Design considerations for charge equalization of an electric vehicle battery system

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.