Hydrogen filling control method

Abstract

To provide a hydrogen filling control method capable of appropriately selecting a combination of a provision tank and a filling tank of hydrogen when performing filling of hydrogen between vehicles.SOLUTION: A hydrogen filling control method includes: a first vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process of acquiring first hydrogen tank information including pressure in a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle and second hydrogen tank information including pressure in a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle and having internal pressure different from that of the first hydrogen tank; a second vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process of acquiring third hydrogen tank information including pressure in a third hydrogen tank provided in a second vehicle different from the first vehicle; and a filling tank pair determination process of determining a combination of hydrogen tanks between which filling of hydrogen is performed out of the hydrogen tanks provided in the first vehicle and the second vehicle on the basis of the hydrogen tank information acquired in the first vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process and the second vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hydrogen filling control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for, when a fuel cell vehicle runs out of hydrogen, emergency hydrogen refueling can be performed from another fuel cell vehicle using differential pressure.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a hydrogen gas filling system that stores a filling profile that specifies the filling pressure when filling a tank with hydrogen gas for each elapsed time from the start of filling, and controls the filling pressure in accordance with the filling profile.

[0004] Patent Documents 3 and 4 disclose a technique for releasing gas from a plurality of hydrogen tanks to fill a vehicle tank with gas based on the pressure of the gas in the tanks during operation of a hydrogen station. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-146113 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2010-236673 A [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2021 / 210206 [Patent Document 4] Special Publication No. 2016-526136 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to realize hydrogen filling between vehicles, it is necessary to appropriately select a supply vehicle that can provide hydrogen to a vehicle requesting hydrogen filling. This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problem, and an object of this disclosure is to realize a hydrogen filling control method that can select a combination of a supply tank and a filling tank when performing hydrogen filling between vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a hydrogen filling control method in one embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by including a first vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process for acquiring first hydrogen tank information including the internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, and second hydrogen tank information including the internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle and having an internal pressure different from that of the first hydrogen tank, a second vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process for acquiring third hydrogen tank information including the internal pressure of a third hydrogen tank provided in a second vehicle different from the first vehicle, and a filling tank pair determination process for determining a combination of hydrogen tanks to be filled with hydrogen between the hydrogen tanks provided in the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the hydrogen tank information acquired in the first vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process and the second vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a hydrogen filling system in one embodiment of the present disclosure has one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processors, and the processor executes processing including: acquiring first hydrogen tank information including the internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, and second hydrogen tank information including the internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle and having an internal pressure different from that of the first hydrogen tank, acquiring third hydrogen tank information including the internal pressure of a third hydrogen tank provided in a second vehicle different from the first vehicle, and determining a combination of hydrogen tanks to be filled with hydrogen between the hydrogen tanks provided in the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the acquired first hydrogen tank information, second hydrogen tank information, and third hydrogen tank information.

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle control device in one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a hydrogen remaining amount measuring unit that generates information on the remaining amount of hydrogen gas contained in the vehicle hydrogen tank, and a hydrogen filling control unit that controls the filling of hydrogen into the vehicle hydrogen tank, and is characterized in that the control of hydrogen filling by the hydrogen filling control unit is performed based on tank pair information including the filling amount or filling time when hydrogen filling is performed between vehicles, and the tank pair information is generated based on the hydrogen gas remaining amount information generated by the hydrogen remaining amount measuring unit. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the hydrogen filling control method of the present disclosure, when hydrogen filling between vehicles is performed, a suitable combination of hydrogen supply tank and filling tank can be selected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the general configuration of a hydrogen filling system for a vehicle for implementing a hydrogen filling control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control device according to the embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a main flowchart showing an example of the operation of the hydrogen filling system according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the hydrogen filling system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the hydrogen filling system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a hydrogen filling control method according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0013] <1. Overview of hydrogen filling system> First, an overview of a hydrogen filling system for a vehicle capable of implementing a hydrogen filling control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a hydrogen filling system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0014] The hydrogen filling system 100 includes vehicle control devices 50 (50a, 50b, 50c, 50d) provided in each of the vehicles 1 (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D), and an information processing device 10 configured to be able to communicate with the vehicle control devices 50. Hereinafter, unless a distinction is required, the vehicles 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D will be simply referred to as "vehicle 1." Similarly, unless a distinction is required, the vehicle control devices 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d will be simply referred to as "vehicle control devices 50."

