Charging control device

Abstract

The present application provides a charge control device that suppresses deterioration of a battery. The charge control device (40) includes an acquisition unit that acquires battery information about a battery (10), a first derivation unit that derives a hypothetical charge time that is assumed as a time required for charging in external charging of the battery (10) based on the battery information, a second derivation unit that derives a time difference between a set charge time that is set as a time for performing external charging of the battery (10) and the hypothetical charge time, and a performing unit that performs external charging of the battery (10) in such a manner that cooling of the battery (10) is performed throughout the time difference and charging of the battery (10) is performed throughout the hypothetical charge time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a charging control device. Background Technology

[0002] Traditionally, batteries have been used as power sources in various devices such as electric vehicles. Rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, are repeatedly charged via external charging. These batteries degrade during use. Therefore, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a technique has been proposed to appropriately control battery charging while taking into account battery degradation.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-252474 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] However, if the battery deteriorates, its maximum capacity, which represents the maximum amount of rechargeable energy, decreases. Therefore, when a battery is deteriorated, compared to a new battery, the time it takes for its remaining capacity to reach its maximum during external charging is shorter. In other words, the battery reaches its maximum capacity earlier. Consequently, the battery's State of Charge (SOC) is maintained at a higher level for a longer period. This easily accelerates battery deterioration. Furthermore, if the battery deteriorates, its resistance increases. Therefore, the battery tends to overheat during external charging. This is also a major reason for the rapid deterioration of the battery. Therefore, it is desirable to suppress battery deterioration.

[0008] Therefore, in view of such issues, the present invention aims to provide a charging control device capable of suppressing battery degradation.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] To solve the above problems, the charging control device of the present invention includes: an acquisition unit that acquires battery information about a battery; a first derivation unit that derives an assumed charging time based on the battery information, the assumed charging time being an assumed time required for charging the battery in external charging; a second derivation unit that derives the time difference between a set charging time and the assumed charging time, the set charging time being a set time for external charging of the battery; and an execution unit that performs external charging of the battery in a manner that cools the battery throughout the entire time difference and charges the battery throughout the entire assumed charging time.

[0011] During external charging, the actuator can cool the battery before charging it.

[0012] The first derivation unit can derive the assumed charging time based on the current maximum capacity of the battery, which is battery information.

[0013] The acquisition unit can obtain the maximum capacity of the battery when the last external charging was performed based on the charging result of the last external charging, and the first derivation unit uses the maximum capacity of the battery when the last external charging was performed as the current maximum capacity of the battery.

[0014] The first derivation unit can derive the assumed charging time based on the remaining capacity of the battery at the external charging start time, which serves as battery information.

[0015] Invention Effects

[0016] According to the present invention, battery degradation can be suppressed. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a simplified structure of a power supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of a charging control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the shift in the remaining capacity of the battery after external charging, as in the case of the comparative example.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the shift in the remaining capacity of a battery after external charging according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the learning process performed by the charging control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the charging process performed by the charging control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Symbol Explanation

[0024] 1 Power System

[0025] 10 batteries

[0026] 11 Power receiving section

[0027] 12 Cooling device

[0028] 13 Battery Sensor

[0029] 20 converters

[0030] 30 motors

[0031] 40 Charging control device

[0032] 41 Acquisition Department

[0033] 42 Control Department

[0034] 42a First Derivation Section

[0035] 42b Second Derivation Section

[0036] 42c Execution Unit

[0037] 43 Storage Department

[0038] ΔT1 sets the charging time.

[0039] ΔT2 is the assumed charging time.

[0040] ΔT3 time difference Detailed Implementation

[0041] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely illustrative for ease of understanding of the invention and do not limit the invention unless specifically stated otherwise. It should be noted that in this specification and the accompanying drawings, elements having substantially the same function and structure are omitted from repeated description by using the same symbols; furthermore, elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from illustration.

[0042] <Structure of Power Supply System>

[0043] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The structure of the power supply system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the simplified structure of power supply system 1. (For example...) Figure 1 As shown, the power system 1 includes a battery 10, an inverter 20, a motor 30, and a charging control device 40.

[0045] The power supply system 1 is installed in electric vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and is used to supply electricity to various devices within the vehicle. The motor 30 is used as the vehicle's drive source. However, the power supply system 1 can also be installed in devices other than vehicles.

