Charge equalization for series-connected battery strings has important rami
fications on battery life, It enhances the uniformity of the battery cells
and, hence, improves the life of the battery as a whole. A new charge equal
ization technique for a series string of battery cells has been recently pr
oposed by the authors. The basic technique utilizes a simple isolated de-to
-de converter with a capacitive output filter along with a multiwinding tra
nsformer. The possibility of integrating the trickle charge function with t
he charge equalization function is potentially very attractive, as it can l
ead to an efficient and low-cost implementation.