JP2024154119A - Control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique that can suppress occurrence of limitation on output of an electric power conversion system in charging a storage battery when a vehicle stops, using the electric power conversion system having a function of outputting electric power to a predetermined instrument using electric power of the storage battery during operation of the vehicle.SOLUTION: An ECU 90 according to one embodiment controls an inverter device 45 that has a first function of charging a battery 40 mounted on the vehicle 1 using electric power supplied from an external DC power source 200 of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 stops and a second function of outputting electric power to an electric motor 10 of the vehicle 1 using electric power of the battery 40 during operation of the vehicle 1. When determining that the battery 40 is likely to be charged, on the basis of a state of the vehicle 1 during operation of the vehicle 1, the ECU 90 limits output of an inverter device in the second function.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

This disclosure relates to a control device.

For example, a power conversion device is known that has the function of receiving power from an external power source to charge the vehicle's storage battery when the vehicle is stopped, and the function of outputting power to a specified device using the power of the storage battery when the vehicle is operating (see Patent Document 1).

Patent document 1 discloses an inverter that drives an electric motor with power from the vehicle's storage battery when the vehicle is in operation, and connects the neutral point of the electric motor to a power source external to the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped, and charges the vehicle's storage battery using power from the external power source.

JP 2016-149921 A

However, from the standpoint of, for example, thermal protection of components, the output of the power conversion device may be limited if it becomes overheated. Therefore, for example, if the vehicle stops in a state where the temperature conditions for limiting the output of the power conversion device are satisfied, or in a state where there is a possibility that these temperature conditions will be satisfied, the output of the power conversion device may be limited when charging the vehicle's storage battery. As a result, the time required to charge the storage battery may be extended, which may reduce user convenience.

In view of the above problems, the objective of the present invention is to provide a technology that uses a power conversion device that has the function of outputting power to a specific device using the power of a storage battery while the vehicle is in operation, and that can suppress the occurrence of output limitations of the power conversion device when charging the storage battery while the vehicle is stopped.

In order to achieve the above object, in one embodiment of the present disclosure,
A control device that controls a power conversion device having a first function of charging a storage battery mounted on a vehicle using power supplied from a power source external to the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped, and a second function of outputting power to a predetermined device of the vehicle using power of the storage battery when the vehicle is in operation,
limiting an output of the power conversion device in the second function when it is determined that there is a sign that the storage battery will be charged based on a state of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle.
A controller is provided.

According to the above-described embodiment, by using a power conversion device that has the function of outputting power to a specified device using the power of a storage battery while the vehicle is in operation, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of output limitations of the power conversion device when charging the storage battery while the vehicle is stopped.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first example of a vehicle. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of processing by the ECU when the vehicle is in operation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a second example of a vehicle. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of processing by the ECU when the vehicle is in operation. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a change over time in water temperature of a cooling system.

The following describes the embodiment with reference to the drawings.

[First example of vehicle]
A first example of a vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

<Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first example of a vehicle 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes an electric motor 10, a transaxle 20, a drive shaft 25, drive wheels 30, a battery 40, an inverter device 45, a charging port 50, an information acquisition device 80, an information acquisition device 85, and an ECU 90. In addition, a DC (Direct Current) power source 200 is a component related to charging the battery 40 of the vehicle 1.

Vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor 10 as a power source. Examples of electric vehicles include HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles), PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles), range extender EVs, BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles), and fuel cell vehicles.

The DC power source 200 is electrically connected to the charging port 50 of the vehicle 1 through a charging cable 210, and supplies DC power to the vehicle 1 with an output voltage (e.g., 350 volts) higher than the voltage of the battery 40. This allows the user to perform so-called quick charging of the battery 40 by using DC power supplied from the DC power source 200. The DC power source 200 is, for example, a quick charging stand installed in a specified facility, residence, etc.

As described above, the electric motor 10 is the prime mover of the vehicle 1. In this example, the electric motor 10 is driven by three-phase AC. The electric motor 10 includes an armature winding 11.

The armature winding 11 includes windings 11u, 11v, and 11w for three phases, U, V, and W. The windings 11u, 11v, and 11w are connected at the neutral point TNP by a Y connection, and the other ends are connected to the output terminals of the inverter device 45 for the U, V, and W phases, respectively.

