JP2013081289A - Power controller - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a power control device capable of shortening a charging time when charging batteries of a plurality of vehicles and charging a battery of another vehicle by effectively using electric energy of one vehicle.
A power control device 1 is connected to a vehicle 5 such as an electric vehicle that uses electric energy stored in a battery 51 for traveling, and functions as a power converter that charges and discharges the battery 51. , 25 are provided. The controller 3 controls operations of the plurality of DC / DC converters 24 and 25 by communication. The plurality of DC / DC converters 24 and 25 are connected to each other via a DC power line L1. In the controller 3, the electric energy of the battery 51 is interchanged between the vehicle 501 and the vehicle 502 in a state where the vehicle 501 is connected to the DC / DC converter 24 and the vehicle 502 is connected to the DC / DC converter 25. Thus, the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 are controlled.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a power control apparatus used for charging / discharging a battery of a vehicle that travels using electric energy stored in the battery.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, vehicles equipped with a battery that stores electric energy, such as an electric vehicle (EV) and a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), and an electric motor that generates a driving force during traveling using the electric energy stored in the battery. Developed and marketed. As a method for charging a battery mounted on this type of vehicle, a method in which the vehicle is connected to an outlet installed in a house or the like and the battery is charged with power supplied from the outlet has been put into practical use.

  In addition, it has been studied to discharge a battery mounted on this type of vehicle (electric vehicle) to supply electric power to an electric device in a house (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the system described in Patent Document 1, the control device generates a switching signal for switching between charging and discharging the battery based on the power supply amount and the power consumption amount, and the bidirectional power feeding device is based on the switching signal. Charge the battery or supply power from the battery to the electrical equipment. This system uses any DC power source among a photovoltaic power generation facility, a fuel cell, a storage battery, and a DC power source obtained by converting a commercial AC power source into a DC by an AC / DC converter. Charge the battery.

JP 2011-130647 A

  However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, it is not assumed that a plurality of vehicles are connected to the bidirectional power feeding device at the same time, and only one vehicle can be connected to the bidirectional power feeding device at the same time. Can not. Therefore, the system described in Patent Document 1 cannot efficiently charge the batteries of a plurality of vehicles. For example, in a household having two electric vehicles, it is necessary to start charging the battery of the other electric vehicle after the charging of the battery of one electric vehicle is completed. About twice as long.

  Further, in the system described in Patent Document 1, even when there is excess electrical energy in one of a plurality of vehicles, it is not possible to effectively use this electrical energy to charge the batteries of other vehicles. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned reasons, and can reduce the charging time when charging the batteries of a plurality of vehicles, and can effectively use the electric energy of one vehicle to use the batteries of other vehicles. It aims at providing the electric power control apparatus which can be charged.

  The electric power control apparatus according to the present invention includes a vehicle that includes a battery that stores electric energy, and vehicles that use electric energy stored in the battery for traveling are individually connected and connected by performing bidirectional power conversion. A plurality of power conversion units that charge and discharge the battery, and a controller that controls operations of the plurality of power conversion units, and the plurality of power conversion units input power when charging the battery. The vehicle is connected to one power conversion unit in a state where a plurality of the power conversion terminals are connected to each other, and the controller is connected to the plurality of power conversion units. The power conversion unit is controlled to charge the battery of the vehicle connected to the other power conversion unit with the discharge output of the battery. It characterized in that it has a function.

  In the power control apparatus, the plurality of power conversion units have the power supply terminals connected to an external power source, and the controller discharges the battery of the vehicle connected to one of the power conversion units. The interchange mode for controlling the power conversion unit to charge the battery of the vehicle connected to the other power conversion unit, and the battery of the vehicle with the power supplied from the external power source It is desirable to have an external power supply mode for controlling the power conversion unit to charge.

  In this power control apparatus, the controller communicates with the vehicle, acquires vehicle information including at least the remaining capacity of the battery from the vehicle, and determines the plurality of power conversion units based on the vehicle information. It is more desirable to control.

  In this power control apparatus, it is more preferable that the controller includes an operation input unit that receives an operation input by a user, and controls the plurality of power conversion units based on the operation input.

