Abstract: A start-stop or idle-stop method for a heavy-duty hybrid vehicle that turns off the fuel supply while maintaining the crankshaft rotation of the internal combustion engine when the vehicle stops or, optionally, when the vehicle travels downhill, travels in a noise sensitive location, travels in an exhaust emissions sensitive location, or operates in an emergency situation. The stop-start or idle-stop method automatically turns on the engine fuel supply to restart combustion when the vehicle starts accelerating, is no longer traveling downhill, is no longer traveling in a noise sensitive or exhaust sensitive location, is no longer in an emergency situation, or has dropped below the minimum energy storage restart level.

Abstract: A deaeration device for deaerating coolant fluid flow in a recirculation cooling system, where the recirculation cooling system includes a cooling fluid reservoir adapted to receive the deaeration device submerged within cooling fluid therein, includes an elongated deaeration tube including a fluid outlet and a deaerating skimming shaped slot for skimming air bubbles and cooling fluid from cooling fluid flow flowing through the deaeration tube, and including a fluid inlet for allowing the same amount of fluid that is skimmed off and removed through the top fluid outlet to re-enter the deaeration tube to maintain mass balance in the cooling fluid flow.

Abstract: This invention relates to a Start-Stop method for a heavy-duty hybrid vehicle that turns off the internal combustion engine when the vehicle stops or, optionally, when the vehicle travels downhill. The Stop-Start method automatically restarts the internal combustion engine when the vehicle starts accelerating or is no longer traveling downhill. The software instructions for the Stop-Start method reside within the programming of the hybrid vehicle control computer as a subset of the hybrid vehicle control strategy in hybrid-electric or hybrid-hydraulic heavy-duty vehicle. During the time the internal combustion engine is turned off the necessary vehicle accessories operate from the available power of the hybrid high power energy storage.

Abstract: A method of using an externally powered HVAC system for an over-the-road motor coach includes coupling the HVAC system to an external shore power source at a temporary stop location for the over-the-road motor coach while the over-the-road motor coach is parked and vehicle engine is turned off; receiving electrical power from the electrical outlet to power the HVAC system; and using the HVAC system to circulate refrigerant for heating or cooling an interior cabin of the over-the-road motor coach and power HVAC fans to ventilate the interior cabin of the over-the-road motor coach.

Abstract: An ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack including an ultracapacitor assembly including a plurality of ultracapacitors, each ultracapacitor including opposite ends with connection terminals protruding therefrom for directly connecting the ultracapacitors end-to-end in series; and a plurality of interconnections for mechanically and electrically interconnecting the ultracapacitors end-to-end in series without the connection terminals from adjacent ultracapacitors contacting each other, preventing mechanical stress in the connection studs.

Abstract: An vehicle rooftop cooling system includes a radiator located outside of the engine compartment of a vehicle, the radiator having a liquid coolant inside the radiator; a fan coupled to the radiator and configured to extract hot air from the radiator; a first sensor proximate to the radiator configured to measure coolant temperature of the coolant in the radiator; and a controller communicably coupled to the first sensor, the controller configured to receive inputs from the first sensor, to make determinations based on the received inputs, and to communicate control signals across a controller area network (CAN) in response to said determinations, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate a first control signal to cool the liquid coolant upon determining that the first sensor has measured temperature above a threshold.

Abstract: A method of bridging a gap in an external electrical power supply line without stalling using an electrically powered rail propulsion vehicle includes using an electrically powered rail propulsion vehicle to propel a consist, the electrically powered rail propulsion vehicle configured to run as an emission-free pure electric unit from the external electrical power supply line; determining if a gap in the external electrical power supply line condition occurs; and supplying electric power from one or more ultracapacitor packs to run the electrically powered rail propulsion vehicle if a gap condition is determined to occur.

Abstract: A system that provides a belt driven Power-Take-Off (“PTO”) mounting for a heavy-duty alternator onto a lighter duty automotive engine. The system provides additional torque support for the alternator and crankshaft pulley while allowing the alternator to pivot with engine movement on the motor mounts. A belt tensioner automatically tightens a serpentine drive belt. An alternator air intake and plenum draws cooling air through ducting from outside the engine compartment.

Abstract: An ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack includes an ultracapacitor assembly having a plurality of series connected ultracapacitors and balancing resistors, each balancing resistor connected in parallel with each ultracapacitor to automatically balance each ultracapacitor over time, thereby automatically over time discharging the ultracapacitors of the ultracapacitor assembly; an enclosure to enclose and protect the ultracapacitor assembly; a controller for the ultracapacitor assembly; and one or more temperature sensors to monitor temperature of the ultracapacitor assembly and coupled to the controller.

Abstract: A heavy-duty hybrid vehicle power system includes a main power unit located in an engine compartment; an electric propulsion motor; a DC bus that receives DC power from the main power unit; a vehicle accessory traditionally powered directly from an internal combustion engine of a conventional heavy-duty vehicle and requiring more than 1 kilowatt of power; an electric accessory motor, which is electrically coupled with the DC bus and mechanically coupled with the vehicle accessory, configured to supply power to the vehicle accessory, and the electric accessory motor and vehicle accessory carried by the heavy-duty vehicle either inside or outside of the engine compartment; and at least one of an ultracapacitor pack and a fly wheel coupled with the DC bus and configured to store power when the main power unit is on and supply power in place of the main power unit when the main power unit is off.

