A power supply system includes: a voltage converter that converts a voltage between first and second power circuits; a power controller that controls charging and discharging of first and second batteries; a cooling output controller that controls cooling output for the second battery; a temperature remaining-capacity acquirer that acquires a temperature remaining-capacity T2_mar; and a cooling remaining-capacity acquirer that acquires a cooling remaining-capacity PC2_mar depending on a difference between maximum cooling output and the cooling output of the second cooler. The power controller is configured to stop the voltage converter in a case where at least one of the temperature remaining-capacity T2_mar and the cooling remaining-capacity PC2_mar is less than an associated one of a threshold value for the temperature remaining-capacity and a threshold value for the cooling remaining-capacity and a potential difference between the first and second batteries is equal to or more than a potential difference threshold value.

A control device for a vehicle is provided with a catalyst warmup control part supplying electric power to a conductive base to warm up a catalyst device if the temperature of the conductive base is less than a predetermined temperature and the state of charge of the battery is less than a second state of charge larger than a first state of charge when the state of charge of the battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined first state of charge and a driving mode of the vehicle is set to an EV mode in which at least the output of the rotary electric machine is controlled to make the vehicle run. The catalyst warmup control part sets the second state of charge so that the second state of charge becomes larger in the case where the resistance value of the conductive base is large compared to when it is small.

Energy saving and sustainability have become hot topics nowadays. Electric transportation applications, such as electric vehicles, always pursue higher energy efficiency other than applications with secured power sources. Therefore, lots of research and development work have been carried out to pursue the energy efficiency, such as redesign the motor itself and/or, use electronic techniques. This invention deploys electronic techniques to pursue higher efficiency. To prove the idea and solutions, 2 prototypes using 2-phase and 3-phase PMBLDC motors have been built for the purpose. They disclose the methods to catch the residual energy from an armature and send it back to the rechargeable power sources without affecting the motor's running driven by switching manner. The implementation is simple and cheap. By recycling the residual energy, it extends the run time of battery systems, achieving higher energy efficiency. The benefit is huge, but not limited to, in economical and environmental fields.

A system and method are for managing the energy supplied to a transport vehicle. A first and a second source of energy provide electrical energy to power at least one piece of consumer equipment of the vehicle. An intermediate energy transmission system receives electrical energy provided by at least one of the two sources of energy and transfers it to the at least one piece of consumer equipment. An energy conversion-control system applies, at the input of the intermediate energy transmission system, the electrical energy to be provided, adjusted depending on the operational state of the first source of energy and on an input signal indicative of an operational state of the second source. The first source of energy includes an internal combustion engine connected to a permanent-magnet alternator that is placed between the internal combustion engine and the energy conversion-control system.

Electrical power supply system having a DC distribution bus; a rechargeable battery module which delivers DC power to the DC distribution bus in a discharge mode, and absorbs DC power from the DC distribution bus in a recharge mode; a DC/DC converter comprising an inductor and plural switches, the DC/DC converter being connected between the DC distribution bus and the rechargeable battery module; and a heat transfer arrangement configured to transfer heat between the DC/DC converter and the rechargeable battery module. The module has an idling mode of operation in which it neither delivers nor absorbs DC power to/from DC distribution bus, wherein the converter is repeatedly switchable between (i) a ramping-up configuration in which a current is withdrawn from a source, and (ii) a freewheeling configuration in which the current from the ramping-up configuration is isolated from the source to flow in a continuous loop within the converter.

A method for charging a battery that is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes first and second steps. The first step is estimating an SOC of the battery based on at least one of a voltage and a current of the battery. The second step is, based on a relationship between the SOC of the battery and an entropy change ΔS, determining a maximum charging current to the battery in accordance with the SOC of the battery such that the maximum charging current becomes larger as the entropy change of the battery becomes greater.

A power distribution device has a resin part covering a portion of a power line and a portion of a signal line and having a switch adjacent to one surface of the resin part, and a cooling part disposed adjacent to a back surface of the resin part opposite to the one surface. The power line and the signal line each have, inside the resin part, a laid-out portion extending in a planar direction orthogonal to an arrangement direction in which the one surface and the back surface are arranged, and a led-out portion extending from the laid-out portion toward the one surface. The laid-out portion of the power line and the laid-out portion of the signal line are located in a projection area of the cooling unit projected in the arrangement direction, and are separated from each other and arranged in the arrangement direction.

A vehicle power conversion apparatus is provided to reduce an overall system size by integrating a motor controller which generates power and a power supply apparatus which converts the power. The vehicle power conversion apparatus includes a driving motor which is connected to an engine and a power converter which selectively converts power in a plurality of modes to generate the power related to an operation of the driving motor. A first battery supplies the power for the conversion or receives the converted power.

A charging system which charges a power storage device mounted on a moving object, includes: an electric power conversion device that converts electric power supplied from a commercial power supply; a kinetic energy storage device that stores kinetic energy; and a rotary electric machine that is electrically connected to the electric power conversion device and is mechanically connected to the kinetic energy storage device.

An on-board electrical system includes a motor generator, a high-voltage battery, an electric power acquirer, an auxiliary subsystem, first and second step-down units, and a controller. The electric power acquirer is able to acquire electric power during travel of a vehicle, and able to feed acquired electric power to the high-voltage battery. The auxiliary subsystem includes an auxiliary battery and auxiliary machinery. The controller determines whether or not magnitude of a load on the auxiliary battery is equal to or greater than predetermined magnitude. On the condition that the magnitude of the load is equal to or greater than the predetermined magnitude, the controller allows electric power from the electric power acquirer to be fed to the auxiliary subsystem through the second step-down unit.