Abstract: A method for predicting life of a reconfigurable battery pack, includes receiving a usage parameter of a reconfigurable battery pack, the battery pack comprising interconnected battery cells; identifying a State of Health (SOH) of degraded battery cells and a capacity of the reconfigurable battery pack; and determine a number of fresh battery cells to replace the degraded cells for the usage parameter based on the SOH and the capacity of the reconfigurable battery pack.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for predicting a state of charge (SoC) of a battery includes estimating an open circuit voltage of the battery based on an open current voltage model, where the open current voltage model is defined by internal parameters that are derived from a battery voltage of the battery, a load current of the battery for a load, or a first SoC of the battery, or any combination thereof; and predicting a second SoC based on the estimated open current voltage.

Abstract: Battery state of charge (SOC) determination apparatuses and methods are disclosed, where the battery SOC determination apparatus includes a grouper configured to cluster the cells in the battery pack into the groups based on similarity of the sensing data among the cells, a representative cell selector configured to select the representative cell for the each group, a first SOC estimator configured to estimate the SOC of the representative cell of the each group based on the battery model, and a second SOC estimator configured to determine the SOC of the battery pack based on the SOC of the representative cell of the each group.

Abstract: A fluid tube includes: a first fluid tube; a second fluid tube connected to the first fluid tube; and a flow velocity equalizer in the second fluid tube, where the flow velocity equalizer increases a uniformity of fluid flow passed therethrough, the second fluid tube is wider than the first fluid tube, and the flow velocity equalizer includes a diverging tube and a converging tube. The fluid tube may further include a fluid divider between the flow velocity equalizer and the first fluid tube. The diverging tube of the flow velocity equalizer may have a width increasing in a fluid flow direction, and the converging tube of the flow velocity equalizer may include a plurality of converging tubes having widths decreasing in the fluid flow direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling cooling of a battery pack are disclosed, in which the method includes determining a load state of the battery pack and selectively controlling a supply of a cooling fluid to cooling paths disposed among battery cells included in the battery pack.

Abstract: A method and apparatus estimating a state of a battery are provided. A battery life estimation apparatus may charge a battery using a normal charge rate (C-rate) during a charging interval of a charging cycle and a low charge rate (C-rate) in a low-rate charging interval of the charging cycle, may compare a determined change in an electrical physical quantity of the battery over time to a reference curve, corresponding to a life of the battery, for an initial state of the battery, in the low-rate charging interval, and may estimate the life of the battery based on a result of the comparing.

Abstract: A fuel cell has a structure in which generation modules are stacked. In each of the generation modules, there are cells are stacked. Each of the cells generates unitary power from fuel energy. A fuel cell system including the fuel stack operates either all or some of the generation modules in consideration of the quantity of power consumed by a load.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a stack including a plurality of unit cells, which is stacked on one another in a predetermined direction, first and second end plates disposed on opposing ends of the stack, and a supply line disposed on a first surface of the first end plate to supply fuel or air to the plurality of unit cells, where an insertion hole is defined in a second surface of the first end plate to be adjacent to the supply line, and the second surface of the first end plate is substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the first end plate.

Abstract: A fluid tube includes: a first fluid tube; a second fluid tube connected to the first fluid tube; and a flow velocity equalizer in the second fluid tube, where the flow velocity equalizer increases a uniformity of fluid flow passed therethrough, the second fluid tube is wider than the first fluid tube, and the flow velocity equalizer includes a diverging tube and a converging tube. The fluid tube may further include a fluid divider between the flow velocity equalizer and the first fluid tube. The diverging tube of the flow velocity equalizer may have a width increasing in a fluid flow direction, and the converging tube of the flow velocity equalizer may include a plurality of converging tubes having widths decreasing in the fluid flow direction.

Abstract: A cooling plate in which flow channels are modified to reduce temperature differences between portions of the cooling plate and provide for more uniform heat distribution within a heat generator. The flow channels of the cooling plate are formed such that a central portion of the flow channels has a greater volume than the end portions near an inlet and an outlet so that the amount of cooling water that is contained in the central portion at any one time is larger than either of the end portions near the inlet and the outlet. Likelihood of thermal deformation of the cooling plate due to thermal stress is decreased, and stability of performance of the fuel cell is increased.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a first separating plate, a second separating plate corresponding to the first separating plate, a plurality of cells comprising a membrane electrode assembly disposed between the first separating plate and the second separating plate, and a cooling plate disposed between the plurality of cells, where a cooling channel is defined at opposing surfaces of the cooling plate.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of unit cells, a cooling plate and a block plate. Each unit cell includes a cathode electrode and an anode electrode respectively at opposing sides of an electrolyte membrane, and a separator facing each of the cathode electrode and the anode electrode. The cooling plate is between adjacent unit cells a cooling medium flows in the cooling plate. The block plate is between the cooling plate and an adjacent unit cell of the adjacent unit cells. The block plate blocks the cooling medium flowing in the cooling plate from contacting the adjacent unit cell of the adjacent unit cells.

