Vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle. The ECU executes a process including: a step of acquiring a resistance value of the insulation resistor; determining that there is an electric leakage on the vehicle body side when the resistance value is equal to or less than a threshold value; a step in which the SMR is turned on when the resistance value is greater than a threshold value; acquiring the resistance value of the insulation resistor; a step for determining that there is an electric leakage on the battery pack side when the resistance value is equal to or less than a threshold value; and determining that there is no leakage when the resistance value is greater than the threshold value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle including a detachable battery. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-189122 discloses a leakage detection device that calculates insulation resistance for each path of an electric circuit provided inside an electric vehicle and identifies a leakage path based on the calculated value. Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, the leakage detection device described above is not intended for vehicles equipped with detachable batteries, and therefore is not intended for leakage detection according to the detachable state of the battery, and therefore may not be able to perform appropriate leakage detection.

[0004] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle that is equipped with a detachable battery and that performs appropriate leakage detection.

[0005] A vehicle according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises:

[0006] body;

[0007] Batteries, removable from the vehicle body; and

[0008] The detection device is installed in the electrical circuit on the vehicle body side to detect whether there is any leakage.

[0009] The detection device detects the presence of leakage when the battery is in at least one of a conductive state in which the battery is connected to the electric circuit and a disconnected state in which the battery is disconnected from the electric circuit.

[0010] In this way, the presence or absence of leakage is detected when the battery and the vehicle body's electrical circuit are in a conductive state or a disconnected state. This makes it possible to accurately determine whether the leakage is caused by the vehicle body's electrical circuit or the battery.

[0011] In one embodiment,

[0012] The detection device detects whether there is leakage in the electric circuit when the circuit is in the cut-off state, and detects whether there is leakage in the electric circuit when the circuit is in the on state if no leakage is detected.

[0013] In this way, it is possible to detect whether there is leakage in the electrical circuit on the vehicle body side when the battery is in the disconnected state. Furthermore, if leakage in the electrical circuit on the vehicle body side is not detected, it is possible to detect whether there is leakage in the battery when the battery is in the connected state.

[0014] In another embodiment,

[0015] The vehicle body is configured to be able to carry multiple batteries.

[0016] Each of the plurality of batteries is provided with a relay for disconnecting or connecting the battery to the electric circuit.

[0017] The detection device changes the combination of the on-state and the off-state of the relays in the plurality of batteries to detect the presence or absence of leakage for each battery.

[0018] In this manner, in a vehicle equipped with a plurality of batteries, by changing the combination of the on and off states of the relays to detect the presence or absence of leakage for each battery, it is possible to identify in which battery the leakage has occurred.

[0019] In another embodiment,

[0020] The vehicle further includes a notification device that notifies that a leakage has occurred in the vehicle body when the detection device detects a leakage in the electric circuit during the disconnected state.

[0021] In this way, the user can recognize that the cause of the electric leakage is caused by the electric circuit on the vehicle body side.

[0022] In another embodiment,

[0023] The vehicle further includes a notification device that notifies that a leakage has occurred in the battery when the detection device does not detect a leakage in the electric circuit in the disconnected state and when the detection device detects a leakage in the electric circuit in the connected state.

[0024] In this way, the user can recognize that the cause of the leakage is the battery.

[0025] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle that is equipped with a detachable battery and that performs appropriate leakage detection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] 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 represent like elements, and in which:

[0027] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a vehicle according to the present embodiment;

[0028] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a battery replacement system for replacing a battery pack;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing an example of a method for replacing a battery pack;

[0030] Figure 4 Yes Figure 3 Flowchart of an example of leakage determination processing;

[0031] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a structure of a vehicle according to a modified example; and

[0032] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the leakage determination process in the modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Hereinafter, 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.

