Warm-up control system, warm-up control program

Abstract

Providing technology that selects the warm-up method from among multiple methods that is estimated to result in the shortest charging time at the destination. [Solution] A warm-up control system comprises: a destination acquisition unit that acquires a destination for a vehicle powered by electricity stored in a battery, where charging facilities for charging the battery exist; a charging time estimation unit that calculates an estimated charging time required to charge the battery to a target SOC at the destination, based on the estimated SOC of the battery and the estimated temperature of the battery at the time of arrival at the destination, for each of a plurality of warm-up methods for the battery with different power consumption; and a warm-up method determination unit that determines the warm-up method that provides the shortest estimated charging time.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a warm-up control system and a warm-up control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes cooling or warming up the battery to a target temperature before arriving at the charging location. Patent Document 2 describes implementing predictive warm-up control to ensure the battery temperature is appropriate upon arrival at the charging station, which is the destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-37241 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-27797 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] In electric vehicles, low battery temperatures limit the battery's input power (Win). Therefore, rapid charging times are prolonged during winter. Conventional technologies address this issue by exploring methods to raise the battery temperature to a target temperature. However, when multiple methods exist for warming up the battery, selecting the method that shortens charging time is not considered. This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a technology for selecting a warm-up method from among multiple warm-up methods that is estimated to result in the shortest charging time at the destination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above object, a warm-up control system includes a destination acquisition unit that acquires a destination of a vehicle driven by power stored in a battery and at which there is a charging facility for charging the battery, a charging time estimation unit that calculates an estimated charging time required to charge the battery to a target SOC at the destination for each of a plurality of warm-up methods for the battery that have different power consumption amounts based on an estimated SOC of the battery and an estimated temperature of the battery at the time of arrival at the destination, and a warm-up method determination unit that determines a warm-up method with the shortest estimated charging time.

[0006] To achieve the above object, a warm-up control program causes a computer to function as a destination acquisition unit that acquires a destination of a vehicle driven by power stored in a battery and at which there is a charging facility for charging the battery, a charging time estimation unit that calculates an estimated charging time required to charge the battery to a target SOC at the destination for each of a plurality of warm-up methods for the battery that have different power consumption amounts based on an estimated SOC of the battery and an estimated temperature of the battery at the time of arrival at the destination, and a warm-up method determination unit that determines a warm-up method with the shortest estimated charging time.

[0007] That is, in the warm-up control system and the warm-up control program, for each of the plurality of warm-up methods, an estimated SOC and an estimated temperature of the battery at the time of arrival at the destination are calculated, and an estimated charging time of the battery at the destination is calculated based on the estimated SOC and the estimated temperature. Therefore, according to the warm-up control system and the warm-up control program, a warm-up method with the shortest calculated estimated charging time can be selected from the plurality of warm-up methods.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing the configuration of the warm-up control system. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of an estimated SOC of the battery at the destination, an estimated temperature of the battery, and an estimated charging time of the battery calculated at each timing until arrival at the destination. [Figure 3]This figure shows examples of estimated battery state of charge (SOC), estimated battery temperature, and estimated battery charging time calculated at each point along the journey to the destination. [Figure 4] This figure shows examples of estimated battery state of charge (SOC), estimated battery temperature, and estimated battery charging time calculated at each point along the journey to the destination. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of a warm-up pattern based on the battery temperature at departure and the distance to the destination. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the warm-up control process. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating the process for determining the warm-up method. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) Configuration of the warm-up control system: (2) Warm-up control process: (2-1) Process for determining the warm-up method: (3) Other embodiments:

[0010] (1) Configuration of the warm-up control system: Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a warm-up control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the warm-up control system is mounted on a vehicle and implemented by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10 including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The vehicle according to this embodiment is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle) equipped with a rechargeable battery 50, which is a storage battery that supplies power stored in the battery 50 to a motor for driving. In this embodiment, the warm-up control system is used to select a warm-up method from among a plurality of warm-up methods that will result in the shortest charging time when the battery 50 is to be rapidly charged at the destination, and to perform warm-up control using the selected warm-up method.

[0011] The vehicle is equipped with an ECU 10 (computer), a navigation device 20, an electric drive mechanism 30, and a battery 50. The navigation device 20 is a device for guiding the vehicle to its destination. The navigation device 20 includes a storage medium for storing map information, a position acquisition device for determining the vehicle's current location, and a UI section. Based on the map information, the navigation device 20 searches for a planned route from the starting point to the destination and, based on the vehicle's current location, guides the vehicle using map display and the like so that it can travel along the planned route.

