Electric-motor coach

Abstract

To control external power supply and indoor air-conditioning cooperatively in an electric-motor coach.SOLUTION: An electric-motor coach comprises a battery which supplies electrical power to a motor, an air conditioner which air-conditions a passenger compartment of the electric-motor coach by power supply from the battery, an external power supply device which supplies power to outside of the electric-motor coach by the power supply from the battery, a temperature detection device which detects temperature in the passenger compartment, a crew member detection device which detects a crew member which exists in the passenger compartment and a control device which controls operation of the air conditioner and the external power supply device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an electric vehicle. The term "electric vehicle" as used herein broadly refers to an electric vehicle in which wheels are driven by a motor, and includes, for example, battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an electric vehicle. This electric vehicle includes an air conditioner and an external power supply device. The air conditioner and the external power supply device operate on power supplied from a battery. While the external power supply device is operating, the operation of the air conditioner is interrupted depending on the presence or absence of an occupant. This reduces power consumption from the battery during external power supply. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-231285 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] During external power feeding from an electric vehicle, the remaining charge of the battery may drop significantly. In this case, the external power feeding can be continued for a longer period by forcibly stopping the air conditioning system. On the other hand, if the air conditioning system is stopped while there are occupants in the vehicle, the comfort of the vehicle interior may be reduced depending on the climate and weather conditions at the time, and the occupants may feel uncomfortable.

[0005] In view of the above, this specification provides a technique for controlling external power supply and indoor air conditioning when the remaining charge of a battery is low. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technology disclosed in this specification is embodied in an electric vehicle having wheels driven by a motor. The electric vehicle includes a battery that supplies power to the motor, an air conditioning device that conditions a vehicle interior with power supplied from the battery, an external power supply device that supplies power to the outside of the electric vehicle with the power supplied from the battery, a temperature detection device that detects the temperature of the vehicle interior, an occupant detection device that detects an occupant present in the vehicle interior, and a control device that controls the operation of the air conditioning device and the external power supply device.

[0007] When the remaining charge of the battery falls to a predetermined value while both the air conditioning device and the external power supply device are operating, the control device can execute a priority stop process for preferentially stopping the operation of either the air conditioning device or the external power supply device in accordance with the detection results of the occupant detection device and the temperature detection device. In the priority stop process, when the occupant detection device detects the presence of an occupant and the temperature detected by the temperature detection device is outside a predetermined range, the operation of the external power supply device is preferentially stopped.

[0008] According to the above-mentioned configuration, when the remaining charge of the battery falls to a predetermined value while both the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin and the external power supply are operating, one of the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin and the external power supply is stopped depending on the presence of an occupant and the temperature in the vehicle cabin. In particular, when an occupant is present in the vehicle cabin and the temperature in the vehicle cabin is not at an appropriate temperature, the external power supply is stopped preferentially to maintain the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin. This maintains the comfort in the vehicle cabin. On the other hand, when no occupant is present in the vehicle cabin or the temperature in the vehicle cabin is at an appropriate temperature, the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin may be stopped preferentially, thereby allowing the external power supply to continue. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electric vehicle 10. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of control procedures executed by a control device 24. [Diagram 3] Schematically shows the flow of various information in the control device 24. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An electric vehicle 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As an example, the electric vehicle 10 according to the embodiment is a so-called battery electric vehicle (BEV). Note that the configuration described in the embodiment is not limited to battery electric vehicles, and can be similarly adopted in other types of electric vehicles.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, an electric vehicle 10 includes a battery 12, a motor 14, an air conditioner 16, and an external power supply device 18. The battery 12 is a high-voltage battery. Note that high voltage here means an operating voltage exceeding 60 V DC. The battery 12 has multiple built-in secondary battery cells and is configured to be rechargeable by an external power source (not shown). The secondary battery cells may be, for example, lithium-ion cells.

