JP2012075281A - Charging management device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging management device capable of suppressing on-vehicle battery degradation during charging and increase in power consumption involved in on-vehicle battery charging.SOLUTION: A home terminal 50 is installed outside a vehicle and manages charging of the battery installed in a vehicle 2 in a parking area. Battery temperature change prediction means 107 predicts the temperature of the on-vehicle battery. Charging plan creation means 108 creates an on-vehicle battery charging plan. Communication means 102 transmit a control signal based on the charging plan to the vehicle 2. The battery temperature change prediction means 107 predicts the temperature of the on-vehicle battery within the parking time from parking start to elapse of a predetermined time. The charging plan creation means 108 further predicts the temperature of the on-vehicle battery when the battery is charged based on the temperature of the on-vehicle battery predicted by the battery temperature change prediction means 107 and creates an on-vehicle battery charging plan based on this prediction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charge management device.

  In recent years, automobiles (for example, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles) equipped with a secondary battery (hereinafter simply referred to as a “battery”) that can be charged from a power supply device and a motor as a driving device are known as environmentally friendly vehicles. , Attracting attention.

  As a method for controlling charging of such a vehicle, for example, there is a power management system described in Patent Document 1. In this system, generally, electricity is supplied from an electric power source of a house to the electric vehicle at midnight, and electric power is supplied from the electric vehicle to the house in the daytime by utilizing the fact that the electricity charge is low at midnight. As a result, both the leveling of power demand and securing of appropriate power in electric vehicles are achieved.

JP 2001-258177 A

  By the way, the battery may deteriorate quickly depending on the battery temperature during charging. For example, if the battery is charged when the battery temperature is extremely low, the battery is rapidly deteriorated. Therefore, since the battery temperature usually decreases at midnight when the air temperature decreases, the charging of the in-vehicle battery at midnight may contribute to the rapid deterioration of the battery. The same applies when the temperature is extremely high.

  Here, as a countermeasure against battery deterioration due to a decrease in battery temperature during charging, it is conceivable to adjust the battery temperature during charging. However, in this case, extra power is required to adjust the battery temperature.

  The objective of this invention is providing the charge management apparatus which can suppress both degradation of the vehicle-mounted battery at the time of charge, and the increase in the power consumption accompanying charge of a vehicle-mounted battery.

  The charge management device of the present invention is a charge management device that manages the charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle in a parking area that is installed outside the vehicle and can be charged, and predicts the temperature of the in-vehicle battery A creation unit that creates a charging plan for the in-vehicle battery based on the temperature of the in-vehicle battery predicted by the prediction unit, and a control signal for causing the in-vehicle battery to be charged according to the charging plan created by the creation unit A transmission unit that transmits to the vehicle, the prediction unit predicts the temperature of the in-vehicle battery within a parking time until a predetermined time elapses after parking starts, and the generation unit predicts the generation unit Based on the temperature of the in-vehicle battery, the temperature of the in-vehicle battery when charging is further predicted, and a charging plan for the in-vehicle battery is created based on the prediction.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, both degradation of the vehicle-mounted battery at the time of charge and the increase in the extra power consumption accompanying charge of a vehicle-mounted battery can be suppressed.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle-mounted battery charging system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. Block diagram showing the configuration of the home controller in the home terminal included in the system of FIG. The block diagram which shows the structure of the charge controller in the charge control apparatus contained in the system of FIG. The flowchart for demonstrating the charge management operation | movement of the indoor controller which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The figure for demonstrating the weather forecast information accumulate | stored by the charge management operation | movement of FIG. The figure for demonstrating the external temperature room temperature correlation information according to the weather accumulate | stored by the charge management operation | movement of FIG. The figure for demonstrating the monthly outside temperature room temperature correlation information accumulate | stored by the charge management operation | movement of FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a charging plan creation operation included in the charging management operation of FIG. The figure for demonstrating the 1st example of the prediction result of the battery temperature change used as the foundation of charge plan preparation which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The figure for demonstrating the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan produced based on the prediction result of FIG. Diagram for explaining the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan to be improved Diagram for explaining battery temperature change assumed from charging plan after improvement The figure for demonstrating the 2nd example of the battery temperature change used as the basis of charge plan preparation which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The figure for demonstrating the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan produced based on the prediction result of FIG. The figure for demonstrating the 3rd example of the battery temperature change used as the foundation of charge plan preparation which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The figure for demonstrating the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan produced based on the prediction result of FIG. The figure for demonstrating the 4th example of the battery temperature change used as the foundation of charge plan preparation which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The figure for demonstrating the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan produced based on the prediction result of FIG. The figure for demonstrating the 5th example of the battery temperature change used as the foundation of charge plan preparation which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The figure for demonstrating the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan produced based on the prediction result of FIG. The figure for demonstrating the 6th example of the battery temperature change used as the basis of charge plan preparation which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The figure for demonstrating the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan produced based on the prediction result of FIG. The flowchart for demonstrating the charge control operation | movement of the charge controller which concerns on one embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle battery charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The in-vehicle battery charging system shown in FIG. 1 includes a house 1, a vehicle 2, a power system 3, and a charging plug 4 in which the charge management device of the present invention is installed as a home terminal.

  Here, it is assumed that the vehicle 2 is a user's own vehicle and is a main vehicle parked in a garage provided as a parking area in the site of the house 1 that is the user's home.

  In this embodiment, the case where the charging management of the battery mounted on the vehicle 2 which is a user's own vehicle is performed will be described as an example. However, the home terminal installed in the house 1 is only the user's own vehicle. In addition, the charging management of the in-vehicle battery can be performed for other automobiles.