  In this power control apparatus, at least one of the plurality of power conversion units is a dual-purpose power conversion unit that can alternatively select the vehicle and a stationary storage battery as a connection destination, When the stationary storage battery is selected, the stationary storage battery is charged and discharged in place of the battery, and the controller is charged by the dual power conversion unit according to the attribute of the connection destination of the dual power conversion unit. It is more desirable to control the voltage and current for the discharge.

  In this power control device, the power control device further includes a path switching unit that switches a connection destination of the dual-purpose power conversion unit between the vehicle and the stationary storage battery, and the controller transmits a selection signal to the path switching unit. It is more desirable to specify the connection destination of the dual-purpose power converter.

  The present invention is advantageous in that the charging time when charging the batteries of a plurality of vehicles can be shortened, and the batteries of other vehicles can be charged by effectively using the electric energy of one vehicle.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an entire system using a power control apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the whole system using the power control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2.

(Embodiment 1)
The power control apparatus of the present embodiment generates a driving force during traveling using a battery that stores electric energy, such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), and the electric energy stored in the battery. Used for charging vehicles equipped with electric motors. The vehicle may be an electric vehicle that uses electric energy stored in the battery for traveling, and is not limited to a four-wheeled vehicle but may be an electric two-wheeled vehicle.

  This power control device is installed in a house or the like, supplies power to the vehicle from an outlet installed in the house or the like, charges the battery of the vehicle, and discharges the battery of the vehicle to supply power to the house or the like. . In addition, although this embodiment demonstrates the case where a power control apparatus is used for a detached house, a power control apparatus may be used not only for a detached house but for an apartment house or a business office.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the power control apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a power conditioner 2 that supplies power to a load provided in a house by coordinating a plurality of DC power sources described later, and the operation of the power conditioner 2. And a controller 3 for controlling. The power conditioner 2 is connected to an AC distribution board 41 and a DC distribution board 42, and supplies power to a load circuit (not shown) via these distribution boards. The load circuit here includes devices such as lighting fixtures, air conditioners, and water heaters as well as wiring appliances such as outlets and wall switches.

  Here, the AC distribution board 41 is also connected to a commercial AC power source (commercial power system) 40, and not only from the DC power source but also from the commercial AC power source 40 by the interconnection operation of the DC power source and the commercial AC power source 40. Power is supplied to the load circuit. Furthermore, a specific load circuit is connected to the power conditioner 2 without the AC distribution board 41, and the power conditioner 2 is independent even during a power failure of the commercial AC power supply 40 for these specific load circuits. Electric power can be supplied by driving.

  The power conditioner 2 includes DC / DC converters 21 to 25 that convert DC power from a plurality of DC power supplies into DC power of a desired voltage and current for each DC power supply. These DC / DC converters 21 to 25 convert the input from the DC power source into DC power having a predetermined voltage, and output the DC power to the DC power line L <b> 1 in the power conditioner 2.

  Here, as a DC power source connected to the power conditioner 2, there are a solar battery 6, a fuel battery 7, and a stationary storage battery 8 in addition to the battery 51 mounted on the vehicle 5. That is, the power conditioner 2 includes a DC / DC converter 21 for the solar cell 6, a DC / DC converter 22 for the fuel cell 7, a DC / DC converter 23 for the stationary storage battery 8, and a DC for the vehicle 5. / DC converters 24 and 25. Further, the power conditioner 2 includes an AC / DC converter 26 that converts AC power from the commercial AC power supply 40 connected to the AC distribution board 41 into DC power and outputs the DC power to the DC power line L1 as a DC power supply. Yes.

  Among the DC / DC converters 21 to 25, the DC / DC converter 23 for the stationary storage battery 8 and the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 for the vehicle 5 can perform power conversion in both directions so that charging / discharging is possible. It consists of a bidirectional converter. The DC / DC converters 24 and 25 for the vehicle 5 are connected to the vehicle 5 individually to constitute a power converter that charges and discharges the battery 51. Note that the power control device 1 only needs to include a plurality of power conversion units to which the vehicle 5 is individually connected, and may include three or more DC / DC converters for the vehicle 5.

