Abstract: A charging station for charging electric vehicles. The charging station comprises a direct current, DC, bus arranged to receive power from one or more external energy sources. The charging station also comprises a battery coupled to the DC bus, the battery being arranged to charge via power received from the one or more external energy sources via the DC bus. The charging station also comprises one or more DC/DC converters coupled to the DC bus. The one or more DC/DC converters are arranged to draw DC power from the battery, via the DC bus, and output DC power to one or more electric vehicles via one or more charging connections, to charge the one or more electric vehicles.

Abstract: A method of controlling a wireless power transfer system comprising a primary stage and a secondary stage is provided. The primary stage comprises a DC/DC converter configured to generate a DC output, a DC/AC inverter configured to receive the DC output and to generate an AC output according to a variable switching frequency, and a primary coil configured to transfer power to the secondary stage in response to the DC/AC inverter generating the AC output. The switching frequency of the DC/AC inverter is adjusted to cause a phase angle between an input current and an input voltage of the primary coil to be less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. The DC output of the DC/DC converter is controlled to cause a desired amount of power to be transferred from the primary coil at the adjusted switching frequency.

Abstract: An electrical transformer and method of manufacturing an electrical transformer. The electrical transformer comprises a set of primary windings comprising first and second primary windings connected in parallel and first and second sets of secondary windings. Each of the first and second sets comprises a plurality of secondary windings that are connected in parallel. The secondary windings of the first set are electrically isolated from the secondary windings of the second set. The set of primary windings and the first and second sets of secondary windings are arranged in a stacked structure in which the secondary windings of the first set are interleaved with the secondary windings of the second set, and at least one secondary winding of the first set and/or at least one secondary winding of the second set is arranged between the first and second primary windings.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices that include improvements to determining properties of a battery are described. For example, a method may include measuring one or more properties of a battery by a device communicatively coupled to the battery; transmitting the measured one or more properties to a computing device located remotely from the battery; detecting, by the computing device and based on the measured one or more properties, one or more anomalous conditions within the battery; and transmitting, by the computing device, an indication of the one or more anomalous conditions.

Abstract: Provided is a method of identifying a battery provided with a wireless battery control device, during a battery charging procedure. The method includes connecting the battery to a battery charger and the battery charger supplying a first current to the battery. The wireless battery control device measures parameters relating to the first current. The battery charger generates and sends a first wireless interrogation signal, the wireless interrogation signal including information relating to parameters of the first current. The first wireless interrogation signal is configured such that a wireless battery control device receiving the interrogation signal compares the information relating to the parameters of the current being received by the associated battery to the information relating to the parameters of the first current that was supplied by the battery charger, and the wireless battery control device sends back a first wireless response signal should the information relating to the parameters match.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for calculating the input current being drawn by a power converter. The power converter may be connected to and charging a battery and the method includes the steps of measuring the current and voltage being supplied to the battery, along with the frequency at which the power converter is operating. The voltage being supplied to the power converter may be calculated using a pre-determined relationship with the current and voltage being supplied to the power converter and the frequency of operation. The voltage being supplied to the converter may then be used to calculate the current being drawn by the converter.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for operating a battery. The method comprises the following steps. The battery undergoing a first series of charge/discharge cycles, wherein the battery charging profile of the first series of charge/discharge cycles has a first regulation voltage. Monitoring the overall charge input and overall charge output during the first series of charge/discharge cycles and calculating the charge factor of the first series of charge/discharge cycles. The battery undergoing a second series of charge/discharge cycles, wherein the battery charging profile of the second series of charge/discharge cycles has a second regulation voltage. The second regulation voltage being determined in dependence on the calculated charge factor of the first series of charge/discharge cycles.