Embodiments described herein relate to a battery bank and techniques for managing batteries of the battery bank. For example, the battery bank may include at least a primary battery and a secondary battery. In various embodiments, processor(s) of a primary battery management system (BMS) of the primary battery may monitor battery diagnostic information for the battery bank, receive an indication to charge the battery bank from a central controller that is communicatively coupled to the battery bank, select a given battery to be charged from among at least the primary battery and the secondary battery, and cause the given battery to be charged. In various embodiments, the primary BMS may be internal to the primary battery. In various embodiments, the secondary battery may include a corresponding secondary BMS to communicate with the primary BMS to enable the processor(s) of the primary BMS to monitor the battery diagnostic information.

Provided is a battery pack in which the voltage of each battery cell is monitored using an inexpensive general-purpose microcomputer. A battery pack comprises: a plurality of battery cells connected in series; a plurality of voltage detection units which detect the voltage of each of the battery cells; and a microcomputer which measures the voltages of the battery cells from the output of each of the voltage detection units. Switch control circuits for switching on or off the outputs from the voltage detection units to the microcomputer are respectively arranged on each of the voltage detection units. Voltage divider circuits dividing the detected voltages into voltages lower than or equal to the power supply voltage of a control unit are arranged on the output sides of the voltage detection units. The microcomputer inputs the voltages divided by the voltage divider circuits and measures the voltages of the battery cells.

Provided is a watchdog system including: a software area including a bootloader area and an application area, and a shared memory area storing the last watchdog refresh timing; and an external watchdog module refreshing a watchdog when a transmitted refresh request timing corresponds to window open time in response to a refresh request transmitted from either the bootloader area or the application area and based on the last watchdog refresh timing transmitted from the shared memory area and the transmitted refresh request timing.

A method for operating a battery module, including multiple battery cells. The method includes: a) ascertaining cell voltages of the individual battery cells at a starting point in time; b) ascertaining at the starting point in time an average cell voltage from the cell voltages of the battery cells ascertained at the starting point in time; c) estimating the cell voltage of at least one battery cell at an operating point in time if the cell voltage of the battery cell is not measurable at the operating point in time, taking into account the cell voltage of the battery cell ascertained at the starting point in time, the average cell voltage ascertained at the starting point in time, and an average cell voltage ascertained at the operating point in time.

An electric vehicle comprises: a battery system split into first and second sectors substantially equal to each other; a first bidirectional DC/DC converter, the first bidirectional DC/DC converter being galvanically isolated and coupled to the first sector; and a second bidirectional DC/DC converter, the second bidirectional DC/DC converter being galvanically isolated and coupled to the second sector; wherein the first and second bidirectional DC/DC converters balance respective states of charge of the first and second sectors before the first and second sectors are connected in parallel.

A converter includes a DC split link with a positive line, a floating midpoint, and a negative DC line, a first DC capacitance arranged between the positive line and the floating midpoint, a second DC capacitance arranged between the negative line and the floating midpoint, a first resistor arranged in parallel to the first DC capacitance, a second resistor is arranged in parallel to the second DC capacitance. The first and the second resistors are configured to be engaged during a pre-charge phase of the converter.

A dual motor powered compact drive comprises two electrical motors powering the planetary gear mechanism. The dual drive can provide variable speed and torque. A single electric motor operated braking system with a screw-driven wedged brake pads is described using a compact test set-up. The system comprises at least one motor and a screw shaft connected to transmit the power to a sliding plunger, and braking pads located on a braking disc, and a force sensor applied to measure the braking force, and a device to measure the parameters of the braking motor and the parameters are used as the inputs to establish a control strategy. Systems and methods for monitoring a battery pack including multiple cells are provided. The battery management system further comprises a control strategy for implementing a balancing algorithm. A balancing strategy comprises a determination of battery cells to be balanced, and a calculated balancing current.

A method and system for AC battery operation. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining, at a battery management unit (BMU) coupled to an AC battery comprising a power converter and a battery that is rechargeable, a bias control voltage that indicates a state of a charge process of the AC battery; and coupling, by a bias control module of the BMU, the bias control voltage to the power converting for communicating the state of the charge process to and from the BMU and the power converter.

A resistor ladder comprising identical resistors is disposed electrically in parallel with a multicell battery to calibrate voltage-controlled oscillators or analog-to-digital convertors for voltage balancing the battery cells in the multicell battery. Switches in a first state provide the voltage across each resistor as inputs to the VCOs or ADCs. The number of oscillations of the output signal of each VCO or ADC over a predetermined time period are compared to determine an offset error. Switches in a second state provide the voltage across each battery cell as inputs to the VCOs or ADCs. The battery cells with a higher relative voltage can be discharged until they are balanced. Some aspects describe temperature-adjusted and interpolated determinations of electrical quantities in the cells such as voltage and/or current.

Devices, systems, methods, computer-implemented methods, and/or computer program products to facilitate an intelligent battery cell with integrated monitoring and switches are provided. According to an embodiment, a device can comprise active battery cell material. The device can further comprise an internal circuit coupled to the active battery cell material and comprising: one or more switches coupled to battery cell poles of the device; and a processor that operates the one or more switches to provide a defined value of electric potential at the battery cell poles.