Vehicle and method for charging the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle and a method for charging the vehicle. The vehicle includes: an electrical component electrically connected to a transmission path for supplying electric power; a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the electrical component; and a control device configured to suppress the supply of electric power when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is above a threshold temperature, compared to when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is below the threshold temperature. The control device is configured to lower the threshold temperature compared to before the external charging is stopped when external charging is resumed after the external charging is stopped.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle and a charging method for the vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles equipped with batteries are becoming more and more popular. In response, various methods related to "external charging" for charging a vehicle-mounted battery using power supplied from a charging device have been proposed. The vehicle disclosed in International Publication No. 2012 / 144060 is configured to strictly limit the power for charging and discharging the battery in accordance with the increase in battery temperature when the battery temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature. The control device controls the charger to charge at a charging rate determined based on the temperature difference between the predetermined temperature and the battery temperature. Summary of the invention

[0003] Electrical components such as relays and inlets are electrically connected to the transmission path of the power supplied from the charging device. During external charging, the temperature of the electrical components may rise due to Joule heat. Therefore, it is required to protect the electrical components from failures caused by overheating.

[0004] If external charging is stopped, the temperature of the electrical components decreases. Sometimes, after external charging is stopped, external charging is performed again (or restarted) not long after. In this case, even if the temperature of the electrical components has not yet sufficiently decreased, the temperature of the electrical components begins to rise again. In this way, the electrical components may not be properly protected.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a vehicle and a method for charging the vehicle, which appropriately protect electrical components from the temperature rise associated with external charging.

[0006] The vehicle of the first technical solution of the present disclosure is configured to be able to perform external charging, in which the on-board power storage device is charged using the power supplied from the charging device. The vehicle includes: an electrical component electrically connected to a transmission path for supplying power; a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the electrical component; and a control device configured to suppress the supply of power when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is above a threshold temperature, compared to a case where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is below the threshold temperature. The control device is configured to lower the threshold temperature compared to before the external charging is stopped when external charging is performed again after the external charging is stopped.

[0007] In the first technical solution of the present disclosure, when external charging is performed again after the external charging is stopped, the control device lowers the threshold temperature compared to before the external charging is stopped. As a result, compared with the case where the threshold temperature is not set low (for example, the case where the threshold temperature is constant), the time until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches the threshold temperature is shortened, thereby suppressing the power supplied from the charging device in advance. As a result, the temperature rise of the electrical components is suppressed. Therefore, according to the first technical solution of the present disclosure, the electrical components can be properly protected from the influence of the temperature rise accompanying the external charging.

[0008] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, the control device may be configured to increase the threshold temperature after lowering the threshold temperature until the threshold temperature reaches a value before external charging is stopped.

[0009] According to the first technical solution of the present disclosure, the control device increases the threshold temperature until it reaches the value before external charging is stopped (i.e., returns to the original value). Thus, when sufficient time has passed after external charging is restarted, the electrical components can be properly protected in the same manner as before external charging is stopped.

[0010] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, the control device may be configured to increase the threshold temperature as time passes after the supplied power falls below a predetermined value.

[0011] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, the control device may be configured to increase the threshold temperature as time passes after external charging is stopped.

[0012] According to the first technical solution of the present disclosure, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches the threshold temperature too early, the power supply from the charging device is unnecessarily suppressed, and the time required for external charging may be prolonged. In contrast, in the first technical solution of the present disclosure, the control device gradually increases the threshold temperature over time from the time when the power supply is lower than a predetermined value (directly, from the time when external charging stops). As a result, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is suppressed from reaching the threshold temperature too early. As a result, it is possible to prevent external charging from being prolonged.

[0013] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, the greater the temperature difference between the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the temperature of a portion of the electrical component not detected by the temperature sensor, the greater the amount of decrease in the threshold temperature when external charging is stopped.

[0014] According to the first technical solution of the present disclosure, the greater the temperature difference between the temperature of the portion detected by the temperature sensor and the temperature of the portion of the electrical component not detected by the temperature sensor (in other words, the temperature non-uniformity), the greater the threshold temperature is lowered. As a result, even for the portion not detected by the temperature sensor, it is possible to more reliably protect it from the influence of the temperature rise accompanying external charging.

[0015] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, the electrical component may include a charging relay configured to cut off the supply of electric power in response to a command from the control device.

[0016] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, the electrical component may include an inlet connected to a charging cable extending from a charging device.

