Battery pack operational system, battery pack switching device, battery pack operational device, and battery pack operational program

Abstract

To provide a battery pack operational system in which workability of maintenance of a battery pack is improved.SOLUTION: A battery pack operational system includes a plurality of battery packs 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, a switching device 140, and an FUC 20 serving as a switch control unit. Power supply targets of each of the battery packs 14A to 14D are EPUs 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D, 15E, 15F, 15G, 15H which are a plurality of electric propulsion devices installed in an eVTOL 10. The switching device 140 executes a switching process of switching a power supply target of each of the battery packs 14A to 14D to any one of the plurality of EPUs 15A to 15H. The FCU 20 provides a command to execute the switching process to the switching device 140 on the basis of state information about the states of the respective battery packs 14A to 14D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosure in this specification relates to a battery pack operation system, a battery pack switching device, a battery pack operation device, and a battery pack operation program that manage the charging of a battery pack mounted on a mobile object. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric flying vehicle. This flying vehicle is equipped with multiple rotors, a motor that rotates the rotors, and multiple battery packs that supply power to each motor. Each battery pack is assigned to a motor to supply power to, and each battery pack is electrically connected to the motor so as to supply power to the assigned motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0265694 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the motors provided for each rotor blade have different rotational loads for each rotor blade that is the object of rotational drive. Therefore, the load on the power supply varies depending on which motor is assigned to each battery pack. Therefore, the degree of decline in the state of charge (SOC) and the degree of deterioration (SOH) vary for each battery pack. This results in different timings for maintenance work, such as charging and replacement, which makes maintenance work less efficient. In other words, it is desirable for each battery pack to have the same timing for charging and replacement.

[0005] The disclosed object is to provide a battery pack operation system, a battery pack switching device, a battery pack operation device, and a battery pack operation program that improve the workability of maintenance of battery packs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the disclosure is a battery pack operation system, a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) for supplying power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15) mounted on the moving body (10); a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of a plurality of electric propulsion devices each battery pack supplies power to; The system includes a switching control unit (20, 31) that instructs the switching device to perform switching processing based on status information relating to the status of each battery pack.

[0007] A second aspect of the disclosure is a battery pack switching device, The battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) are used to supply power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15) mounted on a moving body (10), a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of a plurality of electric propulsion devices each battery pack supplies power to; The system further includes a transmitting unit (204) for transmitting the status information to a switching control unit that instructs the switching device to perform switching processing based on the status information relating to the status of each battery pack.

[0008] A third aspect of the disclosure is a battery pack operation device, The present invention is applied to a moving body (10) including a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) that supply power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15), and a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of the plurality of electric propulsion devices each battery pack is to supply power to, a receiving unit (314) for receiving status information relating to the status of each battery pack; and a switching control unit (31) that instructs the switching device to perform switching processing based on the status information received by the receiving unit.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the disclosure is a battery pack operation program, The present invention is applied to a moving body (10) including a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) that supply power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15), and a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of the plurality of electric propulsion devices each battery pack is to supply power to, A battery pack operation program stored in a storage medium (202, 312) for instructing a switching device to perform a switching process, the battery pack operation program including instructions to be executed by a processor (201, 311), The command is, obtaining status information regarding the status of each battery pack; and instructing the switching device to perform switching processing based on the acquired status information.

[0010] The battery pack operation system according to the first aspect, the battery pack switching device according to the second aspect, the battery pack operation device according to the third aspect, and the battery pack operation program according to the fourth aspect have the following advantages. That is, it is possible to switch which of a plurality of electric propulsion devices each battery pack supplies power to, based on the state of the battery pack. Therefore, it is possible to switch so that the charging and replacement timings are the same for each battery pack, and therefore it is possible to perform maintenance work on a plurality of battery packs at the same time. This improves the workability of battery pack maintenance.

[0011] The various aspects disclosed in this specification employ different technical means to achieve their respective objectives. The reference numerals in parentheses in the claims and in this section are intended to exemplify correspondences with the following embodiments and are not intended to limit the technical scope. The objectives, features, and advantages disclosed in this specification will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a battery pack operation system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a power profile. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example in which optimal allocation of power supply from a plurality of battery packs to a plurality of EPUs is switched by switching control. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation of a switching device under switching control. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for switching processing based on SOC. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a transition of SOC in a comparative example in which a switching process is not executed. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing SOC transitions in the first embodiment in which switching processing is executed. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a switching process based on an SOH. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a transition of SOH in a comparative example in which a switching process is not executed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing SOH transition in the first embodiment in which switching processing is executed. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for switching processing based on SOC in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for switching processing based on an SOH in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a battery pack operation system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a switching process in the third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a battery pack operation system according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in each embodiment, corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a portion of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another embodiment previously described may be applied to the remaining portion of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of several embodiments may be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, provided that there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0014] (First embodiment) Mobile bodies to which the battery pack operation system can be applied include vehicles that run on land, ships that sail on water, submarines that move underwater, aircraft that fly in the air, as well as railway cars, rail vehicles, elevators, etc. In this embodiment, an example in which the battery pack operation system is applied to an aircraft will be described.

[0015] An air vehicle is equipped with a motor (rotating electric motor) as a driving source for movement. An air vehicle is sometimes called an electric airplane or electric aircraft. An air vehicle is capable of moving vertically and horizontally. An air vehicle is capable of moving in a direction that has a vertical component and a horizontal component, that is, in a diagonal direction. Examples of air vehicles include electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), electric short take-off and landing aircraft (eSTOL), and drones. eVTOL is an abbreviation for electronic vertical take-off and landing aircraft. eSTOL is an abbreviation for electronic short distance take-off and landing aircraft.

[0016] The air vehicle may be either a manned or unmanned aircraft. In the case of a manned aircraft, the air vehicle is operated by a pilot as a pilot. In the case of an unmanned aircraft, the air vehicle may be operated by remote control by a pilot, or may be automatically controlled by a control system. As an example, the air vehicle in this embodiment is an eVTOL.

[0017] <evtol> 1 shows an eVTOL 10 and a ground station. As shown in FIG. 1, the eVTOL 10 includes an airframe 11, fixed wings 12, rotors 13, a battery 14, an EPU 15, a BMS 16, and the like.

[0018] The aircraft main body 11 is the fuselage of the aircraft. The aircraft main body 11 has a shape that extends in the front-to-rear direction. The aircraft main body 11 has a passenger compartment for passengers and / or a luggage compartment for carrying luggage.

[0019] The fixed wing 12 is a wing portion of the aircraft and is connected to the aircraft body 11. The fixed wing 12 provides gliding lift. The gliding lift is the lift generated by the fixed wing 12. The fixed wing 12 may have a main wing 121 and a tail 122. The main wing 121 extends left and right from near the center of the aircraft body 11 in the fore-and-aft direction. The tail 122 extends left and right from the rear of the aircraft body 11.

[0020] A plurality of rotors 13 are provided on the aircraft body. At least some of the plurality of rotors 13 may be provided on the fixed wing 12. At least some of the plurality of rotors 13 may be provided on the aircraft body 11. The number of rotors 13 provided on the eVTOL 10 is not particularly limited. A plurality of rotors 13 may be provided on each of the aircraft body 11 and the main wings 121. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , three rotors 13 are provided on the left main wing 121, one on the left tail 122, three on the right main wing 121, and one on the right tail 122. In other words, the rotors 13 are provided in equal numbers on the left and right at symmetrical positions.

