Abstract: In order to ensure safe and reliable disconnection of charging cables from electric vehicles during occurrence of error conditions preventing normal disengagement of such charging cables, the systems and methods disclosed herein provide a vehicle charging system including a system controller configured to present via a display a user-selectable manual disconnection option when the vehicle is not receiving a charging current, receive an indication of a user selection of the manual disconnection option, and control a charge controller of the vehicle charging system to reset in order to terminate any charging session and to disengage the charging cable. In some embodiments, the charge controller may be configured or controlled to send a session termination signal to a vehicle charge controller of the vehicle either before resetting or as part of a startup process.

Abstract: Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for: (i) preventing damage to a battery of an EV charging station, and (ii) maintaining fast charging of the battery of the EV charging station. An EV charging station controller determines if an input power to the EV charging station is above an input power threshold value, and, if so, determines if a charge level of the battery of the EV charging station is below a low charge threshold level. If the charge level is below the low charge threshold level, a portion of the input power may be reserved for the battery of the EV charging station.

Abstract: In order to provide power for non-charging loads located at charging sites, the systems and methods disclosed herein provide for controlling electric vehicle charging stations to provide alternating current (AC) power to the non-charging loads from power stored in their batteries. One or more charging stations are configured to charge their batteries from an AC power source that also powers a non-charging load at the charging site. Each charging station includes a battery, a bidirectional inverter, and a system controller configured to determine occurrence of a triggering condition associated with availability of the AC power source and to control the bidirectional inverter to convert a direct current (DC) power from the battery into an AC output current to provide to the non-charging load via a local AC circuit at the charging site. The non-charging load may thus be powered without drawing power from the AC power source.

Abstract: In order to ensure reliable power for charging electric vehicles is available at each charging station at a charging site having multiple charging stations, the systems and methods disclosed herein provide for charge transfers between batteries of such charging stations. A plurality of charging stations at a charging site are connected via a direct current (DC) bus in order to transfer energy between the charging stations, such as to balance the energy stored at the respective batteries of the charging stations. Each charging station includes a system controller controlling operation of the charging station and a DC bus connection to provide DC current from the battery to the DC bus and to provide DC current from the DC bus to the battery, as controlled by the system controller. A centralized management system may also communicate with and control aspects of operation of the respective system controllers of the charging stations.

Abstract: In order to ensure reliable power for charging electric vehicles is available at each charging station at a charging site having multiple charging stations, the systems and methods disclosed herein provide for charge transfers between batteries of such charging stations. A plurality of charging stations at a charging site are connected via local alternating current (AC) circuit in order to transfer energy between the charging stations, such as to balance the energy stored at the respective batteries of the charging stations. Each charging station includes a system controller controlling operation of the charging station and a bidirectional inverter to convert AC input power from a power grid or the local AC circuit to direct current (DC) power for storage in a battery of the charging station and to convert DC power from the battery to AC output power to the local AC circuit, as controlled by the system controller.

Abstract: Controlling a charging current while transferring energy from a source battery to a target battery in an electric vehicle (EV) includes operating, by control circuitry, a buck converter at a fixed switching frequency to transfer power from the source battery to the target battery, in a first operational mode; in response to detecting a first trigger event, transitioning from the first operational mode to a second operational mode to operate the buck converter at a variable switching frequency; and in response to detecting a second trigger event, transitioning to a third operational mode to activate a boost converter coupled to the source battery and the target battery.

Abstract: An electric vehicle (EV) charging system is described herein. The EV charging system may be configured to determine if a component in the EV charging system is operating properly based upon current usage. For example, an EV charging station controller may measure a current corresponding to an input to an EV charging station. The EV charging station controller may further measure currents of reference components in the EV charging station, and then use the measured currents to determine if a component in the EV charging station is operating properly. In some examples, the component is a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) component in an EV charging station because it is particularly useful to know the operational status of an HVAC in EV charging systems (e.g., to ensure that the components charging the EV are the correct temperature).

