A three-port bidirectional modular circuit for Li-Ion battery strings charge/discharge equalization applications

In this paper, a three-port bidirectional modular circuit applied in charging and discharging equalization for lithium-ion battery strings is proposed. This circuit consists of four MOSFETs and one transformer which provide a simple structure to be easily modularized. Compared to conventional individual cell equalization schemes, it utilizes the transformer as the energy transfer element, allowing direct transfer of energy between arbitrary two cells of three-cell battery module, thus improving the equalization efficiency significantly by using much less number of equalizers for long battery strings. Simulation results are presented to validate the circuit operation and confirm its capability to equalize the three-cell battery module.