A method for starting an engine of a hybrid vehicle is provided. The method includes: detecting a speed of the hybrid vehicle when receiving an instruction to start the engine; and outputting an inertia torque generated by a transmission of the hybrid vehicle to a crankshaft of the engine to start the engine when the speed is larger than or equal to a predetermined speed. Further, a system for starting an engine of a hybrid vehicle and a hybrid vehicle including the system are provided.

An apparatus for controlling a battery of a green car, the apparatus includes an information collector configured to collect navigation information; a charge amount manager configured to manage a charge amount of the battery; a charger configured to charge the battery; and a controller configured to control the charging according to the charge amount of the battery and to expand a usable state of charge range of the battery based on the navigation information collected by the information collector.

A mobile energy storage apparatus comprised of: a. at least one variable energy control device which converts DC to DC, AC to DC and DC to AC and b. at least one energy storage device (such as a battery) and c. a means to adjust said at least one variable energy control device to various electrical output powers and d. a means to connect said mobile energy storage apparatus to an EV (electric vehicle) or other device electrically and mechanically to enable transferring energy even when in motion and e. optionally a means for attaching various covers to said mobile energy storage apparatus to suit various applications. The mobile energy storage apparatus allows the transfer of energy to or from: an EV, a building or any other electrical facility or device and can be configured with built-in or attached to various power sources.

A variable ratio transmission comprising a rotor including one first set of coils; a second rotor containing first set of iron segments; a third rotor containing second and third set of coils; a fourth rotor containing second set of iron segments; a fifth rotor containing fourth set of coils; the first set of coils in magnetic communication with the first set of iron segments; the first set of iron segments in magnetic communication with the second set of coils; the first, second and third rotors forming a first set of magnetic gears; the third set of coils on the third rotor in magnetic communication with the second set of iron segments on the fourth rotor; the second set of iron segments in magnetic communication with the fourth set of coils; the third, fourth and fifth rotor forming a second set of magnetic gears coupled to the first set of magnetic gears.

A control system for controlling the supply of power from an energy storage system to a DC bus of a vehicle propulsion system is disclosed herein. The control system includes a controller programmed to monitor real-time operating parameters of a plurality of energy storage units of the energy storage system, access degradation models for the plurality of energy storage units, and optimize usage of the plurality of energy storage units during real-time operation of the vehicle propulsion system based on the degradation models.

A system and method for management of an energy storage system for a vehicle is disclosed. The energy storage system may comprise a battery system for a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or hybrid-electric vehicle. Vehicles may be in a group of fleet. The management system may be configured to use data and information available from data sources over a network or by instrumentation/sensors for vehicle systems. Data and information could be used in a system to manage the configuration and operation of the energy storage system and components, manage/control inventory and use/life-cycle of components, and/or aggregated/analyzed in analytics function for systems and components. Predictive control of the battery system may be implemented through a management system using data sources external to the vehicle. Inventive concepts and features of the systems and methods are indicated in the specification and FIGURES.

A rotatable LIDAR device including contactless electrical couplings is disclosed. An example rotatable LIDAR device includes a vehicle electrical coupling including (i) a first conductive ring, (ii) a second conductive ring, and (iii) a first coil. The example rotatable LIDAR device further includes a LIDAR electrical coupling including (i) a third conductive ring, (ii) a fourth conductive ring, and (iii) a second coil. The example rotatable LIDAR device still further includes a rotatable LIDAR electrically coupled to the LIDAR electrical coupling. The first conductive ring and the third conductive ring form a first capacitor configured to transmit communications to the rotatable LIDAR, the second conductive ring and the fourth conductive ring form a second capacitor configured to transmit communications from the rotatable LIDAR, and the first coil and the second coil form a transformer configured to provide power to the rotatable LIDAR.

A method is provided for balancing the voltage of multiple series-connected electrochemical cells of an electrical storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle. The method includes discharging the electrical storage system by operating at least one large electrical machine of the vehicle at vehicle standstill until the state of charge of the electrical storage system or the cell having the lowest state of charge has reached a predetermined level, and subsequently balancing the voltage of the cells.

Provided is a flywheel energy storage device including a radial magnetic gear, the radial magnetic gear includes an inner rotor, an outer rotor and N.sub.1 first magnetic pole adjustment sheets embedded in a first magnetic pole adjustment sheet base; a disc-type magnetic gear electric motor includes a first stator disc, a first rotor disc, a second stator disc, a second rotor disc and a third rotor disc, the first stator disc with the first rotor disc form a first disc-type electric motor, the second stator disc with the second rotor disc form a second disc-type electric motor, and a disc-type magnetic gear is formed by the first rotor disc, the second rotor disc and the third rotor disc, and the first disc-type electric motor, the second disc-type electric motor and the disc-type magnetic gear are couple with one another to form the disc-type magnetic gear electric motor.

An apparatus comprises a power electronic energy conversion system comprising a first energy storage device configured to store DC energy and a first voltage converter configured to convert a second voltage from a remote power supply into a first charging voltage configured to charge the first energy storage device. The apparatus also includes a first controller configured to control the first voltage converter to convert the second voltage into the first charging voltage and to provide the first charging voltage to the first energy storage device during a charging mode of operation and communicate with a second controller located remotely from the power electronic energy conversion system to cause a second charging voltage to be provided to the first energy storage device during the charging mode of operation to rapidly charge the first energy storage device.