The transaxle 20 is a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the electric motor 10 to the drive shaft 25. Specifically, the transaxle 20 includes a transmission mechanism that changes the speed (e.g., reduces the speed) of the output of the electric motor 10, and a differential mechanism that splits the output of the transmission mechanism and outputs it to the left and right drive shafts 25L, 25R.

The drive shaft 25 transmits the output of the transaxle 20 to the drive wheels 30. The drive shaft 25 includes left and right drive shafts 25L and 25R.

The drive wheels 30 are driven by the power of the electric motor 10 through the transaxle 20 and the drive shaft 25 to propel the vehicle 1. The drive wheels 30 may be the front wheels, the rear wheels, or both. The drive wheels 30 include a left drive wheel 30L and a right drive wheel 30R.

The left and right drive wheels 30L, 30R are connected to the transaxle 20 via drive shafts 25L, 25R, respectively.

The battery 40 is a power source for the vehicle 1 and has a relatively high output voltage, for example, several hundred volts. The battery 40 is, for example, a liquid-type lithium-ion battery. The battery 40 may also be an all-solid-state battery.

When the vehicle 1 is operating, the battery 40 outputs power to the inverter device 45 and supplies drive power to the electric motor 10 via the inverter device 45. When the vehicle 1 is operating, this refers to a state in which the vehicle 1 is capable of running, for example, when the IG power supply of the vehicle 1 is on (IG-ON). When the vehicle 1 is operating, the battery 40 is charged with regenerative power from the electric motor 10 in response to the deceleration of the vehicle 1, which is supplied via the inverter device 45. When the vehicle 1 is stopped, the battery 40 is charged with power supplied from the external DC power supply 200 via the inverter device 45. When the vehicle 1 is stopped, this refers to a state in which the vehicle 1 is unable to run, for example, when the IG power supply of the vehicle 1 is off (IG-OFF).

The inverter device 45 is electrically connected to both the battery 40 and the electric motor 10. When the vehicle 1 is in operation, the inverter device 45 converts the output of the battery 40 into a three-phase AC current of a predetermined voltage and a predetermined frequency and outputs it to the electric motor 10 to drive the electric motor 10. This allows the vehicle 1 to run. Also, when the vehicle 1 is in operation, the inverter device 45 converts the regenerative output of the electric motor 10 in response to the deceleration of the vehicle 1 into a DC current and outputs it to the battery 40. This allows the vehicle 1 to regenerate its own kinetic energy as electric energy and charge the battery 40. Also, when the vehicle 1 is stopped, the inverter device 45 boosts the DC current supplied from the external DC power source 200 in cooperation with the armature winding 11 and outputs it to the battery 40, thereby charging the battery 40. This allows the vehicle 1 to charge the battery 40 using the inverter device 45.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the inverter device 45 includes a smoothing circuit 45A and an inverter circuit 45B.

The smoothing circuit 45A is provided on the DC side (DC link) of the inverter device 45, and suppresses and smoothes pulsations in the DC output from the battery 40 and the DC output from the inverter circuit 45B. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the smoothing circuit 45A includes a smoothing capacitor provided between the positive and negative power supply lines of the DC link.

One end of the inverter circuit 45B is connected to the DC link, and the other end is connected to three three-phase AC power lines.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the inverter circuit 45B includes six semiconductor switches. The semiconductor switches are, for example, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), or the like. The semiconductor switches are, for example, mainly made of silicon (Si). The semiconductor switches may also be mainly made of a wide band gap semiconductor material. The wide band gap semiconductor material is, for example, silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium oxide (Ga ₂ O ₃ ), carbon (diamond: C), or the like. Specifically, the inverter circuit 45B includes a bridge circuit in which three switch legs, each of which is made up of two semiconductor switches connected in series to form upper and lower arms, are connected in parallel between the positive and negative power supply lines. Three-phase AC power lines of U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase are drawn from the midpoints of the three sets of upper and lower arms of the bridge circuit and connected to the windings 11u, 11v, and 11w, respectively. In addition, free wheel diodes are connected in parallel to each of the six semiconductor switches.

The inverter circuit 45B converts the output of the smoothing circuit 45A into three-phase AC and outputs it to the electric motor 10, or converts the output of the electric motor 10 into DC and outputs it to the smoothing circuit 45A, by switching operations of semiconductor switches under the control of the ECU 90.