[0012] The motor 14 is a device that drives wheels (not shown) of the electric vehicle 10 by power supplied from the battery 12. The motor 14 is electrically connected to the battery 12 and mechanically connected to the wheels. Although not limited to this, the motor 14 is a three-phase AC motor. A power conversion device including a voltage converter and an inverter is provided between the battery 12 and the motor 14. The wheels driven by the motor 14 may be the front wheels or the rear wheels. As an example, in the electric vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the motor 14 is connected to a pair of front wheels via a reduction gear and a differential gear. In another embodiment, the motor 14 may be a so-called in-wheel motor. In this case, the electric vehicle 10 can be provided with a plurality of motors 14 according to the number of drive wheels.

[0013] The air conditioner 16 is a device that conditions the air in the vehicle cabin of the electric vehicle 10 using power supplied from the battery 12. There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration of the air conditioner 16. As an example, the air conditioner 16 in this embodiment can heat, cool, dehumidify, and ventilate the vehicle cabin in accordance with a temperature set by a user, the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, the outside air temperature, the amount of solar radiation, and the like.

[0014] The external power supply device 18 is a device that supplies power to the outside of the electric vehicle 10 using power supplied from the battery 12. The specific configuration of the external power supply device 18 is not particularly limited. As one example, the external power supply device 18 is configured using a charging inlet, a power conversion device, etc., and is connected to a V2H (Vehicle to Home) device installed in a home or a business via the charging inlet. Note that the external power supply device 18 may supply DC power to the outside, or may supply AC power to the outside.

[0015] The electric vehicle 10 further includes a temperature detection device 20, an occupant detection device 22, and a control device 24. The temperature detection device 20 is a device that detects the temperature in the vehicle cabin of the electric vehicle 10. The specific configuration of the temperature detection device 20 is not particularly limited. The air conditioning device 16 described above can adjust the temperature in the vehicle cabin according to the result of the temperature detected by the temperature detection device 20. The occupant detection device 22 is a device that detects an occupant present in the vehicle cabin of the electric vehicle 10. The specific configuration of the occupant detection device 22 is not particularly limited. As an example, the occupant detection device 22 may be a seat sensor (weight sensor) provided on a passenger seat of the electric vehicle 10. Alternatively, the occupant detection device 22 may be a device that determines the presence or absence of an occupant according to the operation history of a multimedia device mounted on the electric vehicle 10. In this case, the occupant detection device 22 can be configured using a part or all of the control device 24. Alternatively, the occupant detection device 22 may be a drive recorder that captures an image of the vehicle cabin, a vibration sensor that detects vibrations of the electric vehicle 10, or the like.

[0016] The control device 24 is a device that operates using power supplied from the battery 12 and controls the operation of the air conditioner 16 and the external power supply device 18. There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration of the control device 24. The control device 24 can be configured with one or more computer devices. As an example, the control device 24 in this embodiment is configured using an electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) mounted on the electric vehicle 10. A temperature detection device 20 and an occupant detection device 22 are connected to the control device 24. The control device 24 controls the operation of the air conditioner 16 and the external power supply device 18 according to the detection results of the temperature detection device 20 and the occupant detection device 22.

[0017] The priority stop process executed by the control device 24 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The control device 24 executes the priority stop process described below by repeatedly executing a series of control procedures shown in FIG. 2 while the external power supply device 18 is operating (here, while V2H is being executed). First, the control device 24 determines whether the air conditioner 16 is operating (S10). If the air conditioner 16 is operating (S10: Y), the control device 24 checks the detection result (seat sensor, multimedia operation history) by the occupant detection device 22 (S12). If the detection result indicates the presence of an occupant (S12: Y), the control device 24 stops the operation of the external power supply device 18 before the operation of the air conditioner 16 when the remaining charge of the battery 12 drops to a predetermined value. This prevents the battery 12 from being over-discharged while maintaining the comfort of the vehicle interior where an occupant is present.

