Charge control device

Abstract

To provide a charge control device for suppressing deterioration of a battery due to charging of regenerative power.SOLUTION: A charge control device includes: a drive battery which is electrically connected to a motor driving a vehicle and charges regenerative power of the motor; a detection part for detecting charge information of the drive battery; and a control part which determines whether deterioration of the drive battery progresses more than a prescribed value or not based on the charge information and stops the charge of the drive battery by the regenerative power when deterioration of the drive battery is determined to progress.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charge control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a charging control device has been proposed for controlling the charging of a battery in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that runs by driving a motor. Here, the battery may deteriorate significantly depending on the charging state. For example, the electrode structure of a lithium-ion battery may change due to repeated charging and discharging, and the charging capacity may decrease. For this reason, the charging control device is required to control the charging so as to suppress the deterioration of the battery.

[0003] As a technique for suppressing battery deterioration, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a charge control device that protects a battery by suppressing application of an overvoltage to the battery during charging. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-129542 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the charge control device in Patent Document 1 suppresses deterioration of the battery when charging with an external power source. For example, while the vehicle is running, the regenerative power generated by the motor is sequentially charged to the battery, and it is difficult to charge the regenerative power in a manner that suppresses deterioration of the battery.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a charge control device that suppresses deterioration of a battery due to charging with regenerative power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A charging control device according to the present disclosure includes a driving battery electrically connected to a motor that drives a vehicle and charges the driving battery with regenerative power of the motor, and a detection unit that detects charging information of the driving battery. a switching unit that switches an electrical connection with the motor between the driving battery and a power consumption unit; a control unit that determines whether or not charging will accelerate deterioration of the driving battery based on the charging information, and stops charging of the driving battery with the regenerative power when it is determined that charging will accelerate deterioration of the driving battery. The power consumption unit includes a power consumption device having a power consumption amount equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and a consumption battery that supplies power to the power consumption device, and when it is determined that deterioration of the driving battery is accelerating, if the power consumption device is operating, the control unit switches the switching unit to connect the motor to the power consumption device, and if the power consumption device is not operating, switches the switching unit to connect the motor to the consumption battery, thereby stopping charging of the driving battery. It is something. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the battery caused by charging with regenerative power. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle equipped with a charging control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 1 shows the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a charging control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle, and includes an engine 1, a transmission 2, a motor 3, an inverter 4, a control device 5, and a power consumption unit 6. Note that the vehicle may be any electric vehicle driven by a motor, and is not limited to a hybrid electric vehicle. Examples of the vehicle include commercial vehicles (e.g., trucks).

[0012] The engine 1 burns fuel to generate driving force for running a vehicle, and outputs the driving force to the transmission 2 via an output shaft. The engine 1 is, for example, a so-called four-stroke engine that repeats four strokes: an intake stroke, a compression stroke, an expansion stroke, and an exhaust stroke. An example of the engine 1 is a diesel engine.

[0013] The transmission 2 changes the rotation speed of the output shaft of the engine 1 and outputs it to a propeller shaft, etc. In this way, the driving force of the engine 1 is transmitted to the wheels.

[0014] The motor 3 is connected to a propeller shaft or the like via the transmission 2, rotates by power supplied from the control device 5 via the inverter 4, and outputs the driving force to the propeller shaft. The motor 3 also generates regenerative power in response to deceleration of the vehicle, and supplies the power to the control device 5 via the inverter 4. The motor 3 may be composed of, for example, a motor generator.

[0015] The inverter 4 is electrically connected to the motor 3 and the control device 5, and converts DC power supplied from the control device 5 into AC power and supplies it to the motor 3. The inverter 4 also converts AC power regenerated by the motor 3 into DC power and supplies it to the control device 5.

[0016] The control device 5 constitutes the charge control device of the present disclosure, and has a switching unit 7, a driving battery 8, a detection unit 9, and a control unit 10. The control device 5 controls discharging to supply power from the driving battery 8 to the motor 3, and charging of the driving battery 8 with power supplied from the motor 3 or via an external power receiving unit (not shown).

[0017] The switching unit 7 is electrically connected to the inverter 4 , the drive battery 8 and the power consumption unit 6 , and switches the electrical connection with the motor 3 between the drive battery 8 and the power consumption unit 6 .

[0018] The driving battery 8 is connected to the motor 3 via the inverter 4 and the switching unit 7, and supplies stored power to the motor 3. The driving battery 8 also charges with power regenerated by the motor 3. The driving battery 8 may be composed of, for example, a lithium ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. The driving battery 8 constitutes the first battery of the present disclosure.

