High Performance Autonomous Charge Equalization in Series Connected Batteries

In this paper, a novel balancing circuit is proposed, which is well suited to aerospace electronics, as it allows for the use of off-the-shelf radiation tolerant components. The new design was examined analytically with and without a zero-voltage switching topology. Its performance was compared to other popular battery balancing circuits. Further, an equation was derived, which can be used to estimate the time to balance. The proposed balancer circuit was evaluated using forward and several flyback transformer types, and with the use of static and dynamic testing, the design was also evaluated under fault conditions as it provides a short-circuit protection. It was determined experimentally that the proposed design achieves an efficiency of up to 84%.