For example, when the vehicle 1 is running, the inverter circuit 45B converts the direct current output from the smoothing circuit 45A into three-phase alternating current having a predetermined frequency and a predetermined voltage, and outputs it to the electric motor 10. Also, when the vehicle 1 is decelerating, the inverter circuit 45B converts the generated power of the electric motor 10 into direct current in response to the regenerative operation of the electric motor 10 driven from the drive wheels 30 side, and outputs it to the smoothing circuit 45A.

When the vehicle 1 is stopped, the inverter circuit 45B boosts and outputs the direct current supplied from the DC power source 200 through the charging cable 210. Specifically, the inverter circuit 45B functions as a boost chopper CP together with the armature winding 11 and the smoothing capacitor of the smoothing circuit, and boosts and outputs the direct current supplied from the DC power source 200 through the switching operation of the semiconductor switch under the control of the ECU 90. This allows the inverter device 45 to charge the battery 40 in response to the DC power supply from the DC power source 200.

The motor 10, the battery 40, and the inverter device 45 are cooled by a cooling system (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1. For example, the cooling system has a refrigerant circuit capable of passing the refrigerant through the refrigerant flow paths (water jackets) inside the housings of the motor 10, the battery 40, and the inverter device 45 in a predetermined order. The cooling system cools the motor 10, the battery 40, the inverter device 45, etc. when the vehicle 1 is in operation. This suppresses the temperature rise due to heat generation of the motor 10, the battery 40, the inverter device 45, etc. while the vehicle 1 is running, and provides thermal protection for the components. In addition, the cooling system may cool the motor 10, the battery 40, and the inverter device 45 when the battery 40 is rapidly charged by DC power supply from the DC power source 200 while the vehicle 1 is stopped. This suppresses the temperature rise due to heat generation of the motor 10, the battery 40, the inverter device 45, etc. during rapid charging of the battery 40.

A connector at the tip of a charging cable 210 extending from the DC power source 200 can be connected to the charging port 50. Inside the vehicle 1, the charging port 50 is electrically connected to a boost chopper CP constituted by the armature winding 11 and the inverter device 45. Specifically, the positive terminal of the charging port 50 is electrically connected to the neutral point TNP of the armature winding 11, and the negative terminal of the charging port 50 is electrically connected to the negative power supply line of the DC link of the inverter device 45. As a result, by connecting the connector at the tip of the charging cable 210 to the charging port 50, the DC power source 200 and the boost chopper CP are electrically connected, and the battery 40 can be charged by DC power supply from the DC power source 200.

The information acquisition device 80 acquires information related to the temperature of the inverter device 45. For example, the information acquisition device 80 is a sensor that acquires measurement information on the temperature (water temperature) of the cooling water circulating through the refrigerant circuit of the cooling system that cools the inverter device 45. The information acquisition device 80 may also be a sensor that acquires measurement information on the temperature of a board inside the inverter device 45. The output of the information acquisition device 80 is taken into the ECU 90 via a transmission path such as a one-to-one communication line or an in-vehicle network (for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or in-vehicle Ethernet).

The information acquisition device 85 acquires information regarding signs that the battery 40 of the vehicle 1 will be charged. A sign that the battery 40 will be charged means a sign that indicates that, while the vehicle 1 is in operation, there is a high possibility that the vehicle 1 will be stopped and the battery 40 will be charged in the relatively near future. The output of the information acquisition device 85 is taken into the ECU 90 via a transmission path such as a one-to-one communication line or an in-vehicle network.

For example, the information acquisition device 85 is a navigation device mounted on the vehicle 1. As a result, the ECU 90 can determine whether there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged based on the positional relationship between the current position of the vehicle 1 and the place where the battery 40 is likely to be charged. For example, when the vehicle 1 is approaching a place where the battery 40 is likely to be charged and has entered within a predetermined range (e.g., several kilometers) from that place, the ECU 90 determines that there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged. The place where the battery 40 is likely to be charged is, for example, a place where the past stop time of the vehicle 1, i.e., the past parking time of the vehicle 1, is longer than a predetermined standard. More specifically, the place where the battery 40 is likely to be charged may be the home of the user of the vehicle 1. The past parking time of the vehicle 1 is determined based on the time-series history of the past position information of the vehicle 1. In addition, the place where the battery 40 is likely to be charged is a destination set in the navigation device. In addition, the information acquisition device 85 may be a sensor that acquires measurement information regarding the amount of stored electricity in the battery 40. This allows the ECU 90 to determine whether there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged based on the amount of stored power in the battery 40. For example, if the amount of stored power in the battery 40 is relatively low compared to a predetermined standard, the ECU 90 determines that there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged.