[0019] The detection unit 9 detects charging information of the driving battery 8, and is disposed in correspondence with the driving battery 8. The detection unit 9 is electrically connected to the control unit 10, and outputs the detected charging information to the control unit 10. Here, the charging information is information on the charging state or charging environment that may cause deterioration of the driving battery 8 (for example, a decrease in the storage capacity). Specifically, the charging information may include the state of charge (SOC), the time for which a fully charged state (amount of stored electricity equal to or greater than a predetermined value) is maintained, the temperature of the driving battery 8 (for example, cold or heat), the environmental temperature of the driving battery 8, the frequency of charging and discharging the driving battery, and the like. The detection unit 9 may be composed of sensors such as a voltmeter, an ammeter, a timer, a thermometer, an accelerator opening sensor, a brake operation sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor.

[0020] The control unit 10 determines whether or not charging will accelerate deterioration of the drive battery 8 based on the charging information detected by the detection unit 9. If the control unit 10 determines that the deterioration of the drive battery 8 will accelerate, it stops charging the drive battery 8 with regenerative power. Specifically, the control unit 10 is connected to the switching unit 7, and if it determines that the deterioration of the drive battery 8 will accelerate, it stops charging the drive battery 8 by switching the switching unit 7 to connect the motor 3 to the power consumption unit 6.

[0021] The power consumption unit 6 includes a power consumption device 11 and a power consumption battery 12. Here, the switching unit 7 may be connected to the power consumption battery 12 or may be connected to the power consumption device 11.

[0022] The power consuming device 11 is composed of devices that consume power mounted on the vehicle, and may include, for example, an electrically heated catalyst (EHC) 13 and an air conditioner 14. The power consuming device 11 is an electrical load different from the motor 3. The electrically heated catalyst 13 is disposed in an exhaust pipe connected to the engine 1, and is an aftertreatment device that purifies exhaust gas by catalytic action. The electrically heated catalyst 13 is provided with a heater that consumes a relatively large amount of power consumption equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, the electrically heated catalyst 13 can heat the heater to activate a catalyst, and purify exhaust gas by the catalytic action. The air conditioner 14 adjusts the temperature or humidity inside the vehicle, and may be composed of, for example, an air conditioner. The air conditioner 14 consumes a power consumption equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, the air conditioner 14 has a compressor that consumes a relatively large amount of power equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and drives these devices to form a cooling cycle or a heating cycle.

[0023] The consumption battery 12 is connected to the power consumption device 11 and supplies stored power to the power consumption device 11. For example, the consumption battery 12 stores power supplied from the drive battery 8 and supplies the power to the electrically heated catalyst device 13 or the air conditioning device 14. The consumption battery 12 may be composed of, for example, a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or the like. The consumption battery 12 constitutes the second battery of the present disclosure.

[0024] The control device 5 may be composed of one or more processors, and the functions of the control device may be realized by the execution of a computer program by one or more processors. For example, a computer reading device reads a program for realizing the functions of the control device 5 from a recording medium on which the program is recorded, and stores the program in a storage device. Then, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) copies the program stored in the storage device to a RAM (Random Access Memory), and sequentially reads and executes instructions included in the program from the RAM, thereby realizing the functions of the control device 5.

[0025] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0026] First, as shown in Fig. 1, the engine 1 and the motor 3 are driven to run the vehicle. Then, in step S1, the detection unit 9 of the control device 5 detects charging information of the driving battery 8. At this time, the detection unit 9 may detect at least one of the charging information of the charging state, the time for which the fully charged state is maintained, the temperature of the driving battery 8, the ambient temperature of the driving battery 8, and the frequency of charging and discharging the driving battery. The detection unit 9 outputs the detected charging information of the driving battery 8 to the control unit 10.

[0027] Furthermore, the detection unit 9 may detect regeneration information indicating the generation of regenerative power in the motor 3. The regeneration information may include, for example, the accelerator opening, the presence or absence of a brake operation, a change in vehicle speed, a change in the amount of stored power in the drive battery 8, or the amount of power supplied to the drive battery 8. When the detection unit 9 detects the regeneration information, it outputs the regeneration information to the control unit 10.

[0028] When the control unit 10 receives the regenerative information from the detection unit 9, in step S2, the control unit 10 determines whether or not regenerative power is being generated in the motor 3, i.e., whether or not the regenerative power is being charged to the drive battery 8, based on the regenerative information. For example, the control unit 10 may determine that regenerative power is being generated when the accelerator opening is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the brakes are being operated, and there are no abnormalities in the brake system and the hybrid system. When the control unit 10 determines that regenerative power is not being generated, it ends the process.

[0029] On the other hand, when the control unit 10 determines that regenerative power is being generated, in step S3, it determines whether or not charging will accelerate deterioration of the driving battery 8, based on the charging information input from the detection unit 9. Here, the control unit 10 may preset thresholds at which deterioration of the driving battery 8 will be accelerated, for charging information such as the charging state, the time the fully charged state is maintained, the temperature of the driving battery 8, the ambient temperature of the driving battery 8, or the frequency of charging and discharging the driving battery 8.

