An energy storage module (ESM) assembly, ESM and method of balancing current flow on a direct current bus are provided. The ESM assembly includes a bidirectional DC-DC converter, an ESM having first and second energy cell strings connected in parallel relative to one another and configured to be connected to respective inputs of the bidirectional DC-DC converter. The ESM is configured to absorb current from the bidirectional DC-DC converter when the bidirectional DC-DC converter is operated in a buck mode. The ESM is configured to source current to the bidirectional DC-DC converter when the bidirectional DC-DC converter is operated in a boost mode.

System and method for allocating load power drawn from multiple batteries for powering propulsion of a vehicle. The system includes: high-energy and high-power batteries respectively designed for optimal production of DC power during high-specific-energy and high-specific-power propulsion; and battery health management systems configured to monitor state of charge and state of health of the batteries and generate battery status signals. The system further includes a propulsion load configured to produce propulsion force using power converted from power generated by at least one of the batteries and a system controller configured to allocate load power drawn from the high-energy and high-power batteries for use by the propulsion load in dependence on a propulsion phase of the vehicle and the battery status.

A system comprises sets of batteries, each set having a power capacity less than a standup power capacity. The system is configured to couple the sets of batteries to power supplies to configure each of the power supplies with battery power less than the standup capacity. Responsive to a disruption of a first power supply, the system couples a first set of batteries, coupled to the first power supply, to a second power supply to couple to the second power supply battery power to not less than the standup power capacity. A method comprises coupling sets of batteries to power supplies to configure each of the power supplies to have less than a standup capacity. The method includes coupling sets batteries of one power supply to a second power supply to provide the second power supply with a battery capacity not less than the standup capacity.

An apparatus for perpetually harvesting ambient near ultraviolet to far infrared radiation to provide continual power regardless of the environment, incorporating a system for the harvesting electronics governing power management, storage control, and output regulation. The harvesting electronics address issues of efficiently matching the voltage and current characteristics of the different harvested energy levels, low power consumption, and matching the power output demand. The device seeks to harvest the largely overlooked blackbody radiation through use of a thermal harvester, providing a continuous source of power, coupled with a solar harvester to provide increased power output.

Voltage balancing and extracted output power circuit topologies use maximum power point and maximum power point tracking to provide voltage balancing and voltage and current adjustment to optimize extracted output power for corresponding DC voltage source strings (120a, 130a). The topologies used to control power generation include one or more voltage balancing circuits and/or power system optimizer circuits (102a) to reduce decreased power utilization and enable independent operating voltages of DC voltage source strings (120a, 130a) to provide voltage balancing and to deliver a maximum power independent of the voltage and current of other DC voltage source strings (120a, 130a). The current flowing in each DC voltage source string is controlled by the duty ratio of the corresponding switch (101a, 108a). The circuit topologies can include a plurality of voltage balancing/power system optimizer circuits (102a).

A multi-power supply system and a control method thereof are disclosed. The multi-power supply system includes a first power-supply unit, a second power-supply unit, a switching unit, and a control unit. The power-supply unit comprises a reverse current prevention circuit, a converter circuit, and an input circuit. The switching unit is electrically coupled to the first power-supply unit and the second power-supply unit. When the first and second input circuits are in normal operation, the control unit controls the switching unit to be turned off to allow the first power-supply unit and the second power-supply unit to supply power to a load. When one of the first and second input circuits is in abnormal operation, the control unit controls the switching unit to be turned on. The switching unit cooperates with the first and second reverse current prevention circuits to achieve the switching of input.

A control scheme for controlling power sharing among a plurality of parallel connected DC voltage sources is disclosed. Each of the DC voltage sources in parallel connection is an independent DC power system, which can be an suitable DC power supply that can provide power to a load. By way of example, the present disclosure describes a DC power system that includes a power source, an energy storage unit and a triple active bridge converter that provides power to the common load. Each independent DC power system has its own controller that shares a DC bus with the other DC power system controllers. Each controller executes non-transitory instructions to provide a reference voltage V* to its respective independent DC power system and implements a control scheme that changes the voltage reference to ensure that each independent DC power system only provides a certain share of the load current/power.

A control method of a power control device includes: receiving power from a power supply, distributing the power to at least one of a plurality of power conversion systems (PCSs), and transferring the power to a load using the at least one PCS. The power is distributed based on a load amount of power of each of the plurality of PCSs.

A power system for a marine ship includes a plurality of protection zones, wherein at least two protection zones are coupled to each other via at least one bus-tie converter. Each of the protection zones includes a plurality of direct current (DC) buses and a plurality of power converters. The bus-tie converter includes at least two converter legs coupled by at least one inductor. Each converter leg includes a first branch connected with a snubber circuit by an intermediate switching device. The first branch includes two outer switching devices and at least one inner switching device connected between the two outer switching devices. The snubber circuit includes a combination of a diode, a resistor and a capacitor. A controller controls the operation of the plurality of power converters and the at least one bus-tie converter.

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a set of power supply units where each power supply units from the set of power supply unit is associated with a power zone from a set of power zones. The apparatus can also includes a redundant power supply unit and a set of electronic devices where each electronic device from the set of electronic devices is associated with a power zone from the set of power zones. Additionally, each electronic device from the set of electronic devices is operatively coupled to a power supply unit from the set of power supply units for that power zone and is also operatively coupled to the redundant power supply unit.