  The house 1 is provided with a home load 31, a distribution board 32, an outlet 33, power line communication (PLC) adapters 34 and 35, an Internet modem 36, and a home terminal 50.

  In the house 1, various in-house loads 31 are connected to a power system 3 from an electric power company through a distribution board 32. An outlet 33 installed in the garage is also connected to the distribution board 32. The home 1 is also provided with a home terminal 50 for checking and controlling the status of electrical equipment in the home and checking and controlling the state of the vehicle 2. Home terminal 50 is connected to PLC adapter 34 capable of power line communication. Further, an Internet modem 36 for connecting to the Internet is installed in the house 1. The Internet modem 36 is connected to a PLC adapter 35 for performing network connection using power line communication. The PLC adapter 35 can connect to the Internet from the vehicle 2 and the home terminal 50.

  The home terminal 50 includes a home controller 60, an input unit 61, and a display unit 62. The home controller 60 acquires information about the vehicle 2 and weather forecast information about the area of the house 1, creates a charging plan, and transmits a control signal to the vehicle 2. Details of the configuration of the home controller 60 will be described later. The input unit 61 inputs a user operation, and the display unit 62 displays information.

  The vehicle 2 is provided with a charging control device 10, a battery pack 11, a motor 12, an inverter 13, a main electronic control unit (ECU) 14, a navigation 15, an air conditioner 16, an auxiliary battery 17, and a charging connector 18. ing.

  The battery pack 11 includes a battery (for example, a lithium ion battery), a circuit for detecting the state of the battery, and a unit (for example, a fan and a heater) for adjusting the temperature of the battery (hereinafter referred to as “battery temperature”). . The motor 12 drives the vehicle 2. The inverter 13 receives power supplied from the battery pack 11 and controls the motor 12. The main ECU 14 receives the ignition signal and performs power control of the entire vehicle 2. The navigation 15 specifies the position of the vehicle 2. The air conditioner 16 detects the inside temperature of the vehicle 2, that is, the room temperature, the outside air temperature around the vehicle 2, and the solar radiation intensity of the vehicle 2, and adjusts the room temperature. The auxiliary battery 17 is a low voltage storage means. The battery of the battery pack 11 is a high voltage power storage means. The charging connector 18 is configured to be connectable to a charging plug 4 that supplies AC power to the vehicle 2.

  The charging control device 10 controls charging of the battery pack 11 and the auxiliary battery 17. The charge control device 10 includes a charge controller 20, a PLC adapter 21, a direct current / alternating current (AC / DC) converter 22, and a step-down direct current / direct current (DC / DC) converter 23. The charge controller 20 receives a control signal from the home terminal 50 and performs charge control of the battery pack 11. The PLC adapter 21 is connected to the charge controller 20 and connects the vehicle 2 to the Internet by performing data communication with the house 1 side using a power line. The AC / DC converter 22 is connected to the charge controller 20, and converts AC 100V or AC 200V alternating current into direct current. The step-down DC / DC converter 23 is connected to the charge controller 20 and steps down the direct current obtained by the AC / DC converter 22 for charging the auxiliary battery 17. Note that the charge control device 10 may be only the charge controller 20, and the charge controller 20 may be included in the main ECU 14.

  Next, the configuration of the home controller 60 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The home controller 60 includes a connection determination unit 101, a communication unit 102, an information collection unit 103, a vehicle information acquisition unit 104, a storage unit 105, a correlation unit 106, a battery temperature change prediction unit 107, a charge plan creation unit 108, and a charge control unit 109. And notification means 110.

  The connection determination unit 101 receives information about the PLC adapter connected to the network (connected to the power line) from the PLC adapter 34. Then, the connection determination unit 101 confirms from the PLC adapter information registered in advance in the storage unit 105 whether the PLC adapter 21 is mounted on the vehicle 2. That is, in the present embodiment, description will be made on the assumption that the vehicle that can be specified by the connection determination unit 101 is the vehicle 2.

  When information about a plurality of PLC adapters mounted on different vehicles is registered, the connection determination unit 101 confirms which vehicle the received PLC adapter information is mounted on. Thereby, the vehicle connected to the outlet 33 for charging can be specified.

  Further, if the received PLC adapter information is not registered, the connection determination unit 101 displays that fact on the display unit 62. When newly registering unregistered PLC adapter information, the user performs a predetermined registration operation from the input unit 61.

  The communication unit 102 as a transmission unit receives a request from the information collection unit 103, the vehicle information acquisition unit 104, the charge control unit 109, or the notification unit 110, and accesses the Internet and the vehicle 2 through TCP-IP network communication. Communication with devices on the side and the house 1 side.

  The information collecting unit 103 acquires weather forecast information including the temperature and weather forecast via the communication unit 102 and stores the acquired weather forecast information in the storage unit 105. The information collecting means constitutes the weather information acquisition unit of the present invention. The acquired weather forecast information includes at least information corresponding to the area near the house 1.

  The vehicle information acquisition unit 104 receives the outside air temperature information, solar radiation sensor information, room temperature information, battery temperature information, state of charge (SOC) information, charger operation information, and temperature from the vehicle 2 via the communication unit 102. The adjustment operation information is received, and the received information is stored in the storage unit 105. The outside air temperature information is information indicating an actual measurement value of the temperature around the vehicle 2. The solar radiation sensor information is information indicating an actual measurement value of the solar radiation intensity of the vehicle 2. The room temperature information is information indicating an actual measurement value of the room temperature of the vehicle 2. The battery temperature information is information indicating an actual measurement value of the battery temperature of the battery pack 11 of the vehicle 2. The SOC information is information indicating the SOC of the battery of the battery pack 11 of the vehicle 2, and is specifically information indicating the actual SOC. The charger operation information is information indicating the operation state of the charger of the vehicle 2. The temperature adjustment operation information is information indicating the operation state of the temperature adjustment means of the battery pack 11 of the vehicle 2. That is, the vehicle information acquisition means 104 constitutes a battery temperature acquisition unit, an air temperature acquisition unit, a solar radiation intensity acquisition unit, a charge state acquisition unit, and an operation state acquisition unit of the present invention.