[0034] Figure 1 : is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a vehicle according to this embodiment. Figure 1 The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 10 and a battery pack 20. The vehicle body 10 is the portion of the vehicle 100 other than the battery pack 20. The vehicle body 10 includes a vehicle drive device as a drive source. The vehicle drive device includes an MG (Motor Generator) 11a and an inverter 11b. The vehicle drive device is configured to use the power output from the battery pack 20 to drive the vehicle 100. The battery pack 20 is configured to be connectable to the inverter 11b. The vehicle 100 is, for example, a battery electric vehicle that does not have an internal combustion engine. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the vehicle 100 may be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with an internal combustion engine or another electric vehicle.

[0035] The vehicle body 10 includes circuits CR11 and CR12. The battery pack 20 includes circuits CR21 and CR22. Circuit CR12 includes an auxiliary battery 17. Circuit CR21 includes a battery 21. Battery 21 is a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, or a sodium-ion battery. The secondary battery can be either a liquid secondary battery or an all-solid secondary battery. Multiple secondary batteries can also form a battery pack. The auxiliary battery 17 is equivalent to a low-voltage power supply that outputs power at a voltage lower than the voltage of the battery 21. A DC / DC converter 16 is provided between circuit CR11 and circuit CR12.

[0036] Circuit CR11 within vehicle body 10 includes MG 11a, inverter 11b, DC charging relay 14a, DC inlet 14b, AC charger 15a, and AC inlet 15b. Circuit CR11 also includes leakage detector 12. Circuit CR21 within battery pack 20 includes BMS (Battery Management System) 22a.

[0037] The vehicle body 10 also includes a terminal T11, which allows the battery pack 20 to be attached and detached, and an SMR (System Main Relay) 13, located between terminal T11 and the vehicle drive device (inverter 11b). A circuit CR11 (high-voltage power line) is connected to terminal T11 via SMR13. The battery pack 20 includes a terminal T21, which allows attachment and detachment from the vehicle body 10, and an SMR23, located between terminal T21 and circuit CR21. Circuit CR21 (high-voltage power line) is connected to terminal T21 via SMR23.

[0038] The terminal T21 of the battery pack 20 is connected to the terminal T11 of the vehicle body 10. The SMR 23 of the battery pack 20 is arranged between the terminal T21 of the battery pack 20 and the battery 21. The SMR 23 can easily and appropriately switch the connection / disconnection (disconnection) between the target device (inverter 11b) and the battery 21.

[0039] The vehicle body 10 also includes a terminal T12 to which the battery pack 20 can be attached and detached. The circuit CR12 (low voltage power line) in the vehicle body 10 is connected to the terminal T12. The communication line CL1 ( Figure 1 The battery pack 20 also has a terminal T22. In the battery pack 20, the circuit CR22 (low voltage power supply line) and the communication line CL2 ( Figure 1 The dotted line in the figure) is connected to the terminal T22.

[0040] Auxiliary battery 17 supplies power for driving auxiliary equipment mounted on vehicle 100. Auxiliary battery 17 outputs DC power to circuit CR12 (low-voltage power line). Circuit CR12 includes ECUs 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d in addition to auxiliary battery 17. Circuit CR22 also includes ECU 28a. Auxiliary battery 17 supplies power to ECUs 18a through 18d, and 28a, respectively, connected to the low-voltage power line. "ECU" stands for Electronic Control Unit.

[0041] ECU18a corresponds to a control device (EV-ECU) that oversees various controls related to vehicle 100. ECU18b corresponds to a control device (Plg-ECU) that detects the states of DC inlet 14b and AC inlet 15b. ECU18c corresponds to a control device (Bat-C-ECU) that controls DC charging relay 14a and AC charger 15a. ECU18d corresponds to a control device (leakage ECU) that monitors the leakage state of circuit CR11. ECU18d, for example, detects the current between the electrical circuit including circuit CR11 and ground, uses the detected current to calculate the insulation resistance value, and calculates the calculated resistance value as the leakage state. ECU28a corresponds to a control device (Bat-ECU) that monitors the state of battery 21 and controls SMR 23.

