Determining device

Abstract

A determination device (200) acquires i) a road condition of a route planned to travel by a vehicle electrically driven by a fuel cell unit (110) and a secondary battery (120), and ii) a weight of the vehicle at a current location. The determination means (200): i) determines a rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the acquired road condition by referring to a data table in which each of a plurality of road conditions is associated with a rolling resistance coefficient when a wheel of the vehicle rolls on a road having the road condition; and ii) determining the electrical energy required for the vehicle to travel along the route by using the rolling resistance determined by the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the acquired weight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a determining device for determining the energy required for a vehicle to travel along a planned route. Background Technology

[0002] A technique for calculating the energy required for a vehicle to travel along a route extending from its current location to its destination is known. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-049922 discloses a technique that calculates the rolling resistance coefficient of the road already traveled by the vehicle based on actual measured energy consumption when the vehicle travels along a road at any location under specific conditions, and uses the calculated rolling resistance coefficient to determine the energy required for the vehicle to travel along the planned route. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The problem to be solved by the present invention However, due to changes in road conditions, the rolling resistance coefficient of the road on which the vehicle is traveling may differ from that of the road on which the vehicle is planned to travel. Therefore, there may be situations where the required energy and the actual energy consumed by the vehicle while traveling along the road differ from each other.

[0004] This invention focuses on this problem, and its purpose is to properly determine the energy required for a vehicle to travel along a road.

[0005] Problem-solving methods One aspect of this disclosure provides a determining apparatus, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires i) a planned route for a vehicle powered by an electric motor operating using electricity from a fuel cell unit and a secondary battery to travel from the vehicle's current position to a target position located a predetermined distance ahead; ii) the road conditions of the route; and iii) the weight of the vehicle at the current position; an identification unit that identifies a rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the acquired road conditions by referring to a data table that associates each of a variety of road conditions with a rolling resistance coefficient of the vehicle's wheels rolling on a road having that road condition; and a determining unit that determines the electrical energy required for the vehicle to travel along the route by using a rolling resistance determined by multiplying the identified rolling resistance coefficient by the acquired weight.

[0006] The acquisition unit can acquire the road conditions of a new route extending from the vehicle's current position to a predetermined distance ahead when the vehicle is traveling along a route with a known energy consumption. The identification unit can identify the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions of the new route. The determination unit can determine the energy required to travel along the new route by using the rolling resistance coefficient of the road in the new route and the weight of the vehicle.

[0007] The acquisition unit: i) can determine a new route extending from the vehicle's current position to a position located at a predetermined distance ahead after a predetermined time, while the vehicle is traveling on a route with a known energy consumption, and ii) can acquire the road conditions of the determined new route.

[0008] The identification unit can identify the value set as the initial value of the rolling resistance coefficient as the rolling resistance coefficient of the road in the route when the road weather conditions are sunny or cloudy, and can identify the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions by referring to a data table when the road weather conditions are neither sunny nor cloudy.

[0009] When the weight of the vehicle at the current position has been acquired, the determining unit can determine the electrical energy by using the rolling resistance determined by the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the acquired weight; when the weight of the vehicle at the current position has not been acquired, the determining unit can determine the electrical energy by using the rolling resistance determined by the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the value set as the initial value of the vehicle weight.

[0010] When the road condition corresponds to a flooded road condition or a snow-covered road condition, the identification unit can identify a rolling resistance coefficient that is larger than the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to a wet or icy road condition.

[0011] The acquisition unit can set a first distance, which is the predetermined distance when the vehicle's current location is on a highway, to be longer than a second distance, which is the predetermined distance when the vehicle's current location is in an urban area.

[0012] The acquisition unit can acquire the rainfall or snowfall of the planned route. The identification unit: i) can identify the correction value corresponding to the acquired rainfall or snowfall by referring to a data table that associates each of the multiple rainfall or snowfall amounts with the correction value of the rolling resistance coefficient; ii) can use the product of the reference value of the rolling resistance coefficient and the identified correction value as the rolling resistance coefficient.

[0013] When the weight of the vehicle at the current location has not been acquired, the initial value can be the sum of the weight of the vehicle when it is equipped with the equipment required for vehicle operation and half of the maximum load capacity representing the maximum cargo weight that the vehicle can carry. When the weight of the vehicle at the current location has been acquired, the identification unit can identify the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the acquired vehicle weight as the rolling resistance of the planned route, and identify the product of the initial value and the identified rolling resistance coefficient as the rolling resistance coefficient.