  The correlation unit 106 obtains a correlation between the predicted temperature and the actual outside temperature by comparing the outside temperature of the outside temperature information stored in the storage unit 105 with the temperature of the weather forecast information. The correlation unit 106 generates predicted outside temperature correlation information from the obtained correlation, and stores the generated predicted outside temperature correlation information in the storage unit 105 in association with the vehicle 2. Furthermore, the correlation means 106 obtains the correlation between the outside temperature of the outside temperature information stored in the storage means 105 and the room temperature of the room temperature information, and generates outside temperature / room temperature correlation information from the resulting correlation, The generated outside air temperature room temperature correlation information is stored in the storage unit 105 in association with the vehicle 2. Further, the correlator 106 generates outside air temperature prediction information using the predicted outside air temperature correlation information stored in the storage unit 105. Further, the correlation means 106 generates room temperature prediction information from the generated outside air temperature prediction information and the outside air temperature room temperature correlation information, room temperature information and solar radiation sensor information stored in the storage means 105, respectively. The correlation unit 106 stores the generated room temperature prediction information in the storage unit 105 in association with the vehicle 2.

  The battery temperature change prediction unit 107 changes the battery temperature of the battery pack 11 from the room temperature prediction information generated by the correlation unit 106 and the room temperature information, solar sensor information, and battery temperature information stored in the storage unit 105, respectively. Predict. Then, the battery temperature change prediction unit 107 generates battery temperature prediction information indicating the predicted battery temperature change, and stores the generated battery temperature prediction information in the storage unit 105 in association with the vehicle 2.

  The charging plan creation means 108 includes user instruction information (for example, target SOC, desired start and end times for charging) input from the input unit 61, battery temperature prediction information and user information stored in the storage means 105, respectively. A charging plan is created using the setting information. The charging plan creation unit 108 stores the created charging plan in the storage unit 105 in association with the vehicle 2.

  In the present embodiment, the term “charging plan” refers to a “charging plan” that is a plan for charging itself, and a “temperature adjustment plan” that is a plan for temperature adjustment that is performed along with charging (hereinafter “ It means a comprehensive concept that includes both of them. Therefore, when referring to the “charging plan” in the following description, unless clearly indicated, the “charging plan” in a broad sense that is not distinguished from the temperature control plan is used instead of the “charging plan” in a narrow sense that is distinguished from the temperature control plan. Shall mean. The charge plan is a set of information such as a charge current value, a charge start time, a charge completion time, a target battery temperature, a temperature adjustment start time, and a temperature adjustment completion time. The temperature adjustment plan is a set of information such as a target battery temperature, a temperature adjustment start time, and a temperature adjustment completion time.

  The above-described battery temperature change prediction means 107 constitutes a prediction unit of the present invention. The charging plan creation means 108 constitutes a creation unit of the present invention.

  The charging control means 109 acquires time information indicating the time. The charging control unit 109 generates a control signal using the time information and the charging plan, SOC information, charger operation information, and temperature adjustment operation information stored in the storage unit 105, respectively. The control signal is a signal for controlling charging and temperature adjustment of the battery pack 11, and is a charge control signal for controlling charging and a temperature adjustment control signal for controlling temperature adjustment (hereinafter referred to as “temperature control signal”). ")". The charging control unit 109 transmits the generated control signal to the vehicle 2 via the communication unit 102.

  The notification means 110 displays the charge plan on the display unit 62 to notify the user of the charge plan when a new charge plan is created or when an existing charge plan is updated. The charging plan may be notified to the user by transmitting data including the charging plan to a user's mobile phone (not shown).

  Next, the configuration of the charge controller 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The charge controller 20 includes a plug connection confirmation unit 201, a vehicle communication unit 202, an air temperature acquisition unit 203, a battery state acquisition unit 204, a charging unit 205, and a battery temperature control unit 206.

  The plug connection confirmation unit 201 inputs a connection signal indicating a connection state between the charging plug 4 and the charging connector 18. The plug connection confirmation unit 201 activates each part in the charge controller 20 when the connection state changes from disconnection to connection, and stops each part in the charge controller 20 when the connection state changes from connection to disconnection.

  The vehicle communication means 202 communicates with the home terminal 50 by TCP-IP network communication in response to a request from the air temperature acquisition means 203, the battery state acquisition means 204, the charging means 205, or the battery temperature control means 206.

  The air temperature acquisition unit 203 acquires information indicating the measured values of the outside air temperature, the solar radiation intensity, and the room temperature from the air conditioner 16, and transmits the acquired information to the home terminal 50 via the vehicle communication unit 202.

  The battery state acquisition unit 204 acquires information indicating the battery temperature and the charging state from the battery pack 11 and transmits the acquired information to the home terminal 50 via the vehicle communication unit 202.

  The charging unit 205 receives the charging control signal from the home terminal 50 via the vehicle communication unit 202, and charges the battery pack 11 by controlling the AC / DC converter 22 according to the charging control signal. The charging unit 205 detects the operating state of the charger and transmits information indicating the operating state to the home terminal 50 via the vehicle communication unit 202.