[0021] The rotor 13 may be referred to as a rotor, a propeller, a fan, or the like. The rotor 13 may have blades 131 and a shaft 132. The blades 131 are attached to the shaft 132. The blades 131 are vanes that rotate together with the shaft 132. A plurality of blades 131 extend radially around the axis of the shaft 132. The shaft 132 is a rotation axis of the rotor 13, and is driven to rotate by a motor of the EPU 15.

[0022] The rotor 13 generates thrust by rotation. The thrust acts on the eVTOL 10 mainly as rotational lift during takeoff and landing operations of the eVTOL 10. The rotor 13 mainly provides rotational lift during takeoff and landing operations. Rotational lift is lift generated by the rotation of the rotor 13. During takeoff and landing operations, the rotor 13 may provide only rotational lift, or may provide forward thrust in addition to rotational lift. The rotor 13 provides rotational lift when the eVTOL 10 is hovering.

[0023] The propulsive force acts on the eVTOL 10 primarily as thrust during cruising operation of the eVTOL 10. The rotor 13 primarily provides thrust during cruising operation. During cruising operation, the rotor 13 may provide thrust alone, or may provide lift in addition to thrust.

[0024] The battery (BAT) 14 is a device for driving the rotor 13 to rotate. The battery 14 supplies power to the EPU 15. The battery 14 may also supply power to auxiliary equipment (not shown), such as an air conditioner, an FCU 20 (described later), a lift control mechanism (not shown), and the like. The battery 14 is configured with multiple battery packs 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D. These battery packs are not directly electrically connected to each other, and each independently supplies power to each device. Each battery pack is independently chargeable; for example, only a battery pack with a low SOC that needs to be charged can be charged. Each battery pack is independently replaceable; for example, only a battery pack with a low SOH that needs to be replaced can be replaced.

[0025] A battery pack is composed of multiple battery cells housed in a housing. The battery cells are secondary batteries that generate electromotive force through chemical reactions. Examples of battery cells include lithium-ion secondary batteries and nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries. The battery cells may be secondary batteries with a liquid electrolyte or so-called all-solid-state batteries with a solid electrolyte.

[0026] Charging of the battery 14 is performed at the takeoff and landing site (V-port) of the eVTOL 10. A charging device is installed at the V-port to supply power to the battery 14 and charge it. Charging at the V-port is performed while the battery pack remains on board the eVTOL 10. The charging device is capable of charging multiple battery packs simultaneously. A replacement battery pack is installed at the V-port. Replacement at the V-port is performed by removing a deteriorated low-SOH battery pack from the eVTOL 10 and replacing it with a high-SOH battery pack that has been prepared in advance.

[0027] The EPU 15 rotates and drives the rotors 13, which provide propulsive force to the eVTOL 10. The EPU 15 is a device for rotating and driving the rotors 13. EPU is an abbreviation for Electric Propulsion Unit. The EPU 15 corresponds to an electric propulsion device. The EPU 15 includes a motor MOT and an inverter INV (see FIG. 3). Direct current power supplied from the battery 14 is converted to alternating current by the inverter INV and supplied to the motor MOT. As an example, the number of EPUs 15 provided is the same as the number of rotors 13. In other words, the eVTOL 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes eight EPUs 15. The EPUs 15 and the rotors 13 are connected one-to-one. Alternatively, two or more rotors 13 may be connected to one EPU 15 via a gearbox.

[0028] It is determined which of the plurality of battery packs each EPU 15 receives power from. For example, EPUs 15A, 15B, and 15C mounted on the left main wing 121 and EPU 15D (see FIG. 1) mounted on the left tail 122 are assigned to receive power from two battery packs 14A and 14B. EPUs 15E, 15F, and 15G mounted on the right main wing 121 and EPU 15H mounted on the right tail 122 are assigned to receive power from two battery packs 14C and 14D.

[0029] BMS 16 monitors the status of the unit cells that make up battery 14. BMS is an abbreviation for Battery Management System. BMS 16 can monitor the voltage, current, temperature, internal resistance, SOC, SOH, and other safety-related conditions of battery 14, such as internal pressure and gas leakage. SOC is an abbreviation for State Of Charge. SOH is an abbreviation for State Of Health. BMS 16 may be provided integrally with battery 14. Part of BMS 16 may be provided integrally with battery 14, and another part may be provided separately from battery 14.

[0030] The eVTOL 10 further includes an FCU 20 and auxiliary equipment (not shown). FCU is an abbreviation for Flight Control Unit. The eVTOL 10 may also include a lift adjustment mechanism (not shown). The lift adjustment mechanism adjusts the gliding lift of the fixed wing 12. The lift adjustment mechanism increases or decreases the gliding lift generated by the fixed wing 12. The eVTOL 10 may also include, for example, a tilt mechanism or a flap as the lift adjustment mechanism. The tilt mechanism is driven to adjust the tilt angle of the rotor 13. The flap is a movable wing piece provided on the fixed wing 12.

[0031] <Flight control device> The traffic management device is a device for formulating flight plans, monitoring flight status, collecting and managing flight information, and supporting flight operations. At least some of the functions of the traffic management device may be located in an onboard computer of the eVTOL 10. At least some of the functions of the traffic management device may be located in an external computer capable of wireless communication with the eVTOL 10. An example of an external computer is the server 31 of the ground station 30 shown in FIG. 1. The ground station 30 is capable of wireless communication with the eVTOL 10. The ground stations 30 are capable of wireless communication with each other.

[0032] As an example, in this embodiment, some of the functions of the traffic management device are arranged in the FCU 20 of the eVTOL 10, and some of the functions of the traffic management device are arranged in the server 31 of the ground station 30. The functions of the traffic management device are shared between the FCU 20 and the server 31. The traffic management device includes an on-board management unit and an off-board management unit.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the FCU 20 is configured to include a processor (PC) 201, a memory (MM) 202, a storage (ST) 203, and a communication circuit (CC) 204 for wireless communication. The processor 201 executes various processes by accessing the memory 202. The memory 202 is a rewritable volatile storage medium. The memory 202 is, for example, a RAM. RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. The storage 203 is a rewritable non-volatile storage medium. The storage 203 stores a program (PG) 203P executed by the processor 201. The program 203P configures multiple functional units by causing the processor 201 to execute multiple instructions. The FCU 20 may include multiple processors 201.

[0034] Like the FCU 20, the server 31 is configured to include a processor (PC) 311, a memory (MM) 312, a storage (ST) 313, a communication circuit (CC) 314, etc. The processor 311 executes various processes by accessing the memory 312. The memory 312 is a rewritable volatile storage medium, such as a RAM. The storage 313 is a rewritable non-volatile storage medium. The storage 313 stores a program (PG) 313P to be executed by the processor 311. The program 313P configures multiple functional units by causing the processor 311 to execute multiple instructions. The server 31 may include multiple processors 311.

