Motor home energy management method

Abstract

The invention provides a motor home energy management method, and relates to the technical field of motor home energy management, and the method comprises the steps: a high-power AC load unit whose power is not smaller than a preset power value sends a starting request; judging whether the starting condition of the high-power alternating-current load unit is met or not; and if yes, allowing the high-power AC load unit to start. Whether the high-power alternating-current load unit is started or not can be determined according to the state of the motor home, and starting management of the high-power alternating-current load unit is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of RV energy management, and in particular to a RV energy management method. Background Art

[0002] RVs, as unique vehicles that combine mobility and residential functions, are equipped with a variety of DC and AC loads to meet user needs. Traditionally, starting high-power AC loads in RVs directly uses batteries to power the DC loads. When the RV is connected to the mains, the AC loads rely on the mains. When the RV is off-grid, the battery's DC power needs to be inverted to AC to power the AC loads. Alternatively, if the battery is low, the AC generator can be manually switched on to power the AC loads.

[0003] However, in existing RV usage scenarios, AC loads vary significantly in power. These AC loads range from low-power appliances like lighting and small household appliances to high-power devices like air conditioners and electric water heaters. Given the same power supply duration, high-power AC loads undoubtedly consume more energy. This means that as the number of high-power AC loads in RVs continues to increase, the required battery capacity must also increase to ensure normal power demand. However, RVs are relatively compact, and to reduce overall weight, lower manufacturing costs, and improve driving flexibility and fuel economy, the battery capacity is often minimized. Furthermore, larger batteries increase the probability of damage from external forces, which can lead to fires and financial losses. Therefore, increasing battery capacity not only significantly increases the purchase cost and overall weight of the RV but also poses potential safety risks.

[0004] Furthermore, existing RVs lack a specific power supply strategy tailored to the power level of the AC load. Forcibly activating a high-power AC load when the RV battery is low not only causes over-discharge of the battery, shortening its lifespan, but also significantly reduces the available energy for the high-power AC load due to insufficient battery charge. Consequently, high-power AC loads are often forced to shut down after a brief activation due to a lack of available energy, significantly impacting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to reduce the RV's dependence on battery capacity to a certain extent and reduce the risks brought by excessive battery capacity, the present application provides an RV energy management method.

[0006] This application provides a method for managing RV energy, which adopts the following technical solutions: A recreational vehicle energy management method, comprising: A high-power AC load unit with a power not less than a preset power value issues a start request; Determine whether the high-power AC load unit startup condition is met; if so, allow the high-power AC load unit to start.

[0007] When the high-power AC load unit in the RV issues a start-up request, the present application will first determine whether the current state of the RV meets the conditions for starting the high-power AC load unit. Only when the current state of the RV meets the conditions for starting the high-power AC load unit will it respond to the start-up request of the high-power AC load unit and allow the high-power AC load unit to start. By adopting the above technical solution, the present application realizes the startup management of the high-power AC load unit in the RV. Especially when the battery power of the RV is low, the present application can reduce the deep discharge damage of the battery caused by forced startup at low power and extend the service life of the battery.

[0008] Optionally, the start-up condition of the high-power AC load unit includes that the high-power AC load unit is being powered by an AC power source.

[0009] When the RV is connected to an AC power source, the present application can use the connected AC power source to power a high-power AC load unit, thereby reducing dependence on and loss of the battery.

[0010] Optionally, the start-up condition of the high-power AC load unit includes that the high-power AC load unit is powered by a battery and the battery power is greater than a power threshold.

[0011] By adopting the above solution, the present application can use the battery to power a high-power AC load unit through inversion when the RV is not connected to the AC power supply and the battery has sufficient power, thereby reducing the risk of startup failure or unstable operation due to insufficient power and improving the stability of the RV energy system.

[0012] Optionally, after the high-power AC load unit issues a start request, it is also determined whether the start conditions of the AC generator are met. If the starting condition of the AC generator is met, the AC generator is started to supply power to the high-power AC load unit.

[0013] Optionally, the starting condition of the AC generator includes that the high-power AC load unit is being powered by a battery.

