Management system

Abstract

The management system includes: a first management device that manages a vehicle group including a plurality of electric vehicles; and a second management device that requests the first management device for energy management relating to the power system PG. The first management device is configured to determine whether or not there is an electric vehicle requiring immediate charging in the vehicle group, and if it is determined that there is an electric vehicle requiring immediate charging in the vehicle group, the first management device performs immediate charging on the premise that the electric vehicle performs immediate charging. Information indicating a chargeable / dischargeable amount including at least one of an amount of charge and an amount of discharge of the vehicle group is acquired, and the acquired information indicating the chargeable / dischargeable amount is transmitted to the second management device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management system for energy management. Background Art

[0002] The following technique is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-060834: When charging a plurality of electrified vehicles, the electric power discharged from an electrified vehicle that is expected to finish charging first is used for charging other electrified vehicles. The plurality of electrified vehicles are, for example, battery electric vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A known management system includes: a first management device that manages a group of vehicles including a plurality of electrified vehicles; and a second management device that requests the first management device for energy management related to a power system. In such a management system, for example, the first management device calculates the charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group within a specified future period and sends it to the second management device. Further, the second management device determines the energy management requested of the first management device during the specified period based on the charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group received from the first management device. However, if charging that is not predicted by the first management device is performed during the specified period according to the user's expectation, a deviation may occur between the charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group sent by the first management device and the actual charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group.

[0004] The above deviation may prevent the execution of the energy management requested based on the charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group sent by the first management device. For example, when the actual charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group is less than the value sent by the first management device, it becomes difficult to execute the requested energy management. Therefore, it is considered to offset the above deviation by power transfer between the electrified vehicles included in the vehicle group (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-060834). However, in such power transfer between electrified vehicles, losses associated with charging and discharging occur. In order to reduce the losses, it is desirable not to require power transfer between electrified vehicles. That is, it is desirable to reduce the possibility of performing charging that is not predicted by the first management device after the first management device has sent the charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group.

[0005] The present disclosure can solve the above problems. The present disclosure can reduce the possibility of performing charging that is not predicted by the first management device after the first management device sends information indicating the charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group to the second management device.

[0006] A management system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first management device that manages a group of vehicles including a plurality of electrified vehicles; and a second management device that requests the first management device for energy management related to a power system.

[0007] A plurality of electric vehicles included in a vehicle group each include a power storage device and are configured to be able to charge the power storage device with power from a power system.

[0008] The first management device is configured to: determine whether there is an electric vehicle in the vehicle group that requires immediate charging, and when it is determined that there is an electric vehicle in the vehicle group that requires immediate charging, on the premise that the electric vehicle is immediately charged, obtain information indicating the charge-discharge amount including at least one of the chargeable amount and the dischargeable amount of the vehicle group, and send the obtained information indicating the charge-discharge amount to the second management device.

[0009] Immediate charging is charging that immediately starts when any electric vehicle included in the vehicle group is electrically connected to the power system and the electric vehicle uses power from the power system.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the possibility of performing charging not predicted by the first management device after the first management device has sent information indicating the charge-discharge amount of the vehicle group to the second management device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements, and wherein:

[0012] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 is for explaining Figure 1 the processing flow in which the first management device in the management system shown obtains and sends information indicating the charge-discharge amount.

[0014] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of information indicating the charge-discharge amount.

[0015] Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining energy management performed by the management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of charge-discharge control according to the present embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining power transfer between vehicles included in a vehicle group. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an outline of a power system and a management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Refer to Figure 1 , the power system includes a power grid PG, a plurality of EVSEs (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), and a plurality of energy storage devices 20. The power grid PG is a power grid constructed by power transmission and distribution equipment. The power grid PG may also include substation equipment. The power grid PG may also be connected to power generation equipment (not shown). The plurality of EVSEs 10 and the plurality of energy storage devices 20 are electrically connected to the power grid PG respectively. In this embodiment, the EVSE 10 is an AC power supply device that outputs AC power. However, it is not limited thereto, and the EVSE 10 may also be a DC power supply device that outputs DC power. The EVSE 10 may be a charger installed (fixed) in a residence or a public charging station. The energy storage device 20 is a stationary energy storage device. The energy storage device 20 may be a commercial ESS (Energy Storage System) or an energy storage device installed (fixed) in a residence.

[0020] The management system includes a power market system 100, an EMS (Energy Management System) 200, and a VPP (Virtual Power Plant) system 300.