[0035] <Power Profile> Figure 2 shows the power profile of the eVTOL10 from takeoff to landing. Note that the power profiles of air vehicles other than the eVTOL10 are similar to that of the eVTOL10. Period P1 is referred to as takeoff flight, takeoff operation, takeoff period, etc. Period P2 is referred to as cruising flight, cruising operation, cruising period, etc. Period P3 is referred to as landing flight, landing operation, landing period, etc. Periods P1 and P3 are referred to as takeoff and landing flight, takeoff and landing operation, takeoff and landing period, etc. For convenience, in Figure 2, the required power, i.e., output, is constant throughout almost the entire range of each of periods P1 and P3. Period PF is referred to as flight period, flight time, etc. Period PP is referred to as parking period, parking time, etc.

[0036] The eVTOL 10 ascends from the takeoff point to the cruise start point during period P1. The eVTOL 10 cruises at a predetermined altitude during period P2. The eVTOL 10 descends from the end point of period P2 to the landing point during period P3. The movement of the eVTOL 10 includes mainly horizontal components during period P2 and mainly vertical components during periods P1 and P3. During periods P1 and P3 when the eVTOL 10 moves vertically, high output is required to drive the rotor 13 for a predetermined continuous period of time.

[0037] In particular, for commercial eVTOL10s, there is a demand to increase the flight availability by shortening the preparation time required from landing to the next takeoff, that is, the period PP shown in Figure 2, as much as possible. For this reason, it is required that battery packs with low charge levels be quickly charged after landing. Alternatively, it is required that battery packs be quickly replaced with charged ones. Furthermore, for flying vehicles such as eVTOL10s, the SOH requirements are higher than for vehicles, and battery packs need to be replaced more frequently.

[0038] The motor load during flight of the multiple EPUs 15 mounted on the eVTOL 10 varies depending on their mounting locations. For example, the motor load differs between EPUs 15D and 15H mounted on the tail 122 and EPUs 15A, 15B, 15C, 15E, 15F, and 15G mounted on the main wing 121. The motor load also differs for each EPU 15 depending on the flight environment, such as operational conditions such as hovering time and flight altitude, and weather conditions. Therefore, for the multiple battery packs 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D, the degree of progress of SOC and SOH decline differs for each battery pack depending on which of the multiple EPUs 15 is assigned power supply.

[0039] When the SOC drops below a specified value, the battery pack needs to be charged. Also, when the SOH drops below a specified value, the battery pack needs to be replaced. In this sense, having multiple battery packs in a state where they need to be charged at the same time is advantageous for maintenance workability. For example, if there are more opportunities where there are no battery packs that need to be charged or replaced during the parking period PP after landing, maintenance work during the parking period PP can be completed in a shorter time. As a result, the parking period PP can be shortened and the in-service rate (operation rate) can be increased.

[0040] In other words, if maintenance work such as charging or replacing multiple battery packs can be performed simultaneously, there will be more opportunities to complete maintenance work in a short time during the aircraft's parked period PP. In other words, if the rate of SOC and SOH decline can be leveled out across multiple battery packs, maintenance workability can be improved and the aircraft's in-service rate can be increased.

[0041] In consideration of this point, in this embodiment, a switching device 140 shown in Fig. 3 is mounted on the eVTOL 10. The switching device 140 switches the connection destination of the battery pack to the EPU 15. As a result, the allocation of which of the multiple EPUs 15 to supply power from the multiple battery packs can be switched by the switching device 140.

[0042] Specifically, the switching device 140 has multiple electromagnetic relays 140r shown in FIG. 4. The power supply path to the EPU 15 is switched by a combination of the on / off states of these electromagnetic relays 140r. In other words, the wiring paths electrically connecting the multiple EPUs 15 and the multiple battery packs are switched. Note that FIG. 4 illustrates the operation of the switching device 140 for two battery packs 14A and 14B, and does not illustrate the other two battery packs 14C and 14D. The switching between the battery packs 14C and 14D is similar to the switching between the battery packs 14A and 14B. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the two EPUs 15A and 15B share a common battery pack to which power is supplied. However, the number of electromagnetic relays 140r may be increased to allow the allocation of a battery pack to each EPU 15 to be switched.

[0043] Regarding the energization on / off combinations of the four electromagnetic relays 140r shown in FIG. 4, when the electromagnetic relay 140r is operated in the combination shown on the left side of the figure, the battery pack 14A supplies power to the EPUs 15A and 15B as indicated by the arrows in the figure. Also, the battery pack 14B supplies power to the EPUs 15C and 15D. This results in the power supply allocation shown on the left side of FIG. 3. In contrast, when the electromagnetic relay 140r is operated in the combination shown on the right side of the figure, the battery pack 14A supplies power to the EPUs 15C and 15D as indicated by the arrows in the figure. Also, the battery pack 14B supplies power to the EPUs 15A and 15B. This results in the power supply allocation shown on the right side of FIG. 3.

[0044] The FCU 20 controls the operation of the switching device 140. That is, the FCU 20 outputs an excitation signal to a desired electromagnetic relay 140r among the plurality of electromagnetic relays 140r included in the switching device 140, thereby turning on the desired electromagnetic relay 140r. This allows the allocation of power supply from the plurality of battery packs to one of the plurality of EPUs 15 to be switched.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 3, EPU information, BAT information, and flight operation information are input to the FCU 20. The EPU information is information detected by various sensors provided in each EPU 15. The EPU information is output from each EPU 15. The BAT information is output from each battery pack or the BMS 16. The flight operation information is output from the ground station 30. The FCU 20 acquires the flight operation information from the ground station 30 via wireless communication using the communication circuits 204, 314. The ground station 30 acquires various pieces of information calculated by the FCU 20 from the FCU 20 via the above-mentioned wireless communication.

[0046] The EPU information includes motor output and motor rotation speed. That is, information on the motor output and motor rotation speed for each of the multiple EPUs 15 is input to the FCU 20. The FCU 20 calculates the motor load for each EPU 15 based on the EPU information. The FCU 20 stores the motor load history for each EPU 15. The motor load history includes a history for each flight.

[0047] The BAT information includes the temperature, voltage, and current of the battery cells. That is, information on the battery temperature, voltage, and current for each of the multiple battery packs is input to the FCU 20. The FCU 20 calculates the SOC and SOH of each battery pack based on the BAT information. Alternatively, the BMS 16 calculates the SOC and SOH based on the BAT information, and the FCU 20 acquires these SOC and SOH from the BMS 16 as BAT information. In addition to storing the current SOC and SOH of each battery pack, the FCU 20 also stores the SOC history and SOH history of each battery pack. The SOC history includes a history for each flight and a history from the last charge to the present. The SOH history includes a history for each flight and a history from the last battery change to the present.

[0048] The operation information includes flight information such as the flight time, flight altitude, flight position, and flight speed of the eVTOL 10, and weather information such as the temperature, air pressure, and wind speed during flight. Note that instead of obtaining the operation information from the ground station 30, the FCU 20 may calculate the operation information by itself based on the detection values of various sensors installed on the eVTOL 10.

[0049] The FCU 20 detects the presence or absence of abnormalities in the EPU 15 based on the EPU information. The FCU 20 detects the presence or absence of abnormalities in the battery pack based on the BAT information. The FCU 20 calculates an optimal allocation (optimal assignment) of which of the plurality of EPU 15s to supply power from the plurality of battery packs, based at least on the BAT information. The FCU 20 controls the operation of the switching device 140 according to the calculated optimal assignment. For example, the optimal assignment is calculated so as to swap the assignment between the battery pack with a low SOC and the battery pack with a high SOC. Thereby, the progress of the SOC decrease and the SOH decrease is leveled among the plurality of battery packs.