  In addition, the power conditioner 2 includes output DC / AC converters 27 and 28 that convert DC power obtained from each DC power source into AC power, and output DC / DC that converts DC power to a desired voltage and current. And a converter 29. The output DC / AC converters 27 and 28 and the output DC / DC converter 29 are respectively connected to the DC power line L1 in the power conditioner 2. Here, the output DC / AC converter 27 outputs AC power to the load circuit via the AC distribution board 41, and the output DC / AC converter 28 outputs AC power to a specific load circuit for output. The DC / DC converter 29 outputs DC power to the load circuit via the DC distribution board 42. The output DC / AC converter 28 can supply power to a specific load circuit even during the independent operation of the power conditioner 2. In addition, when an overcurrent or a leakage current is detected when power is supplied from the power conditioner 2 to the load circuit, a breaker (not shown) cuts off the power supply path.

  The controller 3 is connected to the power conditioner 2 via a communication line (shown by a broken line in FIG. 1) L2, and is installed in a place where the user (resident of the house) can easily operate in the house. The controller 3 stores an operation input unit 31 that receives an operation input by a user, a display unit 32 including a liquid crystal monitor, an arithmetic processing unit 33 that performs arithmetic processing, a program executed by the arithmetic processing unit 33, and the like. A memory 34 and a communication unit 35 are provided. In the present embodiment, the controller 3 is configured with a microcomputer (microcomputer) as a main component. The controller 3 communicates with each part of the power conditioner 2 (DC / DC converters 21 to 25, AC / DC converter 26, output DC / AC converters 27 and 28, output DC / DC converter 29) in the communication unit 35. The operation of each part is individually controlled by the control signal. The operation input unit 31 and the display unit 32 may be realized by a touch panel display.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 5 includes a connector 52 detachably connected to a cable (not shown) connected to the power conditioner 2, a communication circuit 53 that performs communication with the controller 3, a battery The charging / discharging circuit 54 which charges / discharges 51 is comprised. The charging / discharging circuit 54 switches the charging / discharging path of the battery 51 in the vehicle 5. When the power conditioner 2 is not connected, the charging / discharging circuit 54 charges the battery 51 with a regenerative current or transfers the electric energy of the battery 51 to the electric motor. Or give to. The battery 51 is made of, for example, a lithium ion battery. Here, the cable connected to the connector 52 includes a communication line L2 in addition to the power line L3 connected to the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 for the vehicle 5, and the communication circuit 53 is connected via the communication line L2. Communication with the communication unit 35 of the controller 3. In FIG. 1, illustration of a configuration that is not directly related to the operation of the power control device 1 such as an electric motor (motor) in the vehicle 5 is omitted.

  With this configuration, when the communication circuit 53 receives an instruction for charging from the controller 3, the charging / discharging circuit 54 charges the battery 51 with the power supplied from the power conditioner 2 via the connector 52. On the other hand, in the vehicle 5, when the communication circuit 53 receives a discharge instruction from the controller 3, the charge / discharge circuit 54 discharges the power stored in the battery 51 to the power conditioner 2 via the connector 52.

  Specifically, the controller 3 transmits a switching signal from the communication unit 35 to the communication circuit 53 of the vehicle 5, and charges, discharges, or stops (charging / discharging) the operating state of the charging / discharging circuit 54 based on the switching signal. Switch to one of the following: The controller 3 is not limited to the configuration in which communication with the vehicle 5 is performed via the communication line L2 included in the cable, but may be performed by power line carrier communication using the power line L3 as a transmission path or wireless communication.

  Next, a basic operation related to charging / discharging of the battery 51 of the vehicle 5 by the power control device 1 having the above-described configuration will be briefly described.

  When the vehicle 5 is connected to the power conditioner 2, the controller 3 communicates with the vehicle 5 and acquires vehicle information including at least the remaining capacity of the battery 51 from the vehicle 5. The controller 3 compares the remaining capacity of the battery 51 with a predetermined charging threshold based on the vehicle information, and charges the battery 51 until the remaining capacity reaches the charging threshold. The controller 3 may use a charging threshold according to the specification of the battery 51 so that the battery 51 is fully charged, or a charging threshold arbitrarily set by the user for each vehicle 5 using the operation input unit 31. May be used.