[0021] The VPP system 300 manages a vehicle group VG including a plurality of electric vehicles 30. Each of the plurality of electric vehicles 30 included in the vehicle group VG is equipped with an energy storage device 31 and is configured to be able to charge the energy storage device 31 with power from the power grid PG. The energy storage device 31 corresponds to an in-vehicle battery. The electric vehicle 30 is configured to be able to travel using the power output from the energy storage device 31. The electric vehicle 30 also includes a drive device (for example, one or more motors not shown) that rotates the drive wheels of the electric vehicle 30 using the power from the energy storage device 31. The electric vehicle 30 may be a pure electric vehicle (BEV, battery electric vehicle in English) that does not have an internal combustion engine. The electric vehicle 30 may also be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in English) that has an internal combustion engine. Figure 1 An example of the configuration of the electric vehicle 30 is shown.

[0022] In addition to the power storage device 31, the electric vehicle 30 is also provided with a charge and discharge circuit 32 (on-vehicle charger) and an access port 33 (power receiving port). The electric vehicle 30 further includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 35, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 38, and a communication device 39. The ECU 35 includes a processor 351 and a storage device 352. A BMS (Battery Management System) 31a for monitoring the state of the power storage device 31 is provided in the power storage device 31. The BMS 31a includes various sensors for detecting the state of the power storage device 31, and outputs the detection results to the ECU 35. The BMS 31a detects, for example, the temperature, current, voltage, and SOC (State Of Charge) of the power storage device 31. The SOC represents the state of charge, and for example, represents the ratio of the current state of charge to the state of charge when fully charged, expressed as a percentage from 0 to 100%.

[0023] The front end (connector 12) of the charging cable 11 connected to the EVSE 10 is connected (inserted) to the access port 33 of the parked electric vehicle 30. Then, the electric vehicle 30 is electrically connected to the EVSE 10 (and thus the power system PG). Hereinafter, the state in which the electric vehicle 30 is electrically connected to the power system PG is referred to as the "system connection state". The state in which the electric vehicle 30 is not electrically connected to the power system PG is referred to as the "system disconnection state".

[0024] The charge and discharge circuit 32 includes a power conversion circuit (for example, a bi-directional converter). In the electric vehicle 30 in the system connection state, external charging (charging of the power storage device 31 based on power from outside the vehicle) and external power supply (power supply to outside the vehicle based on the power of the power storage device 31) can be performed. The electric vehicle 30 can perform energy management of the power system PG through external charging and external power supply. The power for external charging is supplied, for example, from the power system PG through the EVSE 10 to the access port 33. The charge and discharge circuit 32 converts the power received at the access port 33 into power suitable for charging the power storage device 31 (for example, DC power), and outputs the converted power to the power storage device 31. The power for external power supply is supplied from the power storage device 31 to the charge and discharge circuit 32. The charge and discharge circuit 32 converts the DC power supplied from the power storage device 31 into power suitable for external power supply (for example, AC power), and outputs the converted power to the access port 33. In the following description, the charging, discharging, and state of charge of the electric vehicle 30 refer to the charging, discharging, and state of charge of the power storage device 31, respectively.

[0025] The HMI 38 includes an input device and a display device. The HMI 38 includes, for example, a navigation system (hereinafter referred to as "navigation"). The navigation detects the position of the electric vehicle 30 using a positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). When the user sets a destination in the navigation, the navigation displays the driving route to the destination to the user. The ECU 35 wirelessly communicates with the VPP system 300 via the communication device 39. The VPP system 300 can remotely execute the charge and discharge control of the electric vehicle 30 in the system connection state.

[0026] The mobile terminal 50 is carried by the user of the electric vehicle 30. The mobile terminal 50 is, for example, a smart phone having a touch panel display. An application software for using the VPP system 300 is installed in the mobile terminal 50. The mobile terminal 50 accepts a charging reservation from the user. By inputting the scheduled departure time and the target SOC at that time to the mobile terminal 50, the user can reserve (request) the VPP system 300 to charge the SOC of the power storage device 31 to be equal to or higher than the target SOC before the scheduled departure time. The mobile terminal 50 transmits the information related to the reserved charging (hereinafter referred to as "charging reservation information") together with the identification information of the corresponding electric vehicle 30 to the VPP system 300. The charging reservation information includes the scheduled departure time and the target SOC input by the user.

