control device

Abstract

The present invention provides a control device that suppresses the power required for battery cooling. [Solution] The motor 2 drives the vehicle 1 using the power of the battery 5 and can also recharge the battery 5 with regenerative power when the vehicle 1 is decelerating. The cooling device 6 cools the battery 5 using the power of the battery 5. The temperature sensor St measures the temperature of the battery 5. The cooling control unit 11 starts cooling by the cooling device 6 when the temperature of the battery 5 measured by the temperature sensor St exceeds a predetermined cooling start temperature. The cooling control unit 11 raises the cooling start temperature and lowers the cooling level as the regenerative power from the motor 2 is weaker.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an electric vehicle including a cooling system for cooling a battery mounted on a vehicle is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle including a battery cooling device that cools a refrigerant used for battery cooling in advance using surplus regenerative power of a motor when it is predicted that battery cooling will be required during driving.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, it is common to circulate a refrigerant by using the power of the battery for cooling the battery. The battery generates self-heat during charging and discharging, and the amount of self-heat is determined by the input / output current amount. Therefore, the amount of self-heat of the battery increases when the regeneration level is high compared to when the regeneration level is low. And there is an electric vehicle in which the driver can select the regeneration level.

[0005] However, in the above-described battery cooling device, the same cooling is performed even when the regeneration level is small as when the regeneration level is large. Therefore, when the regeneration level is small, excessive battery cooling (power consumption) occurs.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a control device that suppresses the power required for cooling the battery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the control device for electric vehicles relating to this disclosure is characterized by the following: A control device applied to a vehicle having a motor that drives the vehicle using battery power and charges the battery with regenerative power when the vehicle is decelerating, a cooling device that cools the battery using the battery's power, and a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the battery, The system includes a cooling control unit which initiates cooling by the cooling device when the temperature of the battery, as measured by the temperature measuring unit, reaches or exceeds a predetermined cooling start temperature, The cooling control unit raises the cooling start temperature as the regenerative force from the motor weakens. It is a control device.

[0008] A control device applied to a vehicle having a motor that drives the vehicle using battery power and charges the battery with regenerative power when the vehicle is decelerating, a cooling device that cools the battery using the battery's power, and a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the battery, The system includes a cooling control unit which initiates cooling by the cooling device when the temperature of the battery, as measured by the temperature measuring unit, reaches or exceeds a predetermined cooling start temperature, The cooling control unit lowers the cooling level of the cooling device as the regenerative force from the motor weakens. It is a control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the control device for electric vehicles described herein, the power required for cooling the battery can be suppressed.

[0010] The present disclosure has been briefly described above. Further details of the present invention will be clarified by referring to the accompanying drawings and reading through the embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure described below (hereinafter referred to as "Embodiments"). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram relating to battery cooling control of a vehicle to which the control device of the present invention in the first embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the hybrid ECU shown in Figure 1 in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3(A) is a graph showing the time variation of the battery temperature when the cooling start temperature and cooling level are uniform regardless of the regeneration level, while Figure 3(B) is a graph showing the time variation of the battery temperature when the cooling start temperature and cooling level are set according to the regeneration level. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram relating to battery cooling control of a vehicle to which the control device of the present invention in the second embodiment is applied. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the hybrid ECU shown in Figure 4 in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a graph showing the cooling start temperature according to the regeneration level and distance to the destination, and the time variation of the battery temperature when the cooling level is set. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a graph showing the time variation of the battery temperature when the cooling start temperature and cooling level are set according to speed and distance to destination. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures.

[0013] (First Embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a block diagram related to battery cooling control of a vehicle to which the control device of the present invention in the first embodiment is applied. The vehicle 1 is a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) or a hybrid vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a hybrid vehicle). Note that a PHEV means a hybrid vehicle capable of external charging of a battery or external power supply from the battery. A PHEV has a charging port (inlet) for inserting a charging cable through which power is supplied from an external charging facility, an outlet for external power supply, and the like. The vehicle 1 includes, as main components related to battery cooling control, a motor 2, an MCU 3, a battery pack 4, a battery 5, a cooling device 6, a BMU 7, a vehicle system ECU 8, a paddle shift 9, and a hybrid ECU 10 as a "control device". In addition, the vehicle 1 is equipped with various components mounted on a known hybrid vehicle other than the above components, such as an engine (internal combustion engine) not shown. Further, the vehicle 1 may be an electric vehicle (pure EV) not equipped with an engine (internal combustion engine).