[0018] When the temperature detected by the temperature detection device 20 is within a predetermined range that is comfortable for the occupants, the control device 24 may stop the operation of the air conditioner 16 first, instead of the external power supply device 18. This is because the comfort in the vehicle interior is maintained even if the operation of the air conditioner 16 is temporarily stopped. In this case, when the remaining charge of the battery 12 drops to a predetermined value and the temperature in the vehicle interior is outside the predetermined range, the control device 24 stops the operation of the external power supply device 18 before the operation of the air conditioner 16. Thereafter, when the temperature in the vehicle interior returns to within the predetermined range, the control device 24 may stop the operation of the air conditioner 16 and resume the operation of the external power supply device 18.

[0019] On the other hand, if the detection result by the occupant detection device 22 does not indicate the presence of an occupant (S12:N), the control device 24 stops the operation of the air conditioner 16 before the operation of the external power supply device 18 when the remaining charge of the battery 12 drops to a predetermined value. Since there is no occupant in the vehicle cabin, stopping the air conditioning of the vehicle cabin first allows the external power supply to continue for a longer period of time. Note that if the air conditioner 16 is not operating in the first process of step S10 (S10:N), the operation of the external power supply device 18 continues even if the remaining charge of the battery 12 drops to a predetermined value.

[0020] As described above, in the electric vehicle 10 of this embodiment, when the remaining charge of the battery 12 falls to a predetermined value while both the cabin air conditioning and the external power supply are operating, one of the cabin air conditioning and the external power supply is stopped depending on the presence of an occupant and the cabin temperature. In particular, when an occupant is present in the cabin and the cabin temperature is not at an appropriate temperature, the external power supply is stopped preferentially and the cabin air conditioning is maintained. This maintains comfort in the cabin. On the other hand, when no occupant is present in the cabin or the cabin temperature is at an appropriate temperature, the cabin air conditioning may be stopped preferentially, thereby allowing the external power supply to continue.

[0021] Note that, when executing the control process of FIG. 2, the specific information used by the control device 24 is not particularly limited. As an example, as shown in FIG. 3(A), the detection result of the multimedia operation history and the seat weight sensor value is used for the occupant determination. For the stop priority determination, the remaining battery level reduction information of the battery 12, the vehicle interior temperature detected by the temperature detection device 20, the operation state of the air conditioner 16, the operation information (V2H operation information) of the external power supply device 18, and the occupant determination result are used. Using these pieces of information, the stop priority determination determines which of the air conditioner 16 and the external power supply device 18 should be stopped preferentially when the remaining battery level of the battery 12 is reduced. Then, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the stop priority determination of the air conditioner 16 or the external power supply device 18 is performed using the result of the stop priority determination and the remaining battery level reduction information of the battery 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0022] 10: electric vehicle, 12: battery, 14: motor, 16: air conditioner, 18: external power supply device, 20: temperature detector, 22: occupant detector, 24: controller

Claims

[Claim 1] An electric vehicle in which wheels are driven by a motor, a battery for supplying power to the motor; an air conditioning device that air-conditions a passenger compartment of the electric vehicle using power supplied from the battery; an external power supply device that supplies power to an external portion of the electric vehicle using power supplied from the battery; a temperature detection device for detecting a temperature in the vehicle interior; an occupant detection device for detecting an occupant present in the vehicle interior; A control device that controls operations of the air conditioning device and the external power supply device; Equipped with the control device is capable of executing a priority stop process for preferentially stopping the operation of either the air conditioning device or the external power supply device in accordance with detection results of the occupant detection device and the temperature detection device when a remaining charge of the battery falls to a predetermined value while both the air conditioning device and the external power supply device are operating, In the priority stopping process, when the presence of the occupant is detected by the occupant detection device and the temperature detected by the temperature detection device is outside a predetermined range, the operation of the external power supplying device is stopped preferentially. Electric car.

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