Power control device and power control method

Abstract

A power control device (10) includes: a receiving unit (121) that receives traffic information indicating a traffic condition ahead of a vehicle (S); an acquisition unit (122) that acquires a vehicle speed of the vehicle (S) and a state of charge of a battery (4) included in the vehicle (S); an estimation unit (123) that, when the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a first threshold value and the state of charge is less than a predetermined state of charge, estimates, on the basis of the traffic condition, whether or not the vehicle (S) will accelerate after a predetermined period of time has elapsed; and a power control unit (124) that causes a fuel cell (5) included in the vehicle (S) to output predetermined power before the vehicle (S) starts to accelerate as a result of the estimation unit (123) estimating that the vehicle (S) will accelerate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to power control devices and power control methods. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional fuel cell vehicles include a fuel cell and a battery, and the battery stores surplus power (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-129551), which is the difference between the power output from the fuel cell and the power used to drive the fuel cell vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The problem to be solved by the present invention

[0004] In fuel cell vehicles, the greater the acceleration, the greater the change in the amount of electricity the fuel cell outputs to the motor per unit time. Fuel cell vehicles equipped with this device are heavier than other fuel cell vehicles without it, and therefore experience a greater change in power during acceleration. Consequently, in fuel cell vehicles with this device, the change in power is more likely to increase during acceleration, such as when traffic congestion clears, making the fuel cell more susceptible to degradation.

[0005] This disclosure is made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to reduce the amount of variation in the power output from the fuel cell.

[0006] The means to solve this problem

[0007] The power control device according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes: a receiving unit for receiving traffic information indicating traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle; an acquiring unit for acquiring the vehicle speed and the state of charge of a battery included in the vehicle; an estimating unit for estimating, based on traffic conditions, whether the vehicle will accelerate after a predetermined time period if the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a first threshold and the state of charge is less than a predetermined state of charge; and a power control unit, which, as a result of the estimating unit estimating that the vehicle will accelerate, causes the fuel cell included in the vehicle to output a predetermined power before the vehicle begins to accelerate, wherein the power control unit causes the battery to be charged with the remaining power obtained by subtracting a first power required by the onboard equipment included in the vehicle and a second power required by the drive source included in the vehicle from the predetermined power.

[0008] After the vehicle begins to accelerate, when the vehicle speed is less than the second threshold and the charging status is less than the predetermined charging status, the power control unit can continue to output the predetermined power.

[0009] After the vehicle begins to accelerate, and while the power control unit causes the fuel cell to output a predetermined amount of power, the power control unit can cause the fuel cell to output a second amount of power when the vehicle speed reaches a second threshold or the charging state reaches a predetermined charging state.

[0010] Traffic information may include slope information indicating the gradient ahead of the vehicle, and the power control unit may reduce the second threshold when the gradient is uphill compared to when the gradient is downhill.

[0011] Traffic information may include information about other vehicles, such as the speed of another vehicle ahead, and the estimation unit may estimate whether the vehicle is accelerating based on the speed of the other vehicle.

[0012] The estimation unit can estimate that the vehicle will accelerate when the arrival time of the vehicle to the location of another vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined time period, and can estimate that the vehicle will not accelerate when the arrival time is less than the predetermined time period. The arrival time of the vehicle to the location of another vehicle is based on the distance between the location of the other vehicle and the location of the vehicle, as well as the vehicle speed.

[0013] Traffic information may include road segment information indicating road construction or congestion ahead of the vehicle, and the estimation unit may estimate whether the vehicle will accelerate based on the distance between the end position of the road construction or congestion segment on the vehicle's side and the vehicle's position, as well as the vehicle speed.

[0014] The estimation unit can estimate that the vehicle will accelerate when the arrival time of the vehicle to the end position is equal to or greater than a predetermined time period, and can estimate that the vehicle will not accelerate when the arrival time is less than the predetermined time period. The arrival time is based on the distance between the end position and the vehicle's position and the vehicle's speed.

