Batteries are useful for a wide range of applications, such as electric vehicles. These batteries are typically made up of many cells in combination since individual cells are low voltage and have limited capacity. However, it is important to note that cells are present with inherent differences, such as capacity or charge, discharge rates. Due to this, individual cells placed in series can be different, leading to incomplete extraction of available capacity or shorter lifespan. To help mitigate this, cell voltage balancer circuits work to equalize mismatched cell voltages. This project intends to design and manufacture a high performance single-level 8-cell charge pump based, cell voltage balancer PCB, and to perform testing on multi-level balancer structures.

Power electronics is an extremely exciting field, and participating in SuperUROP would give me the opportunity to gain experience through hands-on research. I look forward to applying circuit design knowledge gained through coursework and extracurriculars. By the end of the program, I hope to become a better engineer and researcher.