[0012] Map information is information that indicates roads, facilities, etc., and may be defined in various ways. For example, a configuration including node data, link data, shape interpolation point data, and facility data can be adopted. Node data is data that indicates the location of intersections. Link data indicates road sections and is associated with nodes corresponding to the endpoints of road sections. In other words, link data indicates links that connect nodes. In this embodiment, the link data also includes information indicating the road attributes of the road section indicated by the link data. Road attributes include information such as expressways, general roads, and narrow streets. In addition, shape interpolation point data indicating the location of shape interpolation points for specifying the shape of the road between nodes is associated with the link data. Furthermore, information indicating the gradient of the road section is associated with the link data. The gradient may be indicated in various ways; the gradient at each position at regular intervals may be defined, or the average gradient of the road section may be defined. Facility data indicates the name, location, and attributes of facilities that exist around the road. Facilities in this embodiment include various types of facilities and can be the starting point or destination. If a facility is equipped with charging facilities, information such as whether fast charging is available and the charging fees will be included in the facility data.

[0013] The navigation device 20 stores the vehicle's driving history in a storage medium. The driving history includes information that associates the vehicle's location with the date and time the vehicle was at that location. The navigation device 20 may also be configured to upload the driving history along with the vehicle's user identification information to a server (not shown) and store it on the server. If there is a history of the vehicle being at a predetermined location for a predetermined time or longer, the navigation device 20 considers that location to be the vehicle's destination and stores it along with the driving history leading up to that location. If the destination is not explicitly specified by the user, and the driving pattern shown in the stored driving history is similar to the history of the current time and location, the navigation device 20 considers the destination shown in the driving pattern to be the estimated destination.

[0014] The battery 50 is a source of DC power. In this embodiment, the battery 50 can output information indicating the State of Charge (SOC), which indicates the charge state of the battery, to the ECU 10. SOC is a value that indicates the charge state of the battery 50 in the range of 0 to 100%, with a completely discharged state of the battery 50 being considered as 0% and a fully charged state of the battery 50 as 100%. The battery 50 can also output information indicating the battery temperature to the ECU 10. The battery 50 may also be controlled by an ECU that exchanges information with the ECU 10. In Figure 1, such an ECU is omitted. The same applies to other devices, where an ECU may be used to provide information about various devices installed in the vehicle.

[0015] The electric drive mechanism (eAxle) 30 includes a motor that functions as both an electric motor and a generator, an inverter that converts power between the battery 50 and the multi-phase AC of the motor, gears that vary the speed of the motor's rotation and transmit it to the wheels, and the like.

[0016] In this embodiment, the power output from the motor is used to move the vehicle forward or backward. That is, the motor rotates using alternating current power converted from the direct current power of the battery 50 via an inverter, and drives the vehicle with the power generated by this rotation (motoring). The motor also rotates due to the rotational driving force transmitted from the wheels, and when alternating current power is generated by this rotation, this alternating current power is converted into direct current power via an inverter. The converted direct current power is then used to charge the battery 50 (regeneration).

[0017] In this embodiment, the battery 50 is cooled or warmed by cooling water circulated through a flow path by an electric water pump 70. The heater 60 is a high-voltage hot water heater (HVH) that heats the cooling water and is powered by electricity supplied from the battery 50.

[0018] The electric drive mechanism 30 is cooled by coolant circulating through a passage via an electric oil pump (not shown). The oil cooler (O / C) 40 is a device that cools the coolant with coolant water. Although not shown in the illustration, auxiliary equipment such as the lights and wipers, as well as the air conditioning system, are also powered by electricity supplied from the battery 50.

[0019] The ECU 10 can execute a program recorded in a ROM (not shown) and perform various functions. In this embodiment, the program includes a warm-up control program. When this program is executed, the ECU 10 functions as a warm-up control system. When the warm-up control program is executed, the ECU 10 functions as a destination acquisition unit 10a, a charging time estimation unit 10b, and a warm-up method determination unit 10c.

[0020] The ECU 10 acquires the vehicle's destination, which is a destination where charging facilities exist, through the function of the destination acquisition unit 10a. Specifically, the ECU 10 acquires the destination from the navigation device 20 through the function of the destination acquisition unit 10a. Specifically, if the user has already set a destination in the navigation device 20, the ECU 10 acquires the point specified by the user from the navigation device 20 as the destination. If the user has not specified a destination in the navigation device 20, and the navigation device 20 has an estimated destination based on the user's driving history, then that destination is used as the estimated destination. If the ECU 10 has not set a destination in the navigation device 20, and the navigation device 20 has an estimated destination, then it acquires that estimated destination. The navigation device 20 also uses the vehicle's current location as the starting point, performs a route search to the destination (including the estimated destination), and acquires the planned driving route. The ECU 10 acquires facility data for the vehicle's destination (including the estimated destination) from the navigation device 20 and determines whether charging facilities exist at the destination and whether fast charging is possible. If charging facilities are available at the destination and rapid charging is possible, the ECU 10 obtains the planned route from the navigation device 20. In this embodiment, the information indicating the planned route includes a permutation of road sections that constitute the planned route, i.e., a permutation of links. Each link is associated with information indicating the gradient of the road section and information indicating the road attributes of the road section.