[0015] The vehicle 1 is, for example, a known fuel cell vehicle (FCV) and is equipped with one or more hydrogen tanks inside the vehicle. To facilitate understanding of the invention, four vehicles 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are illustrated and described, but the number of vehicles that can be connected to the information processing device 10 is not particularly limited.

[0016] In the hydrogen filling system 100 of this embodiment, when the information processing device 10 receives a hydrogen filling request from the vehicle control device 50a of the vehicle 1A, it searches for other vehicles along the driving route that can provide hydrogen to the vehicle 1A on a vehicle-to-vehicle basis.

[0017] Furthermore, the information processing device 10 determines the tank pair to which hydrogen is to be supplied and filled based on the hydrogen filling mode (rapid filling mode or fine filling mode) required by the vehicle 1A. Note that since the vehicle 1 is not equipped with a device for compressing hydrogen within the vehicle, hydrogen is supplied and filled by utilizing the internal pressure difference between the hydrogen tanks.

[0018] 1 and the like, the information processing device 10 is an information processing device capable of communicating with a vehicle control device 50 of each vehicle 1 via a wireless communication network 5. The information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a calculation processing unit 13, and a storage unit 15. The information processing device 10 may be, for example, a cloud server including the above configuration.

[0019] On the other hand, the vehicle control device 50 is mounted on the vehicle 1 and can execute a predetermined control over the vehicle 1 based on an instruction from the information processing device 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle control device 50 includes a communication unit 51, a calculation processing unit 53, and a storage unit 55. The vehicle control device 50 is configured to be able to communicate with the information processing device 10 via a wireless communication network 5 such as mobile communication.

[0020] <2. Configuration example of vehicle control device> Next, a specific configuration example of the vehicle control device 50 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle control device 50 according to this embodiment.

[0021] The vehicle control device 50 is configured to include, for example, an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a storage element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). A part or the whole of the vehicle control device 50 may be configured with updatable elements such as firmware, or may be a program module executed by a command from the CPU or the like.

[0022] The communication unit 51 includes an interface for transmitting and receiving signals between the vehicle control device 50 and the information processing device 10. In this embodiment, the communication unit 51 is configured to be able to communicate with the information processing device 10 via the wireless communication network 5.

[0023] The arithmetic processing unit 53 is configured with at least one CPU or MPU as described above, and can execute various arithmetic processing by executing programs stored in the storage unit 55.

[0024] The memory unit 55 may include a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a solid state drive (SSD), a universal serial bus (USB) flash, a storage device, etc., in addition to or instead of a storage element such as a RAM or a ROM.

[0025] The vehicle control device 50 is connected directly or via a communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Internet) to various sensors such as a tank internal pressure sensor 41, a tank internal temperature sensor 43, and a hydrogen remaining amount detection sensor 45, and a navigation system 47. The tank internal pressure sensor 41 is a known sensor that is installed in a known hydrogen tank provided in a vehicle and used to detect the pressure of hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen tank. The tank internal temperature sensor 43 is a known sensor that is installed in a known hydrogen tank provided in a vehicle and used to detect the internal temperature of the hydrogen tank. The hydrogen remaining amount detection sensor 45 is a known sensor that is used to detect the amount of hydrogen remaining in the hydrogen tank. Information acquired by the various sensors is transmitted to the vehicle control device 50. The various sensors are operated by receiving power from a power source of the vehicle 1, for example.

[0026] The navigation system 47 guides the vehicle 1 to a set destination based on, for example, position information of the vehicle 1 transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. Specifically, the navigation system 47 includes a GPS antenna (not shown) and receives satellite signals including information on the current position of the vehicle 1 from the GPS satellite. The navigation system 47 sets the destination based on destination information input by a passenger such as a driver via the input unit 31. Alternatively, the navigation system 47 may set the destination of the vehicle 1 based on destination information transmitted from another control device or the like that manages autonomous driving.

[0027] The navigation system 47 generates information on candidate driving routes from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the destination. In this embodiment, the navigation system 47 transmits information on the current position of the vehicle 1 and information on candidate driving routes to the destination to the vehicle control device 50. The navigation system 47 sets a driving route selected by a passenger such as a driver from among the candidate driving routes as the driving route, reflects the selected route in map data, and displays the map data on the display unit 33 installed in the vehicle.