[0027] The EMS 200 may be a CEMS (City EMS: City Energy Management System) or an FEMS (Factory EMS: Factory Energy Management System). The EMS 200 includes a processor 201 and a storage device 202. The EMS 200 is configured to be able to directly or indirectly control each of the plurality of power storage devices 20. The VPP system 300 includes a processor 301 and a storage device 302. The storage device 302 stores the information related to each electric vehicle included in the vehicle group VG separately by the identification information (vehicle ID) of each individual vehicle (electric vehicle 30). The storage device 302 prestores the specification information (for example, the storage capacity) of the power storage device 31 for each electric vehicle included in the vehicle group VG. In addition, the plurality of electric vehicles 30 included in the vehicle group VG sequentially transmit the state (operation / stop) of the vehicle system and the navigation information to the VPP system 300. And the plurality of electric vehicles 30 included in the vehicle group VG sequentially transmit the position and state of the own vehicle (electric vehicle 30) detected by the in-vehicle sensor to the VPP system 300. The processor 301 updates the information in the storage device 302 using the information (position, SOC, charging reservation information, etc.) obtained from the electric vehicle 30 or the mobile terminal 50. In this embodiment, the programs stored in the one or more storage devices are executed by one or more processors to execute the following Figure 2 andFigure 4 The respective controls shown. However, these processes can also be executed not only by software but also only by hardware (electronic circuits). The VPP system 300 and the EMS 200 correspond to examples of the "first management device" and the "second management device" of the present disclosure, respectively.

[0028] The EMS 200 is configured to be able to communicate with the power market system 100 and the VPP system 300, respectively. The EMS 200 sends a signal (hereinafter referred to as the "first request signal") requesting the charge / discharge amount of the vehicle group VG within a specified future period (hereinafter referred to as the "target period") to the VPP system 300. The EMS 200 may also send the first request signal based on the power supply / demand prediction. When the VPP system 300 receives the first request signal, it obtains information (hereinafter referred to as "VPP information") indicating the charge / discharge amount of the vehicle group VG within the target period. The charge / discharge amount includes at least one of the amount of electricity that the vehicle group VG can charge and the amount of electricity that the vehicle group VG can discharge. The VPP system 300 sends the VPP information to the EMS 200.

[0029] Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining the processing flow in which the VPP system 300 obtains and sends the VPP information. When the VPP system 300 receives the aforementioned first request signal, it starts Figure 2 the processing flow F1 shown in the flowchart. "S" in the flowchart represents a step. In S11, the processor 301 uses the information of each electric vehicle stored in the storage device 302 to perform a movement prediction (behavior prediction) on each electric vehicle included in the vehicle group VG. The information of each electric vehicle stored in the storage device 302 is, for example, the position, SOC, and charging reservation information. The processor 301 may also use the travel plan set in the navigation of the electric vehicle 30 to perform a movement prediction of the electric vehicle 30. The travel plan is, for example, the departure place, departure time, destination, arrival time, and travel route to the destination. The processor 301 may also predict the movement plan of the electric vehicle 30 based on the history data related to the movement of the electric vehicle 30 (the behavior of the user). The history data is, for example, the past position data managed separately according to the weather information, traffic congestion information, and day of the week. The processor 301 uses the position information of the electric vehicle 30 to track the position of the electric vehicle 30. At the same time, the processor 301 can predict the arrival time of the electric vehicle 30 at the destination and the remaining battery level (SOC) at the time of arrival. The processor 301 may also use the charging reservation information to predict the scheduled departure time of the electric vehicle 30.

[0030] In this embodiment, the processor 301 also predicts the change in the stored power together with the change in the position of the electric vehicle 30 in S11. In addition, the processor 301 predicts, for each electric vehicle included in the vehicle group VG, the connection timing of the electric vehicle to the power system PG, the stored power of the electric vehicle at the connection timing, and the disconnection timing (e.g., the scheduled departure time) of the electric vehicle from the power system PG after the connection timing. The connection timing is the timing when the electric vehicle changes from a non-connected state to a connected state with respect to the power system PG. The disconnection timing is the timing when the electric vehicle becomes a non-connected state with respect to the power system PG after the connection timing. Based on the results of these predictions, the processor 301 determines what state each electric vehicle included in the vehicle group VG will be in during the aforementioned target period. Specifically, the processor 301 classifies each electric vehicle included in the vehicle group VG into an electric vehicle 30A that is always in a system-connected state during the target period, an electric vehicle 30B that is always in a system-disconnected state during the target period, an electric vehicle 30C that changes from a system-disconnected state to a system-connected state during the target period, and an electric vehicle 30D that changes from a system-connected state to a system-disconnected state during the target period. Hereinafter, the electric vehicle 30A that is always in a system-connected state during the target period is also referred to as a "standby vehicle". The electric vehicle 30B that is always in a system-disconnected state during the target period is also referred to as a "traveling vehicle". The electric vehicle 30C that changes from a system-disconnected state to a system-connected state during the target period is also referred to as a "connecting vehicle". The electric vehicle 30D that changes from a system-connected state to a system-disconnected state during the target period is also referred to as a "disconnecting vehicle".