[0021] The ECU 10, through the function of the charging time estimation unit 10b, calculates the estimated charging time required to charge the battery 50 to the target SOC at the destination, based on the estimated SOC of the battery 50 and the estimated temperature of the battery at the time of arrival at the destination, for each of several warming methods for the battery 50 that have different power consumption. Specifically, for each warming method, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated SOC and the estimated temperature of the battery 50 at the time of arrival at the destination, and then calculates the estimated charging time required to charge the estimated SOC to the target SOC based on the estimated SOC, estimated temperature, and the charging capacity of the charging equipment at the destination.

[0022] In this embodiment, the heater 60 and the electric drive mechanism 30 function as warm-up means. By operating the heater 60 with power from the battery 50, heat is transferred to the battery 50 via the cooling water. Also, when the electric drive mechanism 30 is driven by power from the battery 50, heat is transferred to the battery 50 via the cooling oil and cooling water. The motor normally converts power at a predetermined efficiency. Heat generation control is a control that deliberately reduces the energy conversion efficiency under normal conditions. Therefore, when heat generation control is performed during powering, the power consumption of the battery 50 increases compared to when heat generation control is not performed. Also, when heat generation control is performed during regenerative braking, the deceleration force obtained by regenerative braking under conditions without heat generation control is increased by a deceleration force equivalent to the energy extra consumed by heat. By operating the motor inefficiently, the temperature of the cooling oil rises due to the waste heat from the motor compared to normal operation, the temperature of the cooling water rises via the oil cooler 40, and as a result, the temperature of the battery 50 rises.

[0023] In this embodiment, the warm-up method includes a method using a single warm-up means and a method combining multiple warm-up means. In this embodiment, the method of operating the motor of the electric drive mechanism 30 at normal efficiency (which contributes slightly to the temperature rise of the battery) is referred to as no warm-up (or off) for the sake of explanation (see the legend in Figure 5). The warm-up method using the heater 60 is called warm-up A. The warm-up method combining warm-up using the heater 60 and warm-up by motor heat generation control is called warm-up B. The power consumption is highest for warm-up B, followed by warm-up A, and then off. Therefore, the warm-up methods for the battery 50 are, in order of efficiency (lowest power consumption), off, warm-up A, and warm-up B.

[0024] Multiple warm-up methods include methods that continue the same warm-up method until the destination, and methods that switch warm-up methods along the way to the destination. However, in this embodiment, a pattern is adopted in which the more efficient (lower power consumption) warm-up method is implemented first, and then the less efficient one is switched to. This is because, in warm-up control to bring the battery temperature to a level that shortens the estimated charging time, it is desirable to select a warm-up method that consumes as little power as possible. If a warm-up method that consumes a lot of power is selected first, it is likely that the target temperature will be reached quickly, but the estimated SOC upon arrival will be lower than that of a warm-up method that consumes less power, so the charging time from the estimated SOC to the target SOC is likely to be longer. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated charging time for each of the six warm-up methods: off, off to warm-up A, off to warm-up B, warm-up A, warm-up A to warm-up B, and warm-up B. When comparing the case where the same warm-up method is used continuously from departure to destination (for example, using warm-up method A from departure to destination) with the case where the method is switched midway (for example, off for the first half and then switching to warm-up method A midway), the latter consumes less power, resulting in a higher estimated state of charge (SOC) at the destination, and consequently, a shorter estimated charging time. Thus, by calculating the estimated charging time not only for warm-up methods that are used continuously but also for warm-up methods that are switched midway, it is possible to increase the likelihood of implementing warm-up control that consumes less power to the destination.

[0025] The ECU 10, through the function of the charging time estimation unit 10b, estimates the state of charge (SOC) at the time of arrival at the destination for each warm-up method. t ) and estimated temperature of battery 50 (T B ) calculates the estimated SOC (SOC t ) and estimated temperature (T B The estimated charging time is calculated based on the charging capacity of the charging facilities at the destination.

[0026] First, the estimated SOC (SOC tAn example of the calculation method of d is calculated by Equation (1). TIFF2026055145000002.tif8170Here, ρ: air density, C d : air resistance coefficient, A: frontal projected area, v: vehicle speed, μ: rolling resistance coefficient, M: vehicle weight, m: equivalent inertia weight, g: gravitational acceleration, θ: gradient. The first term on the right side represents air resistance, the second term represents rolling resistance, the third term represents gradient resistance, and the fourth term represents acceleration resistance. The values of ρ, C d , A, μ, M, m, g are stored in a ROM or the like in advance. From the position of the vehicle at the start of Δt, the travel route, and the estimated vehicle speed v, the section on the travel route traveled during each period of Δt is specified, and the gradient of the road is specified based on the map information of the section.

[0027] Furthermore, the ECU 10 calculates the power P d required for driving by Equation (2). TIFF2026055145000003.tif6170Furthermore, the ECU 10 corrects the power P d to the motor output power P m (motor output power P m ) for each Δt according to the performance and limitations of the battery 50.

