Abstract: A method for stabilizing the voltage in an energy-supply system, particularly in a motor-vehicle electrical system, that is fed by a battery and a generator. If the battery is weak or has completely failed, switching in a new consumer may lead to a voltage dip in the system. To prevent this, it is proposed as a precaution to switch in a consumer not needed at the moment. If, at this point, a new consumer is to be switched in, the consumer switched in as a precaution is automatically disconnected, and the excess energy therefrom is switched over to the new consumer.

Abstract: A voltage detection circuit for detecting terminal-to-terminal voltages of a plurality of storage devices B1 and B2 connected in series. In the voltage detection circuit for storage devices, voltage judgment units VPL-1, VPL-2, VPH-1 and VPH-2 are provided between the terminals of the plurality of storage devices respectively, and the detection result of the initial-stage voltage judgment unit is transmitted to the next-stage voltage judgment unit without being isolated, so that the judgment result of the final-stage voltage judgment unit is obtained.

Abstract: An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery provides a test output indicative of a condition of the battery. Electronic measurement circuitry provides a measurement output related to a condition of the battery. The battery condition is determined based upon one or more responses to one or more queries provided to an operator. The responses are used to determine battery type.

Abstract: The internal resistance related value which is related to the internal resistance of a secondary battery is compared with a previously obtained relation between the internal resistance related value and battery condition to judge the battery condition of the secondary battery. Since the internal resistance related value is a value related to the internal resistance which closely depends on the battery condition, the battery condition can be judged in detail based on the above relation. And the internal resistance related value can be obtained more speedily with a predetermined method. On the other hand, when the level of the degradation of a negative electrode is low, an electrolyte is supplemented, and when the level of the degradation of the negative electrode is high, a reducing agent is added to the electrolyte to regenerate the secondary battery. With this regenerating method, the performance of the negative electrode can be recovered without degrading a positive electrode.

Abstract: Battery charger (10) may include a power source circuit (22) for charging rechargeable batteries (58) when a battery pack (50) is connected directly to the battery charger or is connected thereto with an adapter (30) interposed therebetween. The adapter may include a discharging circuit (42) for discharging the rechargeable batteries. The adapter may also include a switch (48) for alternatively connecting the rechargeable batteries with the discharging circuit or the charging circuit of the battery charger. The battery pack may have a memory (61) storing a flag indicating whether a refresh process is required. The adapter may further include a control portion (41) for controlling the switch. When the battery pack has been connected to the battery charger via the adapter, the control portion may preferably controls the switch on the basis of the flag stored in the memory of the battery pack.

Abstract: There is provided a battery pack system that allows an output limit during short-time discharging and long-time discharging of a secondary battery, and limits the output appropriately upon request of a vehicle. An output limiting section 104 is provided for changing a limit value of output electric power from the secondary battery when voltage data V (n) from a voltage measuring section 102 reaches a predetermined discharging termination voltage. The output limiting section 104 has short-time output information (Pp) for allowing short-time discharging of the secondary battery and normal output information (Pn) for allowing long-time discharging of the secondary battery, and sets a first discharging termination voltage (V1) during short-time discharging to be lower than a second discharging termination voltage (V2) during long-time discharging.

Abstract: Provided is a super electrochemical capacitor including two electrode plates having the same size but different quantities of electric charges or electric charge densities without increasing the volume of the capacitor to increase the quantity of electric charges, capacitance and usable voltage range of the capacitor, to thereby obtain high voltage and super capacitance. The super electrochemical capacitor includes two electrode plates having different quantities of electric charges and similar sizes. The two electrode plates are spaced apart from each other by a dielectric layer or collector layer. The two electrode plates have different quantities of electric charges or electric charge densities while maintaining the sizes thereof. The two electrode plates have different porosities or bulk densities such that the electrode plates have different quantities of electric charges or electric charge densities.

Abstract: The present provides a leakage detection circuit for an electric vehicle, and so on, capable of calculating a leakage resistance. The leakage detection circuit for an electric vehicle detects a current Ig11(t1) that flows in leakage resistances Ra and Rb when one leakage detection switch SW1 is closed at t1 and the other leakage detection switch SW2 is opened, and detects a current Ig12(t2) when the switch SW1 is opened at t2 and the switch SW2 is closed. In addition, the circuit detects voltages Vl11(t1, t2) and Vl12(t1, t2) of portions where these leakage detection resistances Ra are connected. A combined value Rl of the leakage resistances is calculated by a leakage calculator based on the following equation 34 R l = R a V l12 ? ( t 2 ) V g11 ? ( t 2 ) - V g12 ? ( t 2 ) - V l11 ? ( t 1 ) V g11 ? ( t 1 ) - V g12 ? ( t 1 ) - ( R a + R b ) .

Abstract: An uninterruptible power supply device has a power supply circuit for supplying power from a power source to electronic equipment, a power interruption detection section for detecting interruption of the power supply from the power source, and a rechargeable battery charged by the power source. The uninterruptible power supply device further includes control means for controlling charging of the rechargeable battery in accordance with a charge state of the battery and also controlling the power supply from the rechargeable battery to the electronic equipment, and timer means for stopping the power supply to the control means after a lapse of a fixed time period from generation of a power interruption signal or shut-down signal, whereby wasteful consumption of electric energy stored in the rechargeable battery can be suppressed and also charge control for the rechargeable battery can be smoothly restarted at the recovery from power outage or at the start of the device.