[0046] Battery 10 is a rechargeable battery capable of charging and discharging. Battery 10 is connected to motor 30 via converter 20. Battery 10 stores the power supplied to motor 30. Battery 10 is a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery.

[0047] The battery 10 is equipped with a power receiving part 11, a cooling device 12, and a battery sensor 13.

[0048] The power receiving unit 11 is capable of receiving power from an external charger located outside the vehicle equipped with the power system 1. The external charger includes an external power source outside the vehicle and a charging plug connected to that external power source. When the vehicle is parked, the charging plug of the external charger is connected to the power receiving unit 11, and the battery 10 is charged using the external power supplied from the external power source via the power receiving unit 11. This charging of the battery 10 using an external charger is referred to as external charging.

[0049] As described above, the power receiving unit 11, when inserted in a state physically connected to the charging plug, can receive power supplied from an external power source. However, the power receiving unit 11 can also receive power supplied from an external power source non-contactly. For example, magnetic resonance or electromagnetic induction can be used as a non-contact power supply method.

[0050] The cooling device 12 functions to cool the battery 10. The cooling device 12 can also be, for example, water-cooled. As a water-cooled cooling device 12, a device with, for example, piping and a pump is used. The piping is positioned near the individual cells of the battery 10 and supplies cooling water, while the pump delivers cooling water through the piping. In this case, the battery 10 is cooled by heat exchange between the cooling water and the individual cells. Alternatively, the cooling device 12 can also be, for example, air-cooled. As an air-cooled cooling device 12, a device with, for example, a fan that blows air around the individual cells of the battery 10 is used. In this case, the battery 10 is cooled by heat exchange between the air circulating around the individual cells and the individual cells.

[0051] Battery sensor 13 detects the remaining capacity of battery 10 and the battery temperature, which is the temperature of battery 10, and outputs them to charging control device 40. It should be noted that the information output from battery sensor 13 is included in the battery information described later.

[0052] The converter 20 is a power converter capable of converting direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The converter 20 includes, for example, a multiphase bridge circuit. The converter 20 can convert DC power supplied from the battery 10 into AC power for supplying to the motor 30. The converter 20 is equipped with switching elements, and the power supply between the battery 10 and the motor 30 is controlled by controlling the operation of these switching elements.

[0053] Motor 30 is capable of outputting power to drive the drive wheels W of the vehicle. Motor 30 is, for example, a multiphase AC motor (e.g., a three-phase AC motor). Motor 30 generates power using electricity supplied from battery 10 via converter 20. It should be noted that motor 30 may also function as a generator (regenerative function) by using the rotational energy of drive wheels W to generate electricity when the vehicle decelerates. In this case, the AC power generated by motor 30 is converted into DC power by converter 20 and supplied to battery 10.

[0054] The charging control device 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as an arithmetic processing device, a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a storage element that stores programs and / or arithmetic parameters used by the CPU, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a storage element that temporarily stores parameters that change appropriately during the execution of the CPU.

[0055] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of the charging control device 40. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the charging control device 40 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 41, a control unit 42, and a storage unit 43.

[0056] The acquisition unit 41 acquires various information used in the processing performed by the control unit 42. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 41 outputs the acquired information to the control unit 42 and the storage unit 43. For example, the acquisition unit 41 acquires information from the battery sensor 13. It should be noted that information acquisition also includes information generation. That is, the acquisition unit 41 can also generate secondary information using the information acquired from the battery sensor 13.

[0057] Specifically, the acquisition unit 41 acquires battery information as information about the battery 10. In addition to the remaining capacity and battery temperature of the battery 10 detected by the battery sensor 13, the battery information also includes information about external charging of the battery 10 using an external charger. It should be noted that details of the battery information will be described later.

[0058] The control unit 42 performs various processes related to the external charging of the battery 10. The control unit 42 includes a first output unit 42a, a second output unit 42b, and an execution unit 42c.

[0059] The first derivation unit 42a derives the assumed charging time of the battery 10 based on battery information. The assumed charging time is the time required for charging the battery 10 via external charging.

[0060] The second output section 42b outputs the time difference between the set charging time and the assumed charging time of the battery 10. The set charging time is the time set for external charging of the battery 10. Specifically, when the battery 10 is new, the set charging time is set to the time required to fully charge the battery 10 (i.e., to the point where the remaining capacity is at its maximum) without considering the remaining capacity of the battery 10.