[0015] Compared to when the road is a highway, the estimation unit can reduce the predetermined time period when the vehicle is traveling on a regular road.

[0016] Traffic information may include slope information indicating the gradient ahead of the vehicle, and the estimation unit may reduce the first threshold when the gradient is uphill compared to when the gradient is downhill.

[0017] The power control method according to the second aspect of this disclosure is executed by a processor and includes the following steps: The system acquires the vehicle speed and the state of charge of the battery included in the vehicle; receives traffic information indicating traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle; estimates, based on traffic conditions, whether the vehicle will accelerate after a predetermined time period if the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a first threshold and the state of charge is less than a predetermined state of charge; and, as a result of estimating that the vehicle will accelerate, performs electrical control such that the fuel cell included in the vehicle outputs a predetermined power before the vehicle begins to accelerate, the electrical control including charging the battery with the remaining power obtained by subtracting a first power required by the onboard equipment included in the vehicle and a second power required by the drive source included in the vehicle from the predetermined power.

[0018] Effects of the present invention

[0019] According to this disclosure, the amount of variation in the power output from a fuel cell can be reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an overview of the vehicle S according to this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the power control device 10.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the operation of the power control device 10 when a predetermined power is generated.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an operational example of the fuel cell 5 outputting a predetermined amount of power.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing sequence in the power control device 10. Detailed Implementation

[0025] <Overview of Vehicle S>

[0026] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an overview of the vehicle S according to this embodiment. Figure 1 The vehicle S shown includes: a receiving device 1, a vehicle speed sensor 2, a battery sensor 3, a battery 4, a fuel cell 5, a motor 6, onboard equipment 7, and an electric control device 10. The vehicle S is a vehicle that travels by driving the motor 6 with electricity supplied from the fuel cell 5, and is, for example, a fuel cell vehicle (FCV).

[0027] Receiving device 1 is a receiver that receives at least one of the following traffic information as a traffic information source: ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) information, VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) (registered trademark) information, or detected traffic information from an external information processing device. The traffic information includes, for example, slope information indicating the gradient ahead of vehicle S, other vehicle information indicating the speed of another vehicle ahead of vehicle S, and information indicating road construction ahead of vehicle S.

[0028] Fuel cell 5 is a battery that converts chemical energy into electricity by reacting fuel with an oxidant. Fuel cell 5 converts chemical energy into electricity by, for example, producing water through the reaction of hydrogen stored in a hydrogen tank (not shown) in vehicle S with oxygen contained in the atmosphere (air). Fuel cell 5 supplies the converted electrical energy (power) to motor 6 and onboard equipment 7, and charges battery 4.

[0029] Motor 6 is a motor used to drive vehicle S, and is a drive source powered by electricity supplied from fuel cell 5. Mounting equipment 7 is a device installed on the lathe of vehicle S and operated using electricity supplied from battery 4 and fuel cell 5, and is, for example, a refrigeration unit or cooling unit.

[0030] The power control device 10 is a device for outputting power from the battery 4 and the fuel cell 5. Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the power control device 10. (See diagram for example.) Figure 2 As shown, the power control device 10 causes the battery 4 to output a first power to the mounted device 7 and causes the fuel cell 5 to output a second power to the motor 6. The first power is a constant amount of power required by the mounted device 7 included in the vehicle S. The second power is the power required by the motor 6 included in the vehicle S and corresponds to the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal (not shown) included in the vehicle S.

[0031] In vehicle S, as the acceleration of vehicle S increases, the change in the amount of electricity output from fuel cell 5 to motor 6 per unit time increases. Since vehicle S is heavier than other vehicles without the onboard device 7, the change in acceleration is greater due to the inclusion of the onboard device 7. Therefore, for example, in vehicle S, the change is more likely to increase during acceleration when traffic congestion is clearing, making fuel cell 5 more prone to degradation.

