APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR BALANCING BATTERY PACKS CONNECTED IN PARALLEL

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for balancing battery packs connected in parallel. If the pack voltage deviation of the first to nth battery packs is greater than the first threshold value, a battery cell having a higher voltage than the pack balancing target voltage set according to a preset criterion among the voltages of all cells is discharged to perform pack balancing for each battery pack. In addition, if the pack voltage deviation is equal to or smaller than the first threshold value, a battery cell having a higher voltage than the cell balancing target voltage set according to a preset criterion among the voltages of the cells included in a battery pack having a cell voltage deviation greater than the second threshold value is discharged to perform cell balancing for each battery pack.