[0017] The second technical solution of the present disclosure is a method for charging a vehicle. The vehicle is configured to perform external charging of a vehicle-mounted battery using power supplied from a charging device, and includes a control device. The charging method includes: as a detection step, using a control device to detect the temperature of an electrical component electrically connected to a transmission path for supplying power in the vehicle; when the temperature detected in the detection step exceeds a threshold temperature, using a control device to suppress the supply of power compared to a case where the temperature detected in the detection step is less than the threshold temperature; and when external charging is performed again after external charging is stopped, using a control device to lower the threshold temperature compared to before external charging is stopped.

[0018] According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, similarly to the first aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately protect the electric components from the temperature rise associated with external charging.

[0019] According to the technical aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately protect electric components from the temperature increase associated with external charging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like elements, and in which:

[0021] Figure 1 It is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a vehicle and a charging facility.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of charge suppression control using a threshold temperature.

[0024] Figure 4 : is a timing chart showing an example of temperature change of the charging relay.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a timing chart for explaining the charge suppression control in the comparative example.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a timing chart for explaining the charge suppression control in this embodiment.

[0027] Fig. 7A is a diagram of the mapping used when setting the temperature threshold.

[0028] Figure 7B is a diagram of the mapping used when setting the temperature threshold.

[0029] Figure 7C is a diagram of the mapping used when setting the temperature threshold.

[0030] Figure 8 1 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the charge suppression control in the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated.

[0032] Implementation

[0033] The overall structure of the charging system

[0034] Figure 1 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The charging system 100 includes a vehicle 1, a charging device 5, and a charging cable 6. Figure 1 2 shows a situation during external charging (so-called plug-in charging) in which electric power is supplied from charging equipment 5 to vehicle 1 via charging cable 6 .

[0035] The vehicle 1 is, for example, an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle). However, the vehicle 1 may be any vehicle as long as it is configured to be externally chargeable, and may be, for example, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle).

[0036] The charging equipment 5 is, for example, a charger installed at a public charging station (also referred to as a charging station or a charging point).

[0037] Figure 21 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the vehicle 1 and the charging device 5. The charging device 5 is a DC (Direct Current) charger (so-called fast charger) corresponding to a charging method that supplies large power (high voltage and large current). The charging device 5 converts the AC power supplied from the system power supply 7 into DC power for charging the battery 2 mounted on the vehicle 1. The charging device 5 includes a power line ACL, an AC / DC converter 51, a voltage sensor 52, power supply lines PL0 and NL0, and a control circuit 50.

[0038] The power line ACL is electrically connected to the system power supply 7 . The power line ACL transmits the AC power from the system power supply 7 to the AC / DC converter 51 .

[0039] AC / DC converter 51 converts AC power on power line ACL into DC power for charging battery 2 mounted on vehicle 1. Power conversion by AC / DC converter 51 may be performed by a combination of AC / DC conversion for improving power factor and DC / DC conversion for adjusting voltage level. The DC power output from AC / DC converter 51 is supplied by positive power supply line PL0 and negative power supply line NL0.

[0040] Voltage sensor 52 is electrically connected between power supply line PL0 and power supply line NL0 , and detects the voltage between power supply line PL0 and power supply line NL0 , and outputs the detection result to control circuit 50 .

[0041] The control circuit 50 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output port (none of which are shown in the figure). The control circuit 50 controls the power conversion operation performed by the AC / DC converter 51 based on the voltage detected by the voltage sensor 52, the signal from the vehicle 1, and the mapping and program stored in the memory.

[0042] The vehicle 1 includes an inlet 11, charging lines PL1 and NL1, a voltage sensor 121, a current sensor 122, charging relays 131 and 132, a temperature sensor 14, system main relays (SMR) 151 and 152, power lines PL2 and NL2, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 16, a motor generator 17, a power transmission gear 18, a drive wheel 19, a battery 2, a voltage sensor 21, a current sensor 22, a temperature sensor 23, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 3.

[0043] The inlet 11 is configured to be able to be inserted into the charging connector 61 of the charging cable 6 with mechanical connection such as fitting. With the insertion of the charging connector 61, the electrical connection between the power supply line PL0 and the contact on the positive side of the inlet 11 is maintained, and the electrical connection between the power supply line NL0 and the contact on the negative side of the inlet 11 is maintained. In addition, by connecting the inlet 11 and the charging connector 61 using the charging cable 6, the ECU 3 of the vehicle 1 and the control circuit 50 of the charging device 5 can mutually transmit and receive various signals (commands, requests, messages, data, etc.) through communication in accordance with a communication standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0044] Voltage sensor 12 is electrically connected between charging line PL1 and charging line NL1 at a position closer to inlet 11 than charging relays 131 and 132. Voltage sensor 12 detects a DC voltage between charging line PL1 and charging line NL1 and outputs the detection result to ECU 3.