[0031] In the subsequent S12, the processor 301 determines whether there is an electric vehicle 30 that needs immediate charging in the vehicle group VG. Specifically, the processor 301 determines whether each electric vehicle classified as the above-connected vehicle in S11 needs immediate charging. Immediate charging is an external charging that starts immediately when the electric vehicle uses the power from the power system PG when the electric vehicle is electrically connected to the power system PG. The time when the electric vehicle is electrically connected to the power system PG is when the electric vehicle 30 changes from the system-disconnected state to the system-connected state. The processor 301 can use the predicted connection timing and disconnection timing to determine whether immediate charging is required for the electric vehicle. For example, the processor 301 can determine that an electric vehicle with a time (hereinafter referred to as "departure margin time") from the connection timing to the disconnection timing shorter than a specified value needs immediate charging. In addition, the smaller the remaining battery charge at the predicted connection timing for the electric vehicle, the longer the specified value. There is a tendency that the shorter the departure margin time, the higher the necessity of immediate charging. In addition, there is a tendency that the smaller the remaining battery charge at the connection timing, the higher the necessity of immediate charging. For example, the processor 301 can also determine that an electric vehicle that arrives (is inserted) in a low SOC state at night and departs a few hours later needs immediate charging. For example, the processor 301 can also determine that an electric vehicle that arrives (is inserted) in a low SOC state at night and remains in the system-connected state until morning does not need immediate charging.

[0032] In the case where it is determined that at least one electric vehicle 30 classified as a connected vehicle needs immediate charging, it is determined as "yes" in S12, and the process proceeds to S13. Hereinafter, the connected vehicle determined to need immediate charging is referred to as an "immediate charging vehicle". In addition, the connected vehicle, the disconnected vehicle, and the standby vehicle determined not to need immediate charging are respectively referred to as "VPP vehicles".

[0033] In S13, the processor 301 creates a charging plan for the immediate charging vehicle during the target period. The charging plan represents the change in the charging power of the power storage device 31. The processor 301 can calculate the start time and end time of the immediate charging for the immediate charging vehicle using at least one of, for example, the predicted value of the stored power at the connection time (in S11) and the target SOC (charging reservation information) at the scheduled departure time. A prescribed fixed value (for example, an SOC value near full charge) can also be used instead of the target SOC set by the user. The charging plan for the immediate charging vehicle includes the amount of power required for the immediate charging and the time period during which the immediate charging is performed. The VPP system 300 can also obtain the specification information (for example, the rated charging power) of the EVSE 10 to which the immediate charging vehicle is connected at the connection time, and calculate the time required for the immediate charging based on this specification information. When there are multiple immediate charging vehicles in the vehicle group VG, the processor 301 creates a charging plan for each immediate charging vehicle. After that, when the creation of the charging plan is completed for all the immediate charging vehicles, the process proceeds to S14.

[0034] In S14, the processor 301 uses the result of the behavior prediction in S11 and the charging plan of the immediate charging vehicle created in S13 to obtain VPP information indicating the charge and discharge capacity of the vehicle group VG during the target period. The processor 301 obtains the VPP information indicating the charge and discharge capacity of the vehicle group VG on the premise that the immediate charging vehicle performs immediate charging. The VPP information includes the charging plan of the immediate charging vehicle. The processor 301 calculates the charge and discharge capacity of the vehicle group VG based on the vehicle group capacity and the vehicle group stored power. The vehicle group capacity is the total maximum amount of power that all the electric vehicles electrically connected to the power system PG in the vehicle group VG can store. The vehicle group stored power is the total amount of power stored in all the electric vehicles electrically connected to the power system PG in the vehicle group VG. In S14, information indicating the changes in the vehicle group capacity and the vehicle group stored power during the target period is obtained as the VPP information. The processor 301 calculates the vehicle group stored power considering the change amount of the stored power of the immediate charging vehicle caused by the immediate charging for the immediate charging vehicle.

