Charging system

Abstract

To provide a charging system that requires minimal installation space and is inexpensive. [Solution] The charging system according to the present disclosure comprises at least four or more power conversion units and a plurality of charging ports to which power output from the power conversion units is supplied, wherein the charging system comprises a plurality of changeover switches disposed between the current paths connecting the power conversion units and the charging ports, which are capable of connecting the outputs of the power conversion units in a ring shape, and a control device that, when there is a charging port that does not need to be charged, which is a charging port to which power does not need to be supplied, selects a charging port from among the adjacent charging ports to supply power to the charging port to be supplied to the charging port, based on the charging information of a device to be charged connected to a charging port adjacent to the charging port in the ring connection direction of the changeover switch, and controls the changeover switch to supply power to the charging port to the selected charging port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a charging system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a charging system including a plurality of power conversion units, a plurality of charging ports that respectively supply power to a plurality of devices to be charged, and a matrix-shaped switch unit that switches the connection relationship between the plurality of power conversion units and the plurality of charging ports.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the charging system described in Patent Document 1, a large number of switches are required to switch the connection relationship between the plurality of power conversion units and the plurality of charging ports, making it difficult to construct a charging system with a small installation space and low cost.

[0005] This disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a charging system with a small installation space and low cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The charging system according to this disclosure comprises at least four power conversion units and a plurality of charging ports to which power output from the power conversion units is supplied, the charging system comprising a plurality of changeover switches disposed between current paths connecting the power conversion units and the charging ports, which are capable of annularly connecting the outputs of the power conversion units, and a control device that, when there is a charging port that does not require power supply, selects a charging port from among the adjacent charging ports to supply power to the charging port, based on charging information of a device to be charged connected to a charging port adjacent to the charging port in the annular connection direction of the changeover switches, and controls the changeover switch to supply power to the charging port to the selected charging port.

[0007] The charging information may include the time required to charge the device being charged.

[0008] The control device may select a charging port such that the time required to charge all devices connected to the charging port is minimized. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a charging system that requires minimal installation space and is inexpensive. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a charging system, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of a charging process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The configuration of a charging system, which is one embodiment of this disclosure, will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a charging system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the charging system 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an AC power source (AC) 2, charging equipment 3, a plurality of charging ports 4 (4a to 4d), and a control device 5. The charging system 1 of this embodiment uses AC power supplied from the AC power source 2 to charge a device to be charged, such as a vehicle battery, connected to the charging port 4.

[0013] The charging equipment 3 is equipped with multiple AC / DC converters 31 (31a to 31d), multiple changeover switches 32 (32a to 32d), and multiple changeover switches 33 (33a to 33d).

[0014] Multiple AC / DC converters 31 convert the AC power supplied from the AC power source 2 into DC power and output it to the output current path 34 (34a to 34d).

[0015] The changeover switch 32 is located between current paths 34a and 34d and is configured to allow the outputs of multiple AC / DC converters 31 to be connected in a ring.

[0016] More specifically, the changeover switch 32a is located between the current path 34a connecting the AC / DC converter 31a and the charging port 4a, and the current path 34b connecting the AC / DC converter 31b and the charging port 4b. The changeover switch 32a switches the connection / disconnection of the output of the AC / DC converter 31a and the output of the AC / DC converter 31b depending on the on / off operation.

[0017] The changeover switch 32b is positioned between the current path 34b connecting the AC / DC converter 31b and the charging port 4b, and the current path 34c connecting the AC / DC converter 31c and the charging port 4c. The changeover switch 32b switches the connection / disconnection of the output of the AC / DC converter 31b and the output of the AC / DC converter 31c depending on the on / off operation.

[0018] The switching switch 32c is disposed between a current path 34c connecting the AC / DC converter 31c and the charging port 4c and a current path 34d connecting the AC / DC converter 31d and the charging port 4d. The switching switch 32c switches the connection / disconnection between the output of the AC / DC converter 31c and the output of the AC / DC converter 31d according to an on / off operation.

[0019] The switching switch 32d is disposed between a current path 34d connecting the AC / DC converter 31d and the charging port 4d and a current path 34a connecting the AC / DC converter 31a and the charging port 4a. The switching switch 32d switches the connection / disconnection between the output of the AC / DC converter 31d and the output of the AC / DC converter 31a according to an on / off operation.

[0020] Thus, the switching switch 32 is configured to select the output of any one of the plurality of AC / DC converters 31 by an on / off operation and supply it to any charging port 4.

[0021] The switching switch 33 is arranged in the current paths on the input side of the plurality of charging ports 4 and switches the on / off of the plurality of charging ports 4.

[0022] When the switching switch 33 arranged on the input side of the charging port 4 is turned on, the charging port 4 supplies the output (DC power) of any AC / DC converter 31 supplied from the connected current path to the device to be charged.

[0023] The control device 5 is constituted by an information processing device such as a microcomputer and controls the operation of the entire charging system 1. In the present embodiment, the control device 5 constructs a high-output and multi-output charger by turning on / off the switching switch 32 and the switching switch 33 according to the required power amount of the device to be charged connected to the charging port 4 and supplying the required power amount to the device to be charged.

[0024] For example, if the device to be charged connected to charging port 4a requests an amount of power corresponding to the sum of the outputs of AC / DC converter 31a and AC / DC converter 31d, the control device 5 turns on changeover switches 32d and 33a and turns off changeover switches 32a to 32c. Also, if the device to be charged connected to charging port 4a requests an amount of power corresponding to the sum of the outputs of AC / DC converters 31a to 31d, the control device 5 turns on changeover switches 32a to 32d and 33a.

