According to one embodiment, a storage battery includes one or more first batteries that include a first active material as a negative electrode active material, and one or more second batteries that include a second active material having an operation electric potential lower than that of the first active material as a negative electrode active material. Charge and the discharge of the second batteries are stopped based on a fact that a temperature of the storage battery is lower than a temperature threshold. The second batteries are caused to charge or discharge based on a fact that the temperature of the storage battery is equal to or higher than the temperature threshold.

A hands-free charging system includes a power source and a charging unit electrically connected to the power source. The charging unit includes an energy-storage device and a robotic coupler connectable to a charge port of a vehicle. The charging unit is configured to charge the vehicle with the power source, and the energy-storage device is configured to independently power the robotic coupler irrespective of an energization state of the power source. A controller is programmed to, in response to the power source becoming de-energized during a vehicle charging session, retract the robotic coupler from the charge port using power from the energy-storage device.

A battery pack, comprising: a plurality of battery modules; a battery management system (BMS) controlling charging or discharging of the battery pack; a wake-up control unit controlling wake-up of the BMS; a protection circuit unit protecting the battery pack; and a main field-effect transistor (FET), one end being connected to the protection circuit unit, and another end being connected to a positive output terminal of the battery pack, to control an output of the battery pack in response to control by the BMS, the protection circuit unit comprising a blocking switch, one end being connected to a positive terminal of the plurality of battery modules, another end being connected to the BMS and the main FET, so that the blocking switch is set to an on state and then is turned off upon receiving a blocking signal from the BMS to block the output of the battery pack.

A durability evaluation method of a secondary battery includes a durability step of continuing to apply an alternating current voltage of a durability frequency to a first secondary battery for evaluation over a durability test period, and an evaluation step of evaluating durability of an associated battery reaction associated with the durability frequency from among battery reactions of the first secondary battery. A temperature and a state of charge of the first secondary battery are adjusted to a first temperature and a first state of charge, respectively.

In one aspect a device includes at least one processor, a battery that powers the at least one processor, and storage accessible to the at least one processor. The device also includes circuitry to, responsive to a user command to decommission the battery, discharge the battery to render the battery inoperable.

A first parameter estimation device includes a sequential estimation unit configured to sequentially estimate parameters of an equivalent circuit of a secondary battery on the basis of a current and a voltage of the secondary battery when charging or discharging of the secondary battery has been performed on the basis of a current pattern. A second parameter estimation device includes: a collective estimation unit configured to collectively estimate parameters of the equivalent circuit of the secondary battery on the basis of a current and a voltage having been collected; and an output unit configured to output the estimated parameters to the first parameter estimation device. The first parameter estimation device further includes an update unit configured to update the sequentially estimated parameters with the collectively estimated parameters.

An electrochemical cell management system comprising an electrochemical cell and at least one controller configured to control the cell such that, for at least a portion of a charge cycle, the cell is charged at a charging rate or current that is lower than a discharging rate or current of at least a portion of a previous discharge cycle. An electrochemical cell management method. An electrochemical cell management system comprising an electrochemical cell and at least one controller configured to induce a discharge of the cell before and/or after a charging step of the cell. An electrochemical cell management method. A electrochemical cell management system comprising an electrochemical cell and at least one controller configured to: monitor at least one characteristic of the cell and, based on the at least one characteristic of the cell, induce a discharge and/or control a charging rate or current of the cell.

Various embodiments of the present technology may provide methods and apparatus for a battery. The apparatus may be configured to prevent leakage current from the battery to a number of sub-systems by selectively operating switches that connect the battery to the sub-systems. Operation of the switches may be based on whether the battery is charging or discharging and the capacity of the battery.

A charging system for a secondary battery capable of minimizing a reduction in the capacity retention rate and the charge-discharge efficiency of a secondary battery. A charging system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a secondary battery, a charger that charges the secondary battery, a unit that calculates a charge capacity of the secondary battery, and a charge control unit that controls the charger to perform a first charging step of charging the secondary battery until a first voltage is reached, and a second charging step of charging the secondary battery at a constant voltage of the first voltage. The charge control unit terminates charging when the charge capacity of the secondary battery reaches a charge termination capacity set in a range less than a full charge capacity that is based on the first voltage of the secondary battery.

A rapid charging method and a system for a mobile terminal are provided, which are capable of increasing charging current and dissipating heat. The method includes communicating a controller of the mobile terminal with the charging accessory through a Type-C interface after the mobile terminal detects that the charger is connected to an electric power supply; turning on a load switch by the controller, so that the microcontroller controls a first charging integrated circuit (IC) to start charging, and the controller controls a second charging IC of the mobile terminal to start charging; and stopping charging of the second charging IC of the mobile terminal, and charging the first charging IC of the charging accessory until power of the battery is full when a charging current gradually decreases to a threshold.