[0050] The FCU 20 may calculate the optimal assignment based on the BAT information in view of the content of the EPU information. For example, the optimal assignment is calculated so as to assign a battery pack with a low SOC or a low SOH to the EPU 15 with a high motor load. Furthermore, the FCU 20 may calculate the optimal assignment based on the BAT information in view of the content of the operation information in addition to the EPU information.

[0051] <Control method based on SOC> FIG. 5 shows an example of a control procedure for controlling the operation of the switching device 140 based on the SOC calculated based on the BAT information and switching the wiring to achieve optimal allocation. This control is executed during the parking period PP at the V port after the aircraft has finished flying and landed. This control is executed by the FCU 20. That is, this control is executed by the processor 201 in accordance with the program 203P stored in the storage 203 of the FCU 20. Furthermore, the control of FIG. 5 is executed when it is determined that the battery pack does not need to be charged or replaced. If the SOCs of all the multiple battery packs are equal to or greater than the threshold value THa, the FCU 20 or the BMS 16 determines that charging is not necessary. If the SOHs of all the multiple battery packs are equal to or greater than the threshold value THb, the FCU 20 or the BMS 16 determines that replacement is not necessary.

[0052] 5, first, in step S10, the SOC of each battery pack is compared. Specifically, the difference between the maximum and minimum SOC values (SOC difference) is calculated. Then, it is determined whether the SOC difference is greater than a preset value.

[0053] If it is determined in step S10 that the SOC difference is greater than the set value, then in step S20, the switching device 140 is controlled to optimize allocation and switch the wiring for supplying power from the battery 14 to the EPU 15. Specifically, the power supply allocation between the battery pack with the maximum SOC and the battery pack with the minimum SOC is swapped.

[0054] 3, in the battery 14 shown in the left column, the SOC of battery pack 14A assigned to EPUs 15A and 15B is the smallest, and the SOC of battery pack 14B assigned to EPUs 15C and 15D is the largest. Therefore, as shown in the right column, the allocation of EPUs 15A and 15B is switched from battery pack 14A to battery pack 14B, and the allocation of EPUs 15C and 15D is switched from battery pack 14B to battery pack 14A. In other words, the power supply targets of battery pack 14A are switched from EPUs 15A and 15B to EPUs 15C and 15D, and the power supply targets of battery pack 14B are switched from EPUs 15C and 15D to EPUs 15A and 15B.

[0055] In the next step S30, it is determined that takeoff preparations related to charging of the battery 14 have been completed, and the takeoff permission flag is turned on. Information that the takeoff permission flag related to charging is on is transmitted from the FCU 20 to the ground station 30. The ground station 30 transmits a takeoff permission command to the FCU 20, on the condition that all takeoff permission flags, including the takeoff permission flag related to charging, are on.

[0056] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that the SOC difference is equal to or less than the set value, the process proceeds to step 30 without switching the wiring by the switching device 140, and the takeoff permission flag for the battery 14 is turned on. In other words, power is supplied from the battery 14 to the EPU 15 in this flight in the same allocation as in the previous flight.

[0057] FIG. 6 shows a comparative example in which switching based on the control of FIG. 5 is not performed, and FIG. 7 shows the effect of switching based on the control of FIG. 5. The horizontal axis in FIGS. 6 and 7 indicates flight time. This flight time is synonymous with the cumulative time of the period PF in FIG. 2 and can also be replaced with the number of flights. The vertical axis in FIGS. 6 and 7 indicates the SOC of each battery pack. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an example in which the battery 14 includes three battery packs 14A, 14B, and 14C. The solid line indicated by symbol A in the figure indicates the change in SOC of battery pack 14A, the solid line indicated by symbol B indicates the change in SOC of battery pack 14B, and the solid line indicated by symbol C indicates the change in SOC of battery pack 14C.

[0058] As mentioned above, the rate of SOC decline varies for each battery pack depending on which of the multiple EPUs 15 is assigned the power supply. In the case of FIG. 6 where no switching is performed, the SOC of battery pack 14C drops to threshold THa at time t1, requiring charging. However, the SOCs of the other battery packs 14A and 14B are sufficiently higher than threshold THa at time t1, and they do not yet require charging. Thereafter, at time t2, the SOC of battery pack 14B drops to threshold THa, requiring charging. In other words, the multiple battery packs require charging in the order in which they are assigned to the high-load EPUs. Therefore, for example, if a flight is scheduled for 10 flights, charging is required during the parking period PP after the eighth and tenth flights.

[0059] In contrast, in the case of switching as shown in FIG. 7, the assignment between the battery pack 14A and the battery pack 14C is switched at the time t0 before the time t1 in FIG. 6. As a result, until the time t2 when the battery pack 14B needs to be charged, both the battery pack 14A and the battery pack 14C can continue to be used without the need for charging. That is, a plurality of battery packs enter a state where they need to be charged simultaneously. Therefore, for example, when making 10 flights, although a charging operation during the aircraft parking period PP is required after the 10th flight, the charging operation can be made unnecessary after the completion of each previous flight. That is, for the flights from the 1st to the 9th, the charging operation during the aircraft parking period PP can be made unnecessary, and the maintenance work can be completed in a short time.

[0060] <Control method based on SOH> FIG. 8 shows an example of a control procedure for controlling the operation of the switching device 140 based on the SOH calculated based on the BAT information and switching the wiring so as to achieve an optimal assignment. This control is executed by the FCU20 during the aircraft parking period PP on the condition that it is determined that the battery pack does not need charging and does not need to be replaced, similar to the control in FIG. 5.

[0061] In the process shown in FIG. 8, first, in step S10A, the SOH for each battery pack is compared. Specifically, the difference (SOH difference) between the maximum value and the minimum value of a plurality of SOH values is calculated. Then, it is determined whether the SOH difference is greater than a preset value.

[0062] If it is determined in step S10A that the SOH difference is greater than the preset value, then in the subsequent step S20A, the switching device 140 is controlled so as to achieve an optimal assignment, and the wiring for supplying power from the battery 14 to the EPU15 is switched. Specifically, the power supply assignment between the battery pack with the maximum SOH and the battery pack with the minimum SOH is swapped.

[0063] In the next step S30A, it is determined that the takeoff preparation related to the replacement of the battery 14 has been completed, and the takeoff permission flag is turned on. Information that the takeoff permission flag related to the replacement is on is transmitted from the FCU 20 to the ground station 30. The ground station 30 transmits a takeoff permission command to the FCU 20, on the condition that all takeoff permission flags, including the takeoff permission flag related to the replacement, are on.

[0064] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10A that the SOH difference is equal to or less than the set value, the process proceeds to step S30A and turns on the takeoff permission flag for battery replacement without performing wiring switching by the switching device 140. In other words, power is supplied to the EPU 15 for this flight in the same allocation as for the previous flight.

[0065] FIG. 9 shows a comparative example in which switching by the control of FIG. 8 is not performed, and FIG. 10 shows the effect of switching by the control of FIG. 8. The horizontal axis of FIGS. 9 and 10 indicates flight time, as in FIG. 7. The vertical axis of FIGS. 9 and 10 indicates the magnitude of the SOH of each battery pack. As in FIG. 7, FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate an example in which the battery 14 includes three battery packs 14A, 14B, and 14C.

