Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Spiers New Technologies, Inc.

Peter T Karlson

Yunjun Li

Theodore Adamczyk, Jr

Chandra S Namuduri

Michael G Reynolds

Bryan Schultz

Daniel G Foisy

David S Maxwell

A battery assembly has a first battery string including a first plurality of cells connected in series. A second battery string is connected in parallel to the first battery string and includes a second plurality of cells connected in series. A fluid channel is operatively connected to the first and the second battery strings and includes a fluid flowing within. A controller is operatively connected to the first and the second battery strings. The controller is configured to determine a desired temperature differential between the first and the second temperatures of the battery strings based at least partially on a respective strength status of the first and the second battery strings. The controller is configured to control the first and the second currents, via the fluid in the fluid channel, based at least partially on the desired temperature differential.

Control of current in parallel battery strings

A method and device for regulating charging and discharging current through a battery pack. Two or more battery packs are connected in parallel to an inverter, such that the inverter can use grid power to charge the battery packs or the battery packs can provide AC power through the inverter. A current balancing circuit device is placed in series with each battery pack and is used to regulate the current through the battery pack so that none of the battery packs is excessively charged or discharged. The current balancing circuit includes two field effect transistors (FETs) arranged in series and in opposite directions, where one FET controls charging current and the other controls discharging current. The balancing circuit also includes a current sensor, and uses proportional-integral control to provide a signal to the FETs such that the actual current flowing through the circuit is regulated to a target current value.

Battery parallel balancing circuit

An air dam deployment and retraction system includes an air dam, a compressor, an air reservoir, a first switch, a second switch, and a third switch. The air dam is configured for moving between a deployed position and a retracted position. The compressor is configured to compress fluid. The air reservoir defines a chamber that is configured to receive a volume of the compressed fluid. The first switch is configured to selectively move between a first inactive position and a first active position. The first inactive position is configured to provide the compressed fluid to the atmosphere. The first active position is configured to provide the compressed fluid from the compressor to one of the chamber of the air reservoir and the air dam. The air dam is configured to move from the retracted position to the deployed position upon receiving the compressed fluid.

Air dam deployment and retraction system

A vehicle has an inflatable air dam assembly that is deployed and stowed by a bidirectional deploy/stow system. The deployment and stowing may be based on vehicle speed. The deploy/stow system includes an air compressor and first and second valves for directing air into and out of the air dam assembly. The compressor operates on both deploy and stow operations to fill and evacuate, respectively, the air dam assembly.

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Whitby, Canada

Peter T Karlson