[0032] Therefore, the power control device 10 estimates the time when the traffic congestion will clear based on the traffic information received by the receiving device 1, and causes the fuel cell 5 to generate a predetermined amount of power from the time prior to that time. This predetermined power is, for example, a power greater than the sum of a second power required for acceleration when the traffic congestion clears and a first power required by the mounted device 7. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the power control device 10 when a predetermined power is generated. (See diagram for example.) Figure 3 As shown, the power control device 10 causes the fuel cell 5 to output a first power from a predetermined power source to the mounted device 7 and a second power from a predetermined power source to the motor 6, and causes the battery 4 to be charged with the remaining power obtained by subtracting the first power and the second power from the predetermined power source.

[0033] By operating in this manner, even if the change in the second power increases when traffic congestion clears, the power control device 10 can maintain a constant power output from the fuel cell 5. Furthermore, the power control device 10 can extend the time period required to increase the power output of the fuel cell 5 to the predetermined power level by having the fuel cell 5 begin generating predetermined power from a time before traffic congestion clears. As a result, since the power control device 10 can reduce the change in power output per unit time from the fuel cell 5, it can suppress the degradation of the fuel cell 5. The configuration and operation of the power control device 10 will be described in detail below.

[0034] Configuration of Power Control Unit 10

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the power control device 10 includes a storage unit 11 and a control unit 12. The control unit 12 includes a receiving unit 121, an acquisition unit 122, an estimation unit 123, and a power control unit 124.

[0036] For example, storage unit 11 includes storage media such as ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD). Storage unit 11 stores programs executed by control unit 12 and various types of information used to output power from battery 4 and fuel cell 5.

[0037] The control unit 12 is a processor such as a CPU (central processing unit). The control unit 12 functions as a receiving unit 121, an acquisition unit 122, an estimation unit 123, and a power control unit 124 by executing programs stored in the storage unit 11. The control unit 12 can be configured with a single processor, or with multiple processors, or with a combination of one or more processors and electronic circuitry.

[0038] Receiving unit 121 receives traffic information indicating traffic conditions ahead of vehicle S. The traffic information includes, for example, gradient information, other vehicle information, road segment information, and road information. Gradient information indicates the type of gradient (uphill or downhill) ahead of vehicle S. Other vehicle information indicates the speed and position of one or more other vehicles ahead of vehicle S. Road segment information indicates the location of a construction or congested road segment ahead of vehicle S. Road information indicates the type of road (ordinary highway or expressway) on which vehicle S is traveling and the position of vehicle S. Receiving unit 121 receives traffic information from receiving device 1 through the following steps: for example, acquiring at least one of ITS information, VICS information, or detected traffic information as traffic information.

[0039] The acquisition unit 122 acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle S and the charging state of the battery 4 included in the vehicle S. The acquisition unit 122 acquires, for example, the vehicle speed of the vehicle S detected by the vehicle speed sensor 2 and the charging state of the battery 4 detected by the battery sensor 3.

[0040] With battery 4 in a rechargeable state, estimation unit 123 estimates whether vehicle S will accelerate when traffic congestion on the road it travels on clears. When the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a first threshold and the state of charge is less than a predetermined state of charge, estimation unit 123 estimates whether vehicle S will accelerate after a predetermined time period based on traffic conditions. The first threshold is the maximum speed of vehicle S determined by estimation unit 123 based on the slope ahead of vehicle S during traffic congestion, and is, for example, a value equal to or greater than 14 km / h and less than 22 km / h. For example, estimation unit 123 decreases the first threshold when the slope type included in the slope information is an uphill slope, compared to when the slope type is a downhill slope. The predetermined state of charge is the maximum state of charge in which battery 4 can be recharged, and is, for example, a fixed value indicating 80% or higher.

[0041] The predetermined time period is determined by the estimation unit 123 based on the vehicle speed of vehicle S and the type of road on which vehicle S is traveling. For example, the estimation unit 123 decreases the predetermined time period as the vehicle speed acquired by the acquisition unit 122 increases. For example, when the road on which vehicle S is traveling, included in the road information received by the receiving unit 121, is a regular road, the estimation unit 123 decreases the predetermined time period compared to when the road is a highway. By operating in this way, the estimation unit 123 can extend the predetermined time period on highways, where the traffic volume per unit time is less likely to change compared to regular roads, thereby reducing the amount of change in power when the power generated by the fuel cell 5 is increased to a predetermined power.