[0035] Figure 3This is a diagram for explaining an example of VPP information. It shows an example in which the first to third electric vehicles in the vehicle group VG are electrically connected to the power system PG within at least a part of the target period. The first electric vehicle, the second electric vehicle, and the third electric vehicle correspond to an immediate charging vehicle, a standby vehicle, and a connected vehicle determined not to require immediate charging, respectively. Times t1 and t2 represent the connection timings of the third electric vehicle and the first electric vehicle, respectively. Lines L11, L21, and L31 represent the changes in the storage capacities (the maximum amount of electricity that can be stored) of the first, second, and third electric vehicles, respectively. Line L1 represents the change in the total value (vehicle group capacity) of the storage capacities of these electric vehicles. Lines L12, L22, and L32 represent the changes in the stored electricity amounts (the electricity amounts held by the energy storage device 31) when the first, second, and third electric vehicles are electrically connected to the power system PG, respectively. Line L2 represents the change in the total value (vehicle group stored electricity amount) of the stored electricity amounts of these electric vehicles.

[0036] Refer to Figure 3 , line L12 represents the charging plan of the first electric vehicle created in Figure 2 S13. Time t3 corresponds to the end time of the immediate charging calculated in S13. The charging plan of the first electric vehicle is created to perform immediate charging starting at time t2 and ending at time t3. The time t4 after time t3 corresponds to the disconnection timing of the first electric vehicle predicted in S11. Lines L22 and L32 represent the changes in the stored electricity amounts in the case where the second and third electric vehicles do not charge or discharge during the target period. The predicted information for each individual vehicle (the second electric vehicle, the third electric vehicle) is created based on Figure 2 the results of the action prediction in S11 of

[0037] Lines L1 and L2 represent the changes in the chargeable and dischargeable amounts of the vehicle group VG during the target period. The value obtained by subtracting the vehicle group stored electricity amount shown by line L2 from the vehicle group capacity (charging upper limit value) shown by line L1 corresponds to the amount of electricity that the vehicle group VG can charge (chargeable amount). The value obtained by subtracting the discharge lower limit value (for example, 0 kWh) from the vehicle group stored electricity amount shown by line L2 corresponds to the amount of electricity that the vehicle group VG can discharge (dischargeable amount). In addition, Figure 3 an example in which the number of VPP vehicles is 2 is shown, but the number of VPP vehicles is arbitrary. The number of VPP vehicles can be 3 or more and less than 50, or can be 50 or more.

[0038] Refer to again Figure 2, when it is determined that immediate charging is not required for all electric vehicles 30 classified as connected vehicles, it is determined as No in S12, and the process skips S13 and proceeds to S14. In this case, the processor 301 also uses the result of the action prediction in S11 to obtain the aforementioned VPP information in S14. However, since there are no electric vehicles that require immediate charging in the vehicle group VG, immediate charging is not considered in the calculation of the vehicle group's stored electricity.

[0039] When the VPP information is obtained in S14, the VPP system 300 sends the VPP information to the EMS 200 in S15. At this time, in addition to the VPP information, the VPP system 300 may also send information indicating the change in the maximum charge-discharge power (maximum charging power and / or maximum discharging power) of the vehicle group VG during the target period. The VPP system 300 may also obtain the specification information (e.g., the rated power indicating the charge-discharge capacity) of the EVSE 10 to which each VPP vehicle is connected. The VPP system 300 may also calculate the maximum charge-discharge power (kW) of the electric vehicle based on the specification information. When the process of S15 is executed, the process flow F1 ends.

[0040] Figure 4 It is a diagram for explaining the energy management of the present embodiment. When the EMS 200 receives the above VPP information, it starts the process flow F2.

[0041] Refer to Figure 4 , in S21, the EMS 200 conducts a power transaction based on the charge-discharge capacity of the vehicle group VG (distributed power source). Specifically, the EMS 200 uses the charge-discharge capacity of the vehicle group VG during the target period indicated by the VPP information to determine the bid volume during the target period, and sends the bid information including the bid volume to the power market system 100. After that, in the power market, if the commodity bid by the EMS 200 wins the bid, a contract is concluded. In this case, the target period becomes the contract period, and the bid volume becomes the contract volume. The power market can be a spot market, a pre-time market, or a supply-demand adjustment market, and can also be opened and operated by a wholesale power exchange such as JEPX (Japan Electric Power Exchange). In each market, transactions of electricity as a commodity are conducted.