  That is, when the remaining capacity of the battery 51 is lower than the charging threshold, the controller 3 switches the operation state of the charging / discharging circuit 54 of the vehicle 5 to charging, and the vehicle 5 is connected to supply power to the vehicle 5. The DC / DC converters 24 and 25 are operated in the charging mode. At this time, the controller 3 compares the amount of power supplied by the solar cell 6, the fuel cell 7, and the stationary storage battery 8 with the amount of power used in the load circuit, and when the amount of power supplied exceeds the amount of power used. The electric energy from the DC / DC converters 21 to 23 is supplied to the vehicle 5. When the power supply amount is equal to or less than the power consumption amount, the controller 3 causes the DC / DC converters 21 to 25 and the AC / DC converter 26 to supply the electric energy from the AC / DC converter 26 to the vehicle 5. Control.

  In this way, the controller 3 charges the battery 51 of the vehicle 5 with the power supplied from the external power source (solar cell 6, fuel cell 7, stationary storage battery 8, commercial AC power source 40) connected to the power supply terminal. An external power supply mode for controlling the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 is provided. The power supply terminal here is a terminal that serves as an input terminal of power when the battery 51 is charged in the DC / DC converters 24 and 25, that is, a terminal on the opposite side to the vehicle 5.

  On the other hand, when the remaining capacity of the battery 51 exceeds the charging threshold, the controller 3 switches the operation state of the charging / discharging circuit 54 of the vehicle 5 to discharging or stopping. At this time, for example, when the remaining capacity of the battery 51 is sufficient or when the commercial AC power supply 40 is blacked out, the controller 3 supplies power to the load circuit from the battery 51 of the vehicle 5. Is operated in the discharge mode. As a result, when the power supply amount by the solar cell 6, the fuel cell 7, and the stationary storage battery 8 is insufficient compared to the power consumption amount in the load circuit, the power control device 1 uses the shortage amount of the battery 51. It can be covered by the discharge output.

  By the way, in the present embodiment, the power control apparatus 1 includes a plurality of (two) DC / DC converters 24 and 25 for the vehicle 5 as power converters in the power conditioner 2. In this case, two vehicles 5) can be connected to the power conditioner 2. Hereinafter, when each vehicle 5 is distinguished, the vehicle 5 connected to one DC / DC converter 24 is referred to as “vehicle 501”, and the vehicle 5 connected to the other DC / DC converter 25 is referred to as “vehicle 502”. " If the cable-side connector connected to the connector 52 of the vehicle 5 has a common specification, the vehicle 501 can be connected to the DC / DC converter 25 and the vehicle 502 can be connected to the DC / DC converter 24. is there.

  Thereby, since the electric power control apparatus 1 can charge the two vehicles 5 simultaneously, charging is completed in about half the charging time as compared with the case where the two vehicles 5 are sequentially charged one by one. Therefore, it becomes possible to efficiently charge the batteries 51 of a plurality of vehicles 5 in a household having a plurality of electric vehicles.

  In addition, the plurality of DC / DC converters 24 and 25 are connected to each other via the DC power line L <b> 1 at the power supply terminals that serve as power input ends when the battery 51 is charged. Further, the controller 3 has a function of controlling the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 so that the electric energy of the battery 51 is interchanged between the vehicle 501 and the vehicle 502. In other words, the controller 3 can control to operate one of the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 in the charging mode and the other in the discharging mode while the vehicles 501 and 502 are connected to the DC / DC converters 24 and 25, respectively. It is configured. In other words, the controller 3 performs DC charging so that the battery 51 of the vehicle 5 connected to the other is charged by the discharge output of the battery 51 of the vehicle 5 connected to one of the DC / DC converters 24 and 25. An interchange mode for controlling the DC converters 24 and 25 is provided.