  The battery temperature control unit 206 receives a temperature control signal from the home terminal 50 via the vehicle communication unit 202, and outputs a target battery temperature temperature and a control instruction to the battery pack 11 according to the temperature control signal. Controls temperature adjustment. Further, the battery temperature control unit 206 transmits information indicating the operation state of the temperature adjustment unit of the battery pack 11 to the home terminal 50 via the vehicle communication unit 202.

  Next, the operation (charging management operation) of the home controller 60 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the user parks the vehicle 2 in the garage of the house 1 (start of parking time) and connects the charging plug 4 to the charging connector 18 for charging the battery pack 11, the connection determining means 101 connects the charging plug 4 and the charging connector. 18 (hereinafter simply referred to as “connection of the vehicle 2”) is detected. The process of the charge management operation starts with this connection detection as a trigger.

  In step S101, information collection is performed. Information collection includes collection of weather forecast information by the information collection means 103, collection of user instruction information by the charging plan creation means 108, outside temperature information, solar sensor information, room temperature information, battery temperature information by the vehicle information acquisition means 104, Collection of SOC information, charger operation information and temperature adjustment operation information. In addition, information collection does not need to collect all the information every time. For example, the weather forecast information is preferably collected immediately after the vehicle 2 is connected, collected every hour, and collected when the forecast is updated.

  When the information collection is completed, the process proceeds to step S102, and the charging plan creation unit 108 confirms whether or not a user instruction is included in the collected information. If there is a user instruction, the process proceeds to step S105. If there is no user instruction, the process proceeds to step S103.

  In step S103, the charging plan creation means 108 confirms whether there is a charging plan created after the vehicle 2 is connected. When the created charging plan does not exist, the process proceeds to step S105, and when the created charging plan exists, the process proceeds to step S104.

  In step S104, the charging plan creation means 108 determines the necessity for plan correction. It is judged that the plan needs to be revised if the forecast changes, or if the actual measured value of the outside air temperature deviates from the predicted value of the outside temperature by a certain threshold or more, the measured value of the battery temperature exceeds the certain threshold by the predicted value of the battery temperature. This is the case. If the plan correction is necessary, the process proceeds to step S105, and if the plan correction is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S106.

  In step S105, the charging plan creation means 108 creates a charging plan, and then the process proceeds to step S106. The charging plan creation operation will be described later.

  In step S106, the information collected in step S101 and the information and plan generated and created in step S105 are accumulated in the storage unit 105. Then, the process returns to step S101.

  In this way, new creation and update (correction) of the charging plan are performed as appropriate.

  When the user removes the charging plug 4 from the charging connector 18 and disconnects the vehicle 2, the connection determining unit 101 detects the disconnection. At the time of this disconnection detection, the charge management operation process ends.

  Here, various information accumulated in the storage means 105 in the charge management operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the temperature forecast included in the weather forecast information acquired by the information collecting unit 103 in the above step S101 by a graph showing the transition. In this graph, the vertical axis represents the temperature value and the horizontal axis represents the time, which includes information every 3 hours.

  In step S105, the correlator 106 calculates a temperature difference between the outside temperature of the temperature forecast and the outside temperature of the outside temperature information separately collected (for example, a value obtained by subtracting the outside temperature of the temperature forecast from the outside temperature of the outside temperature information). ) Is calculated every 3 hours. Then, the correlation unit 106 generates predicted outside air temperature correlation information indicating the calculated temperature difference, and causes the storage unit 105 to store the generated predicted outside air temperature correlation information. The non-predicted temperature correlation information is accumulated for each month and for each weather and in association with the vehicle 2. The average value, maximum value and minimum value information are also accumulated.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing predicted outside temperature correlation information on a clear day and predicted outside temperature correlation information on a rainy day. Each information is repeatedly updated while the vehicle 2 is connected. The judgment of the weather basically follows the weather forecast, but the judgment of whether the weather is sunny or cloudy uses the solar sensor information together in the daytime.

  The correlating means 106 generates outside air temperature prediction information using the predicted outside air temperature correlation information, the actually measured value of the outside air temperature, and the weather forecast information.

  Further, the correlator 106 calculates a temperature difference between the measured value of the outside air temperature and the measured value of the room temperature, generates information indicating the calculated temperature difference, and accumulates the information in the storage unit 105 as the outside air temperature room temperature correlation information. To do. The temperature difference between the outside air temperature and the room temperature is acquired, for example, every 10 minutes, summarized in the temperature discrimination at the time when the vehicle 2 is connected, further divided by month and by weather, and related to the vehicle 2, Accumulated.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the outside air temperature room temperature correlation information when the weather is fine in January and the outside air temperature room temperature correlation information when the weather is fine in July. In any information, the case where the room temperature is adjusted by the air conditioner 16 until immediately before the connection of the vehicle 2 is taken as an example. For this reason, in January, the room temperature greatly exceeds the outside air temperature at the time of connection, and in July, the room temperature greatly falls below the outside air temperature at the time of connection. Thus, since the change curves are greatly different due to the temperature difference at the time when the vehicle 2 is connected, the outside air temperature room temperature correlation information is accumulated in the temperature discrimination at the time of connection. This information may be associated with solar sensor information.

  When the correlating means 106 generates the room temperature prediction information, the correlating means 106 predicts a room temperature change using the outside air temperature prediction information, the outside air temperature room temperature correlation information, the room temperature information, and the solar radiation sensor information. Room temperature prediction information is generated from this prediction result.