[0014] Effects of the present invention According to this disclosure, it is possible to appropriately determine the energy required for a vehicle to travel along a road. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 An overview of the vehicle according to this embodiment is shown.

[0016] Figure 2 The configuration of the determining device is shown.

[0017] Figure 3 This is an example of a data table relating road conditions to rolling resistance coefficients.

[0018] Figure 4 This illustrates the process of determining the power required for a new route.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process for determining the required power.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the vehicle weight recognition process.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the rolling resistance identification process.

[0022] [Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures] 100: Vehicles 110: Fuel Cell Unit 111: Hydrogen tank 112: Converter 120: Secondary battery 121: Converter 130: Electric auxiliary equipment 131: Converter 140: Inverter 141: Electric motor 144: Axis 145: Wheel 200: Determining device 210: Memory 220: Control Unit 221: Acquisition Unit 222: Identification Unit 223: Determine the unit Detailed Implementation

[0023] [Overview of Vehicle 100] Figure 1 An overview of the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment is shown.

[0024] Vehicle 100 includes a fuel cell unit 110, a hydrogen tank 111, a converter 112, a secondary battery 120, a converter 121, an electric auxiliary device 130, a converter 131, an inverter 140, a motor 141, wheels 145, and a determining device 200. Vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle that is driven by the motor 141 powered by electricity supplied by the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120. Vehicle 100 is, for example, a truck used for transporting goods, but is not limited thereto. Vehicle 100 has the following function: when vehicle 100 travels along a predetermined route, it determines the electrical energy required by the drive motor 141, and determines the output of the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120 based on the determined required electrical energy. Hereinafter, the electrical energy required by the drive motor 141 is collectively referred to as required electrical energy.

[0025] Fuel cell unit 110 generates electrical energy through a chemical reaction between fuel and an oxidant. For example, fuel cell unit 110 generates electrical energy by reacting hydrogen as fuel with oxygen as an oxidant. Hydrogen stored in hydrogen tank 111 connected to fuel cell unit 110 is supplied to fuel cell unit 110. Oxygen from air drawn in through an air inlet (not shown) is supplied to fuel cell unit 110. Fuel cell unit 110 supplies electrical energy (power) generated by the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to motor 141 and electric auxiliary equipment 130. Specifically, fuel cell unit 110 supplies power to motor 141 and electric auxiliary equipment 130 via converter 112.

[0026] Converter 112 is disposed between a) fuel cell unit 110 and b) motor 141 and electric auxiliary device 130. Converter 112 is a circuit for converting the DC voltage output from fuel cell unit 110 into a voltage usable by motor 141 and electric auxiliary device 130. Specifically, converter 112: i) boosts the DC voltage output from fuel cell unit 110, and ii) supplies the boosted voltage to motor 141 and electric auxiliary device 130.

[0027] The secondary battery 120 is a rechargeable battery. The secondary battery 120 can be, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a lead-acid battery, but is not limited to these; any known secondary battery can be used. The secondary battery 120 stores electricity by receiving regenerative power from the motor 141 and power output from the fuel cell unit 110. The secondary battery 120 supplies power to the motor 141 and the electric auxiliary device 130 by releasing the stored power. Specifically, the secondary battery 120 supplies power to the motor 141 and the electric auxiliary device 130 via a converter 121.

[0028] Converter 121 is disposed between a) the secondary battery 120 and b) the motor 141 and the electric auxiliary device 130. Converter 121 is a circuit that converts the DC voltage output from the secondary battery 120 into a voltage usable by the motor 141 and the electric auxiliary device 130. Specifically, converter 121: i) boosts the DC voltage output from the secondary battery 120, and ii) supplies the boosted voltage to the motor 141 and the electric auxiliary device 130.

[0029] Electric assistance device 130 is a device installed on vehicle 100 and operated electrically. Electric assistance device 130 includes, but is not limited to, air conditioning, lights, measuring devices, and display devices, and includes devices installed on vehicle 100 and operated electrically. Electric assistance device 130 is connected to fuel cell unit 110 and secondary battery 120 via converter 131. Converter 131 converts the DC voltage supplied from at least one of fuel cell unit 110 or secondary battery 120 into a voltage usable by electric assistance device 130.