  In the present embodiment, the controller 3 determines whether or not electrical energy can be interchanged between the vehicles 501 and 502 based on the vehicle information acquired from the respective vehicles 501 and 502, and if it is determined that the interchange is possible, the interchange is performed. The DC / DC converters 24 and 25 are automatically controlled as shown. More specifically, the controller 3 compares the remaining capacity of the battery 51 with the charging threshold based on the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle 5, and if the remaining capacity is below the charging threshold, the vehicle 5 It is determined that charging is possible. Further, the controller 3 compares the remaining capacity of the battery 51 with a predetermined discharge threshold based on the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle 5, and if the remaining capacity exceeds the discharge threshold, the vehicle 5 can be discharged. Judge that it is in a state.

  In the present embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the discharge threshold is a value larger than the charge threshold and is a value arbitrarily set by the user for each vehicle 5 using the operation input unit 31. Here, when the controller 3 is configured so that the user can input the estimated travel distance of the next day for each vehicle 5 using the operation input unit 31, the controller 3 determines the charging threshold according to the input estimated travel distance. To decide. That is, the controller 3 sets a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin to the remaining capacity of the battery 51 necessary for the vehicle 5 to travel the distance input as the planned traveling distance, and further sets the predetermined threshold as the charging threshold. A value obtained by adding is used as a discharge threshold. In this way, the controller 3 sets the charging threshold and the discharging threshold for each vehicle 5 and stores them in the memory 34 for each vehicle 5. The controller 3 may transmit the set charge threshold value and discharge threshold value to the corresponding vehicle 5 and write them in a memory (not shown) of the vehicle 5 to obtain the vehicle information from the vehicle 5 together with the remaining capacity.

  When the controller 3 determines that one vehicle 5 can be charged and the other vehicle 5 can be discharged, the controller 3 determines that electrical energy can be interchanged between the vehicles 501 and 502 and operates in the interchange mode. . For example, when the remaining capacity of the battery 51 of the vehicle 501 exceeds the discharge threshold and the remaining capacity of the battery 51 of the vehicle 502 is below the charging threshold, the controller 3 allows the electric energy of the vehicle 501 to be accommodated in the vehicle 502. Thus, the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 are controlled. In this case, the controller 3 switches the operating state of the charging / discharging circuit 54 of the vehicle 501 to discharging to operate the DC / DC converter 24 in the discharging mode, and switches the operating state of the charging / discharging circuit 54 of the vehicle 502 to charging to perform DC. The DC converter 25 is operated in the charging mode.

  The power control apparatus 1 continues power supply from the solar cell 6, the fuel cell 7, and the stationary storage battery 8 to the load circuit even in a state where electric energy is interchanged between the vehicles 501 and 502 in this way. Therefore, in addition to the outputs from the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 for the vehicle 5, outputs from the DC / DC converters 21 to 23 are also applied to the DC power line L1. Therefore, the controller 3 controls the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 so that the power output from the DC / DC converter 24 to the DC power line L1 and the power output from the DC / DC converter 25 to the vehicle 502 are the same. To control. As a result, electrical energy is apparently exchanged between the vehicles 501 and 502.

  During interchange of electric energy between the vehicles 501 and 502, the remaining capacity of the battery 51 of the vehicle 501 that is the power supply source falls below the discharge threshold, or the remaining capacity of the battery 51 of the vehicle 502 that is the power supply destination reaches the charging threshold. Then, the power control apparatus 1 stops interchange of electric energy. At this time, if the remaining capacity of the battery 51 of the vehicle 502 as the power supply destination has not reached the charging threshold, the power control device 1 compensates for the shortage with the output from the solar cell 6 or the like, thereby making the battery 51 of the vehicle 502. Complete charging. The controller 3 may periodically acquire the vehicle information during the interchange of the electric energy between the vehicles 501 and 502 and compare the remaining capacity with the discharge threshold value and the charge threshold value. You may determine the electric energy (electric power amount) to accommodate at the time of starting.

  On the other hand, when the remaining capacity of both the vehicles 501 and 502 exceeds the charging threshold, or when the remaining capacity of both the vehicles 501 and 502 is lower than the discharging threshold, the controller 3 It is determined that electrical energy cannot be interchanged between 502. In this embodiment, since the discharge threshold is larger than the charge threshold, if the remaining capacity of the battery 51 is between the discharge threshold and the charge threshold on one of the vehicles 501 and 502, the controller 3 moves between the vehicles 501 and 502. Therefore, it is determined that electric energy cannot be accommodated.