[0066] As mentioned above, the degree of SOH degradation varies for each battery pack depending on which of the multiple EPUs 15 is assigned the power supply. In the case of Figure 9 where no switching is performed, the SOH of battery pack 14C drops to the threshold THb at time t1, requiring replacement. However, the SOH of the other battery packs 14A and 14B is sufficiently higher than the threshold THb at time t1, and battery pack replacement is not yet required. Thereafter, at time t2, the SOH of battery pack 14B drops to the threshold THb, requiring battery pack replacement. Therefore, for example, if a flight is scheduled for 10 flights, battery pack replacement is required during the parking period PP after the eighth and tenth flights.

[0067] In contrast, in the case of FIG. 10 where switching is performed, the allocation of battery pack 14A and battery pack 14C is switched at time t0, which is before time t1 in FIG. 9. As a result, both battery pack 14A and battery pack 14C can be used continuously without needing replacement until time t2, when battery pack 14B requires replacement. In other words, multiple battery packs will require replacement at the same time. Therefore, for example, if a flight is scheduled for 10 flights, replacement work will be required during the parking period PP after the tenth flight, but this replacement work will not be necessary after the previous flights. In other words, replacement work during the parking period PP can be eliminated for the first through ninth flights, and maintenance work can be completed in a short time.

[0068] <Summary of the First Embodiment> The battery pack operation system according to this embodiment includes multiple battery packs 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D, a switching device 140, and an FCU 20 as a switching control unit. Each battery pack supplies power to multiple EPUs 15 (electric propulsion units) mounted on the eVTOL 10. The switching device 140 executes a switching process to switch which of the multiple EPUs 15 each battery pack supplies power to. The FCU 20 instructs the switching device 140 to perform the switching process based on status information relating to the status of each battery pack. Specific examples of the status information include the SOC and SOH included in the BAT information.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the programs stored in the memory 202 of the FCU 20 include a program that causes the processor 201 of the FCU 20 to issue the following commands: That is, the battery pack operation program includes a command to acquire status information of the battery pack and a command to instruct the switching device 140 to perform switching processing based on the acquired status information.

[0070] These battery pack switching devices and battery pack operation programs can switch which of multiple electric propulsion devices each battery pack supplies power to based on the battery pack's status. This allows the battery packs to be switched so that the charging and replacement times are the same for each battery pack, enabling maintenance work on multiple battery packs to be performed simultaneously. This improves the ease of maintenance work on battery packs.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the state information used in the switching process includes information on the remaining charge (SOC), which can facilitate averaging the degree of decrease in SOC of multiple battery packs, as shown in Figure 7.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the difference between the SOC of a first battery pack and the SOC of a second battery pack included in the plurality of battery packs is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the FCU 20 instructs switching processing. For example, in this embodiment, the battery pack with the highest SOC among the plurality of battery packs is designated as the first battery pack, and the battery pack with the lowest SOC is designated as the second battery pack. This facilitates more accurate SOC equalization than when determining whether to perform switching processing based on the absolute SOC value.

[0073] Contrary to this embodiment, if the eVTOL 10 is equipped with a spare battery pack that does not include the EPU 15 as a power supply target, SOC can be leveled by performing the following switching process. That is, the switching process is performed so that the EPU 15 assigned to the battery pack with the lowest SOC is supplied with power from both the battery pack and the spare battery pack. In contrast, in this embodiment, the switching process includes a process of switching the power supply targets. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the power supply target of the battery pack 14A is switched from EPUs 15A and 15B to EPUs 15C and 15D, and the power supply target of the battery pack 14B is switched from EPUs 15C and 15D to EPUs 15A and 15B. Therefore, SOC can be leveled without the need for a spare battery pack.

[0074] (Second embodiment) In this embodiment, the processing in Fig. 5 according to the first embodiment is changed to Fig. 11, and the processing in Fig. 8 is changed to Fig. 12. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures refer to the contents explained in the first embodiment.

[0075] The processing procedure in FIG. 11 will be described below. If it is determined in step S10 that the SOC difference is greater than the set value, then in step S14, the SOC difference at the end of the next flight and when the eVTOL 10 arrives at the V-port is predicted based on the flight operation plan (flight plan). In step S15, it is determined whether the SOC difference predicted in step S14 is greater than the current SOC difference calculated in step S10. The FCU 20 acquires information about the flight plan from the server 31 of the ground station 30. The flight plan information includes the flight route, including flight altitude, etc., the flight start time, and the flight end time. It is also desirable to predict the above-mentioned SOC difference based on weather information in addition to the flight plan information.

[0076] If it is determined in step S15 that the predicted SOC difference is greater than the current SOC difference, then in step S20, the switching device 140 is controlled to optimally allocate power and switch the wiring for supplying power from the battery 14 to the EPU 15. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that the SOC difference is equal to or less than the set value, or if it is determined in step S15 that the predicted SOC difference is equal to or less than the current SOC difference, the process proceeds to step S30 without switching the wiring by the switching device 140.

[0077] The processing procedure in Figure 12 will be explained below. If it is determined in step S10A that the SOH difference is greater than the set value, then in the following step S14A, the SOH difference when the next flight ends and the eVTOL 10 arrives at the V port is predicted based on the flight operation plan (flight plan). In the following step S15A, it is determined whether the SOH difference predicted in step S14A is greater than the current SOH difference calculated in step S10A.

[0078] If it is determined in step S15A that the predicted SOH difference is greater than the current SOH difference, then in step S20A, the switching device 140 is controlled to switch the wiring for supplying power from the battery 14 to the EPU 15 so as to achieve optimal allocation. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10A that the SOH difference is equal to or less than the set value, the process proceeds to step 30A without switching the wiring by the switching device 140. Also, if it is determined in step S15A that the predicted SOH difference is equal to or less than the current SOH difference, the process proceeds to step 30A without switching the wiring by the switching device 140.

[0079] <Summary of the second embodiment> Depending on the contents of the flight plan for the eVTOL 10, the current SOC difference and SOH difference may be small by the time the next flight ends. In consideration of this, the FCU 20 (switching control unit) according to this embodiment commands the switching process based on the flight plan. Specifically, the FCU 20 predicts the SOC difference and SOH difference at the end of the next flight based on the flight plan. Then, if the SOC difference and SOH difference increase, the FCU 20 commands the switching process. Therefore, appropriate switching process can be realized with high accuracy.

[0080] (Third embodiment) In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 13 , the ground station 30 can communicate with the eVTOL 10 as well as with a vertical port (V-port 40). The V-port 40 is a takeoff and landing site for the eVTOL 10, and is also a location where maintenance of the eVTOL 10 is performed. To increase the in-service rate of the eVTOL 10, it is important to shorten the parking period PP described above in FIG. 2 . In other words, it is important to quickly complete maintenance work during the parking period PP. Maintenance work includes cooling the battery 14 immediately after landing, charging the battery 14, and replacing the battery 14. The V-port 40 is equipped with an electronic control unit (ECU 41), a display device 42, a cooling device 43, a charging device 44, and a replacement device 45 as devices used for these tasks. Note that ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit.

