A cell voltage measurement unit measures a voltage of each of a plurality of cells that are series-connected. A total voltage measurement unit measures a total voltage of the plurality of cells. A controller manages an internal impedance of each of the plurality of cells. The controller detects a ripple of the total voltage measured by the total voltage measurement unit, estimates a ripple of each cell voltage by multiplying the detected ripple of the total voltage by a ratio of the internal impedance of each cell to a resultant internal impedance of the plurality of cells, and determines whether the ripple of each cell voltage is within an allowable voltage range.

A device and method are provided for a charger for vehicles. In particular, the charger includes, an AC/DC converter configured to convert a commercial alternating current power source to a direct current power source and a DC/DC converter configured to convert the direct current power source applied from the AC/DC converter to a battery charging power source. The direct current power source is supplied to a battery. The DC/DC converter includes a snubber circuit that reduces the magnitude of a ripple current of the charging power source.

When the amount of charge of a temporary battery exceeds a predetermined amount of charge, a solar ECU31 constitutes a charge controller pumps up and boosts power stored in the battery collaborating with a solar charger of a power supply portion, and carries out pumping charge in a main electric storage. While the solar ECU31 carries out the pumping charge, the power supply portion solar charger supplies the generated power from an in-vehicle solar cell to solar ECU31 when the power generated by the in-vehicle solar cell is a predetermined power or less, and supplies the generated power from an in-vehicle solar cell to solar ECU31 and main battery when the power generated by the in-vehicle solar cell is larger than the predetermined power. Even where the pumping charge is being carried out, the power which the in-vehicle solar cell is continuously generating can be used without being discarded futilely.

A generation control apparatus of a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a battery use amount detection unit that accumulates charge and discharge currents of a battery to detect a battery use amount and that stores the battery use amount in a memory Additionally, a battery state detection unit detects a state of the battery and a controller determines a target charge amount that corresponds to a state of the battery based on the battery use amount. The controller further operates a generator for charging the battery based on the target charge amount, when starting of the vehicle is turned on.

An electric power supply network includes at least one connection point with an upstream electrical network delivering useful power to at least one input of a first electric power supply network of an electrically powered transport system, such as trolley buses, trams, metro, train, or other transport, the first electrical network presenting peak power fluctuations as a function of variable energy needs depending on traffic associated with the transport system. The first electrical network includes at least one power output capable of distributing energy, in particular recovered from the transport system and from the upstream electrical network, to at least a second electrical network, enabling energy to be supplied to electrical consumption points. At least one supervision unit monitors distribution of energy from the power output whenever at least the peak power required by the first transport system is below the useful power available upstream.

A battery voltage control device includes a step-up module that steps up a voltage of a battery and applies the voltage to a driving motor, an image analysis processing module that acquires and analyzes a piece of image information of an outside of a vehicle that is obtained through imaging, and driving state forecast module that forecasts a driving state including starting or stopping of the vehicle based on a piece of environment information of the outside of the vehicle that is obtained through analysis of the piece of image information and controls step-up by the step-up module based on the forecast driving state.

A high voltage shut down system and method for an electric vehicle are provided, which perform a high voltage shut down function in connection with a collision detection signal (airbag expansion signal) generated from an airbag controller even when a vehicle is being charged. The high voltage shut down system a third power supply controller which is in an operable state for transmitting power when the vehicle starts and is charged. An airbag control unit is operated by receiving power through the third power supply controller, and is configured to generate an airbag expansion signal when detecting an occurrence of a collision of the vehicle. A high voltage controller is configured to perform a high voltage shut down function in response to receiving the airbag expansion signal.

A vehicle includes an engine, a motor selectively coupled to the engine, a transmission selectively coupled to the motor, and a controller. The motor is able to operate as a motor (to provide torque to the transmission) and a generator (to charge a battery). In one mode, the controller can command the engine to both propel the vehicle and provide torque to the motor to charge the battery. The controller estimates the maximum available engine torque in the current gear and maintains the vehicle in the current gear of the transmission. And, the controller commands the motor to charge the battery by a magnitude based on the difference between driver demanded torque and an estimated maximum available engine torque in a current gear of the transmission. This allows the engine to operate at (or near) its maximum torque output to fulfill driver demands and charge the battery while inhibiting downshifting.

An apparatus for implementing a power distribution system for electric vehicles charging within a structure that includes a battery for storing electrical energy. A power node module connects to an electrical grid of the structure at a preexisting load point to receive an electric current at a first power level. The power node module charges the battery responsive to the received electric current at the first power level and generates a charging current at a second power level for charging a connected electric vehicle using the stored electrical energy of the battery responsive to a received charging control signal. At least one charger connector connected to the power node module connects the connected electric vehicle to receive the charging current.

The number of opportunities where external charging of a vehicle parked in a residential parking space or a charging station in a predetermined period is available is counted as the number of opportunities, and the number of times of the external charging performed in the opportunities in the same predetermined period is counted as the number of times of charging. The number of times of charging is then divided by the number of opportunities to calculate and store a charging frequency. Since the charging frequency is a ratio of the number of times that the external charging was performed to the number of opportunities where the external charging is available in the predetermined period, the ratio is used as an index that can offer more accurate determination regarding an external charging utilization status. As a result, various processing to promote external charging can be executed more properly.