[0042] Each ECU includes a processor and a storage device. The storage device is configured to store information. In addition to programs, the storage device also stores various information used by the programs. In this embodiment, various controls are performed by the processor executing the programs stored in the storage device. However, these processes can also be performed solely by hardware (electronic circuitry) without using software.

[0043] In vehicle 100, the ECUs are interconnected via an in-vehicle network (e.g., CAN (Controller Area Network)) to enable communication. ECU 18a receives information from other ECUs to control inverter 11b, DC / DC converter 16, and SMRs 13 and 23, and to send control commands to ECU 18c and ECU 28a.

[0044] Leakage detector 12 detects the leakage state of circuit CR11 (e.g., insulation resistance) and outputs the detection result to ECU 18d. BMS 22a detects the state of battery 21 (current, voltage, temperature, etc.) and outputs the detection result to ECU 28a. ECU 18a obtains information indicating the leakage state and battery state from ECUs 18d and 28a, respectively.

[0045] DC / DC converter 16 transforms DC power between circuit CR11 and circuit CR12. Specifically, DC / DC converter 16 steps down the DC power from battery 21 and outputs it to auxiliary battery 17 and other auxiliary devices connected to circuit CR12. Battery 21 has a larger capacity than auxiliary battery 17.

[0046] By connecting terminals T21 and T22 of battery pack 20 to terminals T11 and T12, battery pack 20 is mounted on vehicle body 10, forming vehicle 100. In vehicle 100, communication line CL1 of vehicle body 10 is connected to communication line CL2 of battery pack 20. These communication lines constitute an in-vehicle network (e.g., CAN) of vehicle 100.

[0047] The MG 11a functions as a driving motor. The inverter 11b functions as a PCU (Power Control Unit) for the MG 11a. The inverter 11b drives the MG 11a using power supplied by the battery 21 of the battery pack 20. The MG 11a converts the power into torque, rotating the drive wheels of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is decelerating, for example, the MG 11a generates regenerative power to charge the battery 21.

[0048] The DC inlet 14b and AC inlet 15b each have terminals for detecting whether a charging cable (plug) is connected or not, and output signals indicating whether a charging cable is connected to the ECU 18b. The ECU 18a receives information indicating the inlet status from the ECU 18b and sends control commands to the ECU 18c. The AC charger 15a performs AC / DC conversion. Plug-in charging of the battery 21 is performed through the collaboration of the ECUs 18a to 18c.

[0049] The vehicle body 10 also includes an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 19a and a communication device 19b. It should be noted that the HMI 19a and the communication device 19b also receive power from the auxiliary battery 17. The HMI 19a includes an input device and a notification device such as a display device installed in the vehicle cabin. The HMI 19a may also include a touch panel display. The input device outputs a signal corresponding to the input from the user to the ECU 18a. The communication device 19b is configured to be able to communicate with the server 380 ( Figure 2 ) for wireless communication. In addition, various sensors (representatively described as vehicle-mounted sensors 19c) not shown are also mounted on the vehicle body 10. The ECU 18a is configured to obtain detection results from these sensors directly or through other ECUs.

[0050] In this embodiment, the HMI 19a includes a start switch. By operating the start switch, the user of the vehicle 100 can start or stop the control system (including each ECU) of the vehicle 100 or put the vehicle 100 into the Ready-ON state or the Ready-OFF state.

[0051] The Ready-ON state is when the voltage of the battery 21 of the battery pack 20 connected to the vehicle body 10 is applied to the circuit CR11 of the vehicle body 10. In the Ready-ON state, the SMR 13 is closed, and the SMR 23 of the battery pack 20 is also closed, and power is supplied from the battery 21 corresponding to the closed SMR 23 to the vehicle drive device (MG 11a and inverter 11b). The Ready-OFF state is when the voltage of the battery 21 is not applied to the circuit CR11. In the Ready-OFF state, the SMR 13 is open, and power is not supplied from the battery 21 of the battery pack 20 to the vehicle drive device.