[0030] Inverter 140 is disposed between a) converters 112 and 121 and b) motor 141. Inverter 140 is a circuit that converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) or vice versa. Inverter 140 converts the DC power supplied from fuel cell unit 110 via converter 112 and the DC power supplied from secondary battery 120 via converter 121 into AC power usable by motor 141. Furthermore, when motor 141 operates as a generator, inverter 140 converts the AC power generated by motor 141 into DC power and supplies the DC power to secondary battery 120 via converter 121.

[0031] Motor 141 is driven by electricity from fuel cell unit 110 and secondary battery 120. Motor 141 operates and drives vehicle 100 when it receives power from at least one of fuel cell unit 110 or secondary battery 120. Specifically, motor 141 rotates axle 144 via differential 143 connected to output shaft 142 of motor 141. When axle 144 rotates, wheels 145 connected to axle 144 rotate, driving vehicle 100.

[0032] The determining device 200 determines the power required by the drive motor 141 when the vehicle 100 travels along a predetermined route. Specifically, the determining device 200 uses rolling resistance to determine the power required by the vehicle 100 to travel along the planned route based on the following information: i) the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions of the planned route traveled by the vehicle 100, and ii) the weight of the vehicle 100. The determining device 200 can appropriately determine the required power by using an appropriate rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions to be traveled, thereby appropriately determining the output distribution between the fuel cell unit and the secondary battery.

[0033] [Configuration of device 200] Figure 2 The configuration of the determining device 200 is shown. The determining device 200 includes a memory 210 and a control unit 220. The memory 210 is a storage medium, including read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk, etc. The memory 210 stores programs executed by the control unit 220.

[0034] The control unit 220 is a computing resource that includes a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU). The control unit 220 performs the functions of the acquisition unit 221, the identification unit 222, and the determination unit 223 by executing a program stored in the memory 210.

[0035] Acquisition unit 221 acquires the current position of vehicle 100. Acquisition unit 221 acquires the current position of vehicle 100 via a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver installed on vehicle 100. The GPS receiver receives radio waves from GPS satellites and identifies coordinates representing the current position of vehicle 100.

[0036] The acquisition unit 221 acquires the weight of vehicle 100 at its current position. For example, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the weight of vehicle 100 at the current position based on i) the strain of the suspension connecting the vehicle body and axle 144 of vehicle 100, and ii) the air pressure of the suspension. The acquisition unit 221 may also acquire the weight of vehicle 100 based on the acceleration of vehicle 100 during its movement. It should be noted that the method for acquiring the weight of vehicle 100 is not limited to this, and known techniques may be employed.

[0037] The acquisition unit 221 acquires the planned route of vehicle 100. Specifically, the acquisition unit 221 acquires an overall route including multiple waypoints from a management device. This overall route is the planned route for vehicle 100 from its starting point to its destination. The management device is a server operated by the company managing vehicle 100, which stores the overall routes to be taken by vehicle 100 equipped with determination device 200. The acquisition unit 221 acquires the overall route from the management device via wireless communication using a wireless communication module (not shown in the figure).

[0038] Acquisition unit 221 acquires a portion of the overall route. As part of the overall route, acquisition unit 221 acquires a portion of the route extending from the current position of vehicle 100 to a target position located at a predetermined distance ahead. The predetermined distance is shorter than the overall route. Specifically, for example, the predetermined distance is 20 kilometers, but it is not limited to this. It should be noted that acquisition unit 221 can extract a portion of the route not only from the previously acquired overall route, but also from the management device only the portion of the overall route. In the following description, the portion of the overall route is referred to as a predicted road segment.

[0039] Acquisition unit 221 acquires the road conditions of the predicted road segment. By analyzing images captured from the predicted road segment, acquisition unit 221 determines which of several road conditions the road ahead of the vehicle 100 in its direction of travel belongs to. These road conditions include, but are not limited to, dry conditions, slippery conditions, water accumulation, snow accumulation, and icy conditions. The captured images are taken by an imaging device installed on the vehicle 100 or by an imaging device installed on the predicted road segment. When acquiring images from an imaging device installed on the predicted road segment, acquisition unit 221 uses a wireless communication module to acquire the images wirelessly.