[0014] The motor 2 is a so-called motor generator capable of driving the vehicle 1 by power running when power is supplied and generating electricity by regenerative driving when the vehicle 1 decelerates.

[0015] The MCU 3 is an electronic control device that exchanges power with the motor 2, converts the DC power supplied from the battery 5 into AC power and outputs it to the motor 2, and converts the AC power regenerated from the motor 2 into DC power to charge the battery 5. In addition, the MCU 3 controls the operations of power running and regenerative driving by controlling the motor torque in the motor 2.

[0016] The battery pack 4 is a power storage module that integrally includes a battery 5, a cooling device 6, a voltage sensor Sv, a current sensor Sc, and a temperature sensor St. The battery 5 is a lithium-ion battery that mainly outputs power used for the running of the vehicle 1 and can be charged with regenerative power from the motor 2. The cooling device 6 is a device that cools the battery 5. In the present embodiment, the cooling device 6 cools the battery 5 by circulating a refrigerant in a circulation path provided around the battery 5, for example. The voltage, current, and temperature of the battery 5 are measured by the voltage sensor Sv, the current sensor Sc, and the temperature sensor St as a temperature measurement unit, respectively.

[0017] The BMU 7 is an electronic control unit that performs SOC (State Of Charge) calculation and state management of the battery 5 by acquiring the above-described voltage, current, and temperature of the battery 5 from the battery pack 4, respectively.

[0018] The vehicle system ECU 8 is an electronic control unit for performing control related to the vehicle body such as an engine, a brake system, etc. (none of which are shown), and acquires the running speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 1 measured by a vehicle speed sensor Ss as a vehicle speed acquisition unit.

[0019] The paddle shift 9 is a regenerative force operation unit for a driver to select a regenerative level (regenerative force) during regenerative braking of the motor 2. In the present embodiment, one of six regenerative levels B0 to B5 can be selected by the paddle shift 9. The regenerative force of the regenerative level B0 is the value 0, and the regenerative force is set in the order of B0 < B1 < B2 < B3 < B4 < B5. The regenerative level B2 is set when the driver puts the shift lever of the vehicle 1 into the drive range (D).

[0020] In this embodiment, the paddle shifters 9 are provided on the steering wheel W of the vehicle 1 as a regenerative force increase button 91 and a regenerative force decrease button 92. The regenerative level is set to one level higher each time the driver operates the regenerative force increase button 91. Conversely, the regenerative level is set to one level lower each time the driver operates the regenerative force decrease button 92. Note that the regenerative force control unit is not limited to paddle shifters 9, but may be a shift lever or other form of push button.

[0021] The hybrid ECU 10, acting as a "control device," is composed of input / output devices, memory devices (ROM, RAM, non-volatile RAM, etc.), and a central processing unit (CPU). The hybrid ECU 10 is an electronic control unit that controls the entire vehicle 1 by sending and receiving information with each component of the vehicle 1. More specifically, the hybrid ECU 10 acquires the state of the battery 5 via the BMU 7 and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 via the vehicle system ECU 8. Furthermore, the hybrid ECU 10 controls the discharge control from the battery 5 to the motor 2 in power control and the charging control from the battery 5 to the motor 2 in regenerative control via the MCU 3. In addition, the hybrid ECU 10 acquires the driver's regenerative operation via the paddle shift 9.

[0022] Furthermore, the hybrid ECU 10 according to this embodiment includes a cooling control unit 11, a regenerative force setting unit 12, and a storage unit 13 as functional modules related to battery cooling. In addition, the hybrid ECU 10 controls the cooling device 6 via the BMU 7 to cool the battery 5 when the battery 5 is in a high temperature state.