[0028] The navigation system 47 is not limited to one that uses satellite signals from GPS satellites, and may be a system that can receive satellite signals including position information of the vehicle 1 from other satellite systems. In addition, if the vehicle 1 is a vehicle that can execute autonomous driving control, the navigation system 47 may transmit a driving route to a set destination to a control device that manages autonomous driving.

[0029] The vehicle control device 50 is connected to the input unit 31, the display unit 33, and the vehicle drive control device 37 directly or via a communication line such as CAN or LIN. The input unit 31 accepts an operation input by a passenger to the vehicle control device 50. The input unit 31 may be, for example, a touch panel display or a dial-type operating device.

[0030] The display unit 33 is, for example, a display panel provided on the dashboard or a HUD (Head Up Display) projected on the front window, and presents information so that the occupants can see it. The display unit 33 may be a meter display device in the instrument panel, a display device of the navigation system 47, or a multi-function display that presents various information. However, the display unit 33 is not limited to the above-mentioned display panel or HUD. The display unit 33 may also be integrated with the input unit 31.

[0031] The vehicle drive control device 37 is a control unit that executes drive control of the vehicle 1, and is composed of one or more control devices that control the drive of a drive motor, a steering system, a brake system, etc. (not shown). The vehicle drive control device 37 executes drive control of the vehicle 1 based on, for example, the driving operation of the occupant.

[0032] As described above, the calculation processing unit 53 is configured to include a processor such as a CPU. The calculation processing unit 53 includes a hydrogen remaining amount measuring unit 61, a hydrogen filling control unit 63, and a display control unit 65. Each of these units may be a function realized by the execution of a program by the processor.

[0033] (Hydrogen level measuring section) Among these, the hydrogen remaining amount measuring unit 61 generates information on the amount of hydrogen gas remaining in the hydrogen tank mounted on the vehicle 1. Such hydrogen gas remaining amount information may include hydrogen gas pressure information in the hydrogen tank detected by the tank internal pressure sensor 41. The remaining amount information may also include hydrogen gas temperature information detected by the tank internal temperature sensor 43. The remaining amount information may include the amount of substance of hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen tank calculated based on the detection values ​​of the tank internal pressure sensor 41 and the tank internal temperature sensor 43. The remaining amount information may also include the amount of substance of hydrogen gas detected by the hydrogen remaining amount detection sensor 45. Note that the "amount of substance" means the number of moles derived by the gas state equation. The remaining amount information may also include information on the number of hydrogen tanks mounted on the vehicle. In this embodiment, the hydrogen remaining amount measuring unit 61 may generate the above-mentioned remaining amount information based on an input by a passenger via the input unit 31.

[0034] (Hydrogen filling control unit) The hydrogen filling control unit 63 controls the filling of hydrogen into the hydrogen tank mounted on the vehicle 1. Specifically, the hydrogen filling control unit 63 controls the opening and closing of a valve (not shown) provided at the hydrogen tank filling port, based on the detected values ​​of the tank internal pressure sensor 41, the tank internal temperature sensor 43, etc.

[0035] (Display control unit) The display control unit 65 controls the display on the display unit 33 in the vehicle 1. Specifically, the display control unit 65 displays a decision made by the information processing device 10, which will be described later, and also controls the display of the contents of an input to the input unit 31.

[0036] <3. Configuration example of information processing device> Next, a specific configuration example of the information processing device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described below. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing device 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0037] The information processing device 10 performs predetermined processing, an example of which is described below, based on the information transmitted from the vehicle control device 50 of the vehicle 1, and transmits the result to the source vehicle or another vehicle.

[0038] The information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a calculation processing unit 13, and a storage unit 15. The communication unit 11 includes an interface for communicating with a wireless communication network 5. The information processing device 10 is configured to be able to communicate with vehicle control devices 50 of multiple vehicles 1 via the communication unit 11.

[0039] The storage unit 15 includes storage media such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a solid state drive (SSD), a universal serial bus (USB) flash, a storage device, etc. The storage unit 15 stores information such as remaining amount of hydrogen gas transmitted from the vehicle control device 50 of the vehicle 1. The storage unit 15 stores traveling position information transmitted from the vehicle control device 50 of the vehicle 1 while it is traveling, and updates the information at predetermined time intervals.

[0040] The arithmetic processing unit 13 is configured to include a processor such as a CPU. A part or the whole of the arithmetic processing unit 13 may be configured with an updatable component such as firmware, or may be a program module executed by a command from the CPU or the like.