[0040] The acquisition unit 221 acquires the weather conditions of the predicted road segment. Specifically, the acquisition unit 221 uses a wireless communication module to wirelessly acquire weather information indicating the weather conditions of the area including the predicted road segment from a weather information server. The weather conditions include, but are not limited to, sunny, cloudy, rainy, or snowy conditions. In addition, the acquisition unit 221 acquires from the server the rainfall or snowfall per unit time for the area of ​​the road including the predicted road segment.

[0041] The acquisition unit 221 acquires road segment information for the predicted road segment. This road segment information includes road gradient, road curvature, speed limits, and the speeds (i.e., traffic flow speeds) of other vehicles 100 traveling on the road in the predicted road segment. For example, the acquisition unit 221 acquires road segment information containing the road gradient, road curvature, speed limits, and traffic flow speeds of the predicted road segment from a server operated by a provider that manages the road in the predicted road segment via wireless communication.

[0042] The acquisition unit 221 calculates the predicted speed of vehicle 100 on the predicted road segment based on the acquired road segment information. The acquisition unit 221 calculates the predicted speed of vehicle 100 on the predicted road segment based on the road slope, road curvature, speed limit, and traffic flow speed indicated in the road segment information. The predicted speed is equal to or lower than the speed limit, meaning the speed at which vehicle 100 can travel on the predicted road segment according to the traffic flow speed without deviating from its lane on a road with road slope and curvature. Known techniques can be used to calculate the predicted speed.

[0043] The identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions in the predicted road segment. For example, the identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the acquired road conditions by referring to a data table in which each of the various road conditions is associated with the rolling resistance coefficient of the wheels 145 of the vehicle 100 when rolling on a road with that road condition. This data table is stored in the memory 210.

[0044] Figure 3This is an example of a data table relating road conditions to rolling resistance coefficients. The greater the rolling resistance of wheel 145 on vehicle 100, the higher the rolling resistance coefficient. For example, the rolling resistance coefficient k3 under waterlogged road conditions and the rolling resistance coefficient k4 under snowlogged road conditions are greater than the rolling resistance coefficient k1 under icy road conditions and the rolling resistance coefficient k2 under slippery road conditions. When there is snow on the road, the rolling resistance of wheel 145 is greater than when there is water on the road, therefore the rolling resistance coefficient k4 under snowlogged road conditions is greater than the rolling resistance coefficient k3 under waterlogged road conditions. When the road is icy, wheel 145 rolls more easily than when the road is slippery, therefore the rolling resistance coefficient k1 under icy road conditions is less than the rolling resistance coefficient k2 under slippery road conditions.

[0045] The identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient based on the predicted weather conditions of the road segment. For example, when the predicted weather conditions (indicated by weather information) for the road segment are neither sunny nor cloudy, i.e., rainy or snowy, the identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient by referring to... Figure 3 The data table shown identifies the rolling resistance coefficients corresponding to the predicted road conditions of the road segments.

[0046] When the predicted weather for the road segment is sunny or cloudy, the identification unit 222 identifies the initial value of the rolling resistance coefficient as the rolling resistance coefficient of the road in the route. For example, the initial value of the rolling resistance coefficient is the rolling resistance coefficient when the road is dry. Specifically, the initial value of the rolling resistance coefficient is the rolling resistance coefficient between the wheel 145 and the dry asphalt road, but is not limited to this. When the predicted weather for the road segment is sunny or cloudy, the identification unit 222 can reduce the processing load of identifying the rolling resistance coefficient by using the initial value of the rolling resistance coefficient.

[0047] The identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient based on the correction value corresponding to the predicted weather conditions of the road segment. For example, the identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient based on the correction value of the rolling resistance coefficient according to the amount of rainfall or snowfall. Specifically, the greater the rainfall, the higher the probability of deep water accumulation, so the identification unit 222 will identify a larger rolling resistance coefficient as the rainfall increases. Similarly, it is believed that an increase in snowfall will lead to an increase in the rolling resistance coefficient, so the identification unit 222 will identify a larger rolling resistance coefficient as the snowfall increases.

[0048] The identification unit 222 identifies correction values ​​corresponding to weather conditions using a reference data table that associates various weather conditions (light rain, heavy rain, light snow, heavy snow) with correction values ​​for the rolling resistance coefficient. For example, the identification unit 222 refers to a rainfall data table that associates each of multiple rainfall amounts with a correction value for the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to each rainfall amount, and identifies the correction value for the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the acquired rainfall amount. This rainfall data table is stored, for example, in memory 210. In the rainfall data table, each of the multiple rainfall amounts is associated with a correction value for the rolling resistance coefficient, such that larger rainfall amounts are associated with higher correction values.