[0023] The cooling control unit 11 controls the operation / stop of the cooling device 6 and controls the cooling level during operation. The cooling device 6 is powered by the battery 5. In this embodiment, the cooling level is controlled, for example, by controlling the amount of refrigerant circulated. The cooling control unit 11 can increase the cooling level by increasing the amount of refrigerant circulated (=circulation speed). Conversely, the cooling control unit 11 can decrease the cooling level by decreasing the amount of refrigerant circulated. The cooling control unit 11 receives the temperature of the battery 5 measured by the temperature sensor St via the BMU 7. When the temperature of the battery 5 reaches or exceeds a predetermined cooling start temperature, the cooling control unit 11 drives the cooling device 6 to start cooling the battery 5. When the temperature of the battery 5 falls below the cooling stop temperature as a result of cooling by the cooling device 6, the cooling control unit 11 stops the cooling device 6 to stop cooling the battery 5.

[0024] The regenerative force setting unit 12 sets the regenerative force of the motor 2 based on the operation of the paddle shift 9 and instructs the MCU 3 to control the motor torque during regenerative control. The memory unit 13 stores in advance the cooling start temperature and cooling level corresponding to the regenerative force set by the regenerative force setting unit 12. The cooling start temperature stored in the memory unit 13 is set to a higher value the weaker the regenerative force. The cooling level stored in the memory unit 13 is set to a lower value the weaker the regenerative force.

[0025] The cooling control unit 11 reads from the memory unit 13 the cooling start temperature and cooling level corresponding to the regenerative force set in the regenerative force setting unit 12. When the temperature of the battery 5 rises above the read cooling start temperature, the cooling control unit 11 drives the cooling device 6 to start cooling. At this time, the cooling control unit 11 controls the cooling device 6 to cool at the read cooling level.

[0026] Next, the cooling control procedure performed by the hybrid ECU 10 will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the hybrid ECU 10 as shown in Figure 1. When the battery 5 is hot, the hybrid ECU 10 can improve the power consumption efficiency associated with cooling the battery 5 by setting the cooling start temperature and cooling level of the cooling device 6 based on the flowchart.

[0027] First, when the vehicle 1 is started by controlling the ignition of the vehicle 1 to be turned ON (S1), the hybrid ECU 10 performs initial settings for the cooling start temperature and cooling level (S2). Specifically, the cooling control unit 11 reads the cooling start temperature and cooling level corresponding to the standard regenerative level B2 from the storage unit 13 and sets them as the cooling start temperature and cooling level for the battery 5. Note that the regenerative level immediately after turning the ignition ON is set to the standard regenerative level B2 by the regenerative force setting unit 12.

[0028] Next, the hybrid ECU 10 determines whether the regeneration level has been changed by the operation of the paddle shift 9 (S3). If the hybrid ECU 10 determines that the regeneration level has not been changed (N in S3), it maintains the cooling start temperature and cooling level (S4).

[0029] Meanwhile, when the hybrid ECU 10 determines that the regeneration level has been changed (Y in S3), it resets the cooling start temperature and cooling level (S5) and then proceeds to S4. More specifically, the cooling control unit 11 reads the cooling start temperature and cooling level corresponding to the regeneration level changed by the regeneration force setting unit 12 from the storage unit 13. The cooling control unit 11 sets the read cooling start temperature and cooling level as the new cooling start temperature and cooling level.

[0030] Next, while the ignition switch is ON (N in S4), the hybrid ECU10 returns to S3. On the other hand, if the hybrid ECU10 determines that the ignition switch is OFF (Y in S4), it terminates the series of procedures. Through the operations described above, the hybrid ECU10 raises the cooling start temperature and lowers the cooling level as the regenerative force weakens.

[0031] Next, the time variation of the temperature of the battery 5 in this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 3. The time variation of the temperature of the battery 5 will be as shown in Figure 3(A) when the cooling start temperature and cooling level are set uniformly, regardless of the regenerative force. That is, as shown in Figure 3(A), the battery 5 will be cooled by the cooling device 6 when it reaches the same cooling start temperature Ts, whether the regenerative level is level B0 or ​​level B5. Regenerative level B5 has a higher self-heating capacity than regenerative level B0. Therefore, if the cooling levels for regenerative level B0 and regenerative level B5 are the same, regenerative level B0 will be cooled more easily than regenerative level B5.

