According to one embodiment of the invention, a self-serving power producing apparatus capable of being recharged by a charging mechanism is described. The power producing apparatus comprises a rechargeable power source, a motor powered by the rechargeable power source, and a pulley including a first armature rotated by the motor and a second armature. In addition, the power producing apparatus comprises a power unit coupled to the second armature of the pulley. The power unit comprises an alternator to produce direct current (DC) power for recharging the rechargeable power source and a generator to produce a level of alternating current (AC) power.

A repetitive controller for suppressing periodic signals with half-wave symmetry includes a memory loop fed with a periodic signal of period NT and in which the memory size includes N/2 memory elements. A negative feedback connection is provided and a factor of -1/2 is provided at the output of the memory loop. Such a repetitive controller may be used for instance in the disturbance compensation module of a drive servo system in a recording and reproducing apparatus including a head for recording data on a recording medium.

A series hybrid vehicle comprises a generator 30 driven by an internal combustion engine 40, a battery 20 chargeable by generator 30, an electric motor 10 rotated by electric power of generator 30 and battery 20. A parallel hybrid vehicle comprises. a battery 200 chargeable by an electric motor 100, and selectively uses an internal combustion engine 400 and electric motor 100 as driving source for driving vehicle wheels 900. In these -hybrid vehicles, there is provided a sensor 21 or 201 for detecting the state of charge (SOC) of battery 20 or 200. An output of generator 30 or internal combustion engine 400 is controlled based on each the SOC and a variation the SOC.

Methods, apparatuses, media and signals for supplying energy to an energy bus in communication with an energy generating device and with a regenerative braking system in a hybrid electric vehicle are disclosed. One such method includes controlling power supplied by the energy generating device to the energy bus, in response to a braking signal indicative of user brake actuation. Another such method involves controlling energy contributions onto the energy bus from the energy generating device and from the regenerative braking system respectively, to prevent the contributions from exceeding a desired total energy contribution. The energy generating device may include an auxiliary power unit, such as fuel cell, or a generator coupled to a prime mover such as an internal combustion engine, for example.

A hybrid-electric vehicle including a matched reactance machine power generation system (MRMPGS). The MRMPGS comprises a permanent magnet rotor type machine having a selected back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage value and a selected machine inductance value. The BEMF voltage value is selected having a line-to-line peak voltage that is equal to a desired terminal voltage of the machine at a first machine speed. The machine inductance value is selected based upon a machine reactance value and a frequency value, which correspond to a proportional increase in the selected BEMF voltage value between the first machine speed and a second machine speed.