[0049] Similarly, identification unit 222 refers to a snowfall data table that associates each of a plurality of snowfall amounts with a correction value for the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to that snowfall amount, and identifies the correction value for the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the acquired snowfall amount. For example, the snowfall data table is stored in memory 210. In the snowfall data table, each of a plurality of snowfall amounts is associated with a correction value for the rolling resistance coefficient, such that larger snowfall amounts are associated with higher correction values. Identification unit 222 identifies the correction value for the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the rainfall or snowfall amount, and then identifies the product of the reference value for the rolling resistance coefficient and the identified correction value as the rolling resistance coefficient.

[0050] After identifying the rolling resistance coefficient, the identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance of vehicle 100 as it travels along the predicted road segment. When the weight of vehicle 100 at the current position has been acquired, the identification unit 222 identifies the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the acquired weight of vehicle 100 as the rolling resistance of the predicted road segment. When the weight of vehicle 100 at the current position has not been acquired, the identification unit 222 identifies the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and a value set as an initial value of the weight of vehicle 100 as the rolling resistance of the predicted road segment. For example, the initial value of the weight of vehicle 100 is determined based on the maximum load capacity of vehicle 100. A specific example of the initial value of the weight of vehicle 100 is the sum of the weight of vehicle 100 equipped with the necessary operating equipment and half of the maximum load capacity representing the maximum cargo weight that vehicle 100 can carry, but is not limited to this.

[0051] Determination unit 223 uses the identified rolling resistance to determine the electrical power required for vehicle 100 to travel along the route. Determination unit 223 determines the output electrical power P required per unit time for the predicted travel segment by inputting the identified rolling resistance into the following equation (1). In the following equation (1), the rolling resistance coefficient r... Roll The product of the product of the product and the vehicle mass M represents the rolling resistance.

[0052] [Formula 1] The variables in equation (1) are explained as follows: u represents the velocity of vehicle 100 (m / s). a represents the acceleration of vehicle 100 (m / s²). 2 M represents the mass (kg) of vehicle 100. η represents the transmission efficiency of the drive system of vehicle 100. ε represents the efficiency (power) of motor 141 and controller. Roll This represents the rolling resistance coefficient. (C) d This represents the air drag coefficient. ρ represents the air density (kg / m³). 3 S represents the front projected area of ​​vehicle 100 (m²). 2 ). k Rotar This represents the equivalent rotational inertia coefficient. θ in Sinθ represents the road gradient along the direction of vehicle 100's travel.

[0053] The determining unit 223 determines the required power W by integrating the output power P with time. Specifically, the determining unit 223: a) when P>0, determines the required power W to be supplied to the motor 141 by calculating the following equation (2); b) when P<0, determines the required power W generated by the motor 141 as the regenerated power by calculating the following equation (3). φ in equation (3) is the regeneration rate (%) when the motor 141 generates regenerated power.

[0054] [Formula 2] The determining unit 223 uses the determined required power W and regenerated power to determine the output allocation between the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120. Specifically, the determining unit 223 determines the output allocation between the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120 by using an equivalent cost minimization method to minimize fuel consumption when outputting the required power W. More specifically, the determining unit 223: i) determines an equivalent cost coefficient to minimize fuel consumption and reduce the difference in the state of charge between the starting point and the destination of the route; ii) determines the output allocation between the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120 based on the determined coefficient. It should be noted that the methods for allocating the output of the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120 are not limited to the equivalent cost minimization method and can employ known techniques.

[0055] The determining unit 223 can determine the appropriate output power P based on the rolling resistance coefficient of the road on which the vehicle 100 plans to travel and the weight of the vehicle 100 at its current position. Therefore, the determining unit 223 can appropriately allocate the output of the fuel cell unit 110 and the output of the secondary battery 120 to minimize fuel consumption. Thus, the determining unit 223 can keep the output current of the fuel cell unit 110 substantially constant and reduce the difference in state of charge between the starting point and the destination of the route.