[0032] The longer the cooling time, the greater the temperature of battery 5 at regeneration level B0 compared to battery 5 at regeneration level B5. This means that battery 5 at regeneration level B0 is overcooled compared to battery 5 at regeneration level B5. In other words, the longer the cooling time, the more wasted power is consumed at regeneration level B0.

[0033] In contrast, the time variation of the battery 5 temperature becomes as shown in Figure 3(B) when the cooling start temperature is raised or the cooling level is lowered, as the regenerative power is weaker. That is, as shown in Figure 3(B), when the regenerative level is B5, the battery 5 is cooled by the cooling device 6 when the cooling start temperature Ts5 or higher. Also, when the regenerative level is B0, the battery 5 is cooled by the cooling device 6 when the cooling start temperature Ts0 or higher, which is higher than the cooling start temperature Ts5.

[0034] Next, we will explain the temperature changes of the battery 5 as it is cooled by the cooling device 6. As mentioned above, regeneration level B5 is a regeneration level in which the amount of self-heating is higher than that of regeneration level B0. In this embodiment, the cooling level is lowered as the regenerative force weakens. Note that the battery 5 that is regenerated and charged at regeneration level B0 is assumed to be more easily cooled than the battery 5 that is regenerated and charged at regeneration level B5.

[0035] The temperature of battery 5 at regenerative level B0 approaches the temperature of battery 5 at regenerative level B5 after cooling has started. This is because battery 5 at regenerative level B0 cools more easily than battery 5 at regenerative level B5. Then, at time t1, the temperature of battery 5 at regenerative level B0 becomes equal to the temperature of battery 5 at regenerative level B5. After time t1, the temperature of battery 5 at regenerative level B0 becomes lower than the temperature of battery 5 at regenerative level B5 as the cooling time increases.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cooling start temperature is set higher the weaker the regenerative force. Therefore, the temperature of battery 5 at regenerative level B0 is equal to the temperature of battery 5 at regenerative level B5 at time t1. The power wasted when cooling battery 5 at regenerative level B0 becomes almost zero if vehicle 1 stops at time t1. Therefore, it can be said that this is the most power-efficient. Furthermore, the cooling level at regenerative level B0 is set lower than the cooling level at regenerative level B5. Therefore, even if vehicle 1 stops after time t1, battery 5 at regenerative level B0 can be less overcooled compared to battery 5 at regenerative level B5. Thus, power consumption efficiency can be improved.

[0037] According to the embodiment described above, the weaker the regenerative force, the higher the cooling start temperature and the lower the cooling level. Therefore, the weaker the regenerative force, the less power is required to cool the battery 5, and the more power consumption required to cool the battery 5 can be suppressed.

[0038] According to the embodiment described above, the regenerative force setting unit 12 sets the regenerative force based on the operation of the paddle shift 9. The cooling control unit 11 reads (acquires) the cooling start temperature and cooling level corresponding to the set regenerative force from the storage unit 13, and when it reaches or exceeds the read cooling start temperature, it starts cooling at the read cooling level. As a result, the driver can automatically change the cooling start temperature and cooling level each time the paddle shift 9 is operated. Therefore, the driver does not need to manually set the cooling start temperature and cooling level, and can operate the vehicle 1 comfortably.

[0039] According to the embodiment described above, the cooling control unit 11 stops the cooling device 6 when the temperature of the battery 5 falls below the cooling stop temperature. This prevents the battery 5 from being cooled below the cooling stop temperature, thereby suppressing the power consumption of the battery 5.

[0040] In the embodiment described above, the cooling control unit 11 directly set the cooling start temperature and cooling level corresponding to the regenerative level read from the storage unit 13 in S2, S5, etc., as the cooling start temperature and cooling level, but it is not limited to this. The temperature of the battery 5 drops easily because the discharge current is smaller at lower vehicle speeds. Therefore, the cooling control unit 11 may acquire the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 from the vehicle speed sensor Ss and correct the cooling start temperature and cooling level according to the vehicle speed. Specifically, the cooling control unit 11 corrects the read cooling start temperature to increase and the cooling level to decrease as the vehicle speed decreases, and sets the corrected cooling start temperature and cooling level. By doing so, the cooling control unit 11 can further suppress the power consumption required to cool the battery 5.