[0014] By adopting the above solution, after receiving the start-up request of the high-power AC load unit, the AC generator will be started as long as it is powered by the battery. After the AC generator is started, the high-power AC load unit is powered by the AC generator, thereby greatly reducing the RV's dependence on battery capacity.

[0015] Optionally, the starting condition of the AC generator includes that the high-power AC load unit is powered by a battery and the battery power is not greater than a power threshold.

[0016] By adopting the above solution, after receiving the start-up request of the high-power AC load unit, the energy for starting and running the high-power AC load unit is provided by the battery when the battery power is sufficient. Only when the battery power is insufficient will the AC generator be started to supply power to the high-power AC load unit, thereby ensuring low noise during the early operation of the high-power AC load unit and reducing the RV's dependence on battery capacity to a certain extent.

[0017] Optionally, the power required for starting the AC generator is provided by a battery.

[0018] Optionally, the method further includes: It is determined whether the AC power to be output by the AC generator meets the output conditions. If the AC power to be output meets the output conditions, the AC power output by the AC generator is used to power the high-power AC load unit.

[0019] Optionally, the output condition is that the effective value of the voltage of the alternating current to be output is stable within a voltage threshold range.

[0020] Optionally, the method further includes: if the battery power is not greater than a power threshold, issuing an alarm signal.

[0021] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. When a high-power AC load device in an RV issues a start command, the technical solution proposed in this application first evaluates the RV's current operating status to confirm whether it meets the startup requirements for the high-power AC load device. Only when the RV status meets all startup conditions will the system respond and execute the device startup operation, effectively managing the startup process of the high-power AC load device in the RV.

[0022] 2. Compared with the traditional RV, which mainly relies on batteries to power high-power AC loads through a charging and inverter integrated machine when not connected to the mains, the technical solution proposed in this application can start the AC generator, so that the power supply of the high-power AC load unit mainly comes from the AC generator, effectively solving the problem of rapid consumption of battery power by high-power AC load equipment, thereby reducing the RV's dependence on large-capacity batteries and reducing a series of problems that may be caused by equipping with large-capacity batteries.

[0023] 3. When the battery power is at a low level, this application can effectively avoid the deep discharge of the battery caused by forced start-up of the high-power AC load unit when the battery power is too low, thereby reducing the possibility of deep discharge damage to the battery and extending the overall service life of the battery.

[0024] 4. By managing the startup status of high-power AC load units, this application can significantly reduce the probability of instantaneous overload conditions caused by the simultaneous startup of multiple high-power AC load units, thereby effectively avoiding the risk of burning the charging and inverter integrated device and potential problems such as a sharp drop in battery voltage in a short period of time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a flow chart of the method of Example 1 of the present application; Figure 2 This is a flow chart of the method of Example 2 of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application is described in further detail.

[0027] In related technologies, RVs either use batteries or AC power to power AC loads. When users want to start an AC load, they simply turn on the power of the AC load or control it through wireless communication. In some cases, such as when the AC load is powered by AC power or an AC generator, and the voltage of the AC power or AC generator is unstable, directly turning on the AC load will shorten the service life of the AC load. For another example, when the AC load is powered by a battery and the battery is low, directly turning on a high-power AC load will rapidly consume the battery power, causing deep discharge and damage to the battery. In this case, other electrical appliances in the RV will also lose power due to battery depletion, affecting their use.

[0028] When batteries are powering AC loads and the battery charge is insufficient, increasing the battery capacity is an option. However, the compact size of RVs often requires a battery with the smallest possible capacity to reduce overall weight, lower manufacturing costs, and improve driving flexibility and fuel economy. Furthermore, larger batteries increase the probability of damage from external forces, which can lead to fires and financial losses. Therefore, safety considerations necessitate a battery with the smallest possible capacity. Therefore, increasing battery capacity can easily be counterproductive.

[0029] Therefore, the present application proposes a motorhome energy management method to solve the above-mentioned problems. The motorhome energy management method proposed in the present application can be used in the energy system of the motorhome, which is equipped with at least one high-power AC load unit. In some embodiments, it can also include at least one low-power AC load unit and / or at least one DC load unit. Among them, the high-power AC load unit can be an air conditioner, a microwave oven, or other units with higher power, and the low-power AC load unit can be a fan, a stereo, or other units with lower power. In the present application, the power of 400W is used as the dividing node between high-power AC load units and low-power AC load units. Loads with a power of less than 400W are classified as low-power AC load units, and loads with a power of not less than 400W are classified as high-power AC load units. In other embodiments, the dividing node can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario, and the present application does not limit this. The DC load unit can be a DC lamp or other load that requires a DC power supply.

