Abstract: An electrochemical generator comprises a stack of cells in series. To control the voltage across the terminals, controlling means comprise, for each cell, a first reactive passive component, the impedance varying depending on the DC voltage across its terminals, being biased by the voltage delivered by the cell, and a second reactive or resonant passive component forming, with the first reactive passive component, a series or parallel resonant circuit having a preset nominal resonant frequency for a nominal biasing voltage delivered by the cell. Using a variable frequency signal generator to supply the resonant circuits allows a detection circuit to detect resonant peak(s) across the terminals. The divergence between the resonant frequency corresponding to a detected peak and the nominal resonant frequency indicates the state of the associated cell. The frequency differences directly, for their part, provide information on the uniformity of the cells with respect to each other.

Abstract: An electrical power supply device includes a DC voltage source with terminals, a controller, and an insulation-defect detecting device for detecting an insulation defect of the voltage source. The device has input terminals connected to source terminals, and circuits connected between respective input terminals and an intermediate point. The insulation-defect current-detection circuit connects between ground and the intermediate point. Both circuits have current-limiter circuits that open and close a connection between respective inputs and the intermediate point. Both current-limiter circuits are rated for traversal by a current of less than a standardized safety threshold when the first current-limiter circuit is closed and one of the terminals of the DC voltage source is shorted to ground. The control circuit is configured to simultaneously keep one current-limiter circuits open and the other closed.

Abstract: An electrical power supply includes DC source outputting Vm and a device that detects insulation defects in the DC source. The device includes input terminals connected to the source's terminals, impedances Z1 and Z2 connected in series between the input terminals, where Z1=Z2=Z and Vm/Imax<z<(3/2)*Vm/Imax, wherein Imax is a maximum insulation defect current defined by a standardized safety threshold, and a current-detection circuit connected between ground and an intermediate point between the impedances. The current-detection circuit includes a microcontroller that receives a voltage proportional to the defect current originating from the intermediate point, the input terminal being connected by Z3 to a power supply with Vcc<Vm, the input terminal being connected to ground by way of Z4. The microcontroller is configured to determine amplitude of an insulation defect as a function of the voltage applied to the input terminal, wherein Z*Vcc/(4*Vm)<(Z3,Z4)<Ztmax=Z*Vcc/2Vm.

Abstract: A charge balancing system for a power battery includes a number of modules connected in series, each having two accumulator stages, each having an accumulator and isolated parallel converters connected to associated accumulator stages and to a low-voltage power system for supplying auxiliaries of an automobile. The converters have first unidirectional converters, each connected across terminals of a module and to the supply system, and second unidirectional converters each connected to the supply system and across the terminals of the accumulator stages, and a control unit for the first and second unidirectional converters. The control unit is configured for controlling a first converter to bring the modules to a similar charge level, for controlling a energy transfer from the battery to the supply system via the first converters, and for controlling a second converter to bring the associated accumulator stages of a module to a similar charge level.

Abstract: A battery for powering an electrical motor drive of a motor vehicle includes electrochemical accumulators included in an adiabatic enclosure and included in a tightly-sealed enclosure. The tightly-sealed enclosure is air-tight and water-tight, contains the adiabatic enclosure, and has a volume that is external to the adiabatic enclosure and benefits from thermal exchanges with an exterior thereof. The battery also includes a valve that selectively sets up a flow of a heat-transfer fluid between the adiabatic enclosure and the volume.

Abstract: A voltage limiter device of an assembly of photovoltaic modules, including: (a) means (Z1) forming an electronic switch for a current of said assembly; (b) comparison means (Comp, R1, R2, C2) for comparing a voltage at the output of the limiter with a reference voltage value (Vref); and (c) means for controlling the means forming an electronic switch, depending on the result of the comparison carried out by the comparison means.

Abstract: In a power supply with n interlaced conversion cells, a control device activates m paths out of n paths, 1?m?n, as a function of the power or of the current handled by the power supply. The cell may have a boost, buck, buck/boost, Cuk, or SEPIC topology.

Abstract: A power supply with non-isolated DC DC splitting includes n conversion cells that are interlaced. The splitting switch of each cell is placed in a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit makes it possible to obtain a switching to the open state of said switch at zero current and voltage. The ripple at the input and output is minimized and the efficiency improved. In particular, the wiring inductances in the charge transfer loop of each cell no longer have negative effects on the efficiency. The cell may be of boost, buck, buck/boost, Cuk or SEPIC topology.

Abstract: A battery comprises electrochemical accumulators of which a subset defines a first stage of electrically parallel-connected accumulators and another subset defines a second stage of electrically parallel-connected accumulators. Each accumulator of the first stage is series-connected to an accumulator of the second stage by a third distinct electrical connector defined by a through-bore.

Abstract: A charge-balancing system for a power battery includes series accumulator stages, each having accumulator, and flyback converter. The converter has a transformer with a primary configured to be connected to terminals of an accumulator stage of the power battery, and a secondary configured to connect to an auxiliary battery. Each accumulator stage has a switch connected to the primary and to a negative terminal of the accumulator stage. The system also has a monitoring device for monitoring voltage across terminals of the accumulator stages, and a control device for controlling the converter by receiving voltage information from the monitoring device. When an accumulator stage's voltage exceeds that of other accumulator stages, the controller closes the associated switch and transfersg energy from the accumulator stage to the auxiliary battery so as to balance charge of said accumulator stages.