[0041] The calculation processing unit 13 includes a search unit 21 and a tank pair determination unit 24. Each of these units may be a function realized by the execution of a program by a processor.

[0042] (Exploration Department) The search unit 21 searches for fuel cell vehicles (vehicles 1B, 1C, 1D) other than vehicle 1A on the driving route of vehicle 1A, and generates search information. The search information includes at least unique numbers (IDs) capable of identifying the extracted vehicles 1B, 1C, 1D, and location information of each vehicle. The search information may further include the above-mentioned remaining hydrogen gas information in each vehicle. Furthermore, the search unit 21 can also generate search information by searching for hydrogen stations on the driving route of vehicle 1A.

[0043] (Tank pair determination section) The tank pair determination unit 24 has a function of determining a combination of hydrogen tanks to be filled with hydrogen when hydrogen is filled between vehicles. The tank pair determination unit 24 calculates the result value when hydrogen is filled with the tank pair and generates tank pair information. More specifically, the tank pair information includes information on the amount of hydrogen filled when hydrogen is filled with the tank pair. The tank pair information may also include information on the filling time required when hydrogen is filled with the tank pair. Furthermore, the tank pair information may include information on the temperature inside the hydrogen tank after filling as a result of hydrogen filling with the tank pair. The tank pair information may be generated based on the detection values ​​of the tank internal pressure sensor 41, tank internal temperature sensor 43, etc. described above. The tank pair determination unit can transmit the generated tank pair information to the vehicle control device 50.

[0044] <4. Flowchart of an example of the operation of the hydrogen filling system> Next, an example of the operation of the vehicle control device 50 and the information processing device 10 constituting the hydrogen filling system 100 according to this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the flow chart of Figure 4. The hydrogen filling control method by the hydrogen filling system 100 of this embodiment is a method for determining a filling tank pair according to a feasible filling amount or filling time when hydrogen is exchanged between fuel cell vehicles.

[0045] 4, the information processing device 10 determines whether or not hydrogen filling is required for the vehicle 1A (step S10). Specifically, the information processing device 10 can determine that hydrogen filling is required based on hydrogen gas remaining amount information from the vehicle control device 50a of the vehicle 1A. More specifically, the information processing device 10 receives hydrogen gas remaining amount information generated by the hydrogen remaining amount measuring unit 61 of the vehicle 1A. Then, for example, if the amount of gas is such that a cruising distance is less than 50 km, the information processing device 10 can determine that the vehicle 1A needs to be filled with hydrogen.

[0046] If it is determined that hydrogen refueling is required (Yes in step S10), the information processing device 10 searches for hydrogen stations that the vehicle 1A can reach (step S11). Based on the current position information of the vehicle 1A, the information processing device 10 can transmit position information of hydrogen stations on the driving route or within a radius of several kilometers to the navigation system 47 of the vehicle 1A.

[0047] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 1A does not need to be filled with hydrogen (No in step S10), the information processing device 10 repeats the process from step S10 again.

[0048] If a hydrogen station reachable by the vehicle 1A is found (Yes in step S12), the information processing device 10 transmits the information to the vehicle 1A to present the information (step S21), and the process can then end (END).

[0049] On the other hand, if no hydrogen station reachable by vehicle 1A is found (No in step S12), information processing device 10 searches for other fuel cell vehicles that can supply hydrogen to vehicle 1A (step S13). Information processing device 10 searches for fuel cell vehicles other than vehicle 1A (vehicles 1B, 1C, 1D) on the driving route of vehicle 1A, for example, and generates search information.

[0050] Next, the information processing device 10 determines whether to make a refueling request to each of the vehicles 1B, 1C, and 1D based on the acquired search information (step S14). Specifically, the information processing device 10 can present the vehicles 1B, 1C, and 1D to the occupant of the vehicle 1A via the display unit 33. The information processing device 10 may then determine whether to make a refueling request based on an input to the input unit 31 by the occupant of the vehicle 1A, or the like.