The ECU 90 is a control device that controls the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is equipped with one or more ECUs 90.

The functions of the ECU 90 may be realized by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. For example, the ECU 90 is mainly composed of a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory device, an auxiliary storage device, and an interface device. As a result, the ECU 90 can realize various functions by loading a program installed in the auxiliary storage device into the memory device and executing it with the CPU. The memory device is, for example, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The auxiliary storage device is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory. The interface device includes, for example, an external interface that connects to a recording medium and a communication interface that communicates with the outside. As a result, for example, the ECU 90 can install programs and data required for processing from the recording medium to the auxiliary storage device through the external interface. In addition, the ECU 90 can communicate with various devices of the vehicle 1 (for example, the battery 40, the inverter device 45, etc.) and devices outside the vehicle 1 (for example, the DC power source 200) through the communication interface. In addition, for example, the ECU 90 can use the communication interface to download programs and data required for processing from an external device and install them in the auxiliary storage device.

For example, the ECU 90 controls the inverter device 45. Specifically, when the vehicle 1 is in operation, the ECU 90 controls the inverter device 45 to drive and control the electric motor 10. When the vehicle 1 is stopped, the ECU 90 controls the inverter device 45 to charge the battery 40 with DC power supplied from the DC power source 200.

The ECU 90 also grasps the temperature state of the inverter device 45 based on the output of the information acquisition device 80, and if the temperature of the inverter device 45 is in an overheated state, limits the output of the inverter device 45. This allows the ECU 90 to suppress the progression of deterioration of internal parts and the occurrence of failures due to the overheating state of the inverter device 45, and to provide thermal protection for the inverter device 45.

Furthermore, while the vehicle 1 is in operation, the ECU 90 determines whether there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged based on the output of the information acquisition device 85, and if there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged, limits the output of the inverter device 45. This allows the ECU 90 to reduce the risk that the temperature of the inverter device 45 will be in an overheated state when the vehicle 1 is subsequently stopped (IG-OFF), or that the temperature of the inverter device 45 will transition to an overheated state after the vehicle 1 is subsequently stopped. Therefore, when the battery 40 is charged by power supply from the DC power source 200 after the vehicle 1 is stopped, the ECU 90 can prevent a situation in which the output of the inverter device 45 is limited due to the overheated state of the inverter device 45, and the time required to charge the battery 40 is extended.

<Specific examples of processing>
2 is a flowchart that illustrates a first example of processing of the ECU 90 when the vehicle 1 is in operation. This flowchart is repeatedly executed at predetermined processing intervals when the vehicle 1 is in operation and when no output limiting is being applied to the inverter device 45.

As shown in FIG. 2, in step S102, the ECU 90 acquires the output of the information acquisition device 80 and monitors the water temperature TP1 of the cooling system of the inverter device 45.

When the ECU 90 completes processing of step S102, it proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the ECU 90 determines whether the cooling system water temperature TP1 is equal to or higher than the threshold value TP1_th2. If the cooling system water temperature TP1 is equal to or higher than the threshold value TP1_th2, the ECU 90 determines that the inverter device 45 is in an overheated state that requires thermal protection, and proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if the cooling system water temperature TP1 is not equal to or higher than the threshold value TP1_th2, the ECU 90 determines that the inverter device 45 is not in an overheated state, and proceeds to step S106.

In step S106, the ECU 90 determines whether the water temperature TP1 is equal to or higher than the threshold value TP1_th1 (<TP1_th2). If the water temperature TP1 is equal to or higher than the threshold value TP1_th1, the ECU 90 determines that there is a possibility that the inverter device 45 will transition to an overheated state, and proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, if the water temperature TP1 is not equal to or higher than the threshold value TP1_th1, the ECU 90 determines that there is no possibility that the inverter device 45 will transition to an overheated state, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

In step S108, the ECU 90 determines whether there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged based on the output of the information acquisition device 85. If there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged, the ECU 90 proceeds to step S110; otherwise, the ECU 90 ends the processing of this flowchart.

In step S110, the ECU 90 reduces the maximum output of the inverter device 45 and limits the output. This allows the ECU 90 to suppress a rise in temperature of the inverter device 45.