[0052] The battery pack 20 mounted on the vehicle 100 can be replaced with another battery pack. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery replacement system for replacing a battery pack. Figure 2 The battery swap system 300 shown is installed at a battery swap station, for example.

[0053] Reference Figure 2 The battery replacement system 300 is configured to remove a battery pack mounted on the vehicle 100 from the vehicle body 10 and to install another battery pack on the vehicle body 10 .

[0054] Hereinafter, the battery pack recovered from the vehicle 100 is referred to as "battery pack B1", and the battery pack installed in the vehicle 100 instead of the battery pack B1 is referred to as "battery pack B2". The battery packs B1 and B2 each have Figure 1 The battery pack B2 after being mounted on the vehicle body 10 serves as the battery pack 20 ( Figure 1 ) to perform its function.

[0055] In detail, the battery replacement system 300 includes a first storage device 310, a second storage device 320, a recovery device 330, a filling device 340, a replacement device 350, a server 380, and a display device 390. The first storage device 310 stores multiple battery packs supplied to the vehicle. In addition to a pack storage unit (e.g., a storage warehouse), the first storage device 310 also includes a charger and a supply device. The second storage device 320 stores multiple battery packs recovered from multiple vehicles. In addition to a pack storage unit (e.g., a storage warehouse), the second storage device 320 also includes an inspection device and a sorting device. The server 380 includes a processor, a storage device, and a communication device, and functions as a control device. The storage device distinguishes and stores information related to each battery pack present in the battery replacement system 300 (e.g., specification information) using the identification information (pack ID) of the battery pack. The display device 390 displays information according to instructions from the server 380.

[0056] Below, use Figures 1 to 4Explains how to replace the battery. Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing an example of a battery pack replacement method. Figure 4 Yes Figure 3 For example, after the vehicle 100 is parked in a predetermined area within the battery exchange station, the ECU 18a starts Figure 3 The process flow from S10 to S14 is shown. The ECU 18a may start this process flow in response to a request from a terminal (user terminal) of a user of the vehicle 100 or a request from an input device within the vehicle 100. The ECU 18a and the server 380 are configured to be capable of wireless communication.

[0057] In step (hereinafter referred to as S) 11, ECU 18a transmits a signal (hereinafter referred to as a "replacement request signal") to server 380 requesting battery pack replacement. The replacement request signal includes identification information (vehicle ID) of vehicle 100 and specification information of battery pack 20 (battery pack B1) mounted on vehicle 100. The replacement request signal may also include specification information of vehicle body 10 instead of or in addition to the specification information of battery pack B1.

[0058] In S12, the ECU 18a determines whether or not the battery pack 20 has been replaced. The determination in S12 is repeated until the replacement of the battery pack 20 is completed (No in S12).

[0059] Upon receiving the above replacement request signal, the server 380 starts Figure 3 The processing flow from S31 to S33.

[0060] In S31, server 380 selects a battery pack from the battery packs (inventory) stored in first storage device 310 that meets the specifications of vehicle 100 (battery pack B1 or vehicle body 10) indicated by the replacement request signal. If server 380 determines that a battery pack meeting the specifications of vehicle 100 is out of stock, server 380 may display a message explaining the situation on display device 390 and suspend the battery replacement process. If a battery pack is selected in S31, processing proceeds to S32.

[0061] In S32, the server 380 controls the replacement device 350 so as to remove the battery pack B1 from the vehicle body 10. As a result, the vehicle body 10 and the battery pack B1 are separated. The process then proceeds to S33.

[0062] In S33, the server 380 controls the charger of the first storage device 310 in such a manner as to charge the battery pack B2 selected in S31. However, the charging timing can be changed appropriately. The first storage device 310 can also be filled with a charged battery pack. At the end of charging, the server 380 controls the supply device of the first storage device 310 in such a manner as to transport (supply) the battery pack B2 from the first storage device 310 to the replacement device 350. Next, the server 380 controls the replacement device 350 in such a manner as to install the battery pack B2 on the vehicle body 10. At this time, the SMR23 of the installed battery pack B2 is in the disconnected state. Thereafter, the server 380 sends a signal to the ECU18a notifying the completion of the installation of the battery pack (hereinafter referred to as the "replacement completion signal").