[0081] The cooling device 43 is a device that circulates a liquid refrigerant to the batteries 14 installed on the eVTOL 10 immediately after landing. When an operator connects the cooling device 43 to the batteries 14, the hot batteries 14 are quickly cooled. The charging device 44 is a device that charges a battery pack with a low SOC among the batteries 14 installed on the eVTOL 10 immediately after landing. When an operator connects the charging device 44 to the battery pack to be charged, the battery pack is quickly charged. The replacement device 45 is a device that replaces a battery pack with a low SOH among the batteries 14 installed on the eVTOL 10 with a battery pack with a high SOH that has been prepared in advance at the V-port 40 immediately after landing. An operator uses the replacement device 45 to quickly replace the battery pack to be replaced.

[0082] Like the server 31, the ECU 41 is configured to include a processor, memory, storage, communication circuits, etc. The ECU 41 can acquire the aforementioned EPU information, BAT information, and flight information by communicating with the server 31 of the ground station 30. Furthermore, the ECU 41 acquires from the server 31 information such as predictions and instructions regarding the need for battery replacement or charging. This information is displayed on the display device 42 and notified to the operator at the V-port 40. The ECU 41 controls the content to be displayed on the display device 42 based on this information.

[0083] FIG. 14 chronologically shows the contents of the control executed by each of the FCU 20, server 31, and ECU 41. First, while the eVTOL 10 is flying, the FCU 20 transmits the following information to the server 31 (step S1). The above information includes the EPU information, BAT information, and operational information described above in the first embodiment, as well as identification information for the eVTOL 10 itself. In other words, the EPU information, BAT information, and operational information are transmitted in association with the identification information for the eVTOL 10. Note that the BAT information is associated with the SOC and SOH of each battery pack and information regarding the mounting position of the corresponding battery pack on the eVTOL 10.

[0084] Upon receiving this information, the server 31 predicts whether any battery packs requiring charging or replacement will be present at the time of landing. The prediction result is then transmitted to the ECU 41, which notifies the V-port 40 (step S100). The ECU 41, upon receiving the prediction result, notifies the worker by displaying the contents of the prediction result on the display device 42 (step S200). The notified worker begins preparations for maintenance work related to charging and replacement before landing. For example, the worker begins preparations to use the charging device 44 and the replacement device 45.

[0085] When the eVTOL 10 lands on the V-port 40, it is assumed that the battery 14 can be charged and replaced, and the landing completion flag is turned on (step S2). The FCU 20 then transmits the current information, which is the same EPU information, BAT information, and identification information as the information transmitted in step S1, to the server 31 (step S3). Having received this information, the server 31 determines whether or not the battery 14 needs to be replaced, charged, or the wiring switched.

[0086] Specifically, similarly to Fig. 10, it is determined whether the SOH is greater than the threshold value THb for all battery packs mounted on the eVTOL 10 (step S110). If it is determined in step S110 that there is a battery pack that is equal to or less than the threshold value THb, a flag indicating that the corresponding battery pack should be replaced (replacement flag) is set to ON (step S111). Note that, as described above, when processor 311 is executing the process of determining whether replacement is possible in step S110, it corresponds to the replacement determination unit.

[0087] If it is determined in step S110 that the SOH is equal to or less than the threshold value THb and replacement is necessary, the server 31 further determines whether the SOH is greater than the threshold value THc (step S112). The threshold value THc is set to a value smaller than the threshold value THb. If it is determined in step S112 that the SOH is greater than the threshold value THc, the battery pack is deemed to be reusable (secondary reuse) for a moving body (e.g., a vehicle) other than the eVTOL 10. In short, the server 31 determines whether the battery pack instructed to be replaced can be reused (secondary reuse). If it is determined that secondary reuse is possible, the server 31 sets on a flag (secondary use flag) indicating that the corresponding battery pack can be used for secondary reuse (step S113). As described above, the processor 311 corresponds to the secondary use determination unit when executing the process of determining whether secondary reuse is possible in step S112.

[0088] 7, it is determined whether the SOC is greater than the threshold value THa for all battery packs mounted on the eVTOL 10 (step S120). If it is determined in step S120 that there is a battery pack whose SOC is equal to or less than the threshold value THa, a flag indicating that charging is instructed for that battery pack (charge flag) is set to on (step S121).

[0089] 5, it is determined whether the SOC difference is greater than a set value (step S130). If it is determined in step S130 that the SOC difference is greater, a flag (switching flag) is set to ON to instruct the switching device 140 to switch wiring so as to change the power supply allocation to each EPU 15 of the plurality of battery packs 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D.

[0090] In the next step S140, the server 31 instructs the FCU 20 and the ECU 41 whether replacement and charging are necessary, depending on the states of the replacement flag and the charge flag. If the server 31 instructs that replacement and charging are necessary, it also instructs which battery pack is necessary. Furthermore, the server 31 notifies the FCU 20 and the ECU 41 whether secondary use is possible for the battery pack instructed to be replaced, depending on the state of the secondary use flag. Furthermore, the server 31 instructs the FCU 20 and the ECU 41 whether switching control is necessary, depending on the state of the switching flag. If the server 31 instructs that replacement and charging are necessary, it also instructs how to switch the wiring.

[0091] Upon receiving the instruction in step S140, the ECU 41 notifies the worker of the content of the instruction by displaying it on the display device 42 (step S210). The notified worker performs maintenance work related to charging and replacement on the eVTOL 10 immediately after landing. For example, the worker uses the charging device 44 and replacement device 45 to perform the charging and replacement work on the instructed battery pack.

[0092] Upon receiving the instruction in step S140, the FCU 20 displays the content of the instruction and the BAT information on the display device 14m (step S4). As shown in FIG. 13, a display device 14m is provided for each battery pack. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the display device 14m displays the ID number of the battery pack, and the current SOH and SOC values. In addition, an indicator 14ma is displayed on the display device 14m. The indicator 14ma is a display unit that displays the content of the instruction transmitted from the server 31.

[0093] For example, if the indicator 14ma is green, it means that the battery pack does not need to be charged or replaced, if the indicator 14ma is yellow, it means that the battery pack does not need to be replaced but needs to be charged, and if the indicator 14ma is red, it means that the battery pack needs to be replaced.

[0094] After the replacement and charging work by the worker is completed, the FCU 20 controls the switching device 140 to achieve optimal allocation (step S20), similar to steps S20 and S20A according to the first embodiment. In the following step S30, similar to the first embodiment, it is determined that takeoff preparations related to charging the battery 14 are complete, and the takeoff permission flag is turned on.

[0095] <Summary of the third embodiment> In the battery pack operation system according to this embodiment, a switching control unit that instructs the switching device 140 to perform switching processing is provided by a server 31 that is provided outside the eVTOL 10. A communication circuit 204 mounted on the eVTOL 10 corresponds to a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits battery pack status information to the server 31. The server 31 instructs the eVTOL 10 to perform switching processing via wireless communication.

[0096] The communication circuit 204 wirelessly transmits identification information for identifying the eVTOL 10 to the server 31 in association with battery pack status information. This allows the server 31 to manage information on the eVTOL 10 and the battery pack in combination. Furthermore, the communication circuit 204 transmits information on the mounting position of the battery pack on the eVTOL 10 in association with the battery pack status information. This improves the workability when a maintenance worker charges or replaces a battery pack. For example, it is easy to display on the display device 42 and the display device 14m which battery pack needs to be replaced or charged. This improves maintenance workability.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the communication circuit 204 wirelessly transmits battery pack status information to the server 31 while the eVTOL 10 is traveling. This allows workers at the V-port 40 to begin preparations for maintenance work before landing. For example, they can begin preparations for battery replacement or charging work using the charging device 44 and replacement device 45.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the state information includes information on the state of health (SOH). A replacement determination unit (step S110) is provided to determine whether or not a battery pack needs to be replaced based on the state information. This improves the efficiency of maintenance compared to when a worker manually determines whether or not a replacement is necessary.

