PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) control system of small electric automobile and automobile

Abstract

The utility model discloses a PTC control system of small electric car and car, including PTC heating module, PTC control unit, charging power detection module and charging state detection module, the charging state detection module is used for detecting whether the car is in the charging state, its output terminal is connected to PTC control unit; the charging power detection module is used for collecting charging power in a charging state, the output end of the charging power detection module is connected to the PTC control unit, and the output end of the PTC control unit is connected to the PTC heating module and used for controlling the working state of the PTC heating module and limiting the power of the PTC heating module. The device has the advantages that a user adjusts and controls PTC heating in the slow charging process so as to meet the charging requirement of an electric automobile, and the defect that the electric quantity of a power battery cannot be increased due to the fact that the power of the PTC is too high is overcome.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electric vehicle charging control, and in particular to a PTC heating control system for a small electric vehicle and the vehicle itself. Background Technology

[0002] Small electric vehicles generally refer to A00-class cars. Due to limitations in size and cost, A00-class cars cannot compare with large electric vehicles in terms of materials and charging control, especially in charging. For example, a high-voltage power distribution box for a pure electric microbus with patent application number 201220493408.3 contains high-voltage relays and protective devices. These devices are internally connected, and various connectors are provided on the power distribution box as interfaces to the outside. The low-voltage control terminal of the high-voltage relay and the low-voltage ground terminal of the electric vehicle body are connected to the low-voltage connectors on the power distribution box. Power supply negative D2, D4, D5, and D6 are connected to the four-hole high-voltage connector; the contacts of slow charging relay J2, DC converter relay J3, PTC1 relay J4, and air conditioning relay J7 are connected to the four-hole high-voltage connector; the contacts of PTC2 relay J5 and PTC3 relay J6 are connected to the four-hole high-voltage connector; the contacts of fast charging relay J1, the parallel contacts of motor pre-charge relay J8 and motor relay J9, the main fuse R1, power supply negative D1, power supply negative D3, and power supply negative D7 are each connected to the single-hole high-voltage connector.

[0003] Small and micro electric vehicles using the aforementioned high-voltage distribution box support slow charging control. However, because small electric vehicles use a slow charging standard, their charging power is not high. If, during winter heating, a small car is charging while simultaneously using a PTC (Power Transmission Control) to heat the passenger compartment, the maximum slow charging power may be less than the maximum PTC power due to the relatively low power output of the charger used in A00-class cars. This can easily lead to the vehicle not being able to fully charge, meaning that charging and electricity consumption cancel each other out, or even fail to cancel each other out, affecting charging efficiency and time, and impacting the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a PTC control system and vehicle for a small electric vehicle. During slow charging, the user can adjust and control the PTC heating to meet the charging needs of the electric vehicle and reduce the defect that the power battery cannot increase due to the PTC power level.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: a PTC control system for a small electric vehicle, comprising a PTC heating module, a PTC control unit, a charging power detection module, and a charging status detection module. The charging status detection module is used to detect whether the vehicle is in a charging state, and its output terminal is connected to the PTC control unit. The charging power detection module is used to collect the charging power during the charging state, and its output terminal is connected to the PTC control unit. The output terminal of the PTC control unit is connected to the PTC heating module, used to control the working state of the PTC heating module and limit its power.

[0006] The input terminal of the PTC control unit is connected to the user control module, which inputs the user's power requirements for the PTC heating module.

[0007] The PTC control unit is connected to the vehicle multimedia host and is used to send power limit reminder information to the user through the vehicle multimedia host.

[0008] The PTC heating module includes multiple PTC heating sub-units, each PTC heating sub-unit corresponding to a relay whose operating state is controlled by the user; the output terminal of the PTC control unit is connected to the relay corresponding to each PTC heating sub-unit.

[0009] The control system also includes a SOC acquisition unit, which is used to acquire the SOC value of the power battery of the small electric vehicle. Its output terminal is connected to the PTC control unit, which limits the power of the PTC heating module according to the SOC value.

[0010] The PTC control unit is the vehicle controller (VCU).

[0011] A small electric vehicle, the vehicle including the aforementioned PTC control system.