[0045] Charging relay 131 is connected to charging line PL1, and charging relay 132 is connected to charging line NL1. Charging relays 131 and 132 are controlled to be closed / opened according to a command from ECU 3. When charging relays 131 and 132 are closed and SMRs 151 and 152 are closed, power can be transmitted between inlet 11 and battery 2.

[0046] The temperature sensor 14 is, for example, a thermistor. The temperature sensor 14 detects the temperature of the charging relays 131 and 132 (more specifically, the temperature of the relay terminals), and outputs the detection result to the ECU 3. The ECU 3 monitors the temperature of the charging relays 131 and 132 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 14. Hereinafter, the temperature monitored by the ECU 3 using the temperature sensor 14 will be described as the "monitoring temperature Tm". It should be noted that the temperature sensor 14 is an example of a "temperature sensor" in the present disclosure. The monitoring temperature Tm is an example of the "temperature of an electrical component" in the present disclosure.

[0047] Battery 2 is a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells 20. Each battery cell 20 is a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. Battery 2 supplies electric power for generating driving force for vehicle 1. In addition, battery 2 stores electric power generated by electric generator 17. The positive electrode of battery 2 is electrically connected to node ND1 via SMR151. Node ND1 is electrically connected to charging line PL1 and power line PL2. Similarly, the negative electrode of battery 2 is electrically connected to node ND2 via SMR152. Node ND2 is electrically connected to charging line NL1 and power line NL2. Closing / opening of SMR151 and 152 is controlled according to instructions from ECU3.

[0048] The voltage sensor 21 detects the voltage VB of the battery 2. The current sensor 22 detects the current IB input to and output from the battery 2. The temperature sensor 23 detects the temperature TB of the battery 2. Each sensor outputs its detection result to the ECU 3. The ECU 3 can estimate the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery 2 based on the detection results of the voltage sensor 21 and / or the current sensor 22.

[0049] PCU 16 is electrically connected between power lines PL2 and NL2 and motor generator 17. PCU 16 includes a converter and an inverter (neither of which are shown), and drives motor generator 17 in accordance with a command from ECU 3.

[0050] The motor generator 17 is an AC rotating electric machine, for example, a permanent magnet type synchronous motor having a rotor in which a permanent magnet is embedded. The output torque of the motor generator 17 is transmitted to the drive wheel 19 via the power transmission gear 18, so that the vehicle 1 travels. In addition, the motor generator 17 can generate electricity using the rotational force of the drive wheel 19 when the vehicle 1 is braked. The generated power obtained by the motor generator 17 is converted by the PCU 16 into charging power for the battery 2.

[0051] The ECU 3 includes a processor 31 such as a CPU, a memory 32 such as a ROM and a RAM, and an input / output port 33, similarly to the control circuit 50. The ECU 3 controls the devices according to the signals from the sensors, etc., so that the vehicle 1 is in a desired state. It should be noted that the ECU 3 may also be configured to be divided into a plurality of ECUs (e.g., a charging ECU, a battery ECU, an MG-ECU, etc.) for each function.

[0052] Charge Inhibition Control

[0053] During the process of rapidly charging the battery 2 using the power supplied by the self-charging device 5, the temperature of the electrical components electrically connected to the power transmission path for supplying power may rise due to Joule heat. More specifically, the temperature of the connection port 11, the charging relays 131, 132, etc. may rise excessively. To protect the above electrical components, the ECU 3 is configured to be able to execute "charging suppression control". In the charging suppression control, compared with the normal time (when the charging suppression control is not executed), the power supplied from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 is suppressed (restricted to a smaller extent). In the charging suppression control, as described below, threshold temperatures are set for the temperatures (monitored temperatures Tm) of the charging relays 131, 132.

[0054] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the charging suppression control using the threshold temperature. The horizontal axis represents the temperature (monitored temperature) Tm of the charging relays 131, 132 monitored by the temperature sensor 14. The vertical axis represents the charging current to the battery 2.

[0055] In Figure 3 In the example shown, the monitored temperature Tm is compared with two threshold temperatures TH1, TH2. The threshold temperature TH1 is lower than the threshold temperature TH2 (TH1 < TH2). The threshold temperature TH2 is lower than the heat-resistant temperature Tr of the charging relays 131, 132 (TH2 < Tr).