[0099] Furthermore, this embodiment includes a secondary use determination unit (step S112) that determines whether the battery pack can be reused based on the status information including the SOH, which improves maintenance workability compared to when a worker manually determines whether the battery pack can be reused.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the FCU 20 stores status information and displays the stored information on the display device 14m. This allows a worker to perform maintenance work while checking the status of the SOC, SOH, etc. by looking at the display device 14m, thereby improving workability. In addition, the status of the replaced battery pack can also be checked by looking at the display device 14m. The memory 202 of the FCU 20 corresponds to the storage unit. Instead of the memory 202, the information may be stored in the BMS 16. In addition, the display device 14m corresponds to a battery pack display unit that changes its display form according to the status information stored in the storage unit.

[0101] The battery pack operation system according to this embodiment includes a plurality of battery packs 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D, a switching device 140, and a switching control unit that instructs switching processing. The server 31 instructs the switching processing and functions as the switching control unit. Alternatively, the FCU 20 may instruct the switching processing and function as the switching control unit.

[0102] In this embodiment, the communication circuit 204 of the FCU 20 corresponds to the transmitting unit. This transmitting unit transmits the state information of the battery pack to the server 31 (switching control unit) that instructs the switching device 140 to perform switching processing. The battery pack switching device according to this embodiment is configured to include the transmitting unit and the switching device 140.

[0103] In this embodiment, the communication circuit 314 of the server 31 corresponds to the receiving unit. This receiving unit receives status information of the battery pack. The server 31 also corresponds to a switching control unit that instructs the switching device 140 to perform switching processing. The battery pack operation device according to this embodiment is configured to include a receiving unit and a switching control unit.

[0104] In this embodiment, the programs stored in the memory 312 of the server 31 include a program that causes the processor 311 of the server 31 to issue the following commands: That is, the battery pack operation program includes a command to acquire status information of the battery pack and a command to instruct the switching device 140 to perform switching processing based on the acquired status information.

[0105] The battery pack switching device, battery pack operation device, and battery pack operation program enable switching of the power supply target of each battery pack based on the state of the battery pack. This allows switching so that the charging and replacement timings of the battery packs do not differ significantly from one another, allowing maintenance work on multiple battery packs to be performed simultaneously. This improves the workability of battery pack maintenance.

[0106] (Fourth embodiment) In this embodiment, the display device 14m according to the third embodiment is replaced with an RFID system. RFID is an abbreviation for Radio Frequency Identification. The RFID system is provided by an RF tag 14t and a mobile terminal 50 shown in FIG. 15. The RF tag 14t is attached to each battery pack. The RF tag 14t has an antenna 14ta and an IC chip 14tb.

[0107] The IC chip 14tb stores status information about the battery pack to which the RF tag 14t is attached. The information stored in the IC chip 14tb can be input and output by radio waves via the antenna 14ta. In other words, the status information stored in the IC chip 14tb can be rewritten contactlessly and can also be transmitted to the mobile terminal 50 contactlessly.

[0108] According to the RFID system, when a worker brings the portable terminal 50 close to the RF tag 14t, the portable terminal 50 acquires status information. Then, the display unit 50m of the portable terminal 50 displays the same display content as that of the display device 14m according to the third embodiment (see FIG. 13). Note that an indicator 50ma similar to the indicator 14ma of the display device 14m is also displayed on the display unit 50m.

[0109] In the battery pack management system according to this embodiment, an RF tag 14t that stores status information is attached to the battery pack. The IC chip 14tb of the RF tag 14t corresponds to the storage unit. The antenna 14ta of the RF tag 14t corresponds to the battery pack transmitter that wirelessly transmits information corresponding to the status information stored in the storage unit. This allows a worker to perform maintenance work while checking the status of the SOC, SOH, etc. by looking at the display 50m of the mobile terminal 50, thereby improving workability. Furthermore, the status of a replaced battery pack can also be checked by looking at the mobile terminal 50.

[0110] (Other embodiments) The disclosure in this specification and drawings, etc. is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. The disclosure encompasses the illustrated embodiments and variations thereon by those skilled in the art. For example, the disclosure is not limited to the combinations of parts and / or elements shown in the embodiments. The disclosure can be implemented in various combinations. The disclosure can have additional parts that can be added to the embodiments. The disclosure encompasses embodiments in which parts and / or elements are omitted. The disclosure encompasses the substitution or combination of parts and / or elements between one embodiment and another embodiment.

[0111] In the first embodiment, the FCU 20 instructs the switching device 140 to perform the switching process, but this may be performed by the server 31 of the ground station 30. Alternatively, the FCU 20 and the server 31 may cooperate to perform this.

[0112] In the first embodiment described above, if the optimal allocation based on the SOC calculated by the process of FIG. 5 differs from the optimal allocation based on the SOH calculated by the process of FIG. 8, it is desirable to give priority to the optimal allocation based on the SOC.

[0113] The RF tag 14t according to the fourth embodiment may be replaced with a QR code (registered trademark).

[0114] The various flowcharts shown in this disclosure are merely examples, and the number of steps constituting the flowcharts and the order of execution of the processes can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the devices, systems, and methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer comprising a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. The devices and methods described herein may be implemented using dedicated hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the devices and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor executing a computer program with one or more hardware logic circuits.

[0115] Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible storage medium. A HDD, SSD, flash memory, or the like can be used as a storage medium for the program. HDD is an abbreviation for Hard-disk Drive. SSD is an abbreviation for Solid State Drive. The scope of this disclosure also includes forms such as a program for causing a computer to function as a control device or control system, and a non-transitory tangible storage medium such as a semiconductor memory on which the program is recorded.

[0116] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple clauses. Some clauses may be written in a multiple dependent form, with the subsequent clause referring to the preceding clause as an alternative. Furthermore, some clauses may be written in a multiple dependent form, referring to another multiple dependent clause. These multiple dependent clauses define multiple technical ideas.

[0117] (Technical thought 1) a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) for supplying power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15) mounted on the moving body (10); a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of the plurality of electric propulsion devices each of the battery packs is to supply power to; a switching control unit (20, 31) that instructs the switching device to perform the switching process based on status information relating to the status of each of the battery packs.

[0118] (Technical thought 2) The battery pack operation system according to Technical Idea 1, wherein the status information includes information on the remaining amount of power stored in the battery pack.

[0119] (Technical Thought 3) The battery pack operation system described in Technical Idea 2, wherein the switching control unit instructs the switching process when it determines that the difference between the remaining charge of a first battery pack included in the plurality of battery packs and the remaining charge of a second battery pack included in the plurality of battery packs is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0120] (Technical Thought 4) The battery pack operation system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 3, wherein the switching control unit instructs the switching process based on an operation plan of the moving object.

[0121] (Technical Thought 5) The battery pack operation system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 4, wherein the switching process includes a process of exchanging the target of power supply.

[0122] (Technical Thought 6) the switching control unit is a server (31) provided outside the mobile body, a transmitter (204) mounted on the mobile body and configured to wirelessly transmit the status information to the server; The battery pack operation system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 5, wherein the server instructs the switching process via wireless communication.