[0030] Example 1: This example discloses a method for managing energy in a motorhome. Figure 1 , the method comprising: S1. When the user controls the high-power AC load unit to start, the high-power AC load unit will first send a start request.

[0031] When the user starts the high-power AC load, the high-power AC load can be started by controlling the high-power AC load through wireless communication signals, such as remote control, or by controlling the high-power AC load through wired communication signals, such as load onboard button control.

[0032] When the high-power AC load unit issues a start request, the start request may be received by an onboard controller, or in other embodiments, by other devices configured to process the request. The start request may be sent to the onboard controller via a wired communication signal, such as a data cable, or via a wireless communication signal, such as a cellular network.

[0033] S2. Determine whether the conditions for starting the high-power AC load unit are met; if so, allow the high-power AC load unit to start.

[0034] When the vehicle-mounted controller receives the start request, the vehicle-mounted controller is used to determine whether the start condition of the high-power AC load unit is met.

[0035] In this embodiment, the high-power AC load unit is electrically connected to an AC power source via the integrated charger and inverter, which is also electrically connected to the battery. The condition for the high-power AC load unit to start can be that the integrated charger and inverter are connected to an AC power source. When the integrated charger and inverter are connected to an AC power source, it indicates that the high-power AC load unit is currently powered by the AC power source, and the high-power AC load unit is allowed to start.

[0036] Specifically, the AC power supply can be used to power the high-power AC load unit through the integrated charger and inverter. The integrated charger and inverter can detect whether the AC power supply is connected and transmit a signal indicating whether the AC power supply is connected to the vehicle controller. The vehicle controller can then send a corresponding signal to the high-power AC load unit based on the signal indicating whether the charger and inverter are connected to the AC power supply. If the charger and inverter are connected to the AC power supply, the vehicle controller sends a start signal to the high-power AC load unit, allowing the high-power AC load unit to start. If not, the vehicle controller does not send a signal, or sends a signal to the high-power AC load unit that does not allow startup.

[0037] Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present application, the high-power AC load unit may be activated when the charger / inverter is connected to a battery and the battery charge exceeds a threshold. In this case, the onboard controller sends a startup signal to the high-power AC load unit, allowing it to start. It should be noted that the threshold can be adjusted based on actual application scenarios and is not limited in this embodiment.

[0038] It should be noted that the integrated charger and inverter features an AC power priority module. This means that when both the AC power source and the battery are capable of supplying high-power AC power, the AC power source is used to power the high-power AC load unit. In other embodiments, the integrated charger and inverter can also be other devices capable of converting current, such as separate chargers and inverters. However, when both the AC power source and the battery are capable of supplying high-power AC power, the AC power source is still used to power the high-power AC load unit.

[0039] Specifically, in this embodiment, a high-power AC load unit is powered by a battery, and the integrated charger and inverter can detect whether the battery is currently powering the high-power AC load unit. If so, the information that the battery is currently powering the high-power AC load unit is transmitted to the on-board controller, which then determines whether the battery's charge level is greater than a charge threshold. If the battery is currently powering the high-power AC load unit and the battery's charge level is greater than the charge threshold, the on-board controller sends a start signal to the high-power AC load unit, allowing the high-power AC load unit to start. If not, the on-board controller sends an alarm signal, or simultaneously sends a signal to the high-power AC load unit disallowing startup.

[0040] Preferably, when a battery is used to power the high-power AC load unit, the on-board controller will also monitor the battery power in real time and send out an alarm signal when the battery power is not greater than a power threshold.

[0041] By adopting the above technical solution, this embodiment can realize intelligent control of high-power AC load units, so that the RV energy system can operate efficiently and stably.