[0063] exist Figure 2 An example of removing the battery pack and installing the battery pack at different positions is shown in FIG. The position of the vehicle can also be adjusted before removing the battery pack, before installing the battery pack, or in both cases. The vehicle can also be moved by a conveying device (for example, a conveying device of a conveyor belt type) or a conveying robot not shown in the figure. However, the removal of the battery pack and the installation of the battery pack can also be performed at the same position. The battery pack can also be replaced (removed and installed) when the vehicle is stationary. The conveying method of each of the recovery device 330, the supply device and the filling device 340 is also arbitrary. These conveying methods can be either a conveyor belt method or a method using a conveying robot. It should be noted that the battery replacement system (station) and the vehicle do not communicate, and the user replaces the battery pack (storage device) through manual operation.

[0064] For example, when the battery pack B2 is mounted on the vehicle body 10, the terminals T21 and T22 of the battery pack B2 are connected to the terminals T11 and T12 of the vehicle body 10, respectively. Figure 1 By installing the battery pack B2 on the vehicle body 10, the low voltage power supply line (circuit CR12, CR22) and the communication line (communication line CL1, CL2) are connected between the vehicle body 10 and the battery pack B2. Then, in the battery pack B2, Figure 3 The processing flow from S21 to S24 is shown.

[0065] In S21, the ECU 28a is activated by the electric power supplied from the power supply (auxiliary battery 17) in the vehicle body 10. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S22.

[0066] In S22, ECU 28a transmits information indicating the battery pack's status (hereinafter referred to as "status information") to ECU 18a. This status information includes, for example, information regarding the current voltage of battery 21 detected by BMS 22a. The voltage of battery 21 may fluctuate depending on the battery's SOC (State of Charge). SOC represents, for example, the ratio of the current stored charge to the fully charged state, using a scale of 0 to 100%. Processing then shifts to S23.

[0067] In S23, the ECU 28a determines whether it has received an SMR on command from the vehicle body 10. While maintaining the SMR 23 in the off state, the ECU 28a waits for an SMR on command from the vehicle body 10 in S23. If the ECU 28a receives the SMR on command (YES in S23), the process proceeds to S24.

[0068] In S24 , the ECU 28 a switches the SMR 23 from the open state (disconnected state) to the closed state (connected state).

[0069] On the other hand, when the battery pack B2 is mounted on the vehicle body 10, the ECU 18a receives a replacement completion signal from the server 380 (S33). Therefore, if the determination in S12 is YES, the process proceeds to S13.

[0070] In S13, the ECU 18a determines whether the state information has been received from the ECU 28a of the battery pack B2. If the ECU 18a has received the state information from the battery pack (YES in S13), the process proceeds to S14.

[0071] In S14, the ECU 18a executes the leakage determination process. Figure 4 The leakage determination process is described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0072] In S100, the ECU 18a obtains the insulation resistance value. The ECU 18a obtains the insulation resistance value from, for example, the ECU 18d. The process then proceeds to S102.

[0073] In S102, the ECU 18a determines whether the insulation resistance value obtained in S100 is greater than a threshold value α. Threshold α is a predetermined value used to determine the presence of leakage, and is obtained through experimentation or other means. If the insulation resistance value is determined to be greater than threshold α (YES in S102), the process proceeds to S104.

[0074] In S104, the ECU 18a turns on the SMRs 13 and 23. Specifically, the ECU 18a sends an SMR turning-on command to each of the SMR 13 and the ECU 28a. The process then proceeds to S106.

