Will lithium iron phosphate batteries automatically balance

Do LiFePO4 batteries need balancing?

This is often referred to as the "barrel effect"—the idea that the overall capacity is limited by the weakest link. To optimize the performance and safety of your LiFePO4 battery pack, balancing is not just recommended—it’s necessary. There are two primary methods for balancing LiFePO4 batteries: top balancing and bottom balancing.

Why does a LiFePO4 battery need a balanced discharge profile?

Additionally, continuously charging and discharging an imbalanced battery will exacerbate this over time. The relatively linear discharge profile of LiFePO4 cells makes it increasingly important that all cells are matched and balanced – the greater the difference between the cell voltages, the lower the obtainable capacity.

Why do lithium ion batteries have a BMS?

Because lithium-ion batteries incorporate a BMS which protects the cells from unsafe voltage, current and temperature, the battery will not enter these conditions. Due to these hard stops in the BMS, performance will suffer and overall effective pack capacity will be reduced corresponding to the level of imbalance if nothing is done.

Why do batteries need a balancing circuit?

The theory is that balanced cells all discharge at the same rate, and therefore cut-off at the same voltage every time. This isn’t always true, so having a balancing circuit (or PCM/BMS) ensures that upon charging, the battery cells can be fully balanced to maintain the battery’s design capacity and to become fully charged.

Are lithium ion batteries safe?

And secondary reactions within a lithium-ion battery, including LFP, use active material within the battery, which is unrecoverable and poses safety risks. Because lithium-ion batteries incorporate a BMS which protects the cells from unsafe voltage, current and temperature, the battery will not enter these conditions.

What happens if a LiFePO4 battery is unbalanced?

In LiFePO4 batteries, as soon as the cell with the lowest voltage hits the discharge voltage cut off designated by the BMS or PCM, it will shut down the entire battery. If the cells were unbalanced during discharge, this may mean that some cells have unused energy and that the battery isn’t truly “empty”.