[0028] Furthermore, the ECU 10 calculates the output power Pbat of the battery 50 for each Δt considering each component (motor output power P m and other components) that consumes the power of the battery 50 by Equation (3). TIFF2026055145000004.tif6170Here, P comp : compressor consumption power (estimated value in Δt (estimated based on outside air temperature, etc.)), P dcdc : auxiliary machine consumption power (estimated value in Δt (estimated based on weather, time zone, etc.)), P loss : P mThe loss of the electric drive mechanism 30 required to output (estimated value at Δt), P hvh This is the power consumption of heater 60 (estimated value based on the heater's operating state at Δt). Furthermore, the ECU10 calculates the current value I flowing to the battery 50 for each Δt using equation (4). TIFF2026055145000005.tif10170 Here, V: battery voltage, I: battery current, R: battery internal resistance, SOC t : Estimated SOC upon arrival, SOC0: Initial SOC.

[0029] Then, ECU10 calculates the estimated SOC at arrival based on the current value I for each Δt using equation (5). t Calculate. TIFF2026055145000006.tif10170 Here, Q: Battery capacity. For example, in the case of a warm-up method using heat generation control (in this embodiment, off to warm-up B, warm-up A to warm-up B, warm-up B), P is greater than in the warm-up method without heat generation control (in this embodiment, off, off to warm-up A, warm-up A). loss The value of becomes larger. Also, for example, the warm-up method using heater 60 (in this embodiment, warm-up A from off, warm-up B from off, warm-up A, warm-up A to warm-up B, warm-up B) is P larger than the warm-up method without heater 60 (in this embodiment, off only). hvh The value of becomes larger. Therefore, even when arriving at the destination via the planned route, the estimated SOC (SOC) at arrival at the destination will vary depending on the warm-up method. t ) can be different.

[0030] Next, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated temperature based on the amount of heat generated and dissipated by the battery 50 until arrival at the destination, and the amount of heat transferred from other heat sources according to the warm-up method. For each Δt, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated temperature of the battery 50 after Δt has elapsed, based on the temperature of the battery 50 before Δt has elapsed, the temperature of the coolant, the temperature of the coolant, the heat capacity of the battery 50, the amount of heat generated by the battery 50 itself, the amount of heat dissipated to the air, the amount of heat dissipated to the coolant, the amount of heat transferred by the heater 60, the amount of heat transferred by the electric drive mechanism 30, etc. By calculating the estimated temperature for each Δt until arrival at the destination, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated temperature T of the battery 50 upon arrival at the destination. B Calculate. Specifically, the ECU 10 obtains the temperature of the battery 50 before Δt has elapsed, the temperature of the coolant, and the initial temperature of the coolant from various sensors. The ECU 10 obtains a predetermined value as the thermal capacity of the battery 50. The ECU 10 determines the amount of self-heat generated by the battery 50, I 2 The temperature is obtained by R (where I is the current flowing through the battery 50 and R is the internal resistance). The amount of heat dissipated to the air and the amount of heat dissipated to the coolant are determined by the heat transfer coefficient of the heat-transferring part × heat transfer area × temperature difference. The amount of heat transferred by the heater 60 and the amount of heat transferred by the electric drive mechanism 30 are determined by the heat capacity of the coolant or coolant in the heat-transferring part × temperature difference. The ECU 10 calculates the estimated temperature of the battery by subtracting the amount of heat dissipated from each part from the self-heating amount of the battery 50 and adding the amount of heat transfer, assuming that the amount of heat obtained is equal to the product of the battery's heat capacity and temperature difference, and performing this process sequentially every Δt, thereby determining the estimated temperature T of the battery 50 upon arrival at the destination. B Calculate. For example, in a warm-up method that does not use the heater 60 or heat generation control (in this embodiment, the case of "off"), the amount of heat transferred by the heater 60 and the amount of heat transferred by the electric drive mechanism 30 is smaller compared to a warm-up method that uses them. Also, for example, in a warm-up method that does not use heat generation control (in this embodiment, the cases of "off", "off to warm-up A", and "warm-up A"), the amount of heat transferred by the electric drive mechanism 30 is smaller than in a warm-up method that uses heat generation control (in this embodiment, the cases of "off to warm-up B", "warm-up A to warm-up B", and "warm-up B"). Therefore, even when arriving at the destination via the planned route, the estimated temperature T of the battery 50 upon arrival at the destination will vary depending on the warm-up method. B They can be different.

[0031] Estimated SOC upon arrival at destination (SOC t ) and estimated temperature (T B When the ECU10 calculates the charging capacity of the destination charging facility and the estimated SOC (SOC t ) and estimated temperature (T B The estimated charging time is calculated based on ) and . For example, ECU10 calculates the SOC (=SOC) at the start of charging. t ) and the target SOC, the charging capacity of the destination charging facility, and the battery temperature (=T) at the start of charging. B The system stores a data table of charging times corresponding to each parameter, and obtains the estimated charging time by referring to the data table.