[0075] In S106, ECU 18a obtains the insulation resistance value. ECU 18a obtains the insulation resistance value from, for example, ECU 18d. The process then moves to S112. It should be noted that if it is determined in S102 that the insulation resistance value is below threshold α (No in S102), the process moves to S108.

[0076] In S108, the ECU 18a determines that there is a leakage on the vehicle body 10. For example, the ECU 18a turns on a flag indicating that there is a leakage on the vehicle body 10. The process then proceeds to S110.

[0077] In S110, ECU 18a executes a first fail-safe process. The first fail-safe process may include at least one of controlling SMR 13 to the OFF state, prohibiting SMR 13 from switching to the ON state, controlling SMR 23 to the OFF state, and prohibiting SMR 23 from switching to the ON state. For example, ECU 18a may conditionally execute the first fail-safe process on the condition that a flag indicating leakage on the vehicle body 10 is ON. The process then terminates.

[0078] In S112, the ECU 18a determines whether the insulation resistance value obtained in S106 is greater than a threshold value α. Threshold value α is as described above, so its detailed description is not repeated. If the insulation resistance value is determined to be greater than threshold value α (YES in S112), the process proceeds to S114.

[0079] In S114, ECU18a determines that there is no leakage. After that, the processing ends. ECU18a sets the flag indicating that there is no leakage on both the vehicle body side and the battery pack side to the on state, for example. ECU18a can also use the on state of the flag indicating that there is no leakage as a condition to allow the transition to the Ready-On state. It should be noted that if it is determined in S112 that the resistance value of the insulation resistance is less than the threshold value α (No in S112), the processing is transferred to S116.

[0080] In S116, the ECU 18a determines that there is leakage on the side of the battery pack 20. For example, the ECU 18a sets a flag indicating leakage on the side of the battery pack 20 to an on state. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S118.

[0081] In S118, ECU18a executes the second fail-safe process. The second fail-safe process may include, for example, at least one of a process of controlling SMR13 to be in the off state, a process of prohibiting SMR13 from switching to the on state, a process of controlling SMR23 to be in the off state, and a process of prohibiting SMR23 from switching to the on state. The second fail-safe process may be the same process as the first fail-safe process or a different process. ECU18a may also execute the second fail-safe process, for example, under the condition that a flag indicating that there is leakage on the battery pack 20 side is in the on state. Thereafter, the process ends.

[0082] As described above, according to the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the presence or absence of leakage can be detected and the cause of the leakage can be determined using the detection results of whether the insulation resistance value of the battery pack 20 is lower than a threshold value when the battery pack 20 is connected to the electrical circuit on the vehicle body 10 side, and the detection results of whether the insulation resistance value of the battery pack 20 is lower than a threshold value when the battery pack 20 is disconnected from the electrical circuit on the vehicle body 10 side. Therefore, if leakage is detected before the SMR 23 of the battery pack 20 is turned on, the cause of the leakage can be determined to be caused by the electrical circuit on the vehicle body 10 side. In addition, if the SMR 23 of the battery pack 20 is turned on after it is determined that there is no leakage on the vehicle body 10 side, and leakage is determined, the cause of the leakage can be determined to be caused by the battery pack 20 side. Therefore, a vehicle can be provided that performs appropriate leakage detection in a vehicle equipped with a detachable battery.

[0083] Modifications will be described below.

[0084] In the above embodiment, it is described that when the insulation resistance value is less than the threshold value α when SMRs 13 and 23 are in the disconnected state, ECU 18a determines that there is a leakage on the vehicle body 10 side and executes the first fail-safe process. However, instead of executing the first fail-safe process or in addition to it, ECU 18a may use HMI 19a including a notification device to notify the user that a leakage has occurred in the vehicle body 10. As a notification method, for example, a method of using image information or text information to display that a leakage has occurred in the vehicle body 10, or a method of using sound or the like to notify that a leakage has occurred in the vehicle body 10 may be used. It should be noted that ECU 18a may also cause the display device 390 to display information indicating that a leakage has occurred in the vehicle body 10 via the server 380.