[0056] (The process of determining the electricity required for a new route) When vehicle 100 travels on a predicted road segment, determining device 200 determines the power required for the new route in order to more appropriately determine the output distribution between fuel cell unit 110 and secondary battery 120. The following will refer to... Figure 4 Describe the process of determining the power required for a new route. Figure 4 The process of determining the power required for a new route is illustrated. Acquisition unit 221 acquires the overall route extending from the starting point 301 of vehicle 100 to the destination 302. The current position of vehicle 100 at time t1 is the starting point 301. At time t1, vehicle 100 begins its journey from the starting point 301 towards the destination 302.

[0057] The acquisition unit 221 acquires i) the road conditions of the predicted road segment 311 in the overall route, which extends from the current position of the vehicle 100 at time t1 (starting point 301) to the target position at a predetermined distance L ahead, and ii) the weight of the vehicle 100 at time t1. The identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the conditions of the predicted road segment 311. The determination unit 223 calculates the output power P at each of the multiple road points included in the predicted road segment 311 by substituting the rolling resistance (determined by the product of the rolling resistance coefficient and the weight of the vehicle 100) into equation (1). The determination unit 223 determines the sum of the multiple output powers P as the required power W.

[0058] Vehicle 100 travels along predicted road segment 311 for a predetermined time Δt, starting from time t1. While vehicle 100 is traveling along predicted road segment 311, where the required power is determined, acquisition unit 221 acquires a new predicted road segment that extends forward by a predetermined distance L from vehicle 100's current position. Specifically, when vehicle 100 has traveled along predicted road segment 311 and reaches time t2 after a predetermined time Δt, acquisition unit 221 acquires a new predicted road segment 312 that extends from vehicle 100's current position 303 at time t2 to a position within the overall route at a predetermined distance L ahead. The predetermined time is, for example, one minute, but is not limited to this.

[0059] After determining the new predicted road segment 312, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the road conditions in the new predicted road segment 312. In addition, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the weight of vehicle 100 at time t2.

[0060] After acquiring the road conditions of the predicted road segment 312, the identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions of the predicted road segment 312. The identification unit 222 identifies the product of the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions in the predicted road segment 312 and the weight of the vehicle 100 at time t2 as the rolling resistance of the vehicle 100 in the predicted road segment 312. The determination unit 223 uses the rolling resistance of the new predicted road segment 312 to determine the power required for the predicted road segment 312.

[0061] When a predetermined time Δt has elapsed from time t2 to time t3, acquisition unit 221 acquires a new predicted road segment. Acquisition unit 221 acquires a new predicted road segment 313, which extends from the current position 304 of vehicle 100 at time t3 to a target position located at a predetermined distance L ahead. Acquisition unit 221 acquires the road conditions of the new predicted road segment 313. Identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient of the predicted road segment 313 based on the road conditions. Determination unit 223 determines the required power for the predicted road segment 313 based on the rolling resistance coefficient of the new predicted road segment 313 and the weight of vehicle 100.

[0062] As described above, the determining device 200 determines the required power for a predicted road segment extending from the vehicle's current position to a target position located at a predetermined distance L ahead at each predetermined time interval Δt. The determining device 200 performs this power determination process at each predetermined time interval Δt before the vehicle 100 reaches its destination 302 or before the vehicle 100 stops. Therefore, the determining device 200 can appropriately identify the rolling resistance coefficient based on the latest road conditions of the predicted road segment the vehicle is to travel. As a result, the determining device 200 can appropriately identify the power required to travel along the predicted road segment. Furthermore, since the determining device 200 only determines the required power for a portion of the overall route (i.e., the predicted road segment), computational resources can be reduced compared to determining the power required to travel the entire route.

[0063] [The process of determining the required electricity] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process for determining the required power. The process for determining the required power is executed when vehicle 100 starts. It is assumed that acquisition unit 221 is able to acquire the current position of vehicle 100 after vehicle 100 starts.

[0064] The acquisition unit 221 acquires the overall route that the vehicle 100 plans to travel (step S1). Specifically, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the overall route from the management device that manages the operation of the vehicle 100. Within the overall route, the acquisition unit 221 determines a new predicted road segment extending from the current position of the vehicle 100 to a position located at a predetermined distance L ahead (step S2).

[0065] The identification unit 222 performs the vehicle weight identification process (step S3). Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the vehicle weight recognition process. Recognition unit 222 determines whether the weight of vehicle 100 has been acquired (step S31). If the weight of vehicle 100 at its current location has been acquired ("Yes" in step S31), then recognition unit 222 identifies the acquired weight of vehicle 100 as the current weight of vehicle 100 (step S32). If the weight of vehicle 100 at its current location has not been acquired ("No" in step S31), then recognition unit 222 identifies the initial value of the weight of vehicle 100 as the current weight of vehicle 100 (step S33). After recognizing the weight of vehicle 100, recognition unit 222 ends the vehicle weight recognition process.