[0042] In the following S22, based on the result of the above power transaction, the EMS 200 requests energy management related to the power system PG from the VPP system 300. Specifically, during the contract period (the target period), the EMS 200 creates a charging and discharging plan for the vehicle group VG in order to enable the vehicle group VG to perform energy management (charging and discharging) corresponding to at least a part of the contract volume. The EMS 200 creates the charging and discharging plan for the vehicle group VG in such a way that the charging and discharging volume of the vehicle group VG within the target period does not exceed the chargeable and dischargeable volume. The charging and discharging plan represents at least one of the transition of the charging power of the vehicle group VG and the transition of the discharging power of the vehicle group VG within the target period. Moreover, the EMS 200 sends a signal (hereinafter referred to as the "second request signal") including the created charging and discharging plan of the vehicle group VG to the VPP system 300. The second request signal requests the VPP system 300 to charge and discharge the vehicle group VG according to the above charging and discharging plan. Thus, the processing flow F2 ends.

[0043] When the VPP system 300 receives the above second request signal, it starts the processing flow F3. In S31, the VPP system 300 creates a charging and discharging plan for each VPP vehicle (individual vehicle) by allocating the charging and discharging volume for executing the charging and discharging plan of the vehicle group VG indicated by the second request signal to a plurality of VPP vehicles (individual vehicles). The charging and discharging plan can be a charging plan or a discharging plan. The VPP system 300 creates the charging and discharging plan for each VPP vehicle in such a way that charging based on a certain VPP vehicle and discharging based on other VPP vehicles are not executed simultaneously. Thus, the power transfer between the electric vehicles described later is suppressed (refer to Figure 6 ). In the case where the second request signal indicates a charging plan for the vehicle group VG, the VPP system 300 can also determine the charging plan for each VPP vehicle in such a way that the earlier the scheduled departure time indicated by the charging reservation information, the earlier the charging start time for the plurality of VPP vehicles. Thus, it is easy to execute the charging desired by the user.

[0044] In the following S32, the VPP system 300 sends a charging and discharging instruction (remote instruction) to the corresponding electric vehicles (instant charging vehicle, VPP vehicle) in such a way that the charging plan of the instant charging vehicle created in S13 of Figure 2 and the charging and discharging plan of each VPP vehicle (individual vehicle) created in S31 are executed respectively. However, in the case where there is no instant charging vehicle in the vehicle group VG, the charging plan of the instant charging vehicle is not created in S13 of Figure 2 , and in S32, the charging and discharging instruction is only sent to the VPP vehicle. The VPP system 300 performs charging and discharging control (remote control) for each individual vehicle according to the above charging and discharging instruction (charging instruction and / or discharging instruction). When the charging and discharging control (S32) is completed, the processing flow F3 ends.

[0045] When the ECU35 of each electric vehicle included in the vehicle group VG changes from the system-disconnected state to the system-connected state, the processing flow F4 starts. In S41, the ECU35 determines whether the corresponding electric vehicle 30 (target vehicle) has received a charge / discharge instruction (S32) from the VPP system 300. When the target vehicle has received the charge / discharge instruction (Yes in S41), the ECU35 performs charge / discharge control of the power storage device 31 in accordance with the charge / discharge instruction from the VPP system 300 in S42. The ECU35 controls the charge / discharge circuit 32 in accordance with the charge / discharge instruction. When the target vehicle is a VPP vehicle, the charge / discharge plan assigned to the VPP vehicle is executed by the target vehicle. Thus, the charge / discharge plan of the vehicle group VG requested by the EMS200 from the VPP system 300 is executed by a plurality of VPP vehicles. When the target vehicle is an immediate charging vehicle, immediate charging is performed by the target vehicle. When the charge / discharge control (S42) is completed, the processing flow F4 ends.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining an example of the above charge / discharge control (remote control). In Figure 5 , the same reference numerals are assigned to the same parameters as those shown in Figure 3 . Referring to Figure 5 , in this example, as the charge / discharge plan of the vehicle group VG, a charging plan represented by the line L2A is created and sent from the EMS200 to the VPP system 300 (S22 in Figure 4 ). The EMS200 uses the VPP information received from the VPP system 300 to create a charging plan (line L2A) representing the change in the charging power of the vehicle group VG during the target period in such a manner that the total charge of the vehicle group does not exceed the capacity of the vehicle group. The VPP system 300 uses the charging plan received from the EMS200 to control the vehicle group VG. Specifically, the charging plan shown by the line L2A requests the VPP system 300 to charge from time t4 to time t6. The VPP system 300 creates a charging plan for each of the second electric vehicle and the third electric vehicle in such a manner as to execute the charging requested according to this charging plan. For example, the VPP system 300 creates a first individual vehicle charging plan for the second electric vehicle to perform charging during the period from time t4 to time t5 as shown by the line L22A. Moreover, for example, the VPP system 300 creates a second individual vehicle charging plan for the third electric vehicle to perform charging during the period from time t5 to time t6 as shown by the line L32A. Then, through Figure 4Regarding the processing of S32 and S42, charge-discharge control (remote control) is performed for each individual vehicle in accordance with the immediate charging plan for charging the first electric vehicle during the period from time t2 to time t3 as shown by line L12, the first individual vehicle charging plan shown by line L22A, and the second individual vehicle charging plan shown by line L32A.