[0085] In this way, the user can recognize that the cause of the electric leakage is caused by the electric circuit on the vehicle body side.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ECU 18a performs the second fail-safe process when no leakage is detected when SMRs 13 and 23 are in the off state, and when SMRs 13 and 23 are in the on state, if the insulation resistance value is less than or equal to threshold value α, it determines that leakage is occurring on the battery pack 20 side. Alternatively, or in addition to the second fail-safe process, the ECU 18a may use the HMI 19a to notify the user of leakage in the battery pack 20. The HMI 19a includes a notification device. It should be noted that the ECU 18a may also cause the display device 390, via the server 380, to display information indicating leakage in the battery pack 20.

[0087] In this way, the user can recognize that the cause of the leakage is the battery pack 20 .

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a case where a single battery pack 20 is mounted on the vehicle 100 is described as an example. However, multiple battery packs 20 may also be mounted on the vehicle 100. In this case, each of the multiple battery packs 20 is provided with an SMR 23 that disconnects or connects the electrical circuit of the vehicle body 10. The ECU 18a changes the combination of the on and off states of the SMRs 23 in the multiple battery packs 20 to detect leakage for each battery.

[0089] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a vehicle 100 according to a modified example. Figure 5 The vehicle 100 is shown with Figure 1 Compared to vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 1 , the battery pack 20 is replaced with battery packs 20A and 20B, and a parallel circuit CR13 connecting battery packs 20A and 20B in parallel with SMR 13. Battery packs 20A and 20B have the same structure as battery pack 20. Therefore, a detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0090] An example of the electrical leakage determination process executed in such vehicle 100 will be described below. Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the leakage determination process in the modification. Figure 6 The processing shown in the flowchart is as follows Figure 3 The leakage determination process of S14 in the flowchart is executed.

[0091] In S200 , the ECU 18a acquires the insulation resistance value from the ECU 18d , and then the process proceeds to S202 .

[0092] In S202 , the ECU 18a determines whether the insulation resistance value acquired in S100 is greater than a threshold value α. If it is determined that the insulation resistance value is greater than the threshold value α (YES in S202 ), the process proceeds to S204 .

[0093] In S204 , the ECU 18 a turns on the SMR 23 of the battery pack 20A, and then the process proceeds to S206 .

[0094] In S206, ECU 18a obtains the insulation resistance value from ECU 18d. The process then proceeds to S212. If the insulation resistance value obtained in S100 is determined to be less than threshold value α (No in S202), the process proceeds to S208.

[0095] In S208, the ECU 18a determines that there is a leakage on the vehicle body 10 side. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S210.

[0096] In S210, the ECU 18a executes the first fail-safe process. The first fail-safe process is as described above, so its detailed description will not be repeated. The process then ends.

[0097] In S212 , the ECU 18a determines whether the insulation resistance value acquired in S206 is greater than a threshold value α. If it is determined that the insulation resistance value is greater than the threshold value α (YES in S212 ), the process proceeds to S214 .

[0098] In S214 , the ECU 18 a turns on the SMR 23 of the battery pack 20B, and then the process proceeds to S216 .

[0099] In S216, ECU 18a obtains the insulation resistance value from ECU 18d. The process then proceeds to S222. If the insulation resistance value obtained in S212 is determined to be less than threshold value α (No in S212), the process proceeds to S218.

[0100] In S218 , the ECU 18 a determines that there is a leakage in the battery pack 20A, and then the process proceeds to S220 .

[0101] In S220, ECU 18a executes a second fail-safe process. The second fail-safe process may include, for example, at least one of controlling SMR 13 to the OFF state, prohibiting SMR 13 from switching to the ON state, controlling SMR 23 of battery pack 20A to the OFF state, and prohibiting SMR 23 of battery pack 20A from switching to the ON state. The process then terminates.

[0102] In S222, the ECU 18a determines whether the insulation resistance value acquired in S216 is greater than the threshold value α. If it is determined that the insulation resistance value is greater than the threshold value α (YES in S222), the process proceeds to S224.

