Passive cell balancing means equalizing the state of charge of each cell by wasting or dissipating energy through a resistor. In passive cell balancing, each cell state of charge value will be brought to the one cell value which has a low state of charge.
Cell balancing is a technique that improves battery life by maximizing the capacity of a battery pack with multiple cells in series, ensuring that all of its energy is available for use. A cell balancer or regulator is a functionality in a battery management system that performs cell balancing often found in lithium-ion battery packs electric vehicles and ESS applications.
Typically, individual cells of a battery pack have different capacities and are at different SOC levels. Without redistribution, discharging must stop when the cell with the lowest capacity is empty, even though the other cells are still not empty. This limits the energy delivering capability of the battery pack.