[0042] For example, estimation unit 123 estimates whether vehicle S will accelerate based on the speed of another vehicle. For instance, when the speed of another vehicle ahead of vehicle S, included in the other vehicle information received by receiving unit 121, is equal to or greater than a first threshold, estimation unit 123 identifies the distance between the position of the other vehicle included in the other vehicle information and the position of vehicle S included in the road information. Estimation unit 123 calculates the arrival time of vehicle S to the position of the other vehicle based on the speed of vehicle S and the identified distance. When the arrival time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time period, it estimates that vehicle S will accelerate; and when the arrival time is less than the predetermined time period, it estimates that vehicle S will not accelerate.

[0043] That is, when the arrival time of vehicle S to the location of another vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined time period, the estimation unit 123 estimates that vehicle S will accelerate, wherein the arrival time to the location of the other vehicle is based on the distance between the location of the other vehicle and the location of vehicle S and the speed of vehicle S. On the other hand, when the arrival time is less than the predetermined time period, the estimation unit 123 estimates that vehicle S will not accelerate.

[0044] The estimation unit 123 can estimate whether vehicle S will accelerate based on the distance between the end position of the construction or congestion section on the vehicle S side and the position of vehicle S, as well as the vehicle speed. For example, the estimation unit 123 identifies the distance between the end position of the construction or congestion section on the vehicle S side, included in the road information received by the receiving unit 121, and the position of vehicle S, included in the road information received by the receiving unit 121. Based on the vehicle speed of vehicle S and the identified distance, the estimation unit 123 calculates the time for vehicle S to reach the end position. When the calculated arrival time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time period, the estimation unit 123 estimates that vehicle S will accelerate, and when the calculated arrival time is less than the predetermined time period, it estimates that vehicle S will not accelerate.

[0045] In other words, when the time it takes for the vehicle to reach the end position of the construction or congestion section on the side of vehicle S is equal to or greater than a predetermined time period, the estimation unit 123 estimates that vehicle S will accelerate. The time for the vehicle to reach the end position of the construction or congestion section on the side of vehicle S is based on the distance between that end position and the position of vehicle S, as well as the speed of vehicle S. Conversely, when the arrival time is less than the predetermined time period, the estimation unit 123 estimates that vehicle S will not accelerate.

[0046] The power control unit 124 enables at least one of the battery 4 and the fuel cell 5 to output power. For example... Figure 2 As shown, since the estimation unit 123 estimates that the vehicle S will not accelerate, the power control unit 124 causes the battery 4 to output the first power to the mounted device 7 and causes the fuel cell 5 to output the second power to the motor 6.

[0047] On the other hand, based on the estimation unit 123's calculation that the vehicle S will accelerate, the power control unit 124 causes the fuel cell 5 included in the vehicle S to output a predetermined power before the vehicle S begins to accelerate. The predetermined power is a power greater than the power obtained by adding the first power and the second power, and is determined by the power control unit 124 based on the slope type in front of the vehicle S. For example, when the slope type included in the slope information is an uphill slope, the power control unit 124 increases the predetermined power compared to the case where the slope type is a downhill slope. Then, as... Figure 3 As shown, the power control unit 124 charges the battery 4 with the remaining power obtained by subtracting the first power and the second power from the predetermined power.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an operational example of the fuel cell 5 outputting a predetermined amount of power. Figure 4 The horizontal axis represents time. Figure 4In the diagram, the vertical axis represents the "vehicle speed" representing the vehicle speed of vehicle S, the "fuel cell" representing the power output from fuel cell 5, the "first power" supplied from fuel cell 5 to the mounted equipment 7, the "second power" supplied from fuel cell 5 to motor 6, and the "remaining power" charged into battery 4. Figure 4 The first threshold Vth1 and the second threshold Vth2 are shown. Figure 4 In the middle, the state of charge of battery 4 is less than the predetermined state of charge.