[0032] In this way, the ECU10 estimates a different SOC (SOC) for each of the multiple warm-up methods. t ) and estimated temperature (T B Based on this, the estimated charging time for the battery 50 after arrival at the destination can be obtained. Then, the function of the warm-up method determination unit 10c allows the ECU 10 to determine the warm-up method that results in the shortest estimated charging time.

[0033] In this embodiment, as described above, the estimated charging time is calculated not only for the method of warming up the engine using the same warming method until the destination, but also for the method of switching warming methods along the way. In the case of switching warming methods along the way (off to warming up A, off to warming up B, warming up A to warming up B), the estimated charging time will differ depending on when the switch is made during the driving period to the destination. For example, the warming method could be switched at a point in the journey from the starting point S to the destination D that satisfies predetermined conditions (for example, a point where the driving distance from the starting point S reaches a predetermined value, or a point where the driving time reaches a predetermined value), and the estimated charging time could be calculated for each warming method to be switched. However, in this embodiment, the calculation of the estimated charging time for each warming method is performed at predetermined intervals (for example, 1 minute), and the timing of the switch is determined by selecting the warming method that results in the shortest estimated charging time at each predetermined interval.

[0034] Figure 2 shows the departure time t0 and any two timings t on the way to the destination within a predetermined time interval. i ,t j The estimated charging time and estimated SOC calculated for each of the six warm-up methods. t And, the estimated temperature T B This shows an example. Here, "OFF" is a pattern where the engine remains off from the calculation timing (current cycle) until the destination is reached ("off" continuation pattern). "OFF→A" is a pattern where the engine is off at the calculation timing (current cycle), but switches to warm-up A after a predetermined time has elapsed (next cycle) and continues warm-up A until the destination is reached ("off to warm-up A" switching pattern). "OFF→B" is a pattern where the engine is off at the calculation timing (current cycle), but switches to warm-up B after a predetermined time has elapsed (next cycle) and continues warm-up B until the destination is reached ("off to warm-up B" switching pattern). "A" is a pattern where warm-up A is maintained from the calculation timing (current cycle) until the destination is reached ("warm-up A" continuation pattern). "A→B" is a pattern where the engine is warm-up A at the calculation timing (current cycle), but switches to warm-up B after a predetermined time has elapsed (next cycle) and continues warm-up B until the destination is reached ("warm-up A to warm-up B" switching pattern). "B" is a pattern where warm-up B is continued from the calculation timing (this cycle) until the destination is reached ("Warm-up B" continuation pattern).

[0035] In the example in Figure 2, at departure time t0, the "off" continuation pattern has the highest estimated SOC at arrival but the lowest estimated temperature at arrival. At departure time t0, the "off to warm-up A" switching pattern has a lower estimated SOC at arrival than the "off" continuation pattern, but a higher estimated temperature. The estimated charging time is also shorter for the "off to warm-up A" switching pattern than for the "off" continuation pattern. On the other hand, the "warm-up B" continuation pattern has the highest estimated temperature but the lowest estimated SOC. At departure time t0, the "off to warm-up A" switching pattern has the shortest estimated charging time, so the "off to warm-up A" switching pattern is selected for the period at departure time t0. In other words, at timing t0, the ECU 10 does not perform any warm-up other than warm-up "off," that is, operating the motor of the electric drive mechanism 30 at normal efficiency to drive the vehicle.

[0036] In the example in Figure 2, even after the cycle following the start time t0, the shortest estimated charging time is the "off to warm-up A" switching pattern, and at timing t after any cycle has elapsed from t0 i This also indicates that the shortest estimated charging time was achieved with the "off to warm-up A" switching pattern. Furthermore, t i Timing t after an arbitrary period has elapsed j The pattern with the shortest estimated charging time up to the previous cycle is the "off to warm-up A" switching pattern, and timing t j This shows that, for the first time, the pattern with the shortest estimated charging time is the "Warm-up A" continuation pattern. In other words, in this example, from the time of departure t0 onwards, timing t j Up until the previous cycle, the ECU 10 is "off" for warm-up, meaning it does not perform any warm-up other than operating the motor of the electric drive mechanism 30 at normal efficiency to drive the vehicle. Then, timing t j In this case, the ECU 10 determines that the pattern with the shortest estimated charging time is the "Warm-up A" continuation pattern, and starts Warm-up A. That is, the ECU 10 operates the heater 60 to warm up the battery 50. The example in Figure 2 shows timing t jThe estimated charging time calculated for each predetermined cycle from the next cycle onward indicates that the engine was always in "warm-up A" mode until arrival at the destination. Therefore, timing t j From this point onward, ECU10 will perform warm-up A until arrival at the destination.