[0066] After the vehicle weight recognition process is completed, the recognition unit 222 performs the rolling resistance recognition process (step S4). Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the rolling resistance identification process. Identification unit 222 determines whether acquisition unit 221 has acquired weather information for the area including the predicted road segment (step S41).

[0067] If the acquisition unit 221 has acquired weather information for the area including the predicted road segment ("Yes" in step S41), the identification unit 222 determines whether the weather condition indicated by the weather information is rain or snow (step S42). If the weather condition indicated by the weather information is rain or snow ("Yes" in step S42), the identification unit 222 identifies the correction value corresponding to the road condition (step S43). Specifically, the identification unit 222 identifies the correction value corresponding to the road condition of the predicted road segment by referring to a data table that associates each of the multiple road conditions with a correction value.

[0068] After identifying the correction value, the identification unit 222 uses the correction value to correct the rolling resistance coefficient (step S44). Specifically, the identification unit 222 identifies the product of the initial value of the rolling resistance coefficient and the identified correction value as the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions of the predicted road segment.

[0069] If no weather information is obtained (No in step S41) or the weather information indicates that the weather conditions are sunny or cloudy (No in step S42), the identification unit 222 will identify the initial value of the rolling resistance coefficient as the rolling resistance coefficient of the predicted road segment (step S45).

[0070] After identifying the rolling resistance coefficient, the identification unit 222 identifies the rolling resistance (step S46). Specifically, the identification unit 222 identifies the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the weight of the vehicle 100 as the rolling resistance. Once the rolling resistance is identified, the identification unit 222 ends the rolling resistance identification process.

[0071] After identifying the rolling resistance, the determination unit 223 uses the identified rolling resistance to determine the power required for the vehicle 100 to travel along the predicted road segment (step S5). Specifically, the determination unit 223 determines the required power by inputting the rolling resistance into equation (1).

[0072] The determining unit 223 determines the output allocation between the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120 based on the required power (step S6). Specifically, the determining unit 223 uses an equivalent cost minimization method to determine the output allocation between the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120 in order to minimize the fuel consumption required to generate the required power.

[0073] The acquisition unit 221 determines whether a predetermined time Δt has elapsed since the determination unit 223 determined the output distribution between the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120 (step S7). Specifically, the acquisition unit 221 determines whether a predetermined time Δt has elapsed since the determination unit 223 determined the output distribution between the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120. If the predetermined time Δt has not elapsed ("No" in step S7), the acquisition unit 221 waits until the predetermined time Δt has elapsed. If the predetermined time Δt has elapsed since the output distribution was determined ("Yes" in step S7), the acquisition unit 221 returns to step S2.

[0074] (Revised 1) The acquisition unit 221 can change the predetermined distance based on the region including the current location of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the acquisition unit 221 sets a first distance, which is the predetermined distance when the vehicle 100's current location is on a highway, to be greater than a second distance, which is the predetermined distance when the vehicle 100's current location is in an urban area. Therefore, when the vehicle 100 is traveling on a highway where road conditions are less variable, the determination device 200 can reduce the frequency of determining the required power, thereby reducing the load on the process of determining the required power. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in an urban area where road conditions are more variable, the determination device 200 can determine the required power more frequently, thereby making the determination of the required power more accurate.

[0075] (Revised 2) The acquisition unit 221 can change the predetermined time, which serves as the acquisition interval, based on a predetermined distance. For example, the acquisition unit 221 sets a first acquisition interval for acquiring new road conditions when the current position of vehicle 100 is on a highway to be greater than a second acquisition interval for acquiring new road conditions when the current position of vehicle 100 is in an urban area. Therefore, since the determining device 200 reduces the frequency of determining the required power when vehicle 100 is traveling on a highway, the load on the process of determining the required power is reduced. Furthermore, since the determining device 200 increases the frequency of determining the required power in urban areas where road conditions may change, the required power is determined appropriately.

