A small and low-cost capacity equalizing apparatus for equalizing the
capacities of battery blocks constituting an assembled battery, each
battery block comprising one or multiple secondary batteries and the
battery blocks being connected in series.The capacity equalizing
apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises an assembled
battery, n discharge devices and a controller. The assembled battery has
a configuration wherein n battery blocks (n is a positive integer of 2 or
more), each comprising one or multiple secondary batteries, are connected
in series. The n discharge devices, each connected across the positive
and negative electrode terminals of each of the n battery blocks,
discharge the secondary batteries inside the respective battery blocks.
The controller has a first control section to which the battery blocks
are electrically connected and a second control section electrically
insulated from the first control section. The controller individually
controls at least two of the discharge devices.