[0049] At time T1, since the estimation unit 123 has estimated that the vehicle S will accelerate at time T2 after the predetermined time period P1, the power control unit 124 begins control to increase the output of the fuel cell 5 to a predetermined power (power WF2). Then, at time T3, the power control unit 124 causes the fuel cell 5 to output power WF2. The power control unit 124 causes the fuel cell 5 to output a first power WB1, which is part of power WF2, to the mounting device 7, and causes the fuel cell 5 to output a second power WM1, which is part of power WF2, to the motor 6. The power control unit 124 causes the battery 4 to be charged with the remaining power WS1 obtained by subtracting the first power WB1 and the second power WM1 from power WF2.

[0050] Through the operations described above, even when vehicle S accelerates due to traffic congestion clearing after time T2, the power control unit 124 can maintain the output of fuel cell 5 at power WF2. Furthermore, the power control unit 124 can increase the output of fuel cell 5 from time T1, which is the time before vehicle S begins acceleration (T2). Therefore, after time T2, the power control unit 124 can increase the output of fuel cell 5 based on a time period longer than the time required to increase the output of fuel cell 5 from power WF1 to power WF2. Thus, since the power control unit 124 can reduce the amount of change in the power generated by fuel cell 5, the degradation of fuel cell 5 can be suppressed.

[0051] For example, after vehicle S begins to accelerate, when the vehicle speed is less than a second threshold Vth2 and the charging state is less than a predetermined charging state, the power control unit 124 continues to output a predetermined power (power WF2). The second threshold Vth2 is a speed determined by the power control unit 124 based on the slope ahead of vehicle S, at which the power control unit 124 can determine that vehicle S has passed through a congested section, and this speed is, for example, a value greater than or equal to 14 km / h and less than 22 km / h. For example, when the slope type included in the slope information is an uphill slope, compared to when the slope type is a downhill slope, the power control unit 124 decreases the second threshold Vth2.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, for example, the power control unit 124 causes the fuel cell 5 to continuously output power WF2 during the time period P2 from time T2 to time T4. By operating in this way, even if the driver of vehicle S increases the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal due to traffic congestion clearing, the power control unit 124 can still output power WF2 to the fuel cell 5 during time period P2, including a second power WM2 corresponding to the amount of pressure applied. As a result, since the power control unit 124 can maintain the output of the fuel cell 5 at a constant value during time period P2, degradation of the fuel cell 5 can be suppressed.

[0053] For example, after vehicle S begins to accelerate, and when the power control unit 124 causes fuel cell 5 to output a predetermined power (power WF2), when the vehicle speed reaches the second threshold Vth2 or when the charging state reaches a predetermined charging state, the power control unit 124 causes fuel cell 5 to output a second power. Figure 4 As shown, for example, when the vehicle speed reaches the second threshold Vth2 at time T4, the power control unit 124 causes the fuel cell 5 to output a second power WM2 corresponding to the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal, starting from time T4. By operating in this way, the battery 4 and the fuel cell 5 can output power in the same manner after the traffic congestion has cleared as they did before the traffic congestion occurred.

[0054] <Processing sequence in power control device 10>

[0055] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing sequence in the power control device 10. Figure 5 The processing sequence shown illustrates the operation of determining whether the power control unit 10 causes the fuel cell 5 to output a predetermined power WF2. The power control unit 10 repeats this process at predetermined intervals (e.g., 0.1 seconds). Figure 5 The processing order is shown.

[0056] Receiving unit 121 acquires traffic information from receiving device 1, including slope information, other vehicle information, road segment information, and road information (S11). Acquisition unit 122 acquires the vehicle speed V of vehicle S from vehicle speed sensor 2 and the charging state C of battery 4 from battery sensor 3 (S12). If vehicle speed V is equal to or less than a first threshold Vth1 and charging state C is not less than a predetermined charging state Cth ("No" in S13), estimation unit 123 ends the process. If vehicle speed V is equal to or less than the first threshold Vth1 and charging state C is less than the predetermined charging state Cth ("Yes" in S13), estimation unit 123 estimates whether vehicle S will accelerate after a predetermined time period (S14).