[0051] The information processing device 10 may execute a process (not shown) between steps S13 and S14 to determine a vehicle that will supply hydrogen to the vehicle 1A. More specifically, the information processing device 10 may determine a vehicle that will supply hydrogen to the vehicle 1A based on the position information of the vehicles 1B, 1C, and 1D. The information processing device 10 may determine a vehicle that will supply hydrogen based on information on the amount of hydrogen filled when hydrogen is filled between a specific tank pair, or the filling time required when hydrogen is filled between a specific tank pair, which is included in the tank pair information generated by the tank pair determination unit 24. The information processing device 10 may also determine a vehicle that will supply hydrogen to the vehicle 1A based on input to the input unit 31 by an occupant of the vehicle 1A. By executing the above process between steps S13 and S14, the amount of hydrogen obtained from each vehicle and the time required for filling can be calculated and ranked before a request for filling is made to the other vehicles (vehicles 1B, 1C, and 1D), and then a request for filling can be made. The above process may be performed between step S16 and step S17 described later.

[0052] When it is determined not to make the refill request (No in step S14), the information processing device 10 can end the process (END).

[0053] If a decision to make a refueling request is made (Yes in step S14), the information processing device 10 transmits a hydrogen supply request to the vehicles 1B, 1C, and 1D (step S15). If the vehicles 1B, 1C, and 1D agree to the hydrogen supply (Yes in step S16), the information processing device 10 determines the refueling mode (step S17).

[0054] In step S17, the information processing device 10 can determine whether to fill hydrogen in the closest filling mode (step S18) or in the rapid filling mode (step S19). Note that the determination of the filling mode may be made based on, for example, an instruction input by an occupant of the vehicle 1A via the input unit 31.

[0055] Next, the information processing device 10 proceeds with the hydrogen filling process for the vehicle 1A (steps S18 to S19). After the hydrogen filling process is completed (Yes in step S20), the information processing device 10 presents the filling result to the vehicle control device 50a of the vehicle 1A (step S21), and ends the series of processes. The hydrogen filling process (steps S18 to S19) will be described in detail later.

[0056] In the hydrogen filling control method realized by the hydrogen filling system 100 according to this embodiment, processing can be performed according to the filling mode during hydrogen filling between vehicles. More specifically, different processing can be performed according to the close-packing mode shown in Fig. 5 and the rapid filling mode shown in Fig. 6. Here, the close-packing mode is processing that can relatively increase the amount of hydrogen filled into the hydrogen tank in vehicle 1A, and the rapid filling mode is processing that can relatively shorten the time it takes to fill the hydrogen tank of vehicle 1A.

[0057] <<Closest packing mode>> The close-filling mode of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 7. The information processing device 10 requests the vehicle control device 50b of the supply vehicle 1B to start adjusting the amount of hydrogen in the hydrogen tanks TKb and TKc (step S181). Specifically, the information processing device 10 calculates the internal pressure difference between the hydrogen tanks TKb and TKc. If there is no internal pressure difference, the information processing device 10 may execute a process to generate an internal pressure difference in the vehicle control device 50b of the supply vehicle 1B. Specifically, the information processing device 10 may execute a process to give priority to the use of hydrogen stored in either the hydrogen tank TKb or the hydrogen tank TKc.

[0058] Next, the information processing device 10 receives a response signal from the vehicle control device 50b (step S182). After the information processing device 10 receives the response signal (Yes in step S182), it determines whether or not the filling mode has been switched (step S183). If the information processing device 10 determines that the filling mode has been switched (Yes in step S183), it executes a process to switch to a rapid filling mode, which will be described later (step S184). Note that examples of criteria for determining whether or not the filling mode has been switched include a case in which no internal pressure difference is generated between the hydrogen tanks TKb and TKc.

[0059] When the information processing device 10 determines that the filling mode is not to be switched (No in step S183), it performs inter-vehicle filling control (step S185). Specifically, the information processing device 10 sends an instruction to each vehicle to connect a known hydrogen supply pipe.

[0060] Next, after confirming that the hydrogen supply pipes have been connected in each vehicle, the information processing device 10 causes the vehicle control device 50a of the recipient vehicle 1A to execute a process to open the supply valve of the hydrogen tank TKa (e.g., internal pressure of 5 MPa). The information processing device 10 also causes the vehicle control device 50b of the supplying vehicle 1B to execute a process to open the supply valve of the hydrogen tank that has the smaller internal pressure difference from the hydrogen tank TKa, out of the multiple hydrogen tanks installed. More specifically, the information processing device 10 can execute a process to open the supply valve of the hydrogen tank TKc (e.g., internal pressure of 30 MPa) shown in FIG. 7.