[0042] Example 2: Reference Figure 2 After the high-power AC load unit issues a start-up request, the method further includes: S3: The onboard controller determines whether the RV's current state meets the AC generator's starting conditions. If so, it sends a start signal to the AC generator. Upon receiving the start signal, the AC generator draws its own starting power from the battery to start the AC generator. The AC power output from the AC generator is then used to power the high-power AC load unit via the charger-inverter.

[0043] The starting condition of the AC generator includes that the charger and inverter are powered by a battery.

[0044] Specifically, when the high-power AC load unit issues a start request, the charger and inverter do not send a signal to the vehicle controller to connect to the AC power supply, and the vehicle controller sends a start signal to the AC generator.

[0045] If the initial battery charge is greater than the charge threshold, the high-power AC load unit has already been powered by the battery through inverter power and started. When the AC generator receives the start signal, it starts and switches to the AC generator to power the high-power AC load unit. The battery power starts the high-power AC load unit only to reduce the startup waiting time. If the initial battery charge is less than the charge threshold, the high-power AC load unit has not yet started. When the AC generator receives the start signal, it starts and powers the high-power AC load unit, and then the high-power AC load unit starts. In either case, this solution greatly reduces the RV's dependence on battery capacity.

[0046] In other embodiments, the starting condition of the AC generator also includes that the charger and inverter are powered by a battery and the battery power is not greater than a power threshold.

[0047] Specifically, if the initial charge of the battery is greater than the charge threshold, at this time, the high-power AC load unit has been powered and started by the battery through inverter, and its early operation is also powered by the battery through inverter. The on-board controller will monitor the battery charge in real time, and when the battery charge is not greater than the charge threshold, send a start signal to the AC generator to start the AC generator and switch to the AC generator to power the high-power AC load unit, ensuring low noise during the early operation of the high-power AC load unit, and at the same time reducing the RV's dependence on battery capacity to a certain extent; if the initial charge of the battery is not greater than the charge threshold, a start signal is directly sent to the AC generator to start the AC generator and power the high-power AC load unit, and then start the high-power AC load unit.

[0048] Embodiment 3: In this embodiment, the method further includes: The voltage stabilization module within the charger / inverter determines whether the real-time RMS voltage of the current being outputted by the charger / inverter remains stable within a preset voltage threshold over a period of time. If so, the AC power output from the charger / inverter is used to power the high-power AC load unit. If not, the onboard controller either does not send a signal or sends a signal to the high-power AC load unit prohibiting startup.

[0049] The output condition is that the effective value of the voltage of the AC power to be output is stable within a voltage threshold range.

[0050] By adopting the above solution, this embodiment can ensure that only AC power with stable voltage is transmitted to the high-power AC load unit, effectively avoiding damage to the load unit caused by voltage fluctuations, and providing a stable and reliable power supply for the load unit.

[0051] The above are all preferred embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, any equivalent changes made based on the structure, shape, and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A RV energy management method, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: A high-power AC load unit with a power not less than a preset power value issues a start request; Determine whether the high-power AC load unit startup condition is met; if so, allow the high-power AC load unit to start.

2. The RV energy management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The startup condition of the high-power AC load unit includes that the high-power AC load unit is powered by an AC power source.

3. The RV energy management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The start-up condition of the high-power AC load unit includes that the high-power AC load unit is powered by a battery and the battery power is greater than a power threshold.

4. The RV energy management method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: After the high-power AC load unit issues a start request, it also determines whether the AC generator start conditions are met. If the starting condition of the AC generator is met, the AC generator is started to supply power to the high-power AC load unit.

5. The RV energy management method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The starting condition of the AC generator includes that the high-power AC load unit is being powered by the battery.

6. The RV energy management method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The starting condition of the AC generator includes that the high-power AC load unit is powered by a battery and the power level of the battery is not greater than a power threshold.

7. The RV energy management method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The power required for starting the alternator is provided by the battery.

8. The RV energy management method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The method further comprises: It is determined whether the AC power to be output by the AC generator meets the output conditions. If the AC power to be output meets the output conditions, the AC power output by the AC generator is used to power the high-power AC load unit.

9. The RV energy management method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The output condition is that the effective value of the voltage of the AC power to be output is stable within a voltage threshold range.

10. The RV energy management method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The method further includes: if the battery power is not greater than a power threshold, sending an alarm signal.

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