteries a and B in parallel?

Batteries A and B are in parallel. Batteries C and D are in parallel. The parallel combination A and B is in series with the parallel combination C and D. Again, the total battery pack voltage is 24 volts and that the total battery pack capacity is 40 amp-hours.

What is a battery pack in a laptop?

This combination of cells is called a battery. Sometimes battery packs are used in both configurations together to get the desired voltage and high capacity. This configuration is found in the laptop battery, which has four Li-ion cells of 3.6 V connected in series to get 14.4 V.

What is a series battery pack?

In portable electronics, series configurations enhance battery life by providing the necessary energy for devices like laptops and tablets. In summary, series battery packs are ideal for high voltage applications across electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, UPS, telecommunications, and portable electronics.