[0061] After detecting that the internal pressures of hydrogen tank TKc and hydrogen tank TKa have reached equilibrium, information processing device 10 determines that the hydrogen filling process between both tanks has ended and performs the process of closing both the fill valve and the supply valve. Although not shown, information processing device 10 may then perform the process of vehicle-to-vehicle filling control between hydrogen tank TKb and hydrogen tank TKa.

[0062] In the close-packed filling mode, among the multiple tanks mounted on the supplying vehicle, the tank to be filled is filled first with the supply tank with the smallest internal pressure difference, and then the connection is switched to the supply tank with the largest internal pressure difference and filling is performed. In this way, the information processing device 10 determines the tank combination between hydrogen tanks that will fill with the most hydrogen, or the order of hydrogen filling. As a result, vehicle-to-vehicle filling control can be performed with priority given to the amount of hydrogen filled.

[0063] In addition, the information processing device 10 may control the opening and closing of the above-mentioned filling valve and supply valve based on the temperature information inside the hydrogen tank obtained during hydrogen filling so that the temperature inside the hydrogen tank (hydrogen tank TKa) on the filling side does not exceed a predetermined value.

[0064] <<Quick fill mode>> Next, the rapid filling mode of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The information processing device 10 sends an instruction to each vehicle to connect a known hydrogen supply pipe. Next, after each vehicle confirms that the hydrogen supply pipe has been connected, the information processing device 10 transmits a request to the vehicle control device 50b of the supplying vehicle 1B to start supplying hydrogen to the supply receiving vehicle 1A (step S191).

[0065] After the information processing device 10 receives a response signal from the vehicle control device 50b (Yes in step S192), the information processing device 10 transmits a vehicle-to-vehicle filling control signal to the vehicle control device 50a of the supplied vehicle 1A and the vehicle control device 50b of the supplying vehicle 1B (step S193).

[0066] Specifically, the information processing device 10 causes the vehicle control device 50a of the recipient vehicle 1A to execute a process to open the supply valve of the hydrogen tank TKa (e.g., internal pressure of 5 MPa). The information processing device 10 also causes the vehicle control device 50b of the supplying vehicle 1B to execute a process to open the supply valve of the hydrogen tank that has a larger internal pressure difference from the hydrogen tank TKa, among the multiple hydrogen tanks installed. In Figure 7, the information processing device 10 executes a process to open the supply valve of the hydrogen tank TKb (e.g., internal pressure of 70 MPa). In this way, by performing a filling process from the supply tank that has a larger internal pressure difference from the tank to be filled, vehicle-to-vehicle filling control can be performed that prioritizes filling time.

[0067] When the amount of hydrogen received by the recipient vehicle 1A exceeds the amount of hydrogen required by the recipient vehicle 1A, the information processing device 10 determines that the hydrogen filling process is complete and performs the process of closing both the filling valve and the supply valve described above. The information processing device 10 may also determine that the hydrogen filling process is complete after detecting that the internal pressures of the hydrogen tanks TKb and TKa have reached equilibrium, and perform the process of closing both the filling valve and the supply valve described above.

[0068] In this filling mode, the information processing device 10 may control the opening and closing of the above-mentioned filling valve and supply valve based on the temperature information inside the hydrogen tank acquired during hydrogen filling, so that the temperature inside the hydrogen tank on the filling side (hydrogen tank TKa) does not exceed a predetermined value.

[0069] According to the hydrogen filling method executed by the vehicle hydrogen filling system 100 in this embodiment described above, when hydrogen is exchanged between fuel cell vehicles, a hydrogen supply vehicle can be matched with a hydrogen filling vehicle based on the amount of hydrogen to be filled, the time required for filling, etc.

[0070] As described above, a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described with reference to the attached drawings. However, it is clear that a person skilled in the art may attempt further modifications to the above-described embodiment, and it is understood that these modifications also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0071] That is, in the above embodiment, the close-packing mode and the rapid filling mode are each described separately, but either of these processes may be repeated, or both processes may be performed in sequence. For example, if the supplied vehicle 1A is equipped with multiple hydrogen tanks, the above process may be repeated to more appropriately select the combination of the hydrogen supply tank and the hydrogen filling tank.