[0012] The advantages of this invention are: users can adjust and control the PTC heating during slow charging to meet the charging needs of electric vehicles and reduce the defect that the power battery cannot increase due to the PTC power level. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The following is a brief explanation of the contents of each of the accompanying drawings and the markings in the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the PTC control system of this utility model.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the power regulation and control principle of a PTC heating module. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the description of the preferred embodiments.

[0017] This embodiment addresses the drawback of extended charging times in small electric vehicles due to the low charging power during slow charging and the misconception that the PTC heating power is insufficient to charge the battery, caused by the low charging power during slow charging. To solve this technical problem, a scheme is designed that can automatically adjust the PTC heating power according to the power consumption, thereby reducing or avoiding the extended slow charging time or even the inability to increase the State of Charge (SOC) caused by PTC heating. The specific scheme is as follows:

[0018] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, a PTC control system for a small electric vehicle includes a PTC heating module, a PTC control unit, a charging power detection module, and a charging status detection module.

[0019] The charging status detection module is used to detect whether the vehicle is charging, and its output is connected to the PTC control unit. The charging status detection module is used to detect the current status signal of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is currently charging. The charging status can be identified by collecting the working status of the on-board charger, and the identified charging status signal is sent to the PTC control unit. The PTC control unit is implemented by the vehicle controller (VCU) and is used to realize the working control and power control of the PTC heating module.

[0020] The charging power detection module is used to collect the charging power during the charging process. Its output is connected to the PTC control unit. The charging power detection module calculates the corresponding charging power by collecting voltage and current, and the charging power is sent to the PTC control unit.

[0021] The output of the PTC control unit is connected to the PTC heating module to control its operating status and limit its power. The PTC control unit limits the PTC heating module's power output based on the current charging power. When the user does not turn on the PTC heating, the control unit does not control the module, and it remains inactive. When the PTC heating is activated during charging, the control unit collects the current charging power in real time and then limits the PTC heating module's maximum power output based on that power, keeping it below the current charging power. This prevents the PTC heating from consuming more power than the charging power, thus avoiding the illusion that charging is not possible and improving charging reliability and user experience.

[0022] Whether the user activates the PTC heating function is controlled through a user control module. The input terminal of the PTC control unit is connected to the user control module, which inputs the user's power requirement for the PTC heating module. The user control module can be implemented using physical buttons on the central control unit or a touch screen corresponding to the multimedia host. The user's required PTC heating power and power settings are entered, and the PTC heating power is then limited according to the user's set PTC power and the current charging power limit to meet the charging needs of the small electric vehicle.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the PTC control unit is connected to the vehicle multimedia host and is used to send a power limitation reminder message to the user through the vehicle multimedia host. Since the user's need to turn on the PTC heating function is inconsistent with charging at this time, a reminder signal needs to be issued. At this time, the reminder signal to limit the PTC heating power is issued through the vehicle multimedia system or instrument panel, etc., to remind the user.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the PTC heating module includes multiple PTC heating sub-units. Each PTC heating sub-unit is an independently controllable PTC heater. Each PTC heating sub-unit has a relatively low power output; a higher power output is achieved when multiple PTC heating sub-units work together. Therefore, multiple PTC heating sub-units can be configured, and different PTC operating levels are achieved by varying the number of operating sub-units. Each PTC heating sub-unit corresponds to a relay for user control of its operating status. The output of the PTC control unit is connected to the relay corresponding to each PTC heating sub-unit. A relay is connected in series in the power supply circuit of each PTC heating sub-unit, allowing control of the operation of each PTC heating sub-unit, thus enabling the PTC heating function to be turned on / off and power control.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the control system further includes a SOC acquisition unit, which acquires the SOC value of the power battery of the small electric vehicle. Its output is connected to a PTC control unit, which limits the power of the PTC heating module based on the SOC value. When the SOC value is greater than a set threshold, the PTC power is not limited; when the PTC power is less than the set threshold, the PTC's operating power is limited. This prioritizes meeting the user's heating needs during slow charging at high SOC values ​​and prioritizes vehicle charging at low SOC values, avoiding the defect of being unable to start the vehicle due to low battery.