  Incidentally, in preparation for the case where weather forecast information cannot be acquired by the information collecting means 103, the correlation means 106 generates information indicating changes in the outside air temperature for each temperature, for each season, and for each solar radiation sensor information. Then, the generated information is stored in the storage unit 105. When the outside air temperature change prediction is performed using such outside air temperature change information, the correlator 106 extracts the past outside air temperature change information closest to the outside air temperature, season, and solar radiation sensor information at the time of prediction. . Then, the correlating means 106 corrects the extracted information based on the temperature difference between the outside air temperature at the same time as the predicted time in the extracted information and the actual outside air temperature at the predicted time, thereby predicting the outside air temperature. Generate information.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, various actual measurement values related to temperature and the like, and weather forecast information, which is public information having a certain level of reliability, are collected from the past to the present, and these information are utilized. Thus, the room temperature of the vehicle 2 is predicted. Therefore, the prediction accuracy of the future room temperature at least at the parking time can be improved.

  Room temperature prediction information indicating the predicted room temperature is used for battery temperature change prediction. In addition to the room temperature prediction information, the battery temperature change prediction means 107 calculates Newton's cooling law based on the actual measurement value of the battery temperature at the time of prediction, and the surface thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the battery respectively acquired in advance. Battery temperature prediction information is generated by the predetermined calculation formula used. Thereby, the battery temperature can be accurately obtained from the predicted room temperature. Furthermore, the amount of heat generated during charging may be calculated from the charging current value and the internal resistance value, and the battery temperature prediction information may be corrected using the calculation result.

  Note that the generation of the battery temperature prediction information may use information on the temperature difference between the actual room temperature and the battery temperature accumulated in the temperature discrimination at the time of connection of the vehicle 2 as in the generation of the indoor temperature information. . Furthermore, information on the temperature difference between the room temperature and the battery temperature at the start of charging and the change in temperature difference for each charging current may be accumulated, and this information may be used for battery temperature change prediction at the time of charging.

  Next, the charging plan creation operation in step S105 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S151, the correlation means 106 generates room temperature prediction information.

  Specifically, the correlation unit 106 first generates outside air temperature prediction information necessary for generating room temperature prediction information using the predicted outside air temperature correlation information, the current outside air temperature, and the weather forecast information. More specifically, the outside temperature prediction information database is created by adding the temperature difference of the forecast outside temperature correlation information corresponding to the current month and weather to the outside temperature of the temperature forecast. Then, data interpolation for inserting the data of the current outside air temperature into the current time portion of the created database is performed, and the result is obtained as the outside air temperature prediction information.

  Further, the correlating means 106 generates room temperature prediction information by adding the temperature difference of the outside air temperature room temperature correlation information corresponding to the current outside air temperature, room temperature, month and weather to the created outside air temperature prediction information. To do.

  In step S152, the battery temperature change prediction means 107 generates battery temperature prediction information using the room temperature prediction information and the current room temperature, battery temperature, and solar radiation sensor information.

  In step S153, the charging plan creation means 108 sets a target SOC. Setting of the target SOC is basically performed at the time when the vehicle 2 is connected in order to secure electric power necessary for the next day's travel. The power required for one-day driving is the power required for driving (daily power) for commuting, pick-up, shopping, etc. preset for each day of the week, and driving power that may occur unexpectedly. (Spare power).

  In order to suppress battery deterioration, it is preferable not to set the target SOC to full charge in consideration of battery characteristics. However, when there is a user instruction regarding the target SOC, the charging plan creation means 108 prioritizes the user instruction and sets the target SOC according to the user instruction information.

  If reserve power is not secured when the vehicle 2 is connected, the charging plan creation means 108 first sets a target SOC for securing reserve power, and then secures daily power. A target SOC is set for this purpose.

  In step S154, the charging plan creation means 108 sets a target charging completion time. Basically, the target charging completion time is set to the end time of the midnight power time zone (hereinafter referred to as “midnight charge end time”) at which the electric power company sets the electricity charge at a low price. However, if there is a user instruction, the instruction is prioritized, and the time indicated in the instruction is adopted, or the time at which the target SOC can be reached as soon as possible is adopted. When the reserve power is not secured, it is preferable to set the time at which the target SOC can be reached as soon as possible regardless of whether there is a user instruction.

  In step S155, the charging plan creation means 108 sets a charging plan.

  The charging plan first considers that charging is performed when the battery temperature is within a range where deterioration is unlikely to occur, and secondly reduces power consumption in order to make it difficult for the battery to deteriorate due to charging itself. It is set in consideration of what to do. The basis of this setting is battery temperature prediction information indicating the prediction result of the battery temperature change within the parking time of the vehicle 2.

  Hereinafter, the prediction result of the battery temperature change and the charging plan based on the prediction result will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 22 with some examples.

  In each figure, the horizontal axis is time, the vertical axis is temperature, TH is a preset temperature that can be charged without degrading the battery, and TL is charged without degrading the battery. It is a temperature set in advance as a lower limit temperature that can be obtained. Further, t0 on the horizontal axis is the time when the vehicle 2 is connected (hereinafter referred to as “current time”), and therefore the SOC and various actually measured values at the time t0 are the base point or reference in the prediction regarding the subsequent battery temperature change. Value. t1 is the start time of the midnight power time zone (hereinafter referred to as “midnight charge start time”). In addition, t3 is the target charging completion time set in step S154 (here, the midnight charge end time), and t4 is the time scheduled as the use start time of the vehicle 2 (that is, the parking time end time). is there.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a first example of the prediction result of the battery temperature change performed by the battery temperature change prediction unit 107. This is a result of prediction performed without assuming the charging of the battery and the accompanying temperature adjustment. In this example, the battery temperature within the parking time is almost ideally stable between TH and TL.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan created by the charging plan creation unit 108 based on the prediction result of FIG. 9. The charging plan creation means 108 temporarily sets one or more times as charging start times, and the battery temperature is within a range of TL to TH (hereinafter referred to as “predetermined range”) on the premise that charging starts from each temporary setting time. Whether or not the charging plan is determined is determined based on the prediction result in FIG.