[0076] [Determine the effect of device 200] As described above, the determining device 200 acquires i) the road conditions of a predicted segment of the planned route for the vehicle 100, driven by a motor 141 powered by the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120, to travel from its current position to a target position located at a predetermined distance ahead, and ii) the weight of the vehicle 100 at its current position. The determining device 200 identifies the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the acquired road conditions by referring to a data table that correlates road conditions with rolling resistance coefficients. Subsequently, the determining device 200 determines the power required for the vehicle 100 to travel along the predetermined route by using the rolling resistance determined by the product of the rolling resistance coefficient and the weight of the vehicle 100.

[0077] The determining device 200 can identify the appropriate rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the latest road conditions the vehicle is about to travel, thereby appropriately determining the required power as the vehicle 100 travels along the planned route. When the determining device 200 can appropriately determine the required power, the vehicle 100 can appropriately determine the output distribution between the fuel cell unit 110 and the secondary battery 120.

[0078] This disclosure has been described 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 apparatus may be configured with any functionally or physically distributed or integrated units. Furthermore, new embodiments generated from any combination thereof are also included in the embodiments of this disclosure. Moreover, the effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination also have the effects of the original embodiments.

Claims

1. A determining device, comprising: The acquisition unit acquires i) a planned route for a vehicle powered by an electric motor operating on electricity from a fuel cell unit and a secondary battery to travel from the vehicle's current position to a target position located a predetermined distance ahead; ii) the road conditions of the route; and iii) the weight of the vehicle at the current position. The identification unit identifies the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the acquired road conditions by referring to a data table, which associates each of the various road conditions with the rolling resistance coefficient of the vehicle's wheels when rolling on a road with that road condition. as well as The determining unit determines the electrical energy required for the vehicle to travel along the route by using the rolling resistance determined by the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the acquired weight.

2. The determining device according to claim 1, wherein, When the vehicle is traveling along a predetermined route, the acquisition unit acquires the road conditions of a new route extending from the vehicle's current position to a position at a predetermined distance ahead. The identification unit identifies the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions of the new route, and The determining unit determines the electrical energy required to travel along the new route by using the rolling resistance coefficient of the road in the new route and the weight of the vehicle.

3. The determining device according to claim 2, wherein, The acquisition unit: i) determines a new route extending from the vehicle's current position to a position at a predetermined distance ahead after a predetermined time has elapsed while the vehicle is traveling on a route with known electrical power, and ii) acquires the road conditions of the determined new route.

4. The determining device according to claim 1, wherein, The identification unit: When the weather conditions on the road are sunny or cloudy, the value set as the initial value of the rolling resistance coefficient is identified as the rolling resistance coefficient of the road in the route, and When the road weather conditions are neither sunny nor cloudy, the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to the road conditions is identified by referring to the data table.

5. The determining device according to claim 1, wherein, The determining unit: When the weight of the vehicle at the current location has been obtained, the electrical energy is determined by using the rolling resistance determined by the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the obtained weight. and When the weight of the vehicle at the current position is not obtained, the electrical energy is determined by using the rolling resistance determined by multiplying the identified rolling resistance coefficient by an initial value set as the weight of the vehicle.

6. The determining device according to claim 1, wherein, When the road condition corresponds to a flooded road condition or a snow-covered road condition, the identification unit identifies a rolling resistance coefficient that is larger than the rolling resistance coefficient corresponding to a wet or icy road condition.

7. The determining device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The acquisition unit sets a first distance, which is a predetermined distance when the vehicle's current location is on a highway, to be longer than a second distance, which is a predetermined distance when the vehicle's current location is in an urban area.

8. The determining device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The acquisition unit acquires the rainfall or snowfall along the planned route, and The identification unit: i) identifies the correction value corresponding to the acquired rainfall or snowfall by referring to a data table that associates each of a plurality of rainfall or snowfall amounts with the correction value of the rolling resistance coefficient, and ii) identifies the product of the reference value of the rolling resistance coefficient and the identified correction value as the rolling resistance coefficient.

9. The determining device according to claim 5, wherein, When the weight of the vehicle at the current location has not been acquired, the initial value is the sum of the weight of the vehicle with the equipment required for its operation and half of the maximum load capacity representing the maximum cargo weight the vehicle can carry. The identification unit: Having obtained the weight of the vehicle at the current position, the product of the identified rolling resistance coefficient and the obtained vehicle weight is identified as the rolling resistance of the planned route, and The product of the initial value and the identified rolling resistance coefficient is identified as the rolling resistance coefficient.

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