[0026] This application also provides a small electric vehicle, which is a small or micro or A00 class vehicle including the PTC control system in the above embodiments.

[0027] To better illustrate this solution, a three-speed PTC heating module will be used as an example for explanation as follows:

[0028] To address the potential issue of excessive PTC power depleting the vehicle's battery during simultaneous charging and PTC operation, this paper introduces a PTC control system for low SOC slow charging. A VCU (Variable Charge Control Unit) is used to implement the PTC control system. The VCU indirectly controls the PTC power level by controlling two relays, enabling three-level control. The PTC heating module includes two PTC heating sub-units, corresponding to relays 1 and 2. When relay 1 is on and relay 2 is off, it is level one, and PTC heating sub-unit 1 operates. When relay 1 is off and relay 2 is on, it is level two, and PTC heating sub-unit 2 operates. When both relays 1 and 2 are on, it is level three. When the PTC is operating at level three, both PTC heating sub-units 1 and 2 operate, representing full power operation.

[0029] Under normal circumstances, when a user requests gear 1, the VCU closes relay 1 to open gear 1;

[0030] When a user requests level 2, VCU closes and relay 2 activates level 2. When a user requests level 3, VCU closes and relays 1 and 2 activate level 3. At low SOC, when the vehicle is slow-charging, if the slow-charging power is less than the PTC's maximum operating power, the vehicle will consume power while charging, but the power consumption will exceed the charging amount, causing the SOC to continuously decrease and eventually rendering the vehicle unusable. Therefore, the maximum PTC power is limited, implementing a low-SOC slow-charging priority strategy. This limits the PTC's usable power to less than the charging power, allowing the vehicle to charge normally. Once the SOC exceeds a set threshold, the PTC's usable power is then increased to its maximum to meet heating needs. This solution's control system uses a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) to determine if the vehicle's State of Charge (SOC) is below a set low SOC threshold. The VCU determines if the vehicle is charging and if there is a PTC (Power Transmission Control) activation request. When charging, with SOC below the set threshold and a PTC activation request, the VCU acquires the real-time charging power and controls and limits the PTC's operating power based on this real-time power to prevent power depletion. If the VCU determines that SOC is above the set threshold, it exits the low SOC charging mode and does not limit the maximum available PTC power. If it determines that the vehicle is not in low SOC mode, it directly terminates the charging process, or if there is no simultaneous charging and PTC request, or the PTC request power is less than the charging power, it does not limit the PTC power. This embodiment optimizes the problem of excessive PTC power causing the vehicle to be unable to charge under low SOC conditions, enhancing vehicle charging safety and stability.

[0031] Obviously, the specific implementation of this invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of this invention are within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A PTC control system for a small electric vehicle, characterized in that: It includes a PTC heating module, a PTC control unit, a charging power detection module, and a charging status detection module. The charging status detection module is used to detect whether the vehicle is in a charging state, and its output terminal is connected to the PTC control unit. The charging power detection module is used to collect the charging power when the vehicle is charging, and its output terminal is connected to the PTC control unit. The output terminal of the PTC control unit is connected to the PTC heating module, which is used to control the working state of the PTC heating module and limit its power.

2. The PTC control system for a small electric vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The input terminal of the PTC control unit is connected to the user control module, which inputs the user's power requirements for the PTC heating module.

3. The PTC control system for a small electric vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The PTC control unit is connected to the vehicle multimedia host and is used to send power limit reminder information to the user through the vehicle multimedia host.

4. A PTC control system for a small electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The PTC heating module includes multiple PTC heating sub-units, each PTC heating sub-unit corresponding to a relay whose operating state is controlled by the user; the output terminal of the PTC control unit is connected to the relay corresponding to each PTC heating sub-unit.

5. A PTC control system for a small electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The control system also includes a SOC acquisition unit, which is used to acquire the SOC value of the power battery of the small electric vehicle. Its output terminal is connected to the PTC control unit, which limits the power of the PTC heating module according to the SOC value.

6. A PTC control system for a small electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The PTC control unit is the vehicle controller (VCU).

7. A small electric vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle includes a PTC control system as described in any one of claims 1-6.

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