In this way, the ECU 90 limits the maximum output of the inverter device 45 when the inverter device 45 is in an overheated state. This allows the ECU 90 to provide thermal protection for the inverter device 45.

Furthermore, the ECU 90 limits the output of the inverter device 45 when there is a possibility that the inverter device 45 will transition to an overheated state and there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged. This allows the ECU 90 to prevent a situation in which, when the battery 40 is charged after the vehicle 1 is stopped, the output of the inverter device 45 is limited due to the overheated state of the inverter device 45, resulting in an extension of the time required to quickly charge the battery 40. Therefore, the ECU 90 can prevent a decrease in convenience for the user of the vehicle 1.

[Second example of vehicle]
Next, a second example of the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the following, the same reference numerals will be used for configurations that are the same as or correspond to those in the first example described above, and the following description will focus on the differences from the first example described above.

<Configuration>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second example of the vehicle 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 1 of this example differs from the first example described above in that a charging port 60, a normal charger 65, and an accessory power supply port 70 are provided instead of the charging port 50, and in that an information acquisition device 82 is provided instead of the information acquisition device 80, but may be the same as the first example described above in other respects. In addition, this example differs from the first example described above in that an AC (Alternating Current) power source 300 is provided instead of a DC power source 200 as a configuration for charging the battery 40 of the vehicle 1.

The AC power source 300 is electrically connected to the charging port 60 of the vehicle 1 through the charging cable 310, and supplies AC power of a predetermined voltage (e.g., 200 volts) to the vehicle 1. This allows the user to perform so-called normal charging of the battery 40 using AC power supplied from the AC power source 300. The AC power source 300 is, for example, a power supply system in the home of the user of the vehicle 1 or a facility used by the user, and the charging cable 310 is connected to an outlet that is connected to that power supply system.

The charging port 60 can be connected to a connector at the end of a charging cable 310 extending from an AC power source 300. The charging port 50 is also electrically connected to a normal charger 65 inside the vehicle 1. By connecting the connector at the end of the charging cable 310 to the charging port 60, the AC power source 300 and the normal charger 65 are electrically connected, and it becomes possible to charge the battery 40 by AC power supply from the AC power source 300.

The normal charger 65 is a power conversion device that converts single-phase AC to DC and DC to single-phase AC.

When the vehicle 1 is stopped, the normal charger 65 converts the single-phase AC supplied from the AC power source 300 through the charging cable 310 into DC and outputs it to the battery 40. This allows the normal charger 65 to charge the battery 40 in response to the AC power supply from the AC power source 300.

In addition, when the vehicle 1 is operating, the normal charger 65 converts the output of the battery 40 into single-phase AC and outputs it to a device connected through the accessory power supply port 70. This allows the user to power a device brought into the vehicle 1, for example, by connecting the device to the accessory power supply port 70 through a power supply cable or a connector provided on the device.

The normal charger 65 is cooled by a cooling system (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1. For example, the cooling system has a refrigerant circuit that passes refrigerant through a refrigerant flow path (water jacket) inside the housing of the normal charger 65. The cooling system that cools the electric motor 10, the battery 40, and the inverter device 45 and the cooling system that cools the normal charger 65 may be common or separate.

The information acquisition device 82 acquires information related to the temperature of the normal charger 65. For example, the information acquisition device 82 is a sensor that acquires measurement information on the temperature (water temperature) of the coolant circulating through the refrigerant circuit of the cooling system that cools the normal charger 65. The information acquisition device 82 may also be a sensor that acquires measurement information on the temperature of a circuit board inside the normal charger 65. The output of the information acquisition device 82 is taken into the ECU 90 via a transmission path such as a one-to-one communication line or an in-vehicle network.

The ECU 90 is a control device that controls the vehicle 1, similar to the first example described above.

For example, the ECU 90 controls the normal charger 65. Specifically, when the vehicle 1 is in operation, the ECU 90 controls the normal charger 65 to supply AC power to devices electrically connected to the accessory power supply port 70. When the vehicle 1 is stopped, the ECU 90 controls the normal charger 65 to charge the battery 40 using DC power supplied from the AC power source 300.

The ECU 90 also grasps the temperature state of the normal charger 65 based on the output of the information acquisition device 82, and if the temperature of the normal charger 65 is in an overheated state, limits the output of the normal charger 65. This allows the ECU 90 to suppress the progression of deterioration of internal parts and the occurrence of failures due to the overheating state of the normal charger 65, and to provide thermal protection for the normal charger 65.