Abstract: The invention relates to a housing, including: electronic components (42); walls (44) mechanically insulating said electronic components from the outside; at least one electric connection pad (18, 20, 22, 24) arranged on an outer surface of one of said walls so as to be electrically coupled to a cable outside the housing, said connection pad being electrically coupled to the electronic components (42) inside the housing, characterized in that the connection pad includes: a printed circuit board (50) defining a portion of the housing wall (44) and having a surface exposed to the outside of the housing; and an electric connection outer plane (60, 62) engraved on said surface for directly contacting the outer cable, said plane being electrically coupled to the electronic components.

Abstract: A battery equalization system has two accumulator stages in series, each including an accumulator, and ±poles, a voltage generator for each accumulator stage, and an associated charging device powered by the generator. The charging device includes an inductor and capacitors. One capacitor connects to the generator's positive pole, the other connects to its negative pole, a first diode, whose anode connects to a negative pole of the accumulator stage and whose cathode connects to the first capacitor, a second diode whose anode connects to the negative pole of the accumulator stage and whose cathode connects to the second end of the second capacitor, and a switch connected to the inductor and to the positive pole of the accumulator stage, and a control device that controls the generator, closes the switch and causes the inductor to stores energy and to transfer it to the associated accumulator stage.

Abstract: An equalization system for batteries has two series-connected accumulator stages connected, each including an accumulator, a voltage generator including positive and negative poles, for each stage, an associated charging device supplied by the voltage generator. The charging device includes an inductor having a first and second ends, and a capacitor having first and second ends. The capacitor's first end connects to the generator's positive pole. It also has a diode whose anode connects to a negative pole of the accumulator stage and whose cathode connects to the inductor's first end. It also has a switch whose first end connects to the inductor. And it also has a control device that controls the generator and closes a switch of a charging device associated with an accumulator stage to be charged so that the inductor stores energy, and causes its transfer to that accumulator stage.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a charge equalizing system for batteries has two accumulator stages in series. Each stage has a charging device having an inductance for storing energy, and first and second diodes. The first diode's anode links to a negative pole of the accumulator stage. Its cathode links to the inductance's first end. The second diode's cathode links to a positive pole of the accumulator stage; its anode links to the inductance's second end. A first controlled switch links to a battery's negative pole and to the second diode's anode. A second controlled switch links to the battery's positive pole and to the first diode's cathode. A control device controls the charging devices. The control device closes the switches of a charging device associated with the accumulator stage to be charged so that the inductance stores energy, and opens the switches to transfer the energy to the associated accumulator stage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for measuring battery voltage including an accumulator (Ai), characterized in that said measuring device comprises: an alternating current generator (II), at least one first diode (D1i) and at least one second diode (D2i) arranged in series such that said first diode (D1i) is connected to the positive pole (+) of said accumulator (Ai) by means of the cathode thereof and to the cathode of said second diode (D2) by means of the anode thereof and such that said second diode (D2i) is connected to the negative pole (?) of said accumulator (Ai) by means of the anode thereof and to the anode of said first diode (D1i) by means of the cathode thereof, a reading capacitor (C1) connected to the central point (N) between said first (D1i) and second (D2i) diodes and to a means (3) for determining the voltage across the terminals of said accumulator (Ai) from the voltage variation at the central point (N).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling the voltage of a cell of a fuel cell, characterized in that said control device comprises a first transistor (Q1) associated with the cell, which is connected to the cell via the base thereof and to a current generator, and a control voltage source (VRi) inserted between the cell and the first associated transistor (Q1), the control voltage source supplying a control voltage equal to the voltage differential between the first and second threshold voltages, such that: when the cell has a voltage (V1) higher than a first threshold voltage, the first transistor (Q1) has a voltage (Vbe1), at the terminals of the base-emitter junction thereof, which is higher than the second threshold voltage, and which conducts the current, and, when the cell has a voltage (V1) which is lower than the first threshold voltage, the first transistor (Q1) has a voltage (Vbe1), at the terminals of the base-emitter junction thereof, which is lower than the second threshold voltage and w

Abstract: A braking system for an automobile including an electromagnetic braking subsystem and an electric or hydraulic subsystem, the electromagnetic braking subsystem including a converter to convert kinetic energy of the vehicle into electrical energy, the converter outputting a generated current, a device storing or dissipating electrical energy regenerated by the electromagnetic braking subsystem, and an electrical actuator to limit the braking power of the electric or hydraulic braking subsystem as a function of the braking power of the electromagnetic braking subsystem, the electrical actuator being electrically controlled by the generated current or by an image signal of the generated current.

Abstract: The invention relates to a storage battery (4) comprising at least first and second branches (Br1, Br2) each having at least first (E1,1, E1,2) and second (E2,1, E2,2) storage cells connected in series, the battery further comprising a switch (D2,1) by means of which the first storage cells are connected in parallel and by means of which the second storage cells are connected in parallel, the cut-off threshold of the switch being designed to conduct the current when one of said storage cells forms an open circuit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a housing, including: electronic components (42); walls (44) mechanically insulating said electronic components from the outside; at least one electric connection pad (18, 20, 22, 24) arranged on an outer surface of one of said walls so as to be electrically coupled to a cable outside the housing, said connection pad being electrically coupled to the electronic components (42) inside the housing, characterised in that the connection pad includes: a printed circuit board (50) defining a portion of the housing wall (44) and having a surface exposed to the outside of the housing; and an electric connection outer plane (60, 62) engraved on said surface for directly contacting the outer cable, said plane being electrically coupled to the electronic components.

Abstract: A power supply with non-isolated DC DC splitting includes n conversion cells that are interlaced. The splitting switch of each cell is placed in a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit makes it possible to obtain a switching to the open state of said switch at zero current and voltage. The ripple at the input and output is minimized and the efficiency improved. In particular, the wiring inductances in the charge transfer loop of each cell no longer have negative effects on the efficiency. The cell may be of boost, buck, buck/boost, Cuk or SEPIC topology.