Michael Ross via EV wrote:
There are probably no definitive limits to either battery balancer or BMS... But we call a series of batteries a battery just to be imprecise.
There is *definitely* no standard terminology. Sellers take Humpty Dumpty's advice -- "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less." :-)
Researchers are careful to define their terms. But the general public (and hobby EVers) are pretty loose with their terminology. Terms like battery, cell, volts, amps, amphours, watts, watthours, BMS etc. are misused all the time.
To me a BMS also manages charge and discharge cut off, as well as balancing. I suppose it could also have a built in charger, but that is not what I think when someone says, "that there BMS." There are notification and warning functions, value readouts, etc. that could also be in a system. A battery balancer that does none of these other things is still a battery balancer to me, but wouldn't be a BMS. There should probably be a "cell balancer," and BMS.
There are *many* things that should be monitored and managed in a complex battery system with many cells. Some are important (safety)! Others less so (range, life). There are also economic factors, and driver interest (or indifference).
A modern ICE is a very complex piece of machinery. A huge number of things need to be monitored and controlled to make it work right. But people are used to all this being hidden, and handled by computers. All the driver is left with is a "check engine" light.
Consumers tend to look at batteries the same way. They want to ignore all that stuff about voltages, currents, amphours, temperatures, balance between cells, etc. Buy a "magic black box" that hides it all.
There are lots of people only too happy to provide such a "black box" solution. The problem is that you won't *know* if it works (until it's too late).
If the previous owner of your car defeated the "check engine" light, how long before you notice that it's out of oil or antifreeze? And what shape will the engine be in when you *do* find out?
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