  When the controller 3 determines that electrical energy cannot be interchanged between the vehicles 501 and 502, the power control device 1 operates in the same manner as when only one vehicle 5 is connected. In short, the controller 3 is configured to charge the battery 51 of the vehicle 5 with power supplied from external power sources (solar cell 6, fuel cell 7, stationary storage battery 8, and commercial AC power source 40). Operates in external power supply mode to control Alternatively, the controller 3 supplies power from the vehicles 501 and 502 to the load circuit by operating the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 in the discharge mode as necessary.

  In addition, when the power control device 1 includes three or more DC / DC converters for the vehicle 5 as the power conversion unit, the power control device 1 simultaneously connects three or more vehicles 5 according to the number of DC / DC converters. Can do. In this case, the controller 3 controls the operations of the plurality of DC / DC converters so that electric energy can be interchanged between the three or more vehicles 5. In this case, the power control apparatus 1 may accommodate electrical energy from one vehicle 5 to a plurality of vehicles 5, or may accommodate electrical energy from a plurality of vehicles 5 to one vehicle 5. Alternatively, electric energy may be interchanged from the plurality of vehicles 5 to the plurality of vehicles 5.

  The discharge threshold is not limited to a value greater than the charge threshold, and may be the same value as the discharge threshold or a value smaller than the charge threshold. When the discharge threshold is smaller than the charge threshold, if the remaining capacity of the battery 51 of a certain vehicle 5 is between the discharge threshold and the charge threshold, the controller 3 determines that the vehicle 5 can be charged and discharged. To do. When the remaining capacity is between the discharge threshold value and the charge threshold value in both the vehicles 501 and 502, the controller 3 determines whether or not to allow electric energy to be interchanged between the vehicles 501 and 502, and in the case of accommodating, the direction of accommodating Is appropriately determined.

  According to the power control device 1 of the present embodiment described above, since a plurality of DC / DC converters 24 and 25 for the vehicle 5 as power conversion units are provided, a plurality of vehicles 5 are simultaneously used as the power conditioner 2. Connectable. Thereby, since the electric power control apparatus 1 can charge the several vehicle 5 simultaneously, compared with the case where the several vehicle 5 is charged one by one, it can aim at shortening of charge time, and several vehicle 5 5 batteries 51 can be efficiently charged.

  Furthermore, since the electric power control apparatus 1 can simultaneously discharge the electric energy stored in the batteries 51 of the plurality of vehicles 5, the battery 51 of the vehicle 5 is transferred from the battery 51 to the load circuit at the time of a power failure of the commercial AC power supply 40. The power capacity that can be supplied increases.

  Further, the plurality of DC / DC converters 24 and 25 are connected to each other via the DC power line L1, and the controller 3 allows the electric energy of the battery 51 to be interchanged between the plurality of vehicles 5. 25 can be controlled (accommodation mode). Therefore, for example, when the remaining capacity of the battery 51 is sufficient in one of the two vehicles 5 and the battery 51 needs to be charged in the other, the power control device 1 does not receive power from other than the vehicle 5. The battery 51 that allows electric energy to be interchanged between the vehicles 5 can be charged.

  Therefore, for example, even when there is no output from the solar cell 6 at night or the like and the power for charging the battery 51 cannot be provided only by the output of the fuel cell 7 or the stationary storage battery 8, the power control device 1 uses the commercial AC power supply. The battery 51 can be charged without receiving power from 40. That is, if there is excess electrical energy in a certain vehicle 5, the power control device 1 can effectively use this electrical energy to charge the battery 51 of another vehicle 5. There is an effect of peak cut of power demand.