[0057] If the estimation unit 123 estimates that the vehicle S will not accelerate after a predetermined time period ("No" in S14), the power control unit 124 ends the process. If the estimation unit 123 estimates that the vehicle S will accelerate after a predetermined time period ("Yes" in S14), the power control unit 124 causes the fuel cell 5 to output a predetermined power WF2 (S15).

[0058] The power control unit 124 causes the fuel cell 5 to output a first power of predetermined power WF2 to the mounting device 7, and also causes the fuel cell 5 to output a second power of predetermined power WF2 to the motor 6. If there is residual power obtained by subtracting the first and second power from the predetermined power WF2 ("Yes" in S16), the power control unit 124 charges the battery 4 with the residual power (S17). If there is no residual power obtained by subtracting the first and second power from the predetermined power WF2 ("No" in S16), the power control unit 124 does not charge the battery 4.

[0059] If the vehicle speed V of the vehicle S, acquired by the acquisition unit 122 after step S15, is equal to or greater than the second threshold Vth2 ("Yes" in S18), then the power control unit 124 stops the output of the predetermined power WF2 (S19) and ends the process. If the vehicle speed V is less than the second threshold Vth2 ("No" in S18), then the power control unit 124 determines whether the charging state C acquired by the acquisition unit 122 in step S18 is less than the predetermined charging state Cth (S20). If the charging state C is equal to or greater than the predetermined charging state Cth ("No" in S20), then the power control unit 124 stops the output of the predetermined power WF2 (S19) and ends the process. If the charging state C is less than the predetermined charging state Cth ("Yes" in S20), then the power control unit 124 returns to step S14.

[0060] <Effects of Power Control Unit 10>

[0061] As described above, the power control device 10 includes: a receiving unit 121 for receiving traffic information indicating traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle S; an acquisition unit 122 for acquiring the vehicle speed V of the vehicle S and the state of charge C of the battery 4 included in the vehicle S; an estimation unit 123 for estimating, based on traffic conditions, whether the vehicle S will accelerate after a predetermined time period when the vehicle speed V is equal to or less than a first threshold Vth1 and the state of charge C is less than a predetermined state of charge Cth; and a power control unit 124, which, as a result of the estimation unit 123 estimating that the vehicle S will accelerate, causes the fuel cell 5 included in the vehicle S to output a predetermined power WF2 before the vehicle S begins to accelerate. The power control unit 124 charges the battery 4 to a remaining power obtained by subtracting the first power required by the mounted device 7 included in the vehicle S and the second power required by the motor 6 included in the vehicle S from the predetermined power WF2.

[0062] By configuring the power control device 10 in this way, the power control device 10 causes the fuel cell 5 to output a predetermined power WF2 starting before the vehicle S begins to accelerate, thereby maintaining a constant power output from the fuel cell 5 even as the acceleration of the vehicle S increases. Furthermore, since the power control device 10 causes the fuel cell 5 to output the predetermined power WF2 before the vehicle S begins to accelerate, the time period required to increase the power output of the fuel cell 5 can be extended. Therefore, compared to increasing the power output when the vehicle S accelerates, the power control device 10 can increase the output of the fuel cell 5 with a smaller change. As a result, by reducing the amount of change in the power generated by the fuel cell 5 per unit time, the power control device 10 can suppress the degradation of the fuel cell 5.

[0063] This disclosure is illustrated based on exemplary embodiments. The technical scope of this disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of this disclosure. For example, all or part of the device can be configured using any functionally or physically distributed or integrated units. Furthermore, new exemplary embodiments resulting from any combination of embodiments are included in the exemplary embodiments. Moreover, the effects of new exemplary embodiments resulting from combinations also have the effects of the original exemplary embodiments.