Abstract: In order to ensure continued charging of electric vehicles when a charging station is not currently received an input power from an external power source, the systems and methods disclosed herein provide for operation of the charging station in a resilient operating mode in which an operating current is derived from a charge previously stored in a battery of the charging station. The operating current is produced by a resilient power subsystem within the charging station using the stored charge and is provided by the resilient power subsystem to one or more system components within the charging station in order to enable continued operation of the charging station, including enabling continuing vehicle charging during a time interval in which the charging station is not receiving input power from an external power source.

Abstract: In order to ensure continued charging of electric vehicles when a charging station is not currently received an input power from an external power source, the systems and methods disclosed herein provide for operation of the charging station in a resilient operating mode in which an operating current is derived from a charge previously stored in a battery of the charging station. The operating current is produced by a resilient power subsystem within the charging station using the stored charge and is provided by the resilient power subsystem to one or more system components within the charging station in order to enable continued operation of the charging station, including enabling continuing vehicle charging during a time interval in which the charging station is not receiving input power from an external power source.

Abstract: A vehicle charging apparatus is described herein, which may include a battery pack comprising a plurality of individual batteries, a power input port receiving electrical power at a first wattage, an AC-to-DC conversion circuit configured to provide DC power to charge groups of batteries in the plurality of individual batteries, a power conversion circuit configured to condition a DC output of at least one group of batteries to provide a charging current output to a vehicle via a coupling, and a processing circuit configured to control the power conversion circuit to provide the charging current at a second wattage greater than the first wattage. The first wattage may be actively or inherently limited to a level less than the second wattage in order to provide fast DC charging with a limited power input.

Abstract: Integrated devices comprising integrated circuits and energy storage devices are described. Disclosed energy storage devices correspond to an all-solid-state construction, and do not include any gels, liquids, or other materials that are incompatible with microfabrication techniques. Disclosed energy storage device comprises energy storage cells with electrodes comprising metal-containing compositions, like metal oxides, metal nitrides, or metal hydrides, and a solid state electrolyte.

Abstract: Energy conversion systems that may employ control grid electrodes, acceleration grid electrodes, inductive elements, multi-stage anodes, and emissive carbon coatings on the cathode and anode are described. These and other characteristics may allow for advantageous thermal energy to electrical energy conversion.

Abstract: Integrated devices comprising integrated circuits and energy storage devices are described. Disclosed energy storage devices correspond to an all-solid-state construction, and do not include any gels, liquids, or other materials that are incompatible with microfabrication techniques. Disclosed energy storage device comprises energy storage cells with electrodes comprising metal-containing compositions, like metal oxides, metal nitrides, or metal hydrides, and a solid state electrolyte.

Abstract: Thermionic generators are described herein that include a variety of features that allow the devices to efficiently and effectively convert large amounts of thermal energy directly to electrical energy, such as in the form of currents and/or voltages. For example, the thermionic generators can be used to generate an electron beam from a thermionic emission device, and focus or shape the electron beam in such a way that allows the energy of electrons in the electron beam to be captured and converted to electrical energy.

Abstract: Described are energy storage devices employing a gas storage structure, which can accommodate or store gas evolved from the energy storage device. The energy storage device comprises an electrochemical cell with electrodes comprising metal-containing compositions, like metal oxides, metal nitrides, or metal hydrides, and a solid state electrolyte.

Abstract: A housing for portable chargers includes a frame, at least one retaining member, and a charging pad. The frame defines a plurality of components configured to receive a plurality of portable chargers. The at least one retaining member is attached to the frame and configured to retain the plurality of portable chargers in the plurality of compartments. The charging pad extends into the plurality of compartments and is configured to charge the plurality of portable chargers.

Abstract: Energy conversion systems that may employ control grid electrodes, acceleration grid electrodes, inductive elements, multi-stage anodes, and emissive carbon coatings on the cathode and anode are described. These and other characteristics may allow for advantageous thermal energy to electrical energy conversion.