Furthermore, while the vehicle 1 is in operation, the ECU 90 determines whether there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged based on the output of the information acquisition device 85, and if there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged, limits the output of the normal charger 65. This allows the ECU 90 to reduce the risk that the temperature of the normal charger 65 will be in an overheated state when the vehicle 1 is subsequently stopped (IG-OFF), or that the temperature of the normal charger 65 will transition to an overheated state after the vehicle 1 is subsequently stopped. Therefore, when the battery 40 is charged by power supply from the AC power source 300 after the vehicle 1 is stopped, the ECU 90 can prevent a situation in which the output of the normal charger 65 is limited due to the overheated state of the normal charger 65, and the time required to charge the battery 40 is extended.

<Specific examples of processing>
4 is a flowchart that illustrates a second example of the processing of the ECU 90 when the vehicle 1 is in operation. This flowchart is repeatedly executed at predetermined processing intervals when the vehicle 1 is in operation and when no output limiting is being applied to the normal charger 65.

As shown in FIG. 4, in step S202, the ECU 90 acquires the output of the information acquisition device 82 and monitors the water temperature TP2 of the cooling system of the normal charger 65.

When the ECU 90 completes processing of step S202, it proceeds to step S204.

In step S204, the ECU 90 determines whether the cooling system water temperature TP2 is equal to or higher than the threshold value TP2_th2. If the cooling system water temperature TP2 is equal to or higher than the threshold value TP2_th2, the ECU 90 determines that the normal charger 65 is in an overheated state that requires thermal protection, and proceeds to step S210. On the other hand, if the cooling system water temperature TP2 is not equal to or higher than the threshold value TP2_th2, the ECU 90 determines that the normal charger 65 is not in an overheated state, and proceeds to step S206.

In step S206, the ECU 90 determines whether the water temperature TP2 is equal to or higher than the threshold value TP2_th1 (<TP2_th2). If the water temperature TP2 is equal to or higher than the threshold value TP2_th1, the ECU 90 determines that there is a possibility that the normal charger 65 will transition to an overheated state, and proceeds to step S208. On the other hand, if the water temperature TP2 is not equal to or higher than the threshold value TP2_th1, the ECU 90 determines that there is no possibility that the normal charger 65 will transition to an overheated state, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

In step S208, the ECU 90 determines whether there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged based on the output of the information acquisition device 85. If there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged, the ECU 90 proceeds to step S210, otherwise, the ECU 90 ends the processing of this flowchart.

In step S210, the ECU 90 reduces the maximum output of the normal charger 65 and limits the output. This allows the ECU 90 to suppress a rise in temperature of the normal charger 65.

In this way, the ECU 90 limits the output of the normal charger 65 when the normal charger 65 is in an overheated state. This allows the ECU 90 to provide thermal protection for the normal charger 65.

Furthermore, the ECU 90 limits the output of the normal charger 65 when there is a possibility that the normal charger 65 will enter an overheated state and there are signs that the battery 40 will be charged. This makes it possible for the ECU 90 to prevent a situation in which, when the battery 40 is charged after the vehicle 1 is stopped, the output of the normal charger 65 is limited due to the overheated state of the normal charger 65, resulting in an extension of the time required for normal charging of the battery 40. Therefore, the ECU 90 can prevent a decrease in convenience for the user of the vehicle 1.

[Specific example of temperature change in power conversion device for charging]
Next, a specific example of temperature change in a power conversion device for charging will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 5 shows an example of how the water temperature in a cooling system changes over time.

In the following description, the inverter device 45 and normal charger 65, the water temperatures TP1 and TP2, the threshold values TP1_th1 and TP2_th1, and the threshold values TP1_th2 and TP2_th2 will be collectively referred to as the "power conversion device for charging", the "water temperature TP", the "threshold value TP_th1", and the "threshold value TP_th2".

As shown in FIG. 5, at time t1 while vehicle 1 is running, water temperature TP of the cooling system of the charging power conversion device exceeds threshold value TP_th1 (YES in step S106 in FIG. 2 or YES in step S206 in FIG. 4). Furthermore, ECU 90 determines that there is a sign that battery 40 will be charged at time t1 (YES in step S108 in FIG. 2 or YES in step S208 in FIG. 4). As a result, output restriction of the charging power conversion device is performed during the period from time t1 while vehicle 1 is running to time t2 when vehicle 1 is stopped (step S110 in FIG. 2 or step S210 in FIG. 4).