[0064] [Symbol Description]

[0065] 1. Receiving device

[0066] 2 Vehicle speed sensors

[0067] 3 Battery Sensor

[0068] 4 batteries

[0069] 5. Fuel Cells

[0070] 6 motors

[0071] 7. Equipped with equipment

[0072] 10 Power Control Unit

[0073] 11 storage units

[0074] 12 Control Units

[0075] 121 Receiving Unit

[0076] 122 Acquisition Unit

[0077] 123 Estimation Unit

[0078] 124 Power Control Unit

Claims

1. An electrical control device, comprising: The receiving unit receives traffic information indicating the traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle; The acquisition unit acquires the vehicle speed and the charging status of the battery included in the vehicle. The estimation unit estimates, based on the traffic conditions, whether the vehicle will accelerate after a predetermined time period when the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a first threshold and the charging state is less than a predetermined charging state. as well as An electric control unit, acting as the estimation unit, estimates the result that the vehicle will accelerate. The electric control unit causes the fuel cell included in the vehicle to output a predetermined amount of power before the vehicle begins to accelerate. The electric control unit causes the battery to be charged with the remaining power obtained by subtracting a first amount of power required by the onboard equipment included in the vehicle and a second amount of power required by the drive source included in the vehicle from the predetermined amount of power.

2. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein, After the vehicle begins to accelerate, when the vehicle speed is less than the second threshold and the charging state is less than the predetermined charging state, the power control unit continues to output the predetermined power.

3. The power control device according to claim 2, wherein, After the vehicle begins to accelerate, and while the power control unit causes the fuel cell to output the predetermined power, the power control unit causes the fuel cell to output the second power when the vehicle speed reaches the second threshold or the charging state reaches the predetermined charging state.

4. The power control device according to claim 2, wherein, The traffic information includes slope information indicating the gradient of the slope ahead of the vehicle, and When the slope is uphill, the power control unit decreases the second threshold compared to when the slope is downhill.

5. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein, The traffic information includes information about other vehicles indicating the speed of another vehicle ahead of the vehicle, and... The estimation unit estimates whether the vehicle is accelerating based on the speed of the other vehicle.

6. The power control device according to claim 5, wherein, The estimation unit estimates that the vehicle will accelerate when the arrival time of the vehicle to the location of the other vehicle is equal to or greater than the predetermined time period, and estimates that the vehicle will not accelerate when the arrival time is less than the predetermined time period, wherein the arrival time is based on the distance between the location of the other vehicle and the location of the vehicle and the vehicle speed.

7. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein, The traffic information includes road segment information indicating construction or congestion sections ahead of the vehicle, and The estimation unit estimates whether the vehicle will accelerate based on the distance between the end position of the construction section or the congested section on the vehicle side and the vehicle's position, as well as the vehicle speed.

8. The power control device according to claim 7, wherein, The estimation unit estimates that the vehicle will accelerate when the arrival time of the vehicle to the end position is equal to or greater than the predetermined time period, and estimates that the vehicle will not accelerate when the arrival time is less than the predetermined time period. The arrival time is based on the distance between the end position and the vehicle's position and the vehicle's speed.

9. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein, Compared to when the road is a highway, the estimation unit reduces the predetermined time period when the vehicle is traveling on a regular road.

10. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein, The traffic information includes slope information indicating the gradient of the slope ahead of the vehicle, and When the slope is uphill, the estimation unit decreases the first threshold compared to when the slope is downhill.

11. A power control method, executed by a processor, comprising the following steps: Obtain the vehicle speed and the state of charge of the battery in the vehicle; Receive traffic information indicating the traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle; If the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a first threshold and the charging state is less than a predetermined charging state, the vehicle will accelerate after a predetermined time period is estimated based on the traffic conditions. as well as As a result of estimating that the vehicle will accelerate, electrical control is performed such that the fuel cell included in the vehicle outputs a predetermined amount of power before the vehicle begins to accelerate. The electrical control includes charging the battery with the remaining power obtained by subtracting a first amount of power required by onboard equipment included in the vehicle and a second amount of power required by the drive source included in the vehicle from the predetermined amount of power.

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