[0030] For example, the control unit 10 may determine whether the charge state of the driving battery 8 is higher than a predetermined threshold, and if it is higher than the predetermined threshold, determine that the deterioration of the driving battery 8 will accelerate. The control unit 10 may also determine whether the time during which the driving battery 8 is maintained in a fully charged state is longer than a predetermined threshold, and if it is longer than the predetermined threshold, determine that the deterioration of the driving battery 8 will accelerate. The control unit 10 may also determine whether the temperature of the driving battery 8 is higher than a predetermined threshold, and if it is higher than the predetermined threshold, determine that the deterioration of the driving battery 8 will accelerate. The control unit 10 may also determine whether the environmental temperature of the driving battery 8 is higher than a predetermined threshold, and if it is higher than the predetermined threshold, determine that the deterioration of the driving battery 8 will accelerate. The control unit 10 may also determine whether the frequency of charging and discharging the driving battery 8 is higher than a predetermined threshold, and if it is higher than the predetermined threshold, determine that the deterioration of the driving battery 8 will accelerate.

[0031] If the control unit 10 determines that deterioration of the driving battery 8 will not accelerate, the process proceeds to step S4, where the control unit 10 causes the regenerative power supplied from the motor 3 to be charged into the driving battery 8. That is, the control unit 10 switches the switching unit 7 so as to connect the motor 3 to the driving battery 8. As a result, the regenerative power generated by the motor 3 is supplied to the driving battery 8 via the inverter 4 and the switching unit 7. The regenerative power is then sequentially charged into the driving battery 8.

[0032] On the other hand, when it is determined that the deterioration of the driving battery 8 is accelerating, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S5 and stops charging of the driving battery 8. That is, the control unit 10 switches the switching unit 7 so as to connect the motor 3 to the power consumption unit 6. For example, the control unit 10 may switch the switching unit 7 so as to connect the motor 3 to the consumption battery 12. As a result, the regenerative power generated by the motor 3 is supplied to the consumption battery 12 via the inverter 4 and the switching unit 7. The consumption battery 12 is then sequentially charged with the regenerative power.

[0033] In this way, when it is determined that the deterioration of the drive battery 8 is accelerating, the control unit 10 stops charging the drive battery 8 with regenerative power. This allows the control device 5 to suppress deterioration of the drive battery 8 caused by charging with regenerative power, and enables the drive battery 8 to be used for a long period of time. Furthermore, the control device 5 can suppress a decrease in the vehicle's fuel efficiency due to performance deterioration of the drive battery 8, and can reduce the cost of maintaining the vehicle's performance.

[0034] Furthermore, when it is determined that the deterioration of the drive battery 8 is accelerating, the control unit 10 switches the switching unit 7 to connect the motor 3 to the consumption battery 12. This allows the control device 5 to maintain regenerative braking of the vehicle while suppressing deterioration of the drive battery 8. Furthermore, the control device 5 can significantly suppress a decrease in fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

[0035] The control unit 10 may also switch the switching unit 7 so as to connect the motor 3 to the power consumption device 11. For example, the control unit 10 may switch the switching unit 7 so as to connect the motor 3 to the electric heating type catalyst device 13 or the air conditioning device 14 that has a power consumption amount equal to or greater than a predetermined value. At this time, the control unit 10 may acquire driving information of the power consumption device 11, and switch the switching unit 7 so as to connect the motor 3 to the power consumption device 11 when the power consumption device 11 is driven. This allows the control device 5 to reliably consume the regenerative power generated by the motor 3 in the power consumption device 11. Therefore, the control device 5 can maintain the regenerative braking of the vehicle while suppressing deterioration of the drive battery 8. Then, the control device 5 can significantly suppress the decrease in fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Note that, when the power consumption device 11 is not driven, the control unit 10 may simply disconnect the motor 3 from the drive battery 8 without connecting the motor 3 to the power consumption device 11. Similarly, the control unit 10 may also disconnect the motor 3 from the drive battery 8 when the drive battery 8 is fully charged.

[0036] Furthermore, the control unit 10 may switch the switching unit 7 so that, among the multiple power consuming devices 11, the electrically heated catalytic device 13 or the air conditioner 14 that has a power consumption equal to or greater than a predetermined value is preferentially connected to the motor 3. This allows the control device 5 to more reliably consume the regenerative power generated by the motor 3.