[0056] When the monitored temperature Tm is less than the threshold temperature TH1, the charging current is set to the normal value I0. When the monitored temperature Tm is equal to or greater than the threshold temperature TH1 and less than the threshold temperature TH2, the charging current is set to a suppression value Isup smaller than the normal value I0. When the monitored temperature Tm is equal to or greater than the threshold temperature TH2, the charging current is set to 0. That is, the power supply from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 (external charging of the vehicle 1) is prohibited.

[0057] Temperature change of the components constituting the charging relay

[0058] In Figure 2In the system configuration shown, a temperature sensor 14 is used to monitor the temperature of the charging relays 131 and 132. The temperature (monitoring temperature Tm) is the temperature of the relay terminals. However, the charging relays 131 and 132 include other components such as movable contacts in addition to the relay terminals. The temperature of the relay terminals and the temperature of the movable contacts are not necessarily equal. In other words, the charging relays 131 and 132 may have temperature non-uniformity (the temperature difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature). It is also desirable to protect components other than the relay terminals whose temperatures can be monitored using the temperature sensor 14 from overheating. In the following, the temperature of components (such as movable contacts) that are not temperature-monitored because no temperature sensor is provided but are required to be protected from overheating will be recorded as "non-monitoring temperature Tu".

[0059] Figure 4 131 and 132. The horizontal axis represents the elapsed time. The vertical axis represents the temperature (monitoring temperature Tm, non-monitoring temperature Tu, heat-resistant temperature Tr). Figure 5 and Figure 6 The same is true.

[0060] In a typical charging relay, the relay terminal is exposed to the outside of the housing, while the movable contact is housed inside the housing. Therefore, it is easy to dissipate heat from the relay terminal to the outside, but it is not easy to dissipate heat from the movable contact to the outside. Therefore, during external charging, the temperature of the movable contact (non-monitoring temperature Tu) is more likely to rise than the temperature of the relay terminal (monitoring temperature Tm), and is less likely to decrease when external charging is not performed (when stopped).

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , if external charging starts at time t0, the monitoring temperature Tm rises and the non-monitoring temperature Tu rises during external charging. The non-monitoring temperature Tu is higher than the monitoring temperature Tm. If external charging stops at time t1, the monitoring temperature Tm decreases and the non-monitoring temperature Tu decreases. During this period, the non-monitoring temperature Tu is also higher than the monitoring temperature Tm. However, during Figure 4 In the example shown, the non-monitored temperature Tu is always maintained lower than the heat-resistant temperature Tr, so that failure of the movable contact due to overheating can be prevented.

[0062] Setting the threshold temperature

[0063] In the charge suppression control in the present embodiment, it is intended to protect components such as the movable contactor based on the monitoring temperature Tm. To facilitate understanding of the charge suppression control in the present embodiment, the charge suppression control in the comparative example will first be described.

[0064] Figure 5This is a timing chart for explaining the charging suppression control in the comparative example. External charging starts at time t0 and is performed during the period from time t0 to time t1. During the period, in this example, the monitoring temperature Tm is lower than the threshold temperature TH1, so the power supplied from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 is not suppressed. In addition, the non-monitoring temperature Tu is lower than the heat-resistant temperature Tr, and the movable contact is not overheated.

[0065] At time t1, external charging is stopped. At the same time, the monitoring temperature Tm and the non-monitoring temperature Tu decrease. However, before the monitoring temperature Tm and the non-monitoring temperature Tu sufficiently decrease, external charging is restarted at time t2. As an example, the vehicle 1 moves from a charging device located at a certain location to a charging device located at another location, and the external charging of the vehicle 1 is performed using the charging device at the destination of the movement. However, the movement of the vehicle 1 is not necessary, and the external charging of the vehicle 1 by the same charging device 5 can also be performed twice.

[0066] If external charging is performed again (hereinafter also referred to as "restarting" of external charging), the monitoring temperature Tm and the non-monitoring temperature Tu rise again. After time t2, the monitoring temperature Tm is also lower than the threshold temperature TH1, so the power supplied from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 is not suppressed. However, at time t3, the non-monitoring temperature Tu exceeds the heat-resistant temperature Tr. In this case, there is a possibility that the movable contactor fails due to overheating.

[0067] In the comparative example, the threshold temperature TH1 for suppressing the supply of electric power from the charging facility 5 to the vehicle 1 is set to be constant. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the threshold temperature TH1 is set to be variable as described below.

