Abstract: A battery cell holder that may be used to form interconnection of cells in series and/or parallel arrangements. The cell holder includes slots for receiving battery cells, conductive apertures within the slots for attaching a conductor to the cells, and a hinge. The cell holder is foldable about the hinge and includes a keying system that allows multiple cell holders to be interconnected to form battery packs of multiple sizes and arrangements.

Abstract: A method and/or system for charge balancing across one or more modules or cells of a large battery system is described. In one embodiment to balance the modules, the battery management system may monitor the voltage output of the one or more modules of the battery system during recharging of the modules and compare the measured voltages to a set cutoff voltage. When one or more of the modules meets or exceeds the cutoff voltage, the battery system may activate an energy dissipating device associated with the one or more modules that meets or exceeds the cutoff voltage to reduce the voltage output from those modules below the cutoff voltage before the recharging signal is reapplied to the modules. Through multiple iterations of monitoring, charging and reducing the energy from the modules above the target, the SOC of each modules becomes balanced near or at the cutoff voltage.

Abstract: A battery cell holder that may be used to form interconnection of cells in series and/or parallel arrangements. The cell holder includes slots for receiving battery cells, conductive apertures within the slots for attaching a conductor to the cells, and a hinge. The cell holder is foldable about the hinge and includes a keying system that allows multiple cell holders to be interconnected to form battery packs of multiple sizes and arrangements.

Abstract: A battery cell holder that may be used to form interconnection of cells in series and/or parallel arrangements. The cell holder includes slots for receiving battery cells, conductive apertures within the slots for attaching a conductor to the cells, and a hinge. The cell holder is foldable about the hinge and includes a keying system that allows multiple cell holders to be interconnected to form battery packs of multiple sizes and arrangements.

Abstract: A bidirectional inverter-charger includes a first stage receiving or delivering energy from a line or to a load. The first stage including at least one inductor coupled with a split phase bridge. A link storage is connected between rails of a first bus and between the first stage and a second stage. The second stage includes a DC-to-DC converter connectable to a battery. The DC-to-DC converter includes a transformer providing galvanic isolation between a second bridge, connected between the rails of the first bus, and a third bridge connected between the rails of a second bus. In operation, the first stage provides power factor correction and a voltage boost while charging the battery and inverting when providing power to the line or the load. The second stage provides a controllable charge current to the battery and a voltage boost of a voltage of the battery to the link storage.

Abstract: An active balancing and battery charging system for a battery including a plurality of packs made up of cells. An H-bridge circuit having a nominal system voltage as an input generates a square wave output to a plurality of step-down transformers each associated with a pack, where the plurality of step-down transformers provide an active balancing voltage of about the nominal pack voltage. Each pack may include a balancing transformer including a common primary coil receiving the active balancing voltage from the associated step-down transformer or the pack itself. The balancing transformer also includes a plurality of secondary coils each associated with the respective plurality of cells of the pack. A voltage induced in the secondary coils causes a discrete charge current to flow to any cells in the pack that are undercharged relative to other cells.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve a charging system that provides a consistent specified charge power to a battery. Aspects of the disclosure also involve a bi-directional inverter charger system using boost and buck topologies substantially similar to buck and boost topologies for the charging system.

Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide a battery unit having a first plurality of cells oriented in a first direction and a second plurality of cells oriented in a second direction. The first plurality of cells have a corresponding first plurality of terminals with a first polarity, and the second plurality of cells have a corresponding second plurality of terminals having a second polarity that is an opposite polarity of the first polarity. A conducting surface electrically connects the first and second pluralities of terminals and has a plurality of fuses, each fuse associated with one of the second plurality of terminals. Each fuse has an elongated perforation defining an enclosed surface having a resistive aperture. In general, each resistive aperture is oriented relative to resistive apertures of at least one adjacent fuse such that a substantially even current path is provided to each of the second plurality of terminals.

Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide a battery unit having a first plurality of cells oriented in a first direction and a second plurality of cells oriented in a second direction. The first plurality of cells have a corresponding first plurality of terminals with a first polarity, and the second plurality of cells have a corresponding second plurality of terminals having a second polarity that is an opposite polarity of the first polarity. A conducting surface electrically connects the first and second pluralities of terminals and has a plurality of fuses, each fuse associated with one of the second plurality of terminals. Each fuse has an elongated perforation defining an enclosed surface having a resistive aperture. In general, each resistive aperture is oriented relative to resistive apertures of at least one adjacent fuse such that a substantially even current path is provided to each of the second plurality of terminals.

Abstract: An active balancing and battery charging system for a battery including a plurality of packs made up of cells. An H-bridge circuit having a nominal system voltage as an input generates a square wave output to a plurality of step-down transformers each associated with a pack, where the plurality of step-down transformers provide an active balancing voltage of about the nominal pack voltage. Each pack may include a balancing transformer including a common primary coil receiving the active balancing voltage from the associated step-down transformer or the pack itself. The balancing transformer also includes a plurality of secondary coils each associated with the respective plurality of cells of the pack. A voltage induced in the secondary coils causes a discrete charge current to flow to any cells in the pack that are undercharged relative to other cells.

Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure involve a method and/or system for charge balancing across one or more modules or cells of a large battery system. In one embodiment to balance the modules, the battery management system may monitor the voltage output of the one or more modules of the battery system during recharging of the modules and compare the measured voltages to a set cutoff voltage. When one or more of the modules meets or exceeds the cutoff voltage, the battery system may activate an energy dissipating device associated with the one or more modules that meets or exceeds the cutoff voltage to reduce the voltage output from those modules below the cutoff voltage before the recharging signal is reapplied to the modules. Through multiple iterations of monitoring, charging and reducing the energy from the modules above the target, the SOC of each module becomes balanced near or at the cutoff voltage.

Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure involve a battery management architecture for a battery system involving a plurality of connected power units. In general, the BMS comprises one or more management sub-controllers connected serially to a master controller associated with the powered device. Each of the one or more management sub-controllers may be associated with a power unit of the battery, with each power unit included one or more battery modules or battery cells. Each of the one or more management sub-controllers in the BMS share a communication link to provide and receive information and instructions associated with the battery system. In general, the BMS of the present disclosure provides flexibility and modularity to the architecture of battery systems for customization of the battery system for a variety of uses and environments.