[0123] (Technical Thought 7) The battery pack operation system according to Technical Idea 6, wherein the transmitting unit wirelessly transmits identification information for identifying the moving body to the server in association with the status information.

[0124] (Technical Thought 8) The battery pack operation system according to Technical Idea 6 or 7, wherein the transmitting unit transmits information relating to the mounting position of the battery pack on the mobile body in association with the status information.

[0125] (Technical Thought 9) The battery pack operation system according to any one of Technical Ideas 6 to 8, wherein the transmission unit wirelessly transmits the status information to the server while the mobile body is moving and operating.

[0126] (Technical Thought 10) A battery pack operation system described in Technical Idea 9, wherein the transmitting unit wirelessly transmits the status information to the server not only during the moving operation but also after the operation ends when the moving body arrives at its destination.

[0127] (Technical Thought 11) the state information includes information about a deterioration state of the battery pack; The battery pack operation system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 10, further comprising a replacement determination unit (S110) that determines whether or not the battery pack needs to be replaced based on the state information.

[0128] (Technical Thought 12) The battery pack operation system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, which is mounted on the moving body and includes a storage unit (202, 14tb) that stores the state information.

[0129] (Technical Thought 13) The battery pack operation system according to Technical Idea 12, wherein the memory unit (14tb) is provided in the battery pack.

[0130] (Technical Thought 14) The battery pack operation system according to Technical Idea 12 or 13, wherein the battery pack has a battery pack display unit (14m) that changes the display form depending on the status information stored in the memory unit.

[0131] (Technical Thought 15) The battery pack operation system described in any one of technical ideas 12 to 14, wherein the battery pack has a battery pack transmitting unit (14ta) that wirelessly transmits information corresponding to the status information stored in the memory unit.

[0132] (Technical Thought 16) the state information includes information about a deterioration state of the battery pack; The battery pack operation system according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 15, further comprising a secondary use determination unit (S112) that determines whether secondary use of the battery pack is possible or not based on the state information.

[0133] (Technical Thought 17) the moving body is an aircraft having rotors (13), A battery pack operation system described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 16, wherein the electric propulsion device has a motor (MOT) that drives the rotor to rotate, and an inverter (INV) that converts DC power supplied from the battery pack into AC and supplies it to the motor.

[0134] (Technical Thought M1) The present invention is applied to a moving body (10) including a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) that supply power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15), and a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of the plurality of electric propulsion devices each of the battery packs is to supply power to, A battery pack operation method including instructions stored in a storage medium (202, 312) and executed by a processor (201, 311) to instruct the switching device to perform the switching process, The instruction: obtaining status information regarding the status of each of the battery packs; causing the switching device to instruct the switching process based on the acquired status information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10 eVTOL (mobile body), 13 rotor, 140 switching device, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D battery pack, 14m battery pack display unit, 14ta battery pack transmission unit, 14tb memory unit, 15 electric propulsion device, 20 switching control unit, 201 processor, 202 memory unit, 202 storage medium, 204 transmission unit, 204 transmission unit, 31 switching control unit, 31 server, 311 switching control unit, 311 processor, 312 storage medium, 314 receiving unit, INV inverter, MOT motor, S110 replacement determination unit, S112 secondary use determination unit.< / evtol>

Claims

1. a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) for supplying power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15) mounted on a moving body (10); a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of the plurality of electric propulsion devices each of the battery packs is to supply power to; A battery pack operation system comprising: a switching control unit (20, 31) that instructs the switching device to perform the switching process based on status information relating to the status of each of the battery packs.

2. The battery pack operation system according to claim 1 , wherein the state information includes information about a remaining amount of power stored in the battery pack.

3. 3. The battery pack operation system according to claim 2, wherein the switching control unit instructs the switching process when it determines that a difference between a remaining charge capacity of a first battery pack included in the plurality of battery packs and a remaining charge capacity of a second battery pack included in the plurality of battery packs is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

4. 4. The battery pack operation system according to claim 1, wherein the switching control unit instructs the switching process based on an operation plan of the mobile object.

5. 4. The battery pack operation system according to claim 1, wherein the switching process includes a process of exchanging the target of power supply.

6. The switching control unit is a server (31) provided outside the mobile body, a transmitting unit (204) mounted on the moving body and configured to wirelessly transmit the status information to the server; 4. The battery pack operation system according to claim 1, wherein the server instructs the switching process by wireless communication.

7. The battery pack operation system according to claim 6 , wherein the transmitter wirelessly transmits identification information for identifying the mobile unit to the server in association with the status information.

8. The battery pack operation system according to claim 6 , wherein the transmitting unit transmits information relating to a mounting position of the battery pack in the mobile object in association with the status information.

9. The battery pack operation system according to claim 6 , wherein the transmitting unit wirelessly transmits the status information to the server while the mobile object is in operation.

10. The battery pack operation system according to claim 9 , wherein the transmitter wirelessly transmits the status information to the server not only during the travel but also after the travel ends when the mobile body arrives at the destination.

11. the state information includes information about a deterioration state of the battery pack; 4. The battery pack operation system according to claim 1, further comprising a replacement determination unit (S110) that determines whether or not replacement of the battery pack is necessary based on the state information.

12. 4. The battery pack operation system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit (202, 14tb) mounted on the mobile body and configured to store the status information.

13. The battery pack operation system according to claim 12, wherein the storage unit (14tb) is provided in the battery pack.

14. 14. The battery pack operation system according to claim 13, wherein the battery pack has a battery pack display unit (14m) that changes a display form depending on the state information stored in the storage unit.

15. 14. The battery pack operation system according to claim 13, wherein the battery pack has a battery pack transmitting unit (14ta) that wirelessly transmits information corresponding to the state information stored in the storage unit.

16. the state information includes information about a deterioration state of the battery pack; The battery pack operation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a secondary use determination unit (S112) that determines whether secondary use of the battery pack is possible based on the status information.

17. The moving body is an aircraft having rotors (13), The battery pack operation system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electric propulsion device has a motor (MOT) that drives the rotor to rotate, and an inverter (INV) that converts DC power supplied from the battery pack into AC power and supplies it to the motor.

18. The battery pack (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) is applied to a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) that supply power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15) mounted on a moving body (10), a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of the plurality of electric propulsion devices each of the battery packs is to supply power to; a transmitting unit (204) that transmits the status information to a switching control unit that instructs the switching device to perform the switching process based on status information regarding the status of each of the battery packs.

19. The present invention is applied to a moving body (10) including a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) that supply power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15), and a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of the plurality of electric propulsion devices each of the battery packs is to supply power to, a receiving unit (314) for receiving status information relating to the status of each of the battery packs; a switching control unit (31) that instructs the switching device to perform the switching process based on the state information received by the receiving unit.

20. The present invention is applied to a moving body (10) including a plurality of battery packs (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) that supply power to a plurality of electric propulsion devices (15), and a switching device (140) that executes a switching process to switch which of the plurality of electric propulsion devices each of the battery packs is to supply power to, a battery pack operation program stored in a storage medium (202, 312) for instructing the switching device to perform the switching process, the battery pack operation program including instructions to be executed by a processor (201, 311), The instruction: obtaining status information regarding the status of each of the battery packs; causing the switching device to instruct the switching process based on the acquired status information.

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