[0068] Figure 6 This is a timing diagram for explaining the charging suppression control in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, at time t1 when external charging is stopped, the threshold temperature TH1 is significantly lowered compared to before the external charging is stopped. After that, the threshold temperature TH1 gradually increases. In other words, the threshold temperature TH1 rises with the passage of time from the time when the external charging is stopped. Therefore, at time t4 after time t2 when the external charging is restarted, the monitoring temperature Tm exceeds the threshold temperature TH1, and the supply of power from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 begins to be suppressed. Time t4 is a time t3 (refer to the time t4) when the non-monitoring temperature Tu exceeds the heat-resistant temperature Tr in the comparative example. Figure 5 ) earlier. Therefore, at time t4, the non-monitored temperature Tu is lower than the heat-resistant temperature Tr. In addition, with the suppression of the supply power, the further rise of the non-monitored temperature Tu is suppressed after time t4. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the failure of the movable contact due to overheating can be prevented.

[0069] Mapping

[0070] The ECU 3 calculates the threshold temperature TH1 by referring to the map MP stored in the memory 32. Other data formats such as a data table and a relational expression may be used instead of the map.

[0071] Figure 7A to Figure 7C is a schematic diagram of the mapping used when setting the threshold temperature TH1. Figure 7A to Figure 7C In each of the graphs, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time Δt after the external charging is stopped, and the vertical axis represents the threshold temperature TH1.

[0072] like Fig. 7A As shown in FIG. 1 , when external charging stops (after time Δt=0), the threshold temperature TH1 is lowered by α from the reference value REF of the threshold temperature TH1 before external charging stops. α can be set based on the maximum temperature difference that can occur between the temperature of the movable contact and the temperature of the relay terminal. It is desirable that the greater the maximum temperature difference, the greater α is set (i.e., the greater the reduction range of the threshold temperature TH1). The maximum temperature difference can be obtained by prior experiments or simulations.

[0073] The threshold temperature TH1 gradually rises with the passage of time. Then, when tc has passed since the external charging was stopped, the threshold temperature TH1 reaches the reference value REF before the external charging was stopped. The period represented by tc is the period during which the temperature difference between the temperature of the movable contact and the temperature of the relay terminal is eliminated (in other words, thermal equilibrium is achieved) when the external charging is stopped, and is determined by experiments or simulations. Thereafter, the threshold temperature TH1 is maintained at the reference value REF.

[0074] It should be noted that, during external charging, the power supplied from the charging device (charging current) is usually controlled to gradually decrease and eventually become 0 before the external charging stops. Therefore, instead of using the time when the external charging stops (the time when the power supplied = 0) as the reference of the horizontal axis, the time when the power supplied from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 (charging current) falls below a predetermined value greater than 0 may be used as the reference. In other words, the threshold temperature TH1 may be increased over time from the time when the power supplied falls below the predetermined value.

[0075] In addition, Fig. 7A , an example in which the threshold temperature TH1 rises continuously and in a curve is shown. However, the method of setting the threshold temperature TH1 is not limited to this. The threshold temperature TH1 may also be set to rise continuously and in a linear manner (see Figure 7B The threshold temperature TH1 may also be set to increase discontinuously and gradually (stepwise) (see Figure 7C ). Although not shown in the figure, the threshold temperature TH1 may be increased stepwise in three or more stages.

[0076] Processing Flow

[0077] Figure 8 Flowchart showing the processing steps of the charge suppression control in the present embodiment. When the pre-set conditions in the external charging are met (for example, every predetermined period), the flowchart is called out from the main program and executed. Each step is implemented by software processing based on ECU3, but can also be implemented by hardware (circuit) configured in ECU3. Hereinafter, the step is referred to as S.

[0078] In S1, ECU3 determines whether external charging is restarted (executed again). The process returns to the main routine until external charging is restarted ("No" in S1). In the case of restarting external charging ("Yes" in S1), ECU3 uses a timer (not shown) of ECU3 to obtain the elapsed time Δt since external charging was stopped (S2). ECU3 obtains the elapsed time Δt from the time when external charging was stopped by referring to the map MP (refer to Figure 7A to Figure 7C ), and calculate the threshold temperature TH1 (S3) based on the elapsed time Δt obtained in S2.