  Moreover, in general, the vehicle 5 of an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle includes a battery 51 having a relatively large capacity, and the power control device 1 charges the other battery 51 using the discharge output of the battery 51. Can be charged quickly. That is, the electric power control apparatus 1 allows electric energy to be interchanged between a plurality of vehicles 5 as compared with the case where the battery 51 is charged using the output of the solar cell 6, the fuel cell 7, the stationary storage battery 8, or the like. Thus, the charging time of the battery 51 can be shortened.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the controller 3 communicates with the vehicle 5 to acquire vehicle information including at least the remaining capacity of the battery 51 from the vehicle 5, and a plurality of DC / DC converters based on the vehicle information. 24 and 25 are controlled. Thus, the controller 3 determines whether or not the electric energy can be interchanged between the vehicles 501 and 502 according to the remaining capacity of the battery 51, and if it is determined that the interchange is possible, the DC / DC converter 24 performs the interchange. , 25 can be controlled automatically. Moreover, the controller 3 determines whether or not the electric energy can be interchanged by comparing the charging threshold value and the discharging threshold value determined according to the planned travel distance with the remaining capacity of the battery 51. Appropriate electrical energy can be accommodated according to the planned travel distance.

  Incidentally, the controller 3 controls the plurality of DC / DC converters 24 and 25 based on the user's operation input to the operation input unit 31 in addition to the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle 5 or regardless of the vehicle information. It may be configured. In this case, for example, in the example of FIG. 1, even when the remaining capacity exceeds the charging threshold in both the vehicles 501 and 502, or even when the remaining capacity is lower than the discharging threshold in both the vehicles 501 and 502, the power control device 1 can accommodate electric energy between the vehicles 501 and 502 as needed. As a result, the user can make electrical energy available between the plurality of vehicles 5 by his / her own intention, and collects the electrical energy preferentially in the battery 51 of any vehicle 5 regardless of the remaining capacity of the battery 51. It becomes possible.

  The power control device 1 only needs to have a configuration that allows electric energy to be interchanged between a plurality of vehicles 5, and it is not an essential configuration that a DC power source such as the solar cell 6, the fuel cell 7, and the stationary storage battery 8 can be connected. The DC / DC converters 21 to 23 may be omitted. Further, the power control device 1 is not essential for the function of supplying power from the battery 51 of the vehicle 5 to the load provided in the house. The output DC / AC converters 27 and 28 and the output DC / DC converter 29 are It may be omitted.

  Further, the controller 3 is not limited to the power conditioner 2 and may be incorporated in the power conditioner 2. In this case, the controller 3 can directly control the DC / DC converters 24 and 25 as the power conversion unit based on the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle 5 without communication.

(Embodiment 2)
In the power control apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, at least one power converter (here, the DC / DC converter 24) alternatively selects the vehicle 5 and the stationary storage battery 8 as connection destinations. It differs from the power control apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1 in that it is a possible dual-purpose power conversion unit. Hereinafter, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  The DC / DC converter 24 serving as the dual-purpose power converter charges and discharges the stationary storage battery 8 instead of the battery 51 of the vehicle 5 when the stationary storage battery 8 is selected as the connection destination.

  The controller 3 controls the voltage and current for charging and discharging by the DC / DC converter 24 according to the attribute of the connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24. The attribute of the connection destination here includes at least the distinction between the vehicle 5 and the stationary storage battery 8, and further the capacity of the battery 51 or the stationary storage battery 8, an appropriate charging voltage and charging current, and an appropriate discharging voltage and discharging current. Etc. may be included. That is, the controller 3 communicates with the DC / DC converter 24 via the communication line L2, acquires the attribute of the connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24, and performs appropriate charge / discharge according to the connection destination. The DC / DC converter 24 is operated with the voltage and current for this purpose.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the power control apparatus 1 includes a path switching unit 20 in the power conditioner 2 that switches the connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24 serving as the dual-purpose power conversion unit between the vehicle 5 and the stationary storage battery 8. I have. The path switching unit 20 is inserted between the DC / DC converter 24, the stationary storage battery 8 and the vehicle (cable connected to the connector 52) 5, and the DC / DC converter 24 is connected to the vehicle 5. Switching is performed with the stationary storage battery 8. Here, the path switching unit 20 also switches between the vehicle 5 and the stationary storage battery 8 with respect to the connection destination of the communication line L2 connected to the controller 3. Note that the path switching unit 20 and the stationary storage battery 8 may be fixedly connected.