[0061] The actuator 42c performs external charging of the battery 10. Specifically, during external charging, the actuator 42c supplies external power from an external charger to the battery 10 by controlling the operation of the power receiving part 11 of the battery 10, thereby enabling the charging of the battery 10. In addition, during external charging, the actuator 42c can cool the battery 10 by controlling the operation of the cooling device 12 of the battery 10.

[0062] The storage unit 43 stores information used by the control unit 42 for various processes. In particular, the storage unit 43 stores various battery information as such information.

[0063] As described above, the charging control device 40 communicates with each device within the power system 1. Communication between the charging control device 40 and each device is achieved using, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network) communication.

[0064] It should be noted that the functions of the charging control device 40 in this embodiment can be shared by multiple control devices, or multiple functions can be implemented by a single control device. When the functions of the charging control device 40 are shared by multiple control devices, these multiple control devices can also be connected to each other via a communication bus such as CAN.

[0065] As described above, in this embodiment, the execution unit 42c of the charging control device 40 performs external charging of the battery 10. Here, the execution unit 42c performs external charging of the battery 10 based on the assumed charging time derived by the first derivation unit 42a and the time difference derived by the second derivation unit 42b. This suppresses the degradation of the battery 10. Details regarding the processing performed by the charging control device 40 will be described later.

[0066] <Operation of the charging control device>

[0067] Reference Figures 3-6 The operation of the charging control device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

[0068] In this embodiment, the execution unit 42c performs external charging of the battery 10 in a manner that cools the battery 10 throughout the entire time difference and charges the battery 10 throughout the assumed charging time. Hereinafter, referring to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The differences between the external charging in the comparative example and the external charging in this embodiment will be briefly explained. It should be noted that in... Figure 3 and Figure 4 For ease of understanding, an example is shown showing the progression of remaining capacity when external charging begins from a state where the remaining capacity has decreased to 0 Ah. However, in reality, the remaining capacity at the start of external charging can also be any value other than 0 Ah.

[0069] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the shift in the remaining capacity of battery 10 after external charging, as in the comparative example. Figure 3 In the diagram, the vertical axis represents the remaining capacity [Ah], and the horizontal axis represents time [s]. Figure 3 The dashed line in the figure represents the shift in remaining capacity when battery 10 is brand new. Figure 3 The solid line in the figure represents the shift in remaining capacity under the condition of battery 10 degradation.

[0070] In the comparative example, charging of battery 10 continues during external charging. Figure 3 In the example shown, charging of battery 10 begins at the start time T0 of external charging, with the remaining capacity at 0 Ah. Then, at the end time T1 of external charging, which is the point at which a set charging time ΔT1 has elapsed since the start time T0, external charging ends, and charging of battery 10 ends. Figure 3 As shown by the dashed line, the maximum capacity of battery 10 when it is new is called capacity C1. When battery 10 is new, if external charging starts when the remaining capacity is 0Ah, battery 10 will be fully charged at the end time T1 of the external charging.

[0071] Here, if battery 10 deteriorates, the maximum capacity of battery 10 will decrease. Therefore, as in Figure 3 As shown by the solid line, the maximum capacity of battery 10 under deterioration becomes capacity C2, which is smaller than capacity C1. Therefore, if external charging begins when battery 10 is deteriorated and the remaining capacity is 0 Ah, battery 10 will be fully charged at time point T2, before the end time point T1 of the external charging. Therefore, during the period from time point T2 to time point T1, the state of charge (SOC) of battery 10 is maintained at approximately 100%.

[0072] As described above, in the comparative example, due to the degradation of battery 10, the time during external charging of battery 10 is maintained at a higher state of charge (SOC) is prolonged. This easily promotes the degradation of battery 10. Furthermore, if battery 10 degrades, its resistance increases. Consequently, battery 10 is prone to overheating during external charging. This is also a major reason why battery 10 is easily degraded.

[0073] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the shift in the remaining capacity of the battery 10 after external charging in this embodiment. Figure 4 In, with Figure 3 Similarly, the vertical axis represents the remaining capacity [Ah], and the horizontal axis represents time [s]. Figure 4 The dashed line in the figure represents the shift in remaining capacity under the condition of battery 10 degradation in comparative example (i.e., in Figure 3 (The shift is indicated by the solid line in the middle). Figure 4 The solid line in the figure represents the shift in remaining capacity under the condition of battery 10 degradation in this embodiment. Therefore, in Figure 4 In the example shown by the solid line, the maximum capacity of battery 10 is called capacity C2.