[0037] Figure 3 shows an example where the shortest estimated charging time for each warm-up method, calculated at predetermined intervals from departure time t0 until arrival at the destination, was the "off" continuous pattern. In such a case, the ECU 10 keeps the warm-up "off" from departure to arrival, meaning it does not perform any warm-up other than operating the motor of the electric drive mechanism 30 at normal efficiency to drive the vehicle. Figure 5 shows an example of a warm-up method selected according to the battery temperature at departure and the distance to the destination. The example in Figure 3 can be adopted, for example, when the distance from the departure point to the destination is relatively long, such as 30 km, and the battery temperature at departure is also relatively high, such as 5°C, as shown in Scene 2 of Figure 5. On the other hand, the example in Figure 2 can be adopted when the distance to the destination is relatively long, such as in Scene 1 of Figure 5, but the battery temperature at departure is not as high as in Scene 2.

[0038] Figure 4 shows an example where the shortest estimated charging time for each warm-up method, calculated at predetermined intervals from departure time t0 until arrival at the destination, is always the "Warm-up B" continuation pattern. In such a case, the ECU 10 operates "Warm-up B," that is, the heater 60, and controls the motor of the electric drive mechanism 30 to generate heat and drive the vehicle from departure to arrival. The example in Figure 4 can be adopted when the distance to the destination is relatively short and the battery temperature at departure is relatively low, as shown in Scene 3 of Figure 5.

[0039] In this way, by calculating the estimated charging time for each warm-up method at predetermined intervals, the estimated charging time can be calculated each time based on the latest SOC, the latest battery temperature, the vehicle's location, and other up-to-date parameters. As a result, the accuracy of the calculated estimated charging time is improved, and when switching warm-up methods, the timing of the switch can be determined to shorten the estimated charging time. Therefore, it is possible to increase the possibility of performing warm-up control with less waste.

[0040] Furthermore, as described above, by calculating the estimated charging time for each warm-up method at predetermined intervals and selecting the shortest warm-up method, it is possible that the warm-up method may switch through multiple stages between the departure point and the destination, as shown in Scene 4 of Figure 5.

[0041] As described above, according to this embodiment, when there are multiple warm-up methods, it is possible to select the warm-up method that results in the shortest estimated charging time at the destination.

[0042] (2) Warm-up control process: Next, the warm-up control process performed by the ECU 10 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. The warm-up control process is performed when the vehicle is in motion. When the warm-up control process is started, the ECU 10 determines whether the SOC is below a threshold and the distance to the destination is below a certain value (step S100), and waits until the conditions of S100 are met. If the SOC is not below the threshold or the distance to the destination exceeds a certain value, the ECU 10 considers that it is not yet necessary to determine the timing of starting warm-up by the heater 60 or heat generation control, and waits without performing the processes from step S105 onwards. The ECU 10 operates the motor at its normal efficiency when the vehicle is in motion.

[0043] If, in step S100, it is determined that the SOC is below a threshold and the distance to the destination is below a certain value, the ECU 10 determines whether or not a destination has been set (step S105). That is, the ECU 10 queries the navigation device 20 to find out whether or not a destination has been set.

[0044] If it is not determined in step S105 that a destination has been set, the ECU 10 determines whether or not there is a destination that can be estimated from the driving history (step S145). That is, the ECU 10 queries the navigation device 20 to see if an estimated destination exists. If it is determined in step S145 that an estimated destination exists, the ECU 10 obtains the estimated destination from the navigation device 20 and treats the estimated destination as the destination (step S150).

[0045] If it is determined in step S145 that there is no estimated destination, the ECU 10 determines whether a destination has been reset in the navigation device 20 (step S155) and waits until the destination is reset. If step S155 is determined to be N, the system may return to step S145.

[0046] If it is determined in step S105 that a destination has been set, or after step S150 has been executed, or if it is determined in step S155 that the destination has been reset, the ECU 10 acquires facility data for the destination (step S110). That is, the ECU 10 acquires facility data for facilities located at the destination from the navigation device 20.

[0047] Next, the ECU 10 determines whether there is a charging facility at the destination and whether its charging capacity is above a certain value (step S115). In other words, based on the facility data of the destination, the ECU 10 determines whether a charging facility exists at the destination and whether fast charging is possible at that charging facility.

[0048] In step S115, if it is determined that there is a charging facility at the destination and that the charging capacity is above a certain value, the ECU 10 performs the warm-up method determination process (step S120). If it is not determined, the process returns to step S155.

[0049] Step S120, the warm-up method determination process, calculates the estimated charging time at the destination for each warm-up method and determines the warm-up method that results in the shortest estimated charging time. Details of the warm-up method determination process will be described later. After executing the warm-up method determination process in step S120, the ECU 10 determines whether the determined warm-up method is an "off" continuous pattern until the destination (step S125). If, in step S125, it is determined that the warm-up method with the shortest estimated charging time is an "off" continuous pattern until the destination, the ECU 10 executes step S120 again after a predetermined time.