  The charging plan creation means 108 calculates a charging start time for completing charging at the charging completion time t3 from the current actual SOC (hereinafter referred to as “current SOC”), the target SOC, and the chargeable current value. Then, the charging plan creation means 108 predicts a change in battery temperature using the calculated charging start time t2 as a temporary setting time, and if it is confirmed that the battery temperature remains within a predetermined range, the charging start time t2 The charging plan is determined based on the charging completion time t3 and the instruction current value at the start of charging.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the prediction based on the assumption that charging is performed, there may be a case where the battery temperature is predicted to exceed the upper limit temperature TH during charging. In this case, the charging plan creation means 108 reduces the charging current value so as to suppress the heat generation amount of the battery being charged, and then starts the charging at the charging completion time t3 (in FIG. 12). t5) is calculated. In this way, as shown in FIG. 12, the battery temperature is prevented from exceeding the upper limit temperature TH during charging. However, the charging plan creation means 108 does not set the charging start time earlier than the midnight charge start time t1. If it is predicted that the battery temperature will exceed the upper limit temperature TH during charging even after charging is started from the midnight charge start time t1, the charging plan creation means 108 performs charging so that the battery temperature does not reach the upper limit temperature TH. Create a temperature control plan to cool the battery by turning the fan inside.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a second example of the prediction result of the battery temperature change performed by the battery temperature change prediction unit 107. This is a result of prediction performed without assuming the charging of the battery and the accompanying temperature adjustment. In this example, it is predicted that the battery temperature falls below the lower limit temperature TL in the time zone (t1 to t3) in which midnight power can be used.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan created by the charging plan creation unit 108 based on the prediction result of FIG. 13. The charging plan creation means 108 temporarily sets one or more times as charging start times, and predicts whether or not the battery temperature is within a predetermined range on the premise that charging starts from each temporary setting time. The charging plan is created while making a judgment based on the above.

  As shown in FIG. 13, when the battery temperature at the midnight charge start time t1 is within the predetermined range, the charging plan creation means 108 sets the current SOC, the charging start time for completing the charging at the charging completion time t3. Calculate from the target SOC and the chargeable current value. Here, if the initially set charging start time is the charging start time t2, the charging start time t2 cannot be adopted because the battery temperature at the charging start time t2 is outside the predetermined range. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14, the charging plan creation means 107 needs to temporarily set the time t7 when the battery temperature becomes equal to the lower limit temperature TL as the charging start time.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a third example of the prediction result of the battery temperature change performed by the battery temperature change prediction unit 107. This is a result of prediction performed without assuming the charging of the battery and the accompanying temperature adjustment. In this example, it is predicted that the battery temperature falls below the lower limit temperature TL before the midnight fee start time t1.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan created by the charging plan creation unit 108 based on the prediction result of FIG. 15. The charging plan creation means 108 temporarily sets one or more times as charging start times, and predicts whether or not the battery temperature falls within a predetermined range on the premise that charging starts from each temporary setting time. The charging plan is created while making a judgment based on the above.

  When the battery temperature at the midnight charge start time t1 is below the lower limit temperature TL, the charging plan creation means 108 obtains a time at which the magnitude relationship between the battery temperature and the lower limit temperature TL is reversed.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when there is a time t6 at which the magnitude relationship is reversed, the charging plan creation means 108 executes the charging time advance without executing the temperature adjustment and the charge time advance. First, create a plan to adjust the temperature, and select the plan with the lowest electricity bill.

  In the plan with the advance implementation of charging, as shown in FIG. 16, charging is performed at a charging current so that the battery temperature does not fall below the lower limit temperature TL from time t6, and charging completion time t3 from midnight charge start time t1. Charging is performed by appropriately increasing the charging current so that the charging is completed. Here, the power that can be used from the time t6 to the midnight charge start time t1 is normal power that has a higher charge than the midnight power, and therefore charging that generates the minimum necessary heat that keeps the battery temperature at the lower limit temperature TL. The current value is set. The battery temperature change shown in FIG. 16 is assumed from a charging plan that involves carrying out charging ahead of schedule.

  On the other hand, in the plan involving the implementation of temperature adjustment, the heater is heated before the midnight charge start time t1 so that the battery temperature at the midnight charge start time t1 becomes the lower limit temperature TL, and from the midnight charge start time t1. The heating is stopped and charging is performed. Since this heating uses the power of the battery pack 11 that has been charged using midnight power in the past, the power for heating is midnight power in the calculation.

  Note that in a plan involving the implementation of temperature adjustment, the temperature adjustment may be set to start after the midnight charge start time t1. Whether the temperature adjustment starts before or after the midnight charge start time t1 is determined based on the calculated electricity charge.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining a fourth example of the prediction result of the battery temperature change performed by the electrical temperature change prediction unit 107. This is a result of prediction performed without assuming the charging of the battery and the accompanying temperature adjustment. In this example, it is predicted that the battery temperature tends to decrease as a whole and does not exceed the lower limit temperature TL from the current time t0 to the use start time t4.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining a battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan created by the charging plan creation unit 108 based on the prediction result of FIG. 17. The charging plan creation means 108 temporarily sets one or more times as charging start times, and predicts whether or not the battery temperature falls within a predetermined range on the assumption that charging starts from each temporary setting time. FIG. The charging plan is created while making a judgment based on the above.