[0025] Furthermore, if there is a charging port 4 to which no device to be charged is connected (hereinafter referred to as a "non-charging port"), the control device 5 selects the charging port 4 that is closest to the charging port 4 connected to a charging port, in the ring connection direction of the changeover switch 32. In this case, if multiple charging ports 4 are selected, the control device 5 selects the charging port 4 to which the charging port 4 is connected that will result in the shortest time until all charging ports are fully charged. The control device 5 then turns the changeover switch 32 and changeover switch 33 on / off to supply power to the charging ports connected to the selected charging port 4 that is supplied to the non-charging ports.

[0026] More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the control device 5 determines whether or not the charging of the device to be charged, such as the vehicle battery connected to the Nth charging port 4, is complete (Step S1). If the determination is made and charging is not complete (Step S1: No), the control device 5 turns the changeover switch 32 and changeover switch 33 on / off to charge the device to be charged connected to the Nth charging port 4 (Step S3).

[0027] On the other hand, if charging is complete (Step S1: Yes), the control device 5 compares the time it takes for the devices to be charged connected to the N-1th and N+1th charging ports 4 (for example, charging port 4d and charging port 4b in the case of charging port 4a) that are adjacent to the Nth charging port 4 (a port that does not require charging) in the annular connection direction of the changeover switch 32 until charging is complete. If the time it takes for the devices to be charged connected to the N+1th charging port 4 to be charged is shorter (Step S2: Yes), the control device 5 turns changeover switches 32 and 33 on / off to supply power to the Nth charging port 4 to the devices to be charged connected to the N+1th charging port 4 (Step S4). On the other hand, if the time it takes for the devices to be charged connected to the N-1th charging port 4 to be charged is shorter (Step S2: No), the control device 5 turns changeover switches 32 and 33 on / off to supply power to the Nth charging port 4 to the devices to be charged connected to the N-1th charging port 4 (Step S5).

[0028] As described above, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the charging system 1 is configured such that the outputs of AC / DC converters 31a to 31d can be connected in a ring shape via a changeover switch 32. With this configuration, the number of changeover switches can be significantly reduced, so a charging system that requires less installation space and is inexpensive can be provided. Furthermore, by switching the changeover switch 32 on and off and appropriately assigning any output from among the outputs of AC / DC converters 31a to 31d to the device to be charged, a high-output and multi-output charging system can be realized. In addition, in this charging system 1, if there is a charging port 4 that does not require power supply, the control device 5 selects a charging port 4 from among the adjacent charging ports 4 that will supply power to the charging port, based on the charging time of the device to be charged connected to the charging port 4 adjacent to the charging port in the ring-shaped connection direction of the changeover switch 32, and controls the changeover switch 32 to supply power to the charging port 4. This reduces the time required to charge the device to be charged connected to the charging port 4.

[0029] When receiving a device to be charged into the charging system 1, the control device 5 may select a charging port 4 to which the device to be charged is connected in such a way that the time until all devices to be charged is minimized, and guide the user of the device to connect the device to the selected charging port 4 using screen displays, illumination, etc. In this case, the charging port 4 should be selected according to the following priority order (1) to (3): (1) a charging port 4 in which an adjacent charging port 4 is available, (2) a charging port 4 in which one charging port 4 is available and the time required to charge the device connected to the other charging port 4 is short, and (3) a charging port 4 in which an adjacent charging port 4 is short.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, charging port 4 was selected based on the time required to charge the device to be charged, but charging port 4 may also be selected based on the State of Charge (SOC) of the device to be charged. Alternatively, charging port 4 may be selected based on the user attributes of the device to be charged (vehicle type, usage plan, etc.) or schedule (what time is scheduled to depart, etc.).

[0031] Furthermore, although the number of AC / DC converters 31 is four in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the number of AC / DC converters 31 may be at least four. Also, it is not necessary to make all of the outputs of at least four or more AC / DC converters 31 connectable in a ring; any number of the outputs of at least four or more AC / DC converters 31 may be configured to be connectable in a ring. The number of AC / DC converters 31 connected in a ring can be adjusted as appropriate according to the output specifications (high output, multiple output) required for the charging equipment 3.

[0032] Further effects and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. Broader aspects of this disclosure are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Accordingly, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 1 Charging System 2 Alternating current power supply (AC) 3 Charging equipment 4A~4D charging port 5 Control device 31, 31a~31d AC / DC converters 32, 32a~32d, 33, 33a~33d changeover switch

Claims

1. A charging system comprising at least four power conversion units and a plurality of charging ports to which power output from the power conversion units is supplied, A plurality of selector switches, which can connect the output of the power conversion unit in a ring shape, are disposed between the current path connecting the power conversion unit and the charging port. When there is a charging port that does not require power supply, which is a non-charging port, a control device selects a charging port from among the adjacent charging ports that will supply power to the non-charging port, based on the charging information of the device to be charged connected to the charging port adjacent to the non-charging port in the annular connection direction of the changeover switch, and controls the changeover switch to supply power to the non-charging port to the selected charging port. A charging system equipped with this feature.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the charging information includes the time required to charge the device to be charged.

3. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein the control device selects a charging port such that the time required to charge all devices connected to the charging port is minimized.

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