[0050] In step S125, if the warm-up method with the shortest estimated charging time is not determined to be the "off" continuous pattern until the destination, the ECU 10 displays a suggestion and effect of pre-warm-up (step S130). That is, the ECU 10 suggests pre-warm-up to shorten the charging time at the destination and displays a screen on the navigation device 20 display unit allowing the user to choose whether or not to perform pre-warm-up. At this time, the ECU 10 displays that pre-warm-up can shorten the charging time and, as a result, reduce charging costs. In this case, for example, the ECU 10 may be configured to show the effect by displaying an estimated value of the charging time that can be shortened and an estimated value of the charging cost that can be reduced compared to, for example, selecting the "off" continuous pattern until the destination. Specifically, for example, the ECU 10 calculates the difference between the estimated charging time in the case of the "off" continuous pattern until the destination and the estimated charging time in the case of the charging method selected in step S120 as an estimated value of the charging time that can be shortened. Alternatively, the ECU 10 may calculate an estimated value of the charging time that can be shortened by multiplying the hourly rate for fast charging at the destination charging facility (based on the user's contract information) by the difference in time.

[0051] Next, the ECU 10 determines whether the user has approved the pre-warm-up (step S135). If it is determined in step S135 that approval has not been given, the ECU 10 returns to the process in step S155. If it is determined in step S135 that approval has been given, the ECU 10 performs pre-warm-up control by executing the warm-up method determination process (step S140) and device control (step S145). In this embodiment, the processes in steps S140 and S145 are executed at predetermined time intervals (e.g., 1 minute). In step S145, if the warm-up method determined in step S140 is a pattern that executes warm-up A or warm-up B at the timing of the current cycle, the ECU 10 controls the corresponding device to perform warm-up. Specifically, if the ECU 10 is using the "off to warm-up A" switching pattern or the "off to warm-up B" switching pattern in the current cycle, it does not perform warm-up using the heater 60 or heat generation control. In the current cycle, if the pattern is either "Warm-up A" continuation or "Warm-up A to Warm-up B" switching pattern, ECU10 activates heater 60. In the current cycle, if the pattern is "Warm-up B" continuation, ECU10 activates heater 60 and also controls the motor's heat generation.

[0052] (2-1) Process for determining the warm-up method: Next, with reference to Figure 7, the warm-up method determination process performed in steps S120 and S140 of Figure 6 will be explained. When the warm-up method determination process starts, the ECU 10 acquires the planned driving route (step S200). That is, the ECU 10 acquires the planned driving route from the vehicle's current location to the destination from the navigation device 20.

[0053] Next, the ECU10 calculates the power required to drive the vehicle (step S205). That is, the ECU10 calculates the motor output power P for each Δt of the driving time along the planned route using the above equations (1) and (2). m Calculate.

[0054] Next, the ECU 10 selects one warm-up method (step S210) and performs the processes from steps S215 to S235 according to the selected warm-up method. In other words, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the processes from steps S215 to S235 are executed for each of the six patterns.

[0055] In step S215, the ECU 10 calculates the battery current value based on the power consumption and loss of each component. That is, the ECU 10 calculates the current value I flowing through the battery 50 for each Δt using equations (3) and (4) above. In step S220, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated SOC. That is, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated SOC (SOC) upon arrival at the destination using equation (5) above. t Calculate ).

[0056] In step S225, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated temperature of the battery 50. That is, as described above, the ECU 10 calculates the estimated temperature of the battery sequentially at Δt intervals up to the destination based on the amount of heat generated and dissipated by the battery 50 and the amount of heat transferred from other heat sources according to the warming method, thereby calculating the estimated temperature T of the battery 50 at the destination. B Calculate.

[0057] In step S230, the ECU10 calculates the estimated charging time. That is, as described above, the ECU10 calculates the charging capacity of the destination charging facility and the estimated SOC (SOC t ) and estimated temperature (T B Based on this, refer to the data table to obtain the estimated charging time.

[0058] In step S235, the ECU10 determines whether or not the processes in steps S215 to S230 have been executed for all warm-up methods. If it is determined that the processes have not been executed, it selects one of the warm-up methods for which the estimated charging time has not yet been calculated in the current cycle and returns to step S215.

[0059] If it is determined in step S235 that all warm-up methods have been processed, the ECU 10 determines the warm-up method with the shortest estimated charging time (step S240).

[0060] (3) Other embodiments: The embodiments described above are merely examples for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. For example, at least a part of the warm-up control system may be implemented by a server that can communicate with a communication device provided in the vehicle, or by a portable device such as a smartphone or tablet brought into the vehicle. Furthermore, the warm-up control system may be implemented by multiple devices (for example, a portable device and an in-vehicle device, a portable device and a remote server and an in-vehicle device, etc.). At least a part of the destination acquisition unit 10a, charging time estimation unit 10b, and warm-up method determination unit 10c that constitute the warm-up control system may be divided among multiple devices. Moreover, some of the configurations of the embodiments described above may be omitted, and the order of processing may be changed or omitted.

