Provided is a method for switching an energy storage system (ESS) to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The method includes: a normal power supply determination step of determining whether normal power is supplied to the ESS; an operation mode setting step of setting an operation mode of the ESS according to whether the normal power is supplied or not; and an ESS control step of controlling the ESS according to a reference corresponding to the operation mode.

A vehicular power supply device to be applied to a vehicle includes an electric storage unit group, a charger, first and second switches, and a switch controller. The electric storage unit group includes a first electric storage unit and a second electric storage unit having higher internal resistance than the first electric storage unit. The charger is coupled to the electric storage unit group and charges one or both of the first electric storage unit and second electric storage unit. The first switch is provided between the first electric storage unit and the charger and controlled between an on state and an off state. The second switch is provided between the second electric storage unit and the charger and controlled between an on state and an off state. The switch controller controls the first and second switches based on a temperature of the electric storage unit group.

A system and a method of powering an external device with a vehicular battery system allow a user to charge electrically-powered devices with the electrical power source of his or her vehicle. The system includes an electrically-driven vehicle which includes a high-voltage battery. The system further includes a power modifier, an auxiliary battery, at least one external device, at least one on/off relay, and a user controller. The power modifier modifies the high-voltage DC drawn from the high-voltage battery to safely charge the auxiliary battery. The auxiliary battery stores electrical power. The external device may be any electrically-powered device. The on/off relay allows a user to turn the system on or off when desired. The user controller is communicably coupled to the on/off relay through a relay wireless communication module. The user controller allows a user to remotely operate the on/off relay and, thus, remotely turn the system on or off.

An electrical device, such as a power tool, includes a first battery pack receptacle configured to receive a first battery pack and a second battery pack receptacle configured to receive a second battery pack. The second battery pack is electrically connected in a series-type configuration with the first battery pack. The electrical device also includes circuitry with an electronic processor. The circuitry is configured to alter a first signal output from the electronic processor to at least one selected from a group consisting of the first battery pack and the second battery pack, and to alter a second signal received by the electronic processor from at least one selected from the group consisting of the first battery pack and the second battery pack.

An energy storage apparatus used in a flight vehicle includes battery circuits connected in series, through which current flows during charge and discharge of the energy storage apparatus. Each of the battery circuits includes: a first electrical path; an energy storage cell connected to an adjacent battery circuit through the first electrical path; a first switch that includes a diode and is provided in the first electrical path such that a forward direction of the diode is a charge direction of the energy storage apparatus; a second electrical path connected to the adjacent battery circuit in parallel with the energy storage cell and the first switch; and a second switch that includes a diode and is provided in the second electrical path such that a forward direction of the diode is a discharge direction of the energy storage apparatus, and is turned on when the first switch is turned off.

An aerosol-generating system includes an electric heater, a battery and control circuitry. The electric heater is configured to vaporize an aerosol-forming substance. The battery is configured to power the electric heater. The control circuitry is configured to: prevent charging of the battery in response to detecting that the electric heater is in an operation state; or prevent operation of the electric heater in response to detecting that the battery is in a charging state.

A protective circuit (1A) is provided with: a protective element (10A): a plurality or secondary battery cells (20), (20), . . . ; an external positive electrode terminal (30a) and an external negative electrode terminal (30b); an auxiliary power supply (40); a first controlling dev ice (50): and a switch (60). The protective element (10A) includes: a first fusible conductor (15) of which the two ends are connected to a first terminal (11) and a second terminal (12): and a heat generating body (16) disposed in a first energizing path (P1.sub.A) between a third terminal (13) and a fourth terminal (14). The auxiliary power supply (40) is provided electrically independently of the plurality of secondary battery cells (20), (20), . . . . In this protective circuit (1A), a signal from the first controlling device (50) causes the switch (60) to switch in such a way as to conduct electricity, thus causing the heat generating body (16) of the protective element (10A) to generate heat which fuses the first fusible conductor (15), thereby isolating the plurality of secondary battery cells (20), (20), . . . from the external negative electrode terminal (30b).

The invention relates to a battery pack type device including a first terminal (101), a second terminal (102) and a plurality of energy storage elements between these terminals, each element including:

a) at least one switch for connecting it with, or to disconnect it from, one or more other element(s);
b) at least one conductor (15, 17) for conducting a current, parallel to the element, when the latter is not connected with one or more other element(s);
c) at least one switch (20) for establishing a short-circuit between the terminals of the battery when the latter is disconnected or supplies a zero voltage;
d) a control circuit (30), specifically adapted to: select at least one first energy storage element and at least one second energy storage element, at least one of these elements being to be heated up, to make a current circulate at least from the first element to the second element when the terminals (101, 102) are short-circuited; stop the current when a setpoint temperature for one or more element(s) of the pack is reached.

A battery management system and a battery management method are provided. The battery management system includes a temperature sampling circuit, a plurality of voltage measurement circuits, a current sampling circuit, and a microcontroller. The temperature sampling circuit is configured to obtain a temperature parameter of a plurality of battery packs. The voltage measurement circuits are configured to obtain a plurality of open circuit voltage parameters of the battery packs. The current sampling circuit is configured to obtain a current parameter of the battery packs. The microcontroller obtains a plurality of initial state-of-charge parameters of the battery packs according to the open circuit voltage parameters and the temperature parameter and respectively calculates a plurality of present battery powers of the battery packs according to the initial state-of-charge parameters, the temperature parameter, and the current parameter.

The present invention discloses systems and methods for adaptive fast-charging for mobile devices and devices having sporadic power-source connection. Methods include the steps of: firstly determining whether a supercapacitor of a device is charged; upon detecting the supercapacitor is charged, secondly determining whether a battery of the device is charged; and upon detecting the battery is not charged, firstly charging the battery from the supercapacitor. Preferably, the step of firstly determining includes whether the supercapacitor is partially charged, and the step of secondly determining includes whether the battery is partially charged. Preferably, the step of firstly charging is adaptively regulated to perform a task selected from the group consisting of: preserving a lifetime of the battery by controlling a current to the battery, and discharging the supercapacitor in order to charge the battery. Preferably, the discharging enables the supercapacitor to be subsequently recharged.