  When the battery temperature at the midnight charge start time t1 is below the lower limit temperature TL, the charging plan creation means 108 obtains a time at which the magnitude relationship between the battery temperature and the lower limit temperature TL is reversed.

  As shown in FIG. 17, when there is no time at which the magnitude relationship is reversed, the charging plan creation means 108 sets the current SOC, target SOC and chargeable current to the charging start time for completing charging at the charging completion time t3. Calculate from the value. Furthermore, in order to start and complete the charging from the midnight charge start time t1 to the charging completion time t3, the charging plan creation means 108 operates the heater from which time point and sets the battery temperature at the lower limit temperature TL. It is determined whether it is better to start charging. In the example shown in FIG. 18, charging is performed from the midnight charge start time t1 to the charge completion time t3, and the time before the midnight charge start time t1 so that the battery temperature reaches the lower limit temperature TL at the midnight charge start time t1. At t8, heating by the heater is started. When the battery temperature tends to decrease as a whole as in this example, an increase in the amount of electric power required for heating can be suppressed by starting the heating earlier.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a fifth example of the prediction result of the battery temperature change performed by the battery temperature change prediction unit 107. This is a result of prediction performed without assuming the charging of the battery and the accompanying temperature adjustment. In this example, the battery temperature tends to increase as a whole, but it is predicted that the battery temperature will not exceed the lower limit temperature TL from the current time t0 to the use start time t4.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan created by the charging plan creation means 108 based on the prediction result of FIG. The charging plan creation means 108 temporarily sets one or more times as charging start times, and predicts whether or not the battery temperature is within a predetermined range on the premise that the charging plan starts from each temporary setting time. A charging plan is created while making a judgment based on the result.

  In this case, the charging plan creation means 108 calculates a charging start time for completing charging at the charging completion time t3 from the current SOC, the target SOC, and the chargeable current value. Furthermore, the charging plan creation means 108 calculates a time t10 at which the heater is operated so that the battery temperature reaches the lower limit temperature TL by the calculated charging start time (t2 in this example). In this example, since the temperature adjustment time (t10 to t2) is included in the time zone of midnight power, it is preferable from the aspect of the charge to use the midnight power supplied from the house 1 as the heater power.

  However, if the battery temperature cannot be raised to the lower limit temperature TL by the charge start time t2 unless the heater operation is started before the midnight charge start time t1, the battery pack 11 is charged as the heater power. It is preferable from the viewpoint of the charge to use the electric power that is provided. This is because the battery pack 11 is usually charged using midnight power with a low charge. Therefore, in this case, the charging plan creation unit 108 recalculates the charging start time t2 in consideration of the amount of power of the battery pack 11 consumed for the heater.

  In the above description, the charging plan based on the assumption of using midnight power has been described, but it is also possible to create a charging plan without assuming the use of midnight power.

  When midnight power is not used, the target charging completion time is the vehicle 2 use start time t4. Then, the charging plan creating means 108 does not perform a charging plan aiming at the lowest electricity bill, but creates a charging plan that requires the least amount of power.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining a sixth example of the prediction result of the battery temperature change performed by the battery temperature change prediction unit 107. This is a result of prediction performed without assuming the charging of the battery and the accompanying temperature adjustment. In this example, there is a user instruction in the morning, and charging needs to be completed by evening. In this example, since there is solar radiation within the parking time, it is predicted that the battery temperature will rise significantly during the day.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining the battery temperature change assumed from the charging plan created by the charging plan creation means 108 based on the prediction result of FIG. The charging plan creation means 108 temporarily sets one or more times as charging start times, and predicts whether or not the battery temperature falls within a predetermined range on the assumption that the charging plan starts from each temporary setting time. A charging plan is created while making a judgment based on the result.

  The charging plan creation means 108 calculates the charging start time for completing the charging at the use start time t4. Here, in particular, in the time zone when the battery temperature is lower than the upper limit temperature TH, the battery temperature reaches the upper limit temperature TH. Whether or not charging can be performed without reaching is considered. In the example of FIG. 22, since the battery temperature does not exceed the upper limit temperature TH between the calculated charge start time t2 and the use start time t4, the charge plan creation means 108 uses the calculated charge start time t2. Confirm the charging plan.

  Note that, as a time zone in which battery deterioration during charging can be avoided, a time zone from the current time t0 to a time t12 is also conceivable. As a result, the temperature of the battery becomes higher, and the deterioration of the battery in the neglected state is accelerated. Therefore, it is not preferable to perform charging in the time zone from the current time t0 to time t12. Therefore, when there are a plurality of time zones in which the battery deterioration during charging can be avoided, the charging plan creation means 108 selects only one time zone during which the battery temperature does not increase after charging. When the target SOC is not reached only by charging in one time zone, a plurality of time zones may be selected. If the target SOC is not reached even after selecting a plurality of time zones, the charging plan creation means 108 creates a charging plan that increases the charging time while operating the fan so that the battery temperature does not exceed the upper limit temperature TH. To do.

  Next, the charge control operation of the charge controller 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S <b> 11, the plug connection confirmation unit 201 confirms whether or not the charging plug 4 is connected to the charging connector 18. When the charging plug 4 is not connected to the charging connector 18, temperature adjustment by the battery temperature control means 206 and charging by the charging means 205 are both prohibited (step S12). When the charge controller 20 is in the sleep state, the process returns to step S11 without performing step S12.

  When the charging plug 4 is connected to the charging connector 18, information transmission to the home terminal 50 is performed via the vehicle communication unit 202. The information to be transmitted is the outside air temperature information, the solar radiation sensor information and the room temperature information acquired by the temperature acquisition means 203 from the air conditioner 16, and the battery temperature information and the SOC information acquired by the battery state acquisition means 204 from the battery pack 11.