[0074] In this embodiment, the first output unit 42a outputs an assumed charging time ΔT2, which is an assumed time as the time required for charging the battery 10 during external charging. The assumed charging time ΔT2 corresponds to the time required for charging the battery 10 during external charging. Figure 4 The time between time point T0 and time point T2 in the comparative example shown by the dashed line. The second derivation unit 42b derives the time difference ΔT3 between the set charging time ΔT1 and the assumed charging time ΔT2. The execution unit 42c starts cooling of the battery 10 at the start time T0 of external charging. Then, at time point T3, after the time difference ΔT3 has elapsed from the start time T0, the cooling of the battery 10 ends, and charging of the battery 10 begins. Thus, as in Figure 4 As shown by the solid line, at time point T3, the remaining capacity of battery 10 begins to increase. Then, after a assumed charging time ΔT2 has elapsed from time point T3, at time point T1, external charging ends, and charging of battery 10 ends. Therefore, as in... Figure 4 As shown by the solid line, battery 10 is fully charged at the end of external charging at time T1.

[0075] As described above, in this embodiment, the battery 10 is cooled throughout the entire time difference ΔT3, and the battery 10 is charged throughout the entire assumed charging time ΔT2. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the time during which the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 10 is maintained at a high level during external charging from becoming longer due to battery degradation, while simultaneously enabling the battery 10 to be fully charged within the set charging time ΔT1. Furthermore, in the event of battery degradation, since the battery 10 is cooled during external charging, heat generation of the battery 10 can be suppressed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, battery degradation can be suppressed.

[0076] It should be noted that the above description illustrates an example of cooling the battery 10 before charging it during external charging. However, the timing of cooling the battery 10 during external charging is not limited to the above example. For example, the actuator 42c may also perform cooling of the battery 10 after charging it. Alternatively, the actuator 42c may perform charging of the battery 10 twice, once before cooling it and once after. During external charging, it is sufficient to make the sum of the cooling times of the battery 10 equal to a time difference, and the sum of the charging times of the battery 10 equal to an assumed charging time. However, from the viewpoint of effectively suppressing heat generation during charging, it is preferable to cool the battery 10 before charging it to lower its temperature.

[0077] The following is for reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 An example of external charging processing performed by the charging control device 40 of this embodiment will be described. The charging control device 40 performs external charging processing by... Figure 5 Example learning processing and by Figure 6 Example of charging process. External charging of battery 10 is mainly achieved through charging process. Learning process is a process used to pre-learn a portion of the battery information used in the charging process. The following is in reference... Figure 5 After explaining the learning process, refer to Figure 6 The charging process is explained.

[0078] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the learning process performed by the charging control device 40. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The control flow shown, for example, starts repeatedly at predetermined time intervals after it ends.

[0079] if Figure 5The control flow shown begins by first determining, in step S101, whether the power system 1 is turned on. Specifically, the charging control device 40 determines whether the power system 1 has switched from off to on. For example, if the charging control device 40 receives a signal indicating that the ignition is on from the vehicle's ignition switch, it determines that the power system 1 is turned on.

[0080] In step S101, if it is determined that power system 1 is turned on (step S101 / Yes), the process proceeds to step S102. Conversely, if in step S101 it is not determined that power system 1 is turned on (step S101 / No), Figure 5 The control flow shown has ended.

[0081] If the determination is yes in step S101, in step S102, the charging control device 40 determines whether the battery temperature at the start time of the previous external charging is above a threshold. The threshold is set to a temperature so low that cooling of the battery 10 is deemed unnecessary (e.g., 25°C).

[0082] In step S102, if it is determined that the battery temperature at the start time of the previous external charge was above a threshold (step S102 / Yes), the process proceeds to step S103 to overwrite and save battery information regarding the previous (i.e., the most recent) external charge. Conversely, if it is determined in step S102 that the battery temperature at the start time of the previous external charge was below a threshold (step S102 / No), Figure 5 The control flow shown has ended.

[0083] As will be described later, in the context of Figure 6 In the example charging process, external charging is performed to cool the battery 10 if the battery temperature is above a threshold. That is, if the battery temperature at the start time of the previous external charging was above the threshold, it can be determined that cooling of the battery 10 occurred during the previous external charging. Therefore, Figure 5 The processing in step S103 (i.e., overwriting and saving battery information from the previous external charge) is performed when the battery 10 was cooled during the previous external charge. This ensures that the battery information used during the next external charge when the battery 10 is cooled is up-to-date.