[0047] Refer again to Figure 4 , when the target vehicle does not receive a charge-discharge instruction (No in S41), the ECU35 determines in S43 whether a charging request is received from the user. The user can, for example, also request charging from the ECU35 through the mobile terminal 50 or the HMI38. When a charging request is received from the user (Yes in S43), in S44, the ECU35 controls the charge-discharge circuit 32 to perform external charging until the SOC of the power storage device 31 reaches a specified SOC value. The specified SOC value can be set by the user or can be a fixed value. The ECU35 performs charging control (local control) of the power storage device 31 regardless of instructions from the outside. When the charging control (S44) is completed, the processing flow F4 ends.

[0048] When it is determined as No in both S41 and S43, the process returns to the initial step (S41). The determinations in S41 and S43 are repeated until it is determined as Yes in either S41 or S43. However, if the target vehicle becomes a system-disconnected state, the processing flow F4 ends.

[0049] As described above, when the target vehicle changes from the system-disconnected state to the system-connected state, even if it is determined as No in S41, when the user requests charging from the ECU35, it is determined as Yes in S43 and immediate charging is performed. The user can perform immediate charging based on their own judgment. However, when immediate charging is performed according to an instruction from the user during the target period, a deviation may occur between the charge-discharge capacity of the vehicle group VG indicated by the VPP information and the actual charge-discharge capacity of the vehicle group VG.

[0050] Therefore, in the VPP system 300 of this embodiment, there may be an electric vehicle that requires immediate charging in the vehicle group VG. In this case, it is configured to obtain VPP information indicating the charge-discharge capacity of the vehicle group VG on the premise that this electric vehicle (immediate charging vehicle) performs immediate charging (refer to Figure 3 ), and send the obtained VPP information to the EMS200 (refer to Figure 2). As a result, the possibility of performing charging (especially immediate charging) that is not predicted by the VPP system 300 after the VPP system 300 transmits VPP information to the EMS 200 becomes low. The EMS 200 can formulate a charge and discharge plan for the vehicle group VG that takes into account the amount of power caused by the immediate charging vehicles. The EMS 200 does not process the information of individual vehicles but only processes the information of the vehicle group VG. As a result, the load of information processing (e.g., arithmetic load) in the EMS 200 is reduced.

[0051] Moreover, the VPP system 300 causes the immediate charging vehicle to perform immediate charging through remote control (refer to Figure 4 ). That is, for electric vehicles that require immediate charging during the target period, immediate charging is performed through remote control. Therefore, the possibility of performing immediate charging according to an instruction from the user during the target period is low. Therefore, the generation of the above deviation is suppressed.

[0052] During the target period, a deviation sometimes occurs between the charge and discharge amount of the vehicle group VG indicated by the VPP information and the actual charge and discharge amount of the vehicle group VG. In this case, the VPP system 300 can also cancel the offset through power transfer between the electric vehicles included in the vehicle group VG. Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining power transfer between the electric vehicles included in the vehicle group VG.

[0053] Refer to Figure 6 , in the VPP system 300, sometimes the electric vehicle 30E in a low SOC state and the electric vehicle 30F in a high SOC state are respectively in a system connection state. In this case, it is also possible to cause the electric vehicle 30F with a large amount of stored power to perform external power supply (discharge to the power system PG) of a specified amount of power, and cause the electric vehicle 30E with a small amount of stored power to perform the above-mentioned external charging of the specified amount of power. As a result, power transfer of the above-mentioned specified amount of power is performed between the electric vehicles 30E and 30F. The power transfer is performed via the power system PG. However, in the power transfer between such electric vehicles, losses associated with charge and discharge occur. To reduce the losses, it is preferable not to require the above-mentioned power transfer between the electric vehicles. That is, it is desirable to reduce the possibility of performing charging that is not predicted by the VPP system 300 after the VPP system 300 transmits the VPP information ( Figure 2 in S15).