This allows the ECU 90 to reduce the temperature of the charging power conversion device between time t1 and time t2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the water temperature of the cooling system of the charging power conversion device is reduced between time t1 and time t2. Therefore, after time t2, when the battery 40 is charged by power supply from the DC power source 200 or the AC power source 300, the ECU 90 can operate the charging power conversion device in a temperature range that is sufficiently lower than the temperature corresponding to the threshold value TP_th2. Therefore, during charging after time t2, the ECU 90 can prevent a situation in which the charging power conversion device is in an overheated state, i.e., exceeds the temperature corresponding to the threshold value TP_th2, and the output is limited, resulting in an extension of the time required to charge the battery 40.

[Other examples of vehicles]
Next, another example of the vehicle 1 will be described.

The first and second examples of vehicle 1 described above may be modified or changed as appropriate.

For example, the first and second examples described above may be combined. Specifically, the vehicle 1 may have a configuration that allows the battery 40 to receive power by both the rapid charging of the first example described above and the normal charging of the second example described above. In this case, the ECU 90 may control the output limitations of the inverter device 45 and the normal charger 65 during operation of the vehicle 1 based on the temperature states of both the inverter device 45 and the normal charger 65 and the presence or absence of signs that the battery 40 will be charged. Specifically, the ECU 90 may execute the processing of both the flowcharts of FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 described above.

In addition, in the first example and its modified example described above, if there is a sign that the battery 40 will be charged while the vehicle 1 is in operation, the output of the inverter device 45 may be limited regardless of the temperature state of the inverter device 45. In this case, the process of step S106 in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is omitted.

Similarly, in the second example and its modified example described above, if there is a possibility that the battery 40 will be charged while the vehicle 1 is in operation, the output of the normal charger 65 may be limited regardless of the temperature state of the normal charger 65. In this case, the process of step S206 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is omitted.

[Action]
Next, the operation of the control device according to this embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, the control device controls a power conversion device having a first function of charging a storage battery mounted on the vehicle using power supplied from a power source external to the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped, and a second function of outputting power to a specified device of the vehicle using the power of the storage battery when the vehicle is in operation. The control device is, for example, the ECU 90 described above. The vehicle is, for example, the vehicle 1 described above. The power source external to the vehicle is, for example, the DC power source 200 or the AC power source 300 described above. The storage battery is, for example, the battery 40 described above. The specified device is, for example, the electric motor 10 described above or a device connected to the accessory power supply port 70. The power conversion device is, for example, the inverter device 45 or the normal charger 65 described above. Then, when the control device determines that there is a sign that the storage battery will be charged based on the state of the vehicle when the vehicle is in operation, it limits the output of the power conversion device in the second function. The state of the vehicle is, for example, the position state of the vehicle 1 described above or the charge state of the battery 40 mounted on the vehicle 1 described above.

As a result, when the vehicle is stopped and there are signs that the storage battery is about to be charged, the control device can limit the output of the power conversion device and suppress a rise in temperature of the power conversion device. Therefore, when charging the storage battery, the control device can suppress a situation in which the output of the power conversion device is limited due to an overheating state of the power conversion device, which extends the time required to charge the storage battery, and as a result, a decrease in user convenience can be suppressed.

Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention as described in the claims.

Reference Signs List 1 Vehicle 10 Motor 11 Armature windings 11u, 11v, 11w Winding 40 Battery 45 Inverter device 45A Smoothing circuit 45B Inverter circuit 50 Charging port 60 Charging port 65 Standard charger 70 Accessory power supply port 80 Information acquisition device 82 Information acquisition device 85 Information acquisition device 90 ECU
200 DC power supply 210 Charging cable 300 AC power supply 310 Charging cable CP Boost chopper TNP Neutral point

Claims (1)

A control device that controls a power conversion device having a first function of charging a storage battery mounted on a vehicle using power supplied from a power source external to the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped, and a second function of outputting power to a predetermined device of the vehicle using power of the storage battery when the vehicle is in operation,
limiting an output of the power conversion device in the second function when it is determined that there is a sign that the storage battery will be charged based on a state of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle.
Control device.

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