[0037] Furthermore, the control unit 10 determines that the deterioration of the driving battery 8 will accelerate when the frequency of charging and discharging the driving battery 8 is higher than a predetermined threshold value as described above. In general, the frequency of generation of regenerative power may increase significantly depending on road conditions and the like. When the frequency of generation of regenerative power increases, charging and discharging of the driving battery 8 occurs frequently, and there is a risk that the deterioration of the driving battery 8 will accelerate significantly. Therefore, the control unit 10 stops charging the driving battery 8 with regenerative power when the frequency of charging and discharging the driving battery 8 is higher than a predetermined threshold value. This allows the control device 5 to reliably suppress the deterioration of the driving battery 8.

[0038] According to this embodiment, the drive battery 8 is electrically connected to the motor 3 that drives the vehicle, and is charged with regenerative power from the motor 3. Furthermore, the detection unit 9 detects charging information for the drive battery 8. Then, the control unit 10 determines whether or not charging will accelerate deterioration of the drive battery 8 based on the charging information, and if it is determined that deterioration of the drive battery 8 will be accelerated, charging of the drive battery 8 with regenerative power is stopped. Therefore, the control device 5 can suppress deterioration of the drive battery 8 caused by charging with regenerative power.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the control unit 10 switches the switching unit 7 to connect the motor 3 to the power consumption unit 6, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as charging of the drive battery 8 with regenerative power is stopped. For example, the control unit 10 may cut off the electrical connection between the motor 3 and the drive battery 8. The control unit 10 may also cut off the physical connection between the motor 3 and the transmission 2.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the control unit 10 makes the determination in steps S2 and S3, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as it stops charging the driving battery 8 with the regenerative power when the motor 3 generates regenerative power and the deterioration of the driving battery 8 is accelerated by charging. For example, the control unit 10 may supply the regenerative power to the consumption battery 12 when the motor 3 generates regenerative power and the temperature of the driving battery 8 is higher than a predetermined threshold, and may supply the regenerative power to the driving battery 8 when the motor 3 generates regenerative power and the temperature of the driving battery 8 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. The control unit 10 may supply the regenerative power to the consumption battery 12 when the motor 3 generates regenerative power and the duration of the driving battery 8 in a fully charged state is higher than a predetermined threshold, and may supply the regenerative power to the driving battery 8 when the motor 3 generates regenerative power and the duration of the driving battery 8 in a fully charged state is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold.

[0041] In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of the embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by these. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or main features of the present invention. For example, the disclosure of the shape and number of each part described in the above-mentioned embodiments is merely an example, and can be implemented by appropriately changing them. [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY A charging control device according to the present disclosure can be used as a device for charging a vehicle using regenerative electric power from a motor that drives the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Engine 2. Transmission 3 Motor 4 Inverter 5. Control device 6 Power consumption part 7 Switching section 8. Drive battery 9. Detection Unit 10 Control section 11 Power consumption equipment 12 Consumable Battery 13 Electrically heated catalytic converter 14 Air conditioning equipment

Claims

1. a drive battery electrically connected to a motor that drives a vehicle and that charges the drive battery with regenerative power from the motor; a detection unit that detects charging information of the driving battery; A control unit that determines whether or not charging will accelerate deterioration of the drive battery based on the charging information, and stops charging the drive battery with the regenerative power if it is determined that charging will accelerate deterioration of the drive battery.

2. a switching unit that switches an electrical connection with the motor between the driving battery and a power consumption unit, 2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops charging of the driving battery by switching the switching unit to connect the motor to the power consumption unit when it is determined that deterioration of the driving battery is accelerating.

3. the power consumption unit includes a power consumption battery that supplies power to a power consumption device; The charge control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit switches the switching unit so as to connect the motor to the consumption battery.

4. the power consumption unit includes a power consumption device having a power consumption amount equal to or greater than a predetermined value; The charge control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit switches the switching unit so as to connect the motor to the power consumption device when the power consumption device is operating.

5. The detection unit detects a frequency of charging and discharging the driving battery, The charge control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines that deterioration of the driving battery is accelerating when the frequency of charging and discharging is higher than a predetermined threshold value.

6. a first battery that supplies power to a motor that drives the vehicle; a second battery that supplies power to an electrical load other than the motor; A detection unit that detects a temperature of the first battery; A control unit that supplies the regenerative power to the second battery when the motor generates regenerative power and the temperature of the first battery is higher than a predetermined threshold, and supplies the regenerative power to the first battery when the motor generates regenerative power and the temperature of the first battery is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold.

7. a first battery that supplies power to a motor that drives the vehicle; a second battery that supplies power to an electrical load other than the motor; a detection unit for detecting a time during which the first battery is maintained in a fully charged state; a control unit that supplies the regenerative power to the second battery when the motor generates regenerative power and the time the first battery is maintained in a fully charged state is higher than a predetermined threshold, and supplies the regenerative power to the first battery when the motor generates regenerative power and the time the first battery is maintained in a fully charged state is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

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