Lithium battery management system

1. A system for managing a lithium battery system having a plurality of cells comprising:

a variable-resistance element electrically connected to a cell and located proximate a portion of the cell;

a device for determining, utilizing the variable-resistance element, whether the temperature of the cell has exceeded a predetermined threshold; and

a discharge resistor selectively electrically connected to the cell and configured to drain voltage from the cell when connected thereto and effectively balance the cell voltage with other cells in the lithium battery system in the event that the device detects a cell temperature in excess of the predetermined threshold.

2. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 1 further comprising a voltmeter configured to measure the voltage across an element of the system for managing a lithium battery system.

3. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 2 wherein the device is a computer configured to reference a lookup table comprising measured voltages across the element with respect to measured temperatures, wherein the computer determines the temperature of the cell by referencing the lookup table.

4. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 1 wherein the device is configured to determine the frequency with which the cell has exceeded the predetermined threshold temperature and disconnect the cell from the lithium battery system in the event that the predetermined threshold temperature has been exceeded a predetermined number of times.

5. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 1 further comprising a switch configured to selectively electrically connect the discharge resistor to the cell and drain voltage from the cell across the discharge resistor.

6. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of cells has a variable resistance element coupled thereto and the device is configured to determine if any of the plurality of cells has a temperature that exceeds the predetermined threshold.

7. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 6 wherein the device is configured to disconnect any one of the plurality of cells from a vehicle electrical system when at least one of the plurality of cells exceeds the predetermined threshold temperature a predetermined number of times.

8. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 1 wherein the voltage of the variable-resistance element varies with temperature.

9. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 8 wherein the variable-resistance element is a thermistor.

10. The system for managing a lithium battery system of claim 1 wherein the device is configured to disconnect the lithium battery system from a vehicle electrical system when at least one of the plurality of cells exceeds the predetermined threshold.

11. A method of managing the temperature of a lithium battery system, comprising:

determining the voltage of a variable-resistance element which is electrically connected to the battery system and positioned proximate to any one of the cells in the system;

determining, utilizing the voltage of the variable-resistance element, the temperature of the cell;

determining whether the temperature of the cell has exceeded a predetermined threshold; and

balancing the cell voltage with other cells in the lithium battery system in the event the temperature of the cell has reached the predetermined threshold temperature.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

disconnecting the cell from the system in the event that the predetermined threshold temperature has been exceeded a predetermined number of times.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

draining voltage from any one of the cells via a discharge resistor selectively electrically connected to any one of the cells in the event that the predetermined threshold temperature has been exceeded.