  The controller 3 transmits a selection signal to the path switching unit 20 through the communication line L2, and controls the path switching unit 20 according to the selection signal. That is, the controller 3 specifies the connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24 and the connection destination of the communication line L2 by transmitting a selection signal to the path switching unit 20. Here, the path switching unit 20 has a function of detecting whether or not the vehicle 5 is connected, and the controller 3 automatically receives a detection result indicating that the vehicle 5 is connected from the path switching unit 20. Thus, a selection signal for selecting the vehicle 5 as a connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24 is transmitted. The controller 3 may be configured to select a connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24 based on a user operation input to the operation input unit 31.

  According to the configuration described above, the power control device 1 can use one DC / DC converter 24 as both the battery 51 and the stationary storage battery 8 of the vehicle 5, so that the required number of DC / DC converters is small. There is an advantage that it can be suppressed. In addition, since the controller 3 operates the DC / DC converter 24 with the appropriate voltage and current for charging and discharging according to the connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24, the user performs DC / DC according to the connection destination. There is no need to change the setting of the converter 24.

  The power control apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes the path switching unit 20 and is configured to be able to select the connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24 by a selection signal from the controller 3. There is no need to switch the connection destination of the converter 24.

  As another configuration of the present embodiment, the power control apparatus 1 may be configured such that the path switching unit 20 is omitted and the user manually switches the connection destination of the DC / DC converter 24. In this case, the cable connected to the DC / DC converter 24 can be connected to either the connector 52 or the stationary storage battery 8 of the vehicle 5, and is connected to the connector 52 and the stationary storage battery 8 of the vehicle 5. What is necessary is just to be comprised so that attachment or detachment is possible. In this configuration, the power control apparatus 1 can simplify the configuration by the amount that does not require the path switching unit.

  Other configurations and functions are the same as those in the first embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power control device 3 Controller 5,501,502 Vehicle 6 Solar cell (external power supply)
7 Fuel cell (external power supply)
8 Stationary storage battery (external power supply)
20 path switching unit 24, 25 DC / DC converter (power conversion unit)
40 Commercial AC power supply (external power supply)
51 battery L1 DC power line

Claims (6)

Charge and discharge of the battery of the vehicle, which is provided with a battery that stores electric energy and that uses the electric energy stored in the battery for traveling, is connected individually and performs bidirectional power conversion. A plurality of power conversion units to perform, and a controller for controlling operations of the plurality of power conversion units,
The plurality of power conversion units are connected to each other power supply terminals that serve as power input terminals when charging the battery,
In the state where a plurality of the vehicles are connected to the plurality of the power conversion units, the controller is configured to output the other power using the discharge output of the battery of the vehicle connected to the one power conversion unit. A power control device having a function of controlling the power conversion unit so as to charge the battery of the vehicle connected to the conversion unit. In the plurality of power conversion units, the power supply terminal is connected to an external power source,
The controller converts the power so that the battery of the vehicle connected to another power conversion unit is charged with a discharge output of the battery of the vehicle connected to the one power conversion unit. 2. An interchangeable mode for controlling a power supply unit and an external power supply mode for controlling the power conversion unit to charge the battery of the vehicle with power supplied from the external power supply. Power control device.   The controller communicates with the vehicle, acquires vehicle information including at least the remaining capacity of the battery from the vehicle, and controls the plurality of power conversion units based on the vehicle information. The power control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.   4. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes an operation input unit that receives an operation input by a user, and controls the plurality of power conversion units based on the operation input. 5. The power control device described in 1. At least one of the plurality of power conversion units is a dual-purpose power conversion unit that can alternatively select the vehicle and a stationary storage battery as a connection destination, and the stationary storage battery is selected as a connection destination. In this state, the stationary battery is charged and discharged in place of the battery,
5. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls a voltage and a current for charging and discharging by the dual-purpose power converter according to an attribute of a connection destination of the dual-purpose power converter. The power control apparatus according to claim 1. A path switching unit that switches a connection destination of the dual-purpose power conversion unit between the vehicle and the stationary storage battery;
The power controller according to claim 5, wherein the controller designates a connection destination of the dual-purpose power conversion unit by transmitting a selection signal to the path switching unit.

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