Abstract: A system for mounting and cooling energy storage cell canisters within a multi-cell energy storage module includes a plurality of inner interconnections to electrically connect the energy storage cell canisters end-to-end in strings of energy storage cell canisters; a plurality of bus bar interconnections to electrically connect the strings of energy storage cell canisters; and a plurality of cooling line separator inserts to position and support the plurality of inner interconnections for positioning and supporting the storage cell canisters.

Abstract: An ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack including an ultracapacitor assembly including a plurality of ultracapacitors in series; a plurality of interconnections for mechanically and electrically interconnecting the ultracapacitors; and a plurality of balancing resistors, each balancing resistor in parallel with each ultracapacitor to form a resistor divider network that automatically discharges and equalizes each ultracapacitor over time, thereby balancing the ultracapacitors of the ultracapacitor assembly, and each balancing resistor directly mechanically and electrically connected to an associated interconnection.

Abstract: An ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack includes an ultracapacitor assembly including a plurality of parallel ultracapacitors and balancing resistors in series; an enclosure for the ultracapacitor assembly; a controller; one or more temperature sensors; a pack voltage sensor; a GFI sensor; one or more cooling fans carried by the enclosure; an on/off relay coupled to the ultracapacitor assembly and the controller, the on/off relay activated by the controller during normal operation of the ultracapacitor assembly and deactivated by the controller when the GFI sensor detects a ground fault interrupt condition, the one or more temperature sensors detect an over-temperature condition, or the pack voltage sensor detects an over-voltage condition; and a pre-charge resistor and a pre-charge relay coupled to the ultracapacitor assembly and the controller, and activated by the controller to cause the pre-charge resistor to limit pack charge current until the ultracapacitor assembly reaches a minimum voltage.

Abstract: A system of rigid insulating insert separators for mounting energy storage cell canisters within a sealed module of multiple energy storage cell canisters to maintain the exact position of the energy storage cell canisters to eliminate stress and resistance variation at the point of contact between the bus bar interconnections and the cell terminals. The separators also have provision for mounting balancing circuit boards between the energy storage cell canisters and allowing wiring connections between the circuit boards and the bus bar interconnections.

Abstract: A system and method for providing power to vehicle accessories having operational power requirements in excess of 1 kilowatt. The system is employed in conjunction with a vehicle comprising a main power unit and an electric motor, the main power unit providing more than 42 volts of power to a DC power bus from which the electric motor draws power to propel the vehicle. The system comprises a vibration dampening mounting structure affixed to the vehicle. A vehicle accessory requiring operational power in excess of 1 kilowatt and an electric accessory motor are affixed to the mounting structure. The electric accessory motor is mechanically coupled to the vehicle accessory. The electric accessory motor draws electric power from the DC power bus to provide operational power to the vehicle accessory. The vehicle accessory can be a scroll type air compressor.

Abstract: This invention is a system and a method that uses the braking resistor, commonly used and available in electrically or hybrid-electrically propelled vehicles, to limit the precharge current during the startup of a high power ultracapacitor pack energy storage device and/or safely and rapidly discharge an ultracapacitor pack for maintenance work or storage to lengthen the life of the individual ultracapacitor cells and, correspondingly, the whole pack. The use of the braking resistor for precharging an ultracapacitor energy storage pack is an effective and less expensive method compared to other methods such as a separate DC-to-DC converter. This method includes the control logic sequence to activate and deactivate switching devices that perform the connections for the charging and discharging current paths.

Abstract: An ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack includes an ultracapacitor assembly including a plurality of parallel ultracapacitors and balancing resistors in series; an enclosure for the ultracapacitor assembly; a controller; one or more temperature sensors; a pack voltage sensor; a GFI sensor; one or more cooling fans carried by the enclosure; an on/off relay coupled to the ultracapacitor assembly and the controller, the on/off relay activated by the controller during normal operation of the ultracapacitor assembly and deactivated by the controller when the GFI sensor detects a ground fault interrupt condition, the one or more temperature sensors detect an over-temperature condition, or the pack voltage sensor detects an over-voltage condition; and a pre-charge resistor and a pre-charge relay coupled to the ultracapacitor assembly and the controller, and activated by the controller to cause the pre-charge resistor to limit pack charge current until the ultracapacitor assembly reaches a minimum voltage.

Abstract: A reverse current protection device includes one or more contactors in a power circuit that open to prevent current flow and close to allow current flow; an impedance buffer to invert voltage across the diode; a threshold detector to compare inverted voltage to a reference voltage to determine a good or fault diode condition; an opto-isolator actuatable by the threshold detector when at least one of a good diode condition is determined and a fault diode condition is determined; and a relay in communication with the opto-isolator to cause at least one of the one or more contantors to close in a good diode condition and open in a fault diode condition.

Abstract: A horizontal rooftop engine cooling system includes one or more radiator units horizontally mountable to the rooftop of a bus and including a radiator interconnected to one or more passages of an engine of the bus to allow coolant to flow between the engine and the rooftop cooling system to cool the engine. The cooling system can incorporate a fan mounting shroud, a ram-air aerodynamic shroud, and/or an ornamental aesthetic appearance shroud.

Abstract: A method of communicating a message between an automotive device of an automotive control area network and a non-automotive, industrial device of a non-automotive, fieldbus network includes receiving a message of a source format from one of the automotive device of the automotive control area network and the non-automotive, industrial device of the non-automotive, fieldbus network; translating the message of the source format to a common language format; processing the message of a common language format via a set of stored, configurable rules; translating the processed message of a common language format to a destination message format; and delivering the message in the appropriate destination format to one of the automotive device and the non-automotive, industrial device.