Series lithium battery pack configuration

In this blog, series and parallel configurations of lithium batteries are discussed. By configuring these several cells in series we get desired operating voltage. Also the Parallel connection of these cells increase the capacity which directly increase the total ampere-hour (Ah) rating of the battery pack.

Building a lithium battery pack requires careful planning around voltage, amp-hour capacity, and the intended application. The arrangement of cells in series or parallel determines the overall configuration. To create a 125 Ah, 12.8V battery using 25 Ah prismatic cells: Arrange the cells in a 4S5P configuration.

The four lithium-ion cells of 3.6 V connected in series will give you 14.4 V, and this configuration is called 4S because four cells are connected in series. Figure 3. Series configuration. The number of cells can be varied according to the voltage of a single cell.

When you examine a lithium battery pack, the most noticeable components are the individual cells and the circuit board. Lithium batteries are commonly built using three main types of cells: cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch cells. Each type offers unique advantages, depending on the application.

Example: Four 3000mAh cells in parallel would have a total capacity of 12000mAh (4 * 3000mAh) at the same voltage as a single cell. Many battery packs use a combination of series and parallel connections to achieve the desired voltage and capacity. For example, a 4S2P configuration would have two parallel groups of four cells in series.

This combination of cells is called a battery. Sometimes, battery packs are used in both configurations together to get the desired voltage and high capacity. This configuration is found in the laptop battery, which has four Li-ion cells of 3.6 V connected in series to get 14.4 V.