A multi-cell battery pack charging system adjusts each battery cell's charging current to synchronize the completion of charge. The battery pack is charged as a whole, and need only be charged once, and without requiring charge shuttling, resistive charge balancing or inductive charge dumping. Charging current to each battery cell is based on voltage matching of the battery cells being charged, lower voltage battery cells being given more charge current until there is a voltage match to the other series connected battery cells. Additional charge may be given to higher capacity cells of the battery pack during the voltage matching and charging process.

A battery management system and a method for enhanced battery management of a battery containing a number of cells. The method and system measures the cell capacity of two or more of said cells, ranks the cells in order of their cell capacity values and calculates a value for a cell specific supporting current for the measured cell, for a given load, based upon the ranked cell capacity values. Calculated cell specific currents are then provided to the cells.

Provided are a charge equalization apparatus for a battery string. According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the charge equalization apparatus are modularized by being divided into the master unit and the slave unit, such that the charge equalization apparatus may be expanded and contracted independent of the number of batteries, the circuits are separated for each module, such that the circuits may be easily implemented, and when the circuits are damaged, only the damaged module is replaced, such that the effective countermeasure may be performed.

An apparatus and method for charging movable devices like carts or trolleys. Each movable device includes a charging unit and a charging connector coupled to the charging unit, including a male plug at one end, a female socket at the other end, and two electrodes interconnected. When the devices are in a queue, the male plug of the connector of a device in the rear is connected to the female socket of the same in the front so that a plurality of movable devices are connected to each other in tandem and charged simultaneously. The method includes connecting the plurality of devices in tandem with the respective connectors so that the devices can be charged simultaneously. A plurality of movable devices can be charged simultaneously and the charging process can be simplified, thereby improving the utilization and safety of the movable devices and reducing the cost of maintenance.

An electrical energy storage device is constituted by connecting together a plurality of battery cells. Each of the battery cells includes a transformer forming unit constituted by a first inductor, a second inductor, a first core member, and a second core member, and which is capable of forming a transformer between itself and an adjacent battery cell, and a potential detection unit that detects the potential of the battery cell. A control unit compares the potentials of the adjacent battery cells based on measurement results of a potential detection unit. Furthermore, the control unit performs an equalization control to equalize the potentials of the plurality of battery cells, by supplying electrical charge from the battery cell having a higher potential to the battery cell having a lower potential.

An apparatus for transferring energy from cell to cell of a battery, wherein each cell is connected to its individual electrical motor/alternator through an electronic module, and wherein each motor/alternator is mechanically connected to a common flywheel. The electrical motor/alternator preferably is an electrical motor that provides rotational work and generates power when being driven by an external source of rotational kinetic energy or by an external source of rotational power. The common flywheel stores rotational kinetic energy. Cells of the battery provide various torque on the flywheel or on the shaft driving the flywheel. Cells with higher than average output current will provide higher than average torque, thus providing higher than average kinetic energy input to the flywheel, while cells with lower than average output current will provide lower than average torque, or will provide negative torque, the motor/alternator acting then as an alternator recharging the cell.

A storage status adjusting circuit includes a first switching unit configured to switch between energy accumulation in a first coil and energy release from the first coil to any one of electric storage devices in a first assembled electric storage device having a plurality of the electric storage devices, a second switching unit configured to switch between energy accumulation in a second coil and energy release from the second coil to any one of the electric storage devices in a second assembled electric storage device having a plurality of the electric storage devices, and a changing unit configured to change a potential difference between both ends of the first coil and a potential difference between both ends of the second coil based on storage statuses of the first assembled electric storage device and the second assembled electric storage device, when energy is accumulated in the first coil and the second coil.

A method of charging and discharging a secondary battery includes detecting a displacement in a secondary battery by one or more sensors and controlling a charging and discharging current based on the detection result of each of the sensors. The charging and discharging current of the secondary battery is controlled so that an amount of displacement of the secondary battery does not exceed a threshold value.

A capacitor based energy storage system (CBESS) and methods of using it are disclosed. The CBESS uses meta-capacitors in its capacitive energy storage devices (CESD) to configure capacitive energy storage cells (CESC), which are used to configure capacitive energy storage modules (CESM) to achieve the CBESS's function as an uninterruptible power supply. The CBESS is connected to a power generation system (PGS), a load, and a power grid. When the grid is in an abnormal state, the CESM is simultaneously charged with power from the PGS and used to supply power to the load. If a remaining amount of power of a CESM is less than a predetermined level, the CESM is charged with power from PGS or grid. The CBESS interfaces with a computer system or network to buy or sell electricity to the grid depending on grid electricity cost and CESD charging states.

The present disclosure provides an energy storage cell comprising at least one capacitive energy storage device and a DC-voltage conversion device. The capacitive energy storage device comprises at least one meta-capacitor. The output voltage of the capacitive energy storage device is the input voltage of the DC-voltage conversion device. The present disclosure also provides a capacitive energy storage module and a capacitive energy storage system.