Systems and methods for storing energy for use by an electric vehicle are disclosed. Systems can include an electric vehicle battery pack including a rack configured to couple a plurality of independently removable battery strings to the vehicle, the battery strings configured to be selectively coupled in parallel to a vehicle power bus. The battery strings may include a housing, a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed within the housing, a circuit for electrically connecting the electrochemical cells, a positive high-voltage connector, a negative high-voltage connector, a switch within the housing, and a string control unit configured to control the switch. Each battery string can include a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet configured to couple with and sealingly uncouple from an external coolant supply conduit and an external coolant return conduit, and an auxiliary connector configured to couple with an external communications system and/or an external low-voltage power supply.

Systems and methods for storing energy for use by an electric vehicle are disclosed. Systems can include an electric vehicle battery pack including a rack configured to couple a plurality of independently removable battery strings to the vehicle, the battery strings configured to be selectively coupled in parallel to a vehicle power bus. The battery strings may include a housing, a plurality of electrochemical cells disposed within the housing, a circuit for electrically connecting the electrochemical cells, a positive high-voltage connector, a negative high-voltage connector, a switch within the housing, and a string control unit configured to control the switch. Each battery string can include a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet configured to couple with and sealingly uncouple from an external coolant supply conduit and an external coolant return conduit, and an auxiliary connector configured to couple with an external communications system and/or an external low-voltage power supply.

The present disclosure relates to a converter system for transferring electric power, a vehicle comprising such a converter system and a method for transferring electric power. The converter system comprises a first DC/DC converter module, a second DC/DC converter module and a control unit. The first DC/DC converter module is connectable to a first high voltage system and at least to a first low voltage system. The second DC/DC converter module is connectable to a second high voltage system and at least to the first low voltage system. The first DC/DC converter module comprises at least a first main DC/DC converter unit and a first micro DC/DC converter unit. The second DC/DC converter module comprises at least a second micro DC/DC converter unit. The first micro DC/DC converter unit and the second micro DC/DC converter unit are connectable via a first bidirectional switch unit. The control unit is configured to transfer the electric power from the first high voltage system to the first low voltage system via the first micro DC/DC converter unit, if the first main DC/DC converter unit is deactivated. The control unit is further configured to open the first bidirectional switch unit to transfer the electric power from the second high voltage system to the first low voltage system via the second micro DC/DC converter unit, if the first main DC/DC converter unit is deactivated and the first micro DC/DC converter unit has a failure.

An electric vehicle thermal management system and method utilizing power demand models for both propulsion and auxiliary systems, and an intelligent thermal load management module. A navigation unit formulates potential routes to a destination that is either set by a driver or predicted by a drive cycle prediction module. The routes are used to inform the propulsion power demand model, while historical driving patterns based on GPS data and time-dependent climate inputs inform the auxiliary power demand model. The expected power demands for the individual systems and overall combined system are accounted for in calculations performed by optimization algorithms in an intelligent thermal load management module. The calculations produce desired temperature setpoints which send heating and cooling requests to refrigerant and coolant fluid handlers and subsequent actuators that control the refrigerant and coolant fluid loops.

A cooling circuit for a vehicle includes a single cooler, a refrigeration machine, a first heat-generating device, a second heat-generating device, a coolant pump arrangement configured to pump a coolant, a valve arrangement, and an electronic control module. The first heat-generating device requires the coolant at a first coolant temperature level. The second het-generating device requires the coolant at a second coolant temperature level. The valve arrangement is configured to supply the coolant from the first and second heat-generating devices to the refrigeration machine and/or to the single cooler. The electronic control module is designed to control a temperature of the coolant at coolant inlets of the first and second heat-generating devices by varying flow rates of the coolant through the refrigeration machine and/or the single cooler.

Systems and methods of providing a configurable powertrain in a vehicle are disclosed. The powertrain is capable of operating in a plurality of powertrain configurations and includes one or more reversible generators, a battery system, a motor/generator (M/G), and one or more drive axles. The generators generate and supply electrical power to the battery system, the M/G, an external power source, or a combination thereof. The battery system selectively supplies electrical power to the generators, the M/G, the external power source, or a combination thereof. The one or more generators also selectively supply cooling to the battery system, a cab of the vehicle, a trailer or external enclosure or structure of the vehicle, or a combination thereof. The powertrain configurations of the vehicle include operating the components of the powertrain in various combinations based on demands of the vehicle and/or external power sources or structures.

A cart may include a driving wheel, a motor configured to rotate the driving wheel, a motor drive circuit configured to drive the motor, a motor brake circuit configured to electrically brake the motor, a control device configured to control the motor via the motor drive circuit and the motor brake circuit so that a travelling speed of the cart becomes equal to or lower than an upper limit travelling speed, and a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the motor brake circuit. The control device may be configured to change the upper limit travelling speed to a second upper limit travelling speed lower than the first upper limit travelling speed when the upper limit travelling speed is a first upper limit travelling speed and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a first predetermined temperature.

A thermal management system includes a compressor, a water-cooled condenser, a battery chiller, a valve body assembly, a first water pump, a second water pump, and a third water pump that are disposed in a centralized manner. The thermal management system can separately form a passenger compartment cooling loop, a passenger compartment heating loop, a battery cooling loop, a battery heating loop, and an electrical driver cooling loop, and any one or more of the passenger compartment, the battery, and the electrical driver can be cooled or heated.

A cold ambient battery chilling mode of an electric vehicle may be implemented if the vehicle battery is being charged when the ambient air temperature is low and a temperature of the battery is elevated. During cold ambient charging, coolant flows through a heater core and through a battery heat exchanger. Cold ambient air may be utilized to cool the coolant flowing through the heater core, and coolant from the heater core flows through the battery heat exchanger and cools the battery during charging. A battery chiller may be deactivated when the cold ambient battery chilling mode is activated to reduce energy consumption.

A vehicle-based high-voltage charging circuit is provided with an AC voltage terminal, at least two galvanically isolating DC-DC converters designed as step-up converters and a rectifier via which the DC-DC converters are connected to the AC voltage terminal, and a changeover switch. The charging circuit has a first and a second DC voltage terminal selectably connected to the first DC-DC converter via the changeover switch. The charging circuit has a third DC voltage terminal connected to the second DC-DC converter, wherein the charging circuit also has a controller which is set up, in a first mode, to drive the DC-DC converters according to a first target output voltage which is at least 750 V and at most 1000 V, and, in a second mode, to drive the DC-DC converters according to a second target output voltage which is at most 480 V or at most 450 V.