Multicell balancer maximizes battery charge

The LTC3300-1 high efficiency bidirectional multicell battery balancer equalizes cell state-of-charge (SoC) in a series-connected battery stack. It maximizes battery performance by transferring charge to or from adjacent cells in order to bring mismatched cells into SoC balance within the stack. By redistributing charge throughout the stack, the device compensates for lost capacity due to the weakest cells, enabling faster charging and extending the run time and usable lifetime of the battery stack.

The bidirectional multicell battery balancer is a key component in a high performance battery management system for series-connected Li-Ion or LiFePO4 batteries. Applications such as electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid EVs and large energy storage systems using cells with mismatched capacities are no longer limited by the lowest capacity cell in the stack. The device operates as a fault-protected controller IC for transformer-based bidirectional active balancing. The part uses a non-isolated bidirectional synchronous flyback topology to balance up to six series-connected cells. Charge can be transferred between a selected cell and 12 or more adjacent cells. All balancers can operate independently and simultaneously with charge/discharge currents up to 10 A. ($5.95 ea/1,000 – available now.)