Lithium-ion batteries suffer from substantial capacity and power degradation in cold climates, severely deteriorating electric vehicles’ performance. To solve this issue, internal heating schemes are attractive due to their high efficiency, fast speed, and uniform temperature distribution. Nevertheless, high-cost power converters and large-sized passive components are required to charge/discharge batteries alternatively, challenging onboard implementation of battery heaters. In this study, we develop an integrated battery self-heater (IBSH) based on the topology reconfiguration of traction motor drives, eliminating additional hardware. The theoretical model and operation principle of the proposed IBSH are derived for the first time, providing a feasible design and control baseline for onboard applications. Then, a robust controller is developed to adjust the heating current and cell voltage regardless of nonlinear uncertainties during self-heating. The downscaled experiments demonstrate that the proposed IBSH can effectively preheat automotive batteries with 3.45 °C/min heating speed and 0.201% SOC/°C energy consumption rate.
Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent episodes and an unclear etiology. Given the limitations of current therapeutic options, which include suboptimal efficacy and significant side effects, there is a pressing need to explore novel treatments. Probiotics derived from diverse species have been identified as a promising approach for managing IBD, owing to their anti-inflammatory properties and their ability to regulate gut flora, among other beneficial effects. Methods: In this study, three strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from the feces of the scavenger spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), a scavenging mammal. Based on their capability to survive within and adhere to the gastrointestinal tract, along with their profile of antibiotic resistance, a high-quality strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) was selected and demonstrated to be safe for mice. Subsequently, the therapeutic efficacy of LA was evaluated using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced model of ulcerative colitis in mice. Results: The results indicated that LA restored the disease activity index and improved histopathological lesions in the model group. It also reduced inflammation and oxidative stress and significantly restored the expression of mucins and intestinal tight junction (TJ) proteins (ZO-1, Occludin). Furthermore, LA corrected the DSS-induced disruption of the intestinal flora, leading to a significant decrease in the prevalence of potentially harmful bacterial genera, such as Bacteroides, and an increase in beneficial bacterial genera, including Lactobacillus. In conclusion, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA1, isolated from spotted hyena feces, has potential as a functional supplement for alleviating symptoms of IBD and regulating intestinal flora.
At cold climates, internally preheating batteries are essential and promising to alleviate the performance degradation of electric vehicles because of its rapid heating speed and uniform temperature distribution. To implement onboard internal battery heating, the integrated self-heater is developed to utilize traction motor drive reconfiguration, thereby eliminating extra expensive high-power converters and bulky passive components. However, previous integrated self-heaters introduce excessive voltage stress on dc-link capacitors, arousing a serious concern on the system reliability and safety. In this article, a split-source self-heater (SSSH) is proposed to reconfigure the battery pack as two series-connected sources, where the heating energy can be alternately exchanged via traction motor windings with reduced capacitor voltage stress. The theoretical model and operation principle of the proposed SSSH are deduced for practical controller design and suppression of annoying noises and vibrations. Based on the model, a supertwisting controller is developed to adjust the heating current and cell voltage regardless of nonlinear uncertainties during self-heating. The downscaled experiments verify that the proposed SSSH can preheat automotive batteries with 4.27 o C/min heating speed and 0.24% state of charge/ o C energy consumption rate. The induced torque ripple is reduced by 90%, and the capacitor voltage never exceeds the nominal value during self-heating.
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