[0103] In S224, the ECU 18a determines that there is no leakage. The process then ends. Note that if the insulation resistance value obtained in S216 is determined to be less than the threshold value α (No in S222), the process proceeds to S226.

[0104] In S226 , the ECU 18 a determines that there is a leakage in the battery pack 20B, and then the process proceeds to S228 .

[0105] In S228, ECU 18a executes the third fail-safe process. The third fail-safe process may include, for example, at least one of controlling SMR 13 to the OFF state, prohibiting SMR 13 from switching to the ON state, controlling SMR 23 of battery pack 20B to the OFF state, and prohibiting SMR 23 of battery pack 20B from switching to the ON state. The process then terminates.

[0106] In this way, in a vehicle equipped with multiple battery packs (battery packs 20A and 20B), the combination of the on and off states of SMRs 13 and 23 is changed to detect leakage for each battery pack. This allows precise identification of the battery pack in which leakage has occurred. It should be noted that the number of battery packs 20 installed in vehicle 100 is not limited to two; three or more battery packs 20 may also be installed.

[0107] Note that this modified example describes the case where, when the insulation resistance is greater than threshold α, SMRs 23 of battery pack 20B are switched on while SMRs 23 of battery pack 20A are maintained in the on state. However, for example, SMRs 23 of battery pack 20A may be switched off before SMRs 23 of battery pack 20B are switched on. Alternatively, SMRs 23 of battery pack 20B may be switched on first to obtain the insulation resistance value. If the insulation resistance value is greater than threshold α, SMRs 23 of battery pack 20A may be switched on to obtain the insulation resistance value to detect leakage.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the example in which the leakage determination process, including the switching of SMRs 13 and 23, is executed by ECU 18a is described. However, the execution of the leakage determination process or the switching of SMRs 13 and 23 is not limited to ECU 18a. For example, the execution of the leakage determination process or the switching of SMRs 13 and 23 may be performed by ECU 18d or another ECU mounted on vehicle body 10.

[0109] and, Figure 1 or Figure 5 The structure of the vehicle body 10 shown can be modified as appropriate. For example, the SMR 13 of the vehicle body 10 can be omitted, or the SMR 23 of the battery packs 20, 20A, and 20B can be omitted. Furthermore, at least one of the DC inlet 14b and the AC inlet 15b can be omitted, or replaced with a single inlet shared by both AC and DC. These inlets can also be configured to enable bidirectional power transmission. The vehicle body can also use the power output from the installed battery pack to perform external power supply (V2X: Vehicle to Everything, information exchange between the vehicle and the outside world).

[0110] It should be noted that all or part of the above-mentioned modifications may be appropriately combined and implemented.

[0111] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle, wherein: The vehicle has: body; a battery that can be removed from the vehicle body; and A detection device is provided in the electrical circuit on the vehicle body side to detect whether there is leakage. The detection device detects the presence of the leakage when the battery is in at least one of a conductive state in which the battery is connected to the electric circuit and a disconnected state in which the battery is disconnected from the electric circuit.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The detection device detects whether the electrical circuit has the leakage when the circuit is in the disconnected state, and detects whether the electrical circuit has the leakage when the circuit is in the connected state if the leakage is not detected.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle body is configured to be capable of carrying a plurality of the batteries. Each of the plurality of batteries is provided with a relay for disconnecting or connecting the battery to the electrical circuit. The detection device changes the combination of the on state and the off state of the relays in the plurality of batteries to detect the presence or absence of the leakage for each battery.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The vehicle further includes a notification device configured to notify that the leakage has occurred in the vehicle body when the detection device detects the leakage in the electric circuit in the disconnected state.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The vehicle further includes a notification device that notifies that the leakage has occurred in the battery when the detection device does not detect the leakage in the electric circuit in the disconnected state and when the detection device detects the leakage in the electric circuit in the connected state.

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