Abstract: A method for determining the ability of a vehicle to start, in order to detect the operational capability of a battery, in particular of a vehicle battery, in a particularly simple and reliable way. Current values and voltage values of the battery are sensed during a predefined time window, in particular while the vehicle is being started. An internal resistance of the battery is determined by reference to the current values and the voltage values by means of linear regression, and a reference resistance value for the starting behavior of the vehicle is determined by reference to a maximum value for the current and a minimum value for the voltage which are sensed within the predefined time window. A value which represents the ability to start is determined by reference to a comparison between the internal resistance and the reference resistance value.

Abstract: It is known that reforming implantable defibrillator capacitors at least partially restores and preserves their charging efficiency. An industry-recognized standard is to reform implantable capacitors by pulse discharging the connected electrochemical cell about once every three months throughout the useful life of the medical device. A Li/SVO cell typically powers such devices. The present invention relates to methodologies for significantly minimizing, if not entirely eliminating, the occurrence of voltage delay and irreversible Rdc growth in the about 35% to 70% DOD region by subjecting Li/SVO cells to novel discharge regimes. At the same time, the connected capacitors in the cardiac defibrillator are reformed to maintain them at their rated breakdown voltages.

Abstract: A battery charger that is configured to charge different size battery cells and automatically determine the size of the battery cell to be charged. The battery charger includes at least one charging circuit and a microprocessor. The charging circuit, in turn, includes a serially connected switching device and a current sensing resistor and a first and second pair of battery terminals that are configured to receive different size battery cells. The first pair of battery terminals is serially connected to a size detection resistor. The serial combination of the first pair of battery terminals and the size detection resistor is connected in parallel with a second pair of battery terminals. The parallel combination is connected in series with the charging circuit. At a nominal charging current, the voltage at the battery terminals will vary by the voltage drop across the size detection resistor.

Abstract: The voltage measuring apparatus includes a voltage measuring unit 2 being connected to a battery 1, a voltage converting unit 3 connected to the voltage measuring unit 2, and a controller 4 which controls the operation of the voltage measuring unit 2 based on output of the voltage converting unit 3. The voltage measuring unit 2 includes Pch-MOSFET elements P1 and P2 constituting a first switch group connected to both terminals of a voltage source Vcn in the battery 1, a capacitor Cn connected between the elements P1 and P2, and Nch-MOSFET elements N3 and N4 constituting a second switch group connected to both terminals of the capacitor Cn and to both terminals of the voltage output terminal. A source and a back gate of the Nch-MOSFET element N3 of the second switch group are connected to each other.

Abstract: A power circuit for a battery for, even when an idle-stop operation is continuously performed, preventing reduction of an electric power supplied to a motor at start-up to obtain a set engine rpm. The power circuit includes a series-connected power supply in which a battery having a load and a capacitor group are connected in series with each other, a DC/DC converter for shifting electric power between the battery and the capacitor group, and between the battery and the load, and a controller for controlling the DC/DC converter. The controller detects the voltage of the capacitor group, and when the voltage detected is lower than a first threshold voltage, controls the DC/DC converter so that the capacitor group is charged with electricity.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of charging a lithium-sulfur electrochemical cell wherein the lithium-sulfur cell comprises a cathode comprising an electroactive sulfur-containing material, an anode comprising lithium, and a nonaqueous electrolyte.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus (100) for indication of a charging condition. The apparatus includes an indication circuit (126) having at least one electromagnet (120) and a charge control circuit (128) for controlling charging current to a portable device (110). The indication circuit causes the apparatus to electromagnetically engage the portable device and the charge control circuit provides charging current to the portable device during the engagement. The indication circuit also causes the apparatus to electromagnetically decouple the portable device when the portable device is charged to a predetermined level to permit a user to remove the portable device from the apparatus.

Abstract: Communication is provided for each of battery ECUs so that the battery ECUs are connected through a connection cable to communicate with each other. Operating power is constantly supplied to the battery ECU used as a master while being supplied to the battery ECUs used as slaves through a relay contact. When a vehicle stops running, the master battery ECU controls the relay contact to be turned OFF after collecting necessary data of each of the slave battery ECUs to store therein. When the vehicle restarts running, the master battery ECU turns the relay contact ON to transmit the necessary data to each of the slave battery ECUs.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a communication port integral with a battery pack assembly is disclosed. The system provides a pathway between an external unit and a host unit via a printed circuit board of the battery pack. The battery pack can include communication ports mounted on the printed circuit board for interfacing with external units. The printed circuit board further includes a substrate(s) formed with a predetermined wiring pattern electrically and/or mechanically joined to the CPU of the host unit, as well as the battery cell(s).

Abstract: A battery pack capacity adjustment apparatus, which is installed in a vehicle, executes capacity adjustment for a plurality of cells constituting a battery pack by raising the target charging rate for the battery pack from a first target charging rate to a second target charging rate when a voltage variance abnormality among the plurality of cells is detected and the currently traveling vehicle is predicted to stop.

Abstract: Circuits, apparatuses, electrochemical device charging methods, and lithium-mixed metal electrode cell charging methods are provided. According to one aspect, a circuit includes charging circuitry adapted to apply electrical energy to an electrochemical device to charge the electrochemical device, and the electrochemical device being configured to assume an open-circuit condition in a substantially charged state; shunting circuitry electrically coupled with the charging circuitry and configured to shunt the electrical energy around the electrochemical device responsive to the electrochemical device reaching the substantially charged state; and indication circuitry configured to output a signal responsive to the shunting of the electrical energy to indicate a charge status of the electrochemical device.