[0061] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are merely examples of warm-up methods and their combinations, and various other configurations may be adopted. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the electric drive mechanism's cooling oil and oil cooler are not used, and the warm-up is performed using a heater that transfers heat to the battery's cooling water. Alternatively, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which the electric drive mechanism's cooling oil transfers heat to the battery's cooling water via an oil cooler, without using the above heater. Furthermore, a configuration may be added in which heat is transferred from the refrigerant of the heat pump system used for air conditioning to the battery's cooling water via a condenser (in this case, a heater that transfers heat to the battery's cooling water may or may not be provided). Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which the electric drive mechanism's cooling oil transfers heat to the cooling water via an oil cooler, the cooling water transfers heat to the refrigerant of the heat pump system via a chiller, and the refrigerant transfers heat to the battery's cooling water via a condenser (in this case, a heater that transfers heat to the battery's cooling water may or may not be provided).

[0062] In the above embodiment, the charging time estimation unit was configured to calculate the estimated charging time for each warm-up method at predetermined intervals. However, it may also be configured to calculate the estimated charging time for each warm-up method at predetermined distance intervals (each time the predetermined distance is traveled).

[0063] In the above embodiment, the estimated charging time for each warm-up method was calculated at predetermined intervals during driving to determine the start timing of the warm-up control. However, the method for determining the warm-up method is not limited to this. For example, the warm-up method, the start timing of the warm-up control, and the switching timing (elapsed time since departure or distance traveled from the departure point) may be determined based on the distance to the destination (which may be the distance of the planned driving route, or for example, the straight-line distance) and the battery temperature at the start of control.

[0064] In the above embodiment, when considering patterns for switching the warm-up method midway through, the configuration considered patterns for switching from a warm-up method with low power consumption to a warm-up method with high power consumption. However, it is also possible to calculate the estimated charging time for patterns for switching from a warm-up method with high power consumption to a warm-up method with low power consumption, and select the pattern with the shortest estimated charging time from all switching patterns.

[0065] Furthermore, the methods of the present invention can also be applied as programs and methods. Moreover, such systems, programs, and methods may be implemented as standalone devices, or they may be implemented using parts shared with various components of a vehicle, encompassing a variety of embodiments. They can also be modified as appropriate, such as being partly software and partly hardware. Furthermore, the invention also functions as a recording medium for a program that controls the system. Of course, the recording medium for the program may be a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor memory, or any recording medium developed in the future can be considered in exactly the same way. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 10...ECU (Warm-up Control System), 10a...Destination Acquisition Unit, 10b...Charging Time Estimation Unit, 10c...Warm-up Method Determination Unit, 20...Navigation Device, 30...Electric Drive Mechanism, 40...Oil Cooler, 50...Battery, 60...Heater, 70...Electric Water Pump, SOC t …Estimated SOC, T B …Estimated temperature

Claims

1. A destination acquisition unit acquires a destination for a vehicle powered by electricity stored in a battery, where charging facilities for charging the battery exist. A charging time estimation unit calculates the estimated charging time required to charge the battery to a target SOC at the destination, based on the estimated SOC of the battery and the estimated temperature of the battery at the time of arrival at the destination, for each of a plurality of warming methods for the battery with different power consumption. A warm-up method determination unit that determines the warm-up method that results in the shortest estimated charging time, A warm-up control system equipped with the following features.

2. The charging time estimation unit, for each of the warm-up methods, The estimated SOC is calculated based on the estimated power consumption of each component that consumes power from the battery up to the destination. The estimated temperature is calculated based on the amount of heat generated and the amount of heat dissipated by the battery up to the destination, and the amount of heat transferred from other heat sources according to the warming method. The estimated charging time is calculated based on the charging capacity of the charging equipment at the destination, the estimated SOC, and the estimated temperature. The warm-up control system according to claim 1.

3. Multiple warm-up methods are, A method of continuing the same warm-up method until the aforementioned destination, A method of switching the warm-up method on the way to the aforementioned destination, including, The warm-up control system according to claim 1.

4. The charging time estimation unit, The calculation of the estimated charging time for each warm-up method is performed at predetermined time intervals or at predetermined distance intervals. The warm-up control system according to claim 1.

5. Computers, A destination acquisition unit that acquires a destination for a vehicle powered by electricity stored in a battery, where charging facilities for charging the battery exist. A charging time estimation unit calculates the estimated charging time required to charge the battery to a target SOC at the destination, based on the estimated SOC of the battery and the estimated temperature of the battery upon arrival at the destination, for each of a plurality of warming methods for the battery with different power consumption. A warm-up method determination unit that determines the warm-up method that results in the shortest estimated charging time. A warm-up control program that functions as such.

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