  In step S14, a charge control signal and a temperature control signal (collectively referred to as “control information”) are obtained from the home terminal 50 via the vehicle communication means 202.

  In step S15, it is confirmed from the control information whether temperature adjustment is necessary. If temperature adjustment is necessary, the process proceeds to step S16, and if temperature adjustment is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S17.

  In step S <b> 17, a temperature adjustment prohibiting signal for prohibiting temperature adjustment is output from the battery temperature control means 206 to the battery pack 11.

  In step S <b> 16, the battery temperature control unit 206 outputs a target temperature and a temperature adjustment instruction to the battery pack 11. As a result, the temperature of the battery pack 11 is adjusted to the target temperature at an appropriate timing.

  In step S18, it is confirmed from the control information whether charging is necessary. If charging is necessary, the process proceeds to step S19. If charging is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S20.

  In step S <b> 19, the charging unit 205 outputs a charging instruction and a charging current value to the AC / DC converter 22. As a result, the battery pack 11 is charged up to the target SOC at an appropriate timing. Thereafter, the process returns to step S11.

  In step S <b> 20, a charging prohibition signal for prohibiting charging is output from the charging unit 205 to the AC / DC converter 22. Thereafter, the process returns to step S11.

  In this way, charging and temperature adjustment of the battery pack 11 are performed according to the charging plan created at the home terminal 50.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a change in battery temperature within the parking time of the vehicle 2 is predicted for the battery mounted on the vehicle 2 parked in the parking area at the predetermined location. Based on the prediction result, a battery charging plan is created while determining whether or not the battery temperature is within a predetermined range on the premise that charging is performed within the parking time. More specifically, the battery temperature change prediction unit 107 predicts the battery temperature within the parking time, and the charging plan creation unit 108 further determines the battery temperature when charging is performed based on the predicted battery temperature. Predict and create a battery charge plan based on this prediction. Therefore, it is possible to create a charging plan so that charging is performed at a battery temperature that does not cause early deterioration of the battery. It is also possible to create a charging plan so that the electric power necessary for adjusting the battery temperature is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress both deterioration of the in-vehicle battery during charging and increase in power consumption (particularly power consumption for temperature adjustment) associated with charging of the in-vehicle battery.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The above description of the configuration and operation is an exemplification of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and the above embodiment can be implemented with various modifications.

  The charge management device of the present invention has the effect of suppressing both the deterioration of the in-vehicle battery at the time of charging and the increase in the extra power consumption associated with the charging of the in-vehicle battery. This is useful for charge control of a battery mounted on a vehicle equipped with means for performing the above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Charge control apparatus 20 Charge controller 50 Home terminal 60 In-home controller 101 Connection determination means 102 Communication means 103 Information collection means 104 Vehicle information acquisition means 105 Storage means 106 Correlation means 107 Battery temperature change prediction means 108 Charge plan preparation means 109 Charge control means 110 Notification means

Claims (8)

A charge management device that manages the charging of a battery mounted on a vehicle in a parking area that is installed outside the vehicle and can be charged,
A prediction unit for predicting the temperature of the in-vehicle battery;
A creation unit that creates a charging plan for the in-vehicle battery based on the temperature of the in-vehicle battery predicted by the prediction unit;
A transmission unit that transmits to the vehicle a control signal for causing the vehicle battery to be charged according to the charging plan created by the creation unit;
The prediction unit
Predict the temperature of the in-vehicle battery within the parking time from the start of parking until the predetermined time has elapsed,
The creating unit
A charge management device that further predicts the temperature of the in-vehicle battery when charging is performed based on the temperature of the in-vehicle battery predicted by the prediction unit, and creates a charging plan for the in-vehicle battery based on the prediction.   The charge management device according to claim 1, wherein the creation unit creates a charge plan so that charging is performed while the temperature of the in-vehicle battery in the case of performing charging is within a predetermined range. The vehicle battery charging plan created by the creation unit further includes a temperature adjustment plan for battery temperature adjustment of the vehicle battery,
The charge management device according to claim 1, wherein the creation unit creates a charge plan so that a temperature of the on-vehicle battery being charged is maintained within the predetermined range. A charge state acquisition unit for acquiring information indicating a charge state of the in-vehicle battery;
The creating unit
Based on the current charging state acquired by the charging state acquisition unit,
The charge management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the in-vehicle battery when charging is predicted. A battery temperature acquisition unit for acquiring an actual measurement value of the temperature of the in-vehicle battery from the vehicle;
The prediction unit
Further predicting the room temperature of the vehicle within the parking time;
The charge management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the in-vehicle battery within the parking time is predicted based on the current measured value acquired by the battery temperature acquisition unit based on the predicted room temperature. A temperature acquisition unit for acquiring measured values of the room temperature and the outside temperature of the vehicle from the vehicle;
The prediction unit
Actual measured values of the current room temperature and outside temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit,
Transition of the difference between the measured values of the past room temperature and the outside temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit,
The charge management device according to claim 5, wherein the room temperature of the parking time is predicted based on the model. A weather information acquisition unit for acquiring weather forecast information near the parking area;
The prediction unit
The charge management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the room temperature of the parking time is predicted using weather forecast information acquired by the weather information acquisition. A solar radiation intensity acquisition unit for acquiring an actual measurement value of the solar radiation intensity of the vehicle from the vehicle;
The prediction unit
The charge management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the room temperature of the parking time is predicted using a current actual measurement value acquired by the solar radiation intensity acquisition unit.

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