Provided is a battery management apparatus, a battery management method and an energy storage system including the same. The battery management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first battery pack, a second battery pack, a first switch connected in series to the first battery pack between a first terminal and a second terminal, a second switch connected in series to the second battery pack between the first terminal and the second terminal, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to turn on both the first switch and the second switch when a voltage difference between the first battery pack and the second battery pack at a time point at which both the first switch and the second switch are turned off is less than a threshold voltage.

Presented are traction battery pack balancing systems, methods for making/operating such systems, and multi-pack, electric-drive motor vehicles with battery pack balancing capabilities. A method for controlling operation of a motor vehicle includes a vehicle controller: receiving a key-off command signal to power off the motor vehicle; determining if a difference between corresponding electrical characteristics of first and second traction battery packs is greater than a calibrated characteristic differential threshold; determining if a difference between corresponding battery pack capacities of the first and second traction battery packs is greater than a calibrated capacity differential threshold; and, responsive to the characteristic difference not being greater than the calibrated characteristic differential threshold and the capacity difference being greater than the calibrated capacity differential threshold, transmitting a key-on command signal to power on the motor vehicle, and a pack balancing command signal to reduce the capacity difference to below the calibrated capacity differential threshold.

A method and system for charging multi-cell lithium-based batteries. In some aspects, a battery charger includes a housing, at least one terminal to electrically connect to a battery pack supported by the housing, and a controller operable to provide a charging current to the battery pack through the at least one terminal. The battery pack includes a plurality of lithium-based battery cells, with each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells having an individual state of charge. The controller is operable to control the charging current being supplied to the battery pack at least in part based on the individual state of charge of at least one battery cell.

A mobile X-ray apparatus includes: an X-ray radiation device; a controller configured to control the X-ray radiation device; a power supply configured to supply operating power to the X-ray radiation device and the controller via a lithium ion battery and control overcurrent occurring during X-ray emission by the X-ray radiation device; and a charger configured to charge the power supply. Each of the controller, the power supply, and the charger is embodied in a physically separate module, and each of the power supply and the charger is encased in a metal case.

An electrical combination. The combination comprises a hand held power tool, a battery pack and a controller. The battery pack includes a battery pack housing connectable to and supportable by the hand held power tool, a plurality of battery cells supported by the battery pack housing, each of the plurality of battery cells having a lithium-based chemistry, being individually tapped and having an individual state of charge. A communication path is provided by a battery pack sense terminal and a power tool sense terminal. The controller is operable to monitor a state of charge of a number of battery cells less than the plurality of battery cells and to generate a signal based on the monitored state of charge of the number of battery cells less than the plurality of battery cells, the signal being operable to control the operation of the hand held power tool.

A device for electropolishing an energy storage device having at least one lithium-ion cell comprises at least one actuatable first switch which is connected in series to a capacitor and an electrical resistor for current limitation parallel to at least one lithium ion cell, wherein an apparatus for discharging the capacitor is connected in parallel at least to the capacitor (C). The invention further relates to a charger and to a method for operating the charger.

System and method of dynamically balancing a rechargeable energy storage assembly having two or more respective units, a respective switch for each of the respective units and at least one sensor. The system includes a controller configured to control operation of the respective switch. The respective switch is configured to enable a respective circuit connection to the respective units when in an ON state and disable the respective circuit connection when in an OFF state. The respective units are characterized by a respective state of charge obtained based in part on the at least one sensor. A controller is configured to selectively employ at least one of a plurality of charging modes to charge one or more of the respective units, through operation of the respective switch. The plurality of charging modes includes a rest charging mode, a rapid initial charging mode and a rapid final charging mode.

An improved method for sharing power between multiple battery energy storage systems (BESS) connected to a common DC network having a nominal voltage wherein the current from each BESS is regulated based upon a voltage-current characteristic which defines an output current which increases linearly in a predetermined ratio as the measured system voltage decreases. The predetermined ratio is constant in respect of each BESS. The output current of each BESS varies based upon an external signal that varies with the state of charge of the BESS.

A battery system includes a unit battery module, a current and coulomb measurement circuit and a master control circuit. The unit battery module stores electricity and calculates battery information of the battery set according to a system current value, a system coulomb value, a cell voltage and a cell temperature of the battery set. The current and coulomb measurement circuit is coupled to the unit battery module, generates the system current value according to the current flowing though the battery set, generates the system coulomb value by integrating the system current value, and provides the system current value and the system coulomb value to the unit battery module. The master control circuit is coupled to the unit battery module, receives the battery information from the unit battery module, generates a system battery information according to the battery information and provides the system battery information to an external device.

A smart battery power balance system and method to maximize the operating life of a mobile computing device and a portable peripheral (e.g., a peripheral having scanning capability). The mobile computing device battery and portable peripheral battery parameters such as battery level, velocity/rate of consumption and usage history are collected. A curve fitting and estimation is done to predict the empty time for complete battery discharge of the mobile computing device and portable peripheral. Based on this analysis, if the calculated empty time of the mobile computing device battery is less than the portable peripheral battery, the portable peripheral charges the mobile computing device battery and if the calculated empty time of the mobile computing device battery is greater than that of the portable peripheral battery, the portable peripheral battery does not charge the mobile computing battery.