[0084] If the determination is yes in step S102, in step S103, the storage unit 43 performs overwrite storage of battery information regarding the last (i.e., the most recent) external charge. Figure 5 The control flow shown has ended.

[0085] The storage unit 43 has a specific storage area for registering, for example, battery information, and temporarily stores various battery information about the last external charge in an area different from the specific storage area. In step S103, the storage unit 43 overwrites the various battery information about the last external charge stored in the specific storage area. Thus, the battery information about the last external charge is learned.

[0086] The battery information about the previous external charge, which was overwritten and saved in step S103, is acquired by the acquisition unit 41. The acquisition unit 41 acquires the battery information about the previous external charge based on, for example, the charging result of the previous external charge. The battery information about the previous external charge includes, for example, information indicating the type of external charger used in the previous external charge, information indicating the maximum capacity of the battery 10 when the previous external charge was performed, information indicating the total amount of charge applied to the battery 10 in the previous external charge, and information indicating the actual charging time of the previous external charge, etc.

[0087] The actual charging time is the actual time spent charging battery 10; in other words, it is the time from the start of charging to the point when battery 10 is fully charged. The amount of charge can be obtained based on, for example, the current value set for the external charger used, and the actual charging time. The maximum capacity of battery 10 can be obtained based on, for example, the remaining capacity at the start of the last external charging, and the amount of charge. Additionally, in step S103, the storage unit 43 also stores information indicating the processing date on which battery information was overwritten and saved.

[0088] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the charging process performed by the charging control device 40. It should be noted that... Figure 6 The control flow shown, for example, starts repeatedly at predetermined time intervals after it ends.

[0089] if Figure 6 The control flow shown begins by first determining, in step S201, whether the battery 10 is in an inserted state. As described above, the inserted state is a state in which the power receiving part 11 of the battery 10 is physically connected to the charging plug of an external charger and is able to receive power.

[0090] In step S201, if it is determined that the battery 10 is in the inserted state (step S201 / Yes), the process proceeds to step S202. Conversely, if it is determined in step S201 that the battery 10 is not in the inserted state (step S201 / No), Figure 6 The control process has ended.

[0091] If the determination in step S201 is yes, in step S202, the charging control device 40 determines whether the user has set the charging end SOC. The charging end SOC is the SOC that becomes the target SOC for ending the charging of the battery 10 during external charging. If the user has set the charging end SOC, the user wants the charging to end at the point when the SOC of the battery 10 reaches the charging end SOC during external charging. It should be noted that if the user has not set the charging end SOC, the charging control device 40 uses 100% as the charging end SOC.

[0092] In step S202, if it is determined that the state of charge (SOC) has been set (step S202 / Yes), the process proceeds to step S209, which will be described later, and charging of the battery 10 is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S202 that the state of charge (SOC) has not been set (step S202 / No), the process proceeds to step S203.

[0093] If the determination in step S202 is negative, in step S203, the acquisition unit 41 acquires the current battery information. The current battery information includes, for example, information indicating the type of external charger used in this external charging, information indicating the current remaining capacity of the battery 10, and information indicating the current battery temperature of the battery 10.

[0094] The remaining capacity of the current battery 10 can be obtained, for example, by performing a short-term charge. Additionally, the acquisition unit 41 can also acquire information indicating the set current value for the external charger based on information indicating the type of external charger used in this external charge. Furthermore, in step S203, the acquisition unit 41 also acquires information indicating the current month and date.

[0095] In the next step after step S203, in step S204, the charging control device 40 determines whether the battery temperature of the battery 10 is above a threshold. As described above, the threshold is set to a temperature so low that cooling of the battery 10 is deemed unnecessary (e.g., 25°C). Therefore, when the battery temperature is below the threshold, the necessity for cooling the battery 10 is low. Therefore, in Figure 6 In the control flow shown, when the battery temperature is below a threshold, as described later, cooling of battery 10 is omitted, thus suppressing unnecessary power consumption.

[0096] In step S204, if it is determined that the battery temperature is above the threshold (step S204 / Yes), the process proceeds to step S205. On the other hand, if it is determined that the battery temperature is below the threshold in step S204 (step S204 / No), the process proceeds to step S209, which will be described later, and charging of the battery 10 is performed.