[0072] In addition, in the above embodiment, information is transmitted and received between vehicles via the information processing device 10, but this is not limited to this, and information may be transmitted and received using known means such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0073] The present disclosure may include the following technical feature: In the hydrogen filling control method of the present disclosure, the filling tank pair determination step may include a step of acquiring a filling amount or a filling time when hydrogen is filled between the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, and between the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, respectively.

[0074] In the hydrogen filling control method of the present disclosure, the filling tank pair determination step may determine the pairing or hydrogen filling order of hydrogen tanks that will fill with the largest amount of hydrogen.

[0075] The hydrogen filling control method of the present disclosure may further include a step of acquiring the temperature inside the hydrogen tank when hydrogen is filled between the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, or between the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank.

[0076] In the hydrogen filling system of the present disclosure, the processor may be configured to execute processing that includes generating an internal pressure difference between the first hydrogen tank or the second hydrogen tank by preferentially using either the hydrogen stored in the first hydrogen tank or the hydrogen stored in the second hydrogen tank.

[0077] In the hydrogen filling system of the present disclosure, the processor may be configured to execute processing that includes obtaining the filling amount or filling time when hydrogen is filled between the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, and between the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank.

[0078] In the hydrogen filling system of the present disclosure, the processor may execute processing including determining the combination or order of hydrogen filling of hydrogen tanks that will fill with larger amounts of hydrogen.

[0079] In the hydrogen filling system of the present disclosure, the processor may be configured to execute processing including obtaining the temperature inside the hydrogen tank when hydrogen is filled between the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, or between the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1...vehicle, 10...information processing device, 11...communication unit, 13...arithmetic processing unit, 15...memory unit, 21...search unit, 22...supply vehicle information acquisition unit, 23...filling vehicle information acquisition unit, 24...tank pair determination unit, 31...input unit, 33...display unit, 37...vehicle drive control device, 41...tank internal pressure sensor, 43...tank internal temperature sensor, 45...hydrogen remaining amount detection sensor, 47...navigation system, 50...vehicle control device, 51...communication unit, 53...arithmetic processing unit, 55...memory unit, 61...hydrogen remaining amount measurement unit, 63...hydrogen filling control unit, 65...display unit, 100...hydrogen filling control system

Claims

1. a first vehicle hydrogen information acquisition step of acquiring first hydrogen tank information including an internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, and second hydrogen tank information including an internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle and having an internal pressure different from that of the first hydrogen tank; a second vehicle hydrogen information acquisition step of acquiring third hydrogen tank information including an internal pressure of a third hydrogen tank provided in a second vehicle different from the first vehicle; and a filling tank pair determination step of determining a combination of hydrogen tanks to be filled with hydrogen between the hydrogen tanks provided in the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the hydrogen tank information acquired in the first vehicle hydrogen information acquisition step and the second vehicle hydrogen information acquisition step. Hydrogen filling control method.

2. the first vehicle preferentially uses either the hydrogen stored in the first hydrogen tank or the hydrogen stored in the second hydrogen tank, thereby generating an internal pressure difference between the two tanks; The hydrogen filling control method according to claim 1 .

3. 2. The hydrogen filling control method according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition of the first hydrogen tank information and the second hydrogen tank information in the first vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process, and the acquisition of the third hydrogen tank information in the second vehicle hydrogen information acquisition process are performed by vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

4. one or more processors; one or more memories coupled to the processor; having the processor acquires first hydrogen tank information including an internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, and second hydrogen tank information including an internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle and having an internal pressure different from that of the first hydrogen tank; acquiring third hydrogen tank information including an internal pressure of a third hydrogen tank provided in a second vehicle different from the first vehicle; determining a combination of hydrogen tanks to be filled with hydrogen between the hydrogen tanks provided in the first vehicle and the hydrogen tanks provided in the second vehicle based on the acquired first hydrogen tank information, second hydrogen tank information, and third hydrogen tank information; The hydrogen filling system performs a process including the steps of:

5. a hydrogen remaining amount measuring unit that generates information on the remaining amount of hydrogen gas contained in a vehicle hydrogen tank; a hydrogen filling control unit that controls the filling of hydrogen into the vehicle hydrogen tank, the control of hydrogen filling by the hydrogen filling control unit is performed based on tank pair information including a filling amount or a filling time when hydrogen filling is performed between vehicles; The tank pair information is generated based on hydrogen gas remaining amount information generated by the hydrogen remaining amount measuring unit. Vehicle control device.

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