A vehicle power supply system is provided. The system includes a first power line connected by a first inverter and a first battery, a second power line connected by a second inverter and a second battery, a voltage converter, and a charging and discharging control device operating the inverters and the voltage converter. The control device charges the second battery with second regenerative electric power that is power supplied from the second inverter to the second power line in a case where a second SOC is equal to or less than the second regeneration permission upper limit during regenerative deceleration, and prohibits the second battery from being charged and supplies at least a portion of the second regenerative electric power to the first battery through the voltage converter and the first power line when the second SOC is larger than the second regeneration permission upper limit.

Systems and methods for controlling power flow to and from an energy storage system are provided. One energy storage system includes an energy storage device and a bidirectional inverter configured to control a flow of power into or out of the energy storage device. The energy storage system further includes a controller configured to control the bidirectional inverter based on one or more signals received from the generator set coupled to the inverter via an AC bus. The controller is configured to, based on the one or more signals, control the bidirectional inverter to store power generated by the generator set in the energy storage device and transmit power from the energy storage device to a load driven by the generator set to maintain the generator set within a range of one or more operating conditions.

A master generator is configured to use a duty upper limit value and a duty lower limit value to perform duty restriction processing on a PWM signal in continuous Y cycles out of generated X cycles, and transmit the PWM signal after the restriction processing to a slave generator. The slave generator is configured to receive the PWM signal after the restriction processing transmitted from the master generator as a received PWM signal, and determine that a reception abnormality exists when the received PWM signal is received as a signal representing a duty less than the duty lower limit value or a duty more than the duty upper limit value in continuous (X−Y+1) cycles.

A portion of ankle movement can be harnessed into stored energy that can be released for various purposes, such as to assist in movement or to charge a battery. This harnessing can be achieved in various manners. In one example manner, an offset pulley component can transfer ankle movement to a generator in a shoe insole. In another example manner, a slider can cause a brace arch to match an ankle arch such that the movement is appropriately harnessed.

A suitcase has an integrated power charging device for integrating a power source into a suitcase in an optimal configuration. The includes a suitcase and a handle selectively extendable from the suitcase. A power module is coupled to the suitcase. A rechargeable battery is electrically coupled to a circuit board when the rechargeable battery is fully inserted into a battery compartment of the power module. A charging port on the battery is electrically coupled to the circuit board when the rechargeable battery is fully inserted into the battery compartment. A power port is positioned on the rechargeable battery exposed on the suitcase when the rechargeable battery is fully inserted into the battery compartment.

An electrical system for an automotive vehicle has a plurality of electrical generating machines having field windings energized by pulse width modulated drive signals generated by an external electronic voltage regulator. The pulse width modulated drive signals have a duty cycle determined by the electronic voltage regulator. A controller selects one of electrical generating machines to evaluate for failure and evaluates that electrical generating machine for failure by causing the PWM drive signal for the field windings of that electrical generating machine to be disabled. The controller then determines that this electrical generating machine has failed if the duty cycle for the PWM drive signals has then not been increased by the electronic voltage regulator by a pre-determined amount. The electrical generating machines are either generators or alternators. In an aspect, the PWM drive signals for the plurality of electrical generating machines are out of phase with each other.

A vehicle includes an engine, an electric motor, an electrical storage device and a controller. The electric motor generates electric power by using driving force of the engine. The controller controls supply of electric power, which is at least one of electric power generated by the electric motor or electric power stored in the electrical storage device, to an outside of the vehicle. The controller selects, on the basis of setting made by a user, whether to permit or prohibit generation of electric power by using the driving force of the engine.

In one illustrative embodiment, a wind-driven charging system includes a wind-driven rotation device coupled to a rotatable shaft, and a plurality of electric generators disposed at different longitudinal locations along the rotatable shaft and each of the plurality of electric generators are rotationally driven simultaneously by the rotatable shaft. By having the electric generators disposed at different longitudinal locations, more electric generators may be simultaneously driven by a common shaft. In some instances, a controller may be configured to enable more of the electric generators to provide electrical current to recharge a battery when the speed of rotation of the rotatable shaft increases, and may disable more of the plurality of electric generators to not provide electrical current when the speed of rotation of the rotatable shaft decreases.

A battery system for an electric vehicle is disclosed having a first battery connectable to a first electric drive; a second, redundant battery, connectable to a second, redundant electric drive; and an electronic power switch having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal, the first input terminal being electrically connected to the first battery, the second input terminal being electrically connected to the second battery, and the output terminal being electrically connectable to an electrical accessory, the electronic power switch being configured to selectively and electrically connect the output terminal to the first input terminal or the second input terminal to provide electrical power from the first battery or the second battery to the electrical accessory.

A renewable energy generation system includes a drive motor, a flywheel in mechanical communication with the drive motor, a generator in mechanical communication with the flywheel, a charge controller in electrical communication with the generator, a plurality of charge controller switches in electrical communication with the charge controller, a plurality of batteries in electrical communication with a respective charge controller switch, and a power management module in electrical communication with the plurality of charge controller switches. The drive motor effectuates rotation of the flywheel to generate stored rotational energy which is transferred to the generator as a load is placed upon the generator to maintain a constant speed of the drive motor. The power management module selectively opens or closes a charge controller switch to permit or inhibit the flow of electrical energy to a respective battery to reduce the electrical load placed upon the generator and drive motor.