[0097] If the determination is yes in step S204, in step S205, the charging control device 40 determines whether a predetermined period has elapsed since the last processing date when the battery information was overwritten and saved. The aforementioned processing date refers to the date of the last... Figure 5 The processing date in step S103. The predetermined period is set to be long enough for the most recent battery information to be judged as particularly old information.

[0098] In step S205, if it is determined that a predetermined period has elapsed since the last processing date when the battery information was overwritten (step S205 / Yes), the process proceeds to step S209, which will be described later, and charging of the battery 10 is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S205 that a predetermined period has not elapsed since the last processing date when the battery information was overwritten (step S205 / No), the process proceeds to step S206.

[0099] If the determination in step S205 is negative, in step S206, the first derivation unit 42a derives the assumed charging time. Here, the first derivation unit 42a derives the assumed charging time based on battery information. The battery information used in the assumed charging time derivation process in step S206 includes, for example,... Figure 5 The battery information obtained in step S103, and in Figure 6 The battery information obtained in step S203.

[0100] For example, the first derivation unit 42a first calculates the assumed charge amount as the assumed charge amount of the battery 10 in this external charging. Here, when performing step S206, since it was determined not to be true in step S202, the state of charge (SOC) at the end of charging is set to 100%. Therefore, the target capacity of the battery 10 at the end of charging becomes the maximum capacity of the battery 10. Therefore, the first derivation unit 42a can calculate the value obtained by subtracting the current remaining capacity of the battery 10 (i.e., the remaining capacity of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging) from the current maximum capacity of the battery 10 as the assumed charge amount. The first derivation unit 42a can use the value obtained by subtracting the current remaining capacity of the battery 10 (i.e., the remaining capacity of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging) as the assumed charge amount. Figure 5 The maximum capacity of battery 10 obtained from the learning process during the last external charging is used as the current maximum capacity of battery 10.

[0101] Furthermore, the first output section 42a passes through Figure 5 The actual charging time of the previous external charging, obtained through learning and processing, is multiplied by the assumed charging amount relative to the time of the previous external charging. Figure 5The ratio of the charge amount in the previous external charge, obtained through learning processing, is used to derive the value obtained through this calculation as the assumed charging time. However, the process of deriving the assumed charging time from the assumed charge amount is not limited to the example described above. For example, the first derivation unit 42a may also divide the assumed charge amount by a set current value to derive the value obtained through this calculation as the assumed charging time.

[0102] As described above, the first derivation unit 42a can derive a hypothetical charging time based on the current maximum capacity of the battery 10, which is battery information. Therefore, the hypothetical charging time can be appropriately derived according to the degree of degradation of the battery 10. The smaller the current maximum capacity of the battery 10, the shorter the time derived by the first derivation unit 42a as the hypothetical charging time.

[0103] Furthermore, as described above, the first derivation unit 42a can derive a hypothetical charging time based on the remaining capacity of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging, which serves as battery information. Therefore, the hypothetical charging time can be appropriately derived based on the state of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging. The smaller the remaining capacity of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging, the longer the hypothetical charging time derived by the first derivation unit 42a.

[0104] It should be noted that, from the viewpoint of more appropriately deriving the assumed charging time, as in the example above, it is preferable that the first derivation unit 42a derives the assumed charging time based on both the current maximum capacity of the battery 10 and the remaining capacity of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging. However, the first derivation unit 42a may also derive the assumed charging time without using either the current maximum capacity of the battery 10 or the remaining capacity of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging.

[0105] In the next step after step S206, in step S207, the second derivation unit 42b derives the time difference between the set charging time and the assumed charging time. Specifically, the second derivation unit 42b subtracts the assumed charging time from the set charging time and derives the value obtained through this calculation as the time difference. The set charging time is set for the external charger used in this external charging. Therefore, the second derivation unit 42b can determine the set charging time based on the type of external charger used in this external charging.

[0106] In the next step after step S207, in step S208, the execution unit 42c performs cooling of the battery 10 throughout the entire time difference derived in step S207. Specifically, the execution unit 42c drives the cooling device 12 of the battery 10 throughout the entire time difference derived in step S207. It should be noted that if the charging time is longer than the set charging time and the time difference derived in step S207 is a negative value, the cooling process of the battery 10 in step S208 is omitted.

[0107] In the next step after step S208, in step S209, the execution unit 42c performs charging of the battery 10. Figure 6 The control flow shown ends. Specifically, after processing steps S206 and S207, in step S209, the execution unit 42c performs charging of the battery 10 within the entire assumed charging time derived in step S206.