[0079] In S4, the ECU 3 obtains the monitoring temperature Tm from the temperature sensor 14. Then, the ECU 3 determines whether the monitoring temperature Tm is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature TH2 (S5). Unlike the threshold temperature TH1, the threshold temperature TH2 is set to a fixed value (a value between the reference value REF of the threshold temperature TH1 and the heat-resistant temperature Tr). When the monitoring temperature Tm is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature TH2 ("Yes" in S5), the ECU 3 requests the control circuit 50 of the charging device 5 to completely stop the power supply from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 (S6).

[0080] When the monitoring temperature Tm is lower than the threshold temperature TH2 ("No" in S5), the ECU 3 causes the process to proceed to S7 to determine whether the monitoring temperature Tm is higher than the threshold temperature TH1. When the monitoring temperature Tm is higher than the threshold temperature TH1 ("Yes" in S7), that is, when the monitoring temperature Tm is higher than the threshold temperature TH1 and lower than the threshold temperature TH2, the ECU 3 requests the control circuit 50 of the charging device 5 to suppress the power supplied from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 (S8).

[0081] When monitoring temperature Tm is lower than threshold temperature TH1 (No in S7), ECU 3 does not request suppression of electric power supplied from charging facility 5 to vehicle 1 (S9). In this case, normal electric power supply is performed.

[0082] As described above, in the present embodiment, when external charging stops, the threshold temperature TH1 is lowered compared to before the external charging stops. Thus, when external charging is restarted after the external charging stops, the time until the temperature of the relay terminal (monitoring temperature Tm) monitored by the temperature sensor 14 in the charging relays 131 and 132 reaches the threshold temperature TH1 is shortened. In this way, the power supplied from the charging device 5 to the vehicle 1 is suppressed in advance. As a result, the further increase in the temperature of the movable contact (non-monitoring temperature Tu) of the non-monitoring object is suppressed. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the charging relays 131 and 132 as a whole, including the movable contact, can be protected from overheating.

[0083] It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the charging relays 131 and 132 are examples of the "electrical components" of the present disclosure. However, the "electrical components" of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and may also be the inlet 11. In the inlet 11, it is also easy to generate a temperature difference between the power terminal and the components such as the cable arranged inside the housing, so the charging suppression control in the present embodiment is useful.

[0084] In this embodiment, an example in which the charging device 5 is a fast charger is described. Generally, the power supplied in AC (Alternating Current) charging is smaller than the power supplied in DC charging, so overheating of components is less likely to become a problem in AC charging. However, the ECU 3 may also perform the charging suppression control in this embodiment during external charging using a charging device 5 that supplies AC power (so-called ordinary charger).

[0085] In addition, the charging suppression control in this embodiment is not limited to the plug-in charging of the vehicle 1, but can also be applied to the non-contact charging of the vehicle 1. Although not shown in the figure, during the non-contact charging of the vehicle 1, non-contact power transmission is performed from the power transmission device buried in the road surface, etc. to the on-board power receiving device (power receiving coil, etc.). In this case, the "electrical component" disclosed in this disclosure can be either a charging relay or a power receiving device.

[0086] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle configured to be capable of external charging in which an onboard power storage device is charged with power supplied from a charging facility, the vehicle comprising: an electrical component electrically connected to the transmission path for supplying electric power; a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the electrical component; as well as The control device is configured to suppress the supply power when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature, compared to when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than the threshold temperature, in, The control device is configured to lower the threshold temperature compared to before the external charging was stopped, when the external charging is performed again after the external charging was stopped.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that The control device is configured to increase the threshold temperature after lowering the threshold temperature until the threshold temperature reaches a value before the external charging is stopped.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that The control device is configured to increase the threshold temperature as time passes after the supplied power falls below a predetermined value.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that The control device is configured to increase the threshold temperature as time passes from when the external charging is stopped.

5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The greater the temperature difference between the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the temperature of a portion of the electrical component that is not detected by the temperature sensor, the greater the amount of decrease in the threshold temperature when the external charging is stopped.

6. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The electrical component includes a charging relay configured to cut off the supplied power in response to a command from the control device.

7. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The electrical component includes an inlet connected to a charging cable extending from the charging device.

8. A method for charging a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to externally charge an onboard power storage device using power supplied from a charging device, the vehicle comprising a control device, characterized in that: The charging method comprises: as a detection step, detecting, by the control device, a temperature of an electrical component electrically connected to a transmission path for supplying electric power in the vehicle; When the temperature detected in the detecting step exceeds a threshold temperature, suppressing the supplied power by the control device as compared to a case where the temperature detected in the detecting step is less than the threshold temperature; and When the external charging is performed again after the external charging is stopped, the threshold temperature is lowered by the control device compared to before the external charging is stopped.

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