[0054] Figure 2 , Figure 4The respective processing flows shown can be appropriately changed. For example, the order of processing can be changed according to the purpose, and unnecessary steps can be omitted. Additionally, the content of any processing can be changed. For example, the VPP system 300 can also send information on the respective changes in the stored capacity and stored power of the immediate charging vehicle and information on the respective changes in the stored capacity and stored power of the VPP vehicle to the EMS 200 in S15. Additionally, in S43 of the processing flow F4 ( Figure 4 ), the ECU 35 can also determine whether the user requests charging based on the charging reservation information. Additionally, when there is an immediate charging vehicle in the vehicle group VG, the VPP system 300 can also send only a charge / discharge instruction to the VPP vehicle in S32 of the processing flow F3 ( Figure 4 ). Regarding the immediate charging vehicle, it is predicted that immediate charging is required, and even if the VPP system 300 does not instruct the immediate charging vehicle to charge, there is a high possibility of immediate charging (local control) being performed according to the user's request.

[0055] The power system PG is not limited to a large-scale AC power grid and can be a microgrid or a DC (direct current) power grid. The mobile terminal 50 is not limited to a smart phone and can also be other terminals (wearable devices, portable game consoles, etc.).

[0056] The configuration of the electric vehicle is not limited to the above configuration (see Figure 1 ). In the above embodiment, each electric vehicle included in the vehicle group VG is configured to be able to discharge the power of the power storage device 31 to the power system PG. However, such a structure is not necessary, and the electric vehicle can also be equipped with a charger (charging circuit) instead of a charge / discharge device. The power conversion circuit for charging and discharging the in-vehicle battery can also be mounted on the EVSE instead of the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle can also be configured to be able to perform non-contact charging. It can also be that when the alignment of the power transmission unit (e.g., power transmission coil) on the power supply device side and the power reception unit (e.g., power reception coil) on the electric vehicle side of the non-contact charging electric vehicle is completed, it is regarded as being in a state based on the above "system connection state". The electric vehicle can also be configured to be able to perform autonomous driving. The electric vehicle is not limited to a four-wheel passenger car and can also be a bus or a truck, and the number of wheels is also arbitrary.

[0057] The above various modification examples can also be implemented by arbitrarily combining them.

[0058] It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not represented by the description of the above embodiments but by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A management system, comprising: A first management device that manages a group of vehicles including a plurality of electric vehicles; And a second management device that requests the first management device for energy management related to the power system, where Each of the plurality of electric vehicles included in the vehicle group is equipped with a power storage device and is configured to be able to charge the power storage device with power from the power system, The first management device is configured to: determine whether there is an electric vehicle in the vehicle group that requires immediate charging, and in the case where it is determined that there is an electric vehicle in the vehicle group that requires immediate charging, on the premise that the electric vehicle performs immediate charging, obtain information indicating the charge-dischargeable amount including at least one of the chargeable amount of the vehicle group and the dischargeable amount of the vehicle group, and send the obtained information indicating the charge-dischargeable amount to the second management device, The immediate charging is charging that starts immediately when any electric vehicle included in the vehicle group is electrically connected to the power system and the electric vehicle uses power from the power system.

2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein The first management device is configured to: predict the connection timing and disconnection timing for each of the plurality of electric vehicles included in the vehicle group, where the connection timing is the timing when the electric vehicle changes from a non-connected state to a connected state with respect to the power system, and the disconnection timing is the timing when the electric vehicle becomes non-connected with respect to the power system after the connection timing, The first management device is configured to: use the predicted connection timing and disconnection timing to determine whether there is an electric vehicle in the vehicle group that requires immediate charging.

3. The management system according to claim 2, wherein The first management device is configured to: further predict the state of charge of each of the plurality of electric vehicles included in the vehicle group at the connection timing, and further use the predicted state of charge to determine whether there is an electric vehicle in the vehicle group that requires immediate charging.

4. The management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The first management device is configured to: obtain information indicating the respective trends of the vehicle group capacity and the vehicle group state of charge within a specified period as the information indicating the charge-dischargeable amount, where the vehicle group capacity is the total maximum chargeable amount of all the electric vehicles electrically connected to the power system in the vehicle group, and the vehicle group state of charge is the total charge amount of all the electric vehicles electrically connected to the power system in the vehicle group, The first management device is configured to: for the electric vehicles that require immediate charging within the specified period, calculate the vehicle group state of charge considering the change amount of the state of charge of the electric vehicle caused by the immediate charging.

5. The management system according to claim 4, wherein The second management device is configured to create a charging plan representing the transition of the charging power of the vehicle group within the specified period in such a way that the storage power of the vehicle group does not exceed the capacity of the vehicle group, using the information indicating the chargeable amount received from the first management device, and transmit the created charging plan to the first management device. The first management device is configured to control the vehicle group using the charging plan received from the second management device.

Images