[0108] Here, if the determination is yes in step S202, steps S206 and S207 are not performed. In this case, in step S209, the execution unit 42c continues to charge the battery 10 until, for example, the remaining capacity of the battery 10 reaches the state of charge (SOC). Conversely, if the determination is no in step S204, or if the determination is yes in step S205, steps S206 and S207 are not performed. In these cases, in step S209, the execution unit 42c performs charging of the battery 10 for the entire set charging time, for example.

[0109] Above, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The processing performed by the charging control device 40 has been described as an example. However, the processing performed by the charging control device 40 is not limited to the examples described above. For example, in Figure 5 In the control flow, when power system 1 is turned on, step S103 is performed. However, Figure 5 The processing in step S103 can also be performed during external charging (e.g., when external charging ends). It should be noted that in this case, Figure 5 The processing of step S103 is limited to the case where the battery 10 has been cooled during external charging.

[0110] <Effects of the charging control device>

[0111] Next, the effects of the charging control device 40 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

[0112] In the charging control device 40 of this embodiment, the first output unit 42a outputs an assumed charging time based on battery information. This assumed charging time is a time assumed as the time required for charging the battery 10 during external charging. The second output unit 42b outputs the time difference between the set charging time and the assumed charging time. This set charging time is a time set as the time for external charging of the battery 10. The execution unit 42c performs external charging of the battery 10 in a manner that cools the battery 10 throughout the entire time difference and charges the battery 10 throughout the assumed charging time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the time during external charging from maintaining a high SOC of the battery 10 from becoming longer due to battery degradation, and it is possible to suppress heat generation in the battery 10. Thus, battery degradation can be suppressed.

[0113] Furthermore, in the charging control device 40 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the execution unit 42c performs cooling of the battery 10 before charging the battery 10 during external charging. This allows the battery 10 to be cooled before charging, thereby lowering its temperature and effectively suppressing heat generation during charging. Consequently, battery degradation can be more effectively suppressed.

[0114] Furthermore, in the charging control device 40 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the first output unit 42a outputs the assumed charging time based on the current maximum capacity of the battery 10, which is battery information. Therefore, the assumed charging time can be appropriately output according to the degree of degradation of the battery 10.

[0115] Furthermore, in the charging control device 40 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the first output unit 42a uses the maximum capacity of the battery 10 at the time of the last external charging as the current maximum capacity of the battery 10. This allows for the appropriate determination of the current maximum capacity of the battery 10, and thus enables a more appropriate derivation of the assumed charging time based on such maximum capacity.

[0116] Furthermore, in the charging control device 40 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the first derivation unit 42a derives the assumed charging time based on the remaining capacity of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging, which serves as battery information. This allows the assumed charging time to be appropriately derived based on the state of the battery 10 at the start time of external charging.

[0117] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims are naturally also within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0118] For example, the processes illustrated using flowcharts in this specification do not necessarily have to be executed in the order shown in the flowcharts. Some processing steps can also be executed in parallel. In addition, additional processing steps can be used, or some processing steps can be omitted.

Claims

1. A charging control device, characterized in that, have: The acquisition department acquires battery information about the battery. The first output section derives an assumed charging time based on the battery information. This assumed charging time is a time assumed as the time required to charge the battery in an external charging environment. The second output unit outputs the time difference between the set charging time and the assumed charging time, the set charging time being a time set for the external charging of the battery. as well as An execution unit performs the external charging of the battery in a manner that cools the battery throughout the entire time difference and charges the battery throughout the entire assumed charging time.

2. The charging control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the external charging process, the actuator performs cooling of the battery before charging it.

3. The charging control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first derivation unit derives the assumed charging time based on the current maximum capacity of the battery, which is the battery information.

4. The charging control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first derivation unit derives the assumed charging time based on the current maximum capacity of the battery, which is the battery information.

5. The charging control device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The acquisition unit obtains the maximum capacity of the battery at the time of the previous external charging based on the charging result of the previous external charging. The first output unit uses the maximum capacity of the battery during the last external charging as the current maximum capacity of the battery.

6. The charging control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The acquisition unit obtains the maximum capacity of the battery at the time of the previous external charging based on the charging result of the previous external charging. The first output unit uses the maximum capacity of the battery during the last external charging as the current maximum capacity of the battery.

7. The charging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first derivation unit derives the assumed charging time based on the remaining capacity of the battery at the external charging start time, which is the battery information.

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