Abstract: A soft water forming device includes; a capacitive deionization stack (“CDI”) stack including at least one anode and at least one cathode that are separately and alternately stacked to adsorb ions contained in water, and a pumping unit which pumps one of water supplied to the CDI stack and water which has passed through the CDI stack, the pumping unit including; a casing have a water inlet and a water outlet and a rotor which rotates due to motive power supplied by an external motor and pumps the water supplied into the casing.

Abstract: A battery pack including battery cells, a housing to house the battery cells, and a cooling device that cools air flowing through the housing. The cooling device may be installed on an intermediate portion of the housing. The cooling device may include a cooling pipe, in which water flows.

Abstract: A method of activating a fuel cell includes: supplying a fuel to an anode of the fuel cell; supplying a gas mixture to a cathode of the fuel cell; applying a second load, which is equal to or less than a predetermined first load, to a stack of the fuel cell after supplying the gas mixture to the cathode; discontinuing the supply of the gas mixture; resupplying the gas mixture to the cathode when a voltage of the stack of the fuel cell is a predetermined voltage or less after discontinuing the supply of the gas mixture; and applying a third load, which is higher than the predetermined first load, to the stack of the fuel cell, where the supply of the fuel to the anode of the fuel cell is maintained.

Abstract: A fuel cell system in which a low open circuit voltage (OCV) is maintained in a start-up mode and in a shut-down mode, and a method of operating the same, the method including: supplying an anode off-gas and air to the cathode in an open circuit voltage state in a start-up mode and cutting off supply of the fuel gas to the cathode in a normal operating mode; and supplying the fuel gas and air to the cathode in a shut-down mode, and if a load is cut off, purging the cathode and the anode in the OCV state.

Abstract: An integrated electrode-current collector sheet includes a current collector including uneven portions disposed on at least one side of the current collector; and an active material layer disposed on the current collector, the active material layer at least partially covering the uneven portions. In addition, disclosed are a capacitive deionization device and an electric double layer capacitor including the integrated electrode-current collector sheet.

Abstract: A fuel cell system a includes a cooling water temperature raising unit that raises the temperature of a fuel cell stack by passing discharge gas of a process burner or hydrogen gas of a fuel processing unit and cooling water that is heated by the discharge gas of the process burner through flow paths formed on opposing surfaces of cooling separators formed of a metal and installed between a plurality of cells in the stack. Thus in the fuel cell system, when the temperature of the stack needs to be rapidly raised, for example, during a start up operation of the fuel cell system, the temperature of the stack can be rapidly raised using discharge gas at a high temperature or combustion heat of hydrogen gas, and heated cooling water, and thereby, significantly reducing the time required for the fuel cell system to be in regular operation.

Abstract: A method of removing residual oxygen in a residential high temperature non-humidification fuel cell stack including at least one cathode. The method includes making the pressure in the cathode higher than that outside of the cathode and maintaining airtight sealing of the cathode of the fuel cell stack, removing the residual oxygen in the fuel cell stack, and stopping supplying of fuel to the fuel cell stack. The setting of the pressure includes blocking air flow out of the cathode, comparing the pressure in the cathode with a set pressure higher than the pressure outside the cathode, and supplying air to the cathode until the pressure in the cathode is the same as or is higher than the set pressure.

Abstract: There is provided a network apparatus capable of effectively retransmitting a frame in a frame aggregation environment, and a method of retransmitting a frame using the same. The network apparatus includes: a transmitting node broadcasting a plurality of data frames in a frame aggregation environment; a receiving node receiving the plurality of broadcast data frames and broadcasting a reception result; and at least one relay node receiving and storing at least a portion of the plurality of broadcast data frames and transmitting, together with the transmitting node, a data frame for which retransmission is required to the receiving node according to a calculated transmission success rate when the reception result from the receiving node is a retransmission request.