[0041] Furthermore, when the temperature of the battery 5 exceeds the cooling start temperature, the cooling control unit 11 may perform a correction to increase the read-out cooling level as the difference between the battery temperature and the cooling start temperature increases. By doing so, the cooling control unit 11 can further suppress the power consumption required to cool the battery 5.

[0042] In the embodiment described above, the cooling control unit 11 changed both the cooling start temperature and the cooling level according to the regeneration level, but it is not limited to this. The cooling control unit 11 may change either the cooling start temperature or the cooling level according to the regeneration level.

[0043] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Figure 4 is a block diagram relating to battery cooling control of a vehicle to which the control device of the present invention in the second embodiment is applied. In Figure 4, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are identical to those of the vehicle shown in Figure 1, which was already described in the first embodiment, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0044] The difference between the first and second embodiments is that the battery ECU 10 is connected to the navigation device 15. The navigation device 15 is a device that proposes a route from the vehicle's current location to the destination to the driver, and includes a destination operation unit 16, a location acquisition unit 17, and a storage unit 18. The destination operation unit 16 receives input from the driver to set the destination and sets the received destination. The location acquisition unit 17 is composed of GPS and acquires the current location of the vehicle 1. Map data is stored in the storage unit 18. The navigation device 15 supplies the destination input information, the current location of the vehicle 1, and the distance from the vehicle 1's current location to the destination to the hybrid ECU 10.

[0045] As described above, it is preferable that the temperature of the battery 5 at each regeneration level B0 to B5 be as high as possible within the acceptable range when the vehicle 1 arrives at its destination and stops. Even if the temperature of the battery 5 is somewhat high when stopped, the battery 5 can be cooled by self-discharge or external power after stopping. This is because it can be cooled efficiently without using the battery 5's own power. Therefore, in the second embodiment, when a destination is input by the navigation device 15 mounted on the vehicle 1, the cooling control unit 11 controls the cooling start temperature and cooling level so that when the vehicle arrives at its destination, the temperature of the battery 5 at each regeneration level B0 to B5 is approximately equal to the target temperature Tp.

[0046] In this embodiment, the hybrid ECU 10 includes an estimation unit 14 that estimates the temperature of the battery 5 when it arrives at the destination without being cooled by the cooling device 6, based on the vehicle speed and the distance to the destination. The hybrid ECU 10 knows how much the temperature of the battery 5 will rise by the time it arrives at the destination using the estimation unit 14. Therefore, the hybrid ECU 10 knows how much the temperature of the battery 5 needs to be cooled to reach the target temperature Tp by the time it arrives at the destination. The cooling control unit 11 also sets the cooling start temperature and cooling level based on the estimated temperature so that the temperature of the battery 5 reaches the target temperature Tp upon arrival.

[0047] Next, we will explain the cooling control procedure when the destination to be executed by the hybrid ECU 10 is input. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the hybrid ECU 10 as shown in Figure 4.

[0048] First, when the vehicle 1 is started by controlling the ignition of the vehicle 1 to be turned ON (S6), the hybrid ECU 10 determines whether or not a destination has been entered into the navigation device 15 (S7). If the hybrid ECU 10 determines that no destination has been entered into the navigation device 15 (N in S7), it performs the same operations as in S2 to S5 in Figure 2, and sets the cooling start temperature and cooling level, similar to the first embodiment.

[0049] On the other hand, when the hybrid ECU 10 determines that a destination has been entered into the navigation device 15 (Y in S7), it estimates the power consumption to reach the destination and, based on the estimated power consumption, estimates the temperature of the battery 5 when it arrives at the destination without being cooled by the cooling device 6 (S8).

[0050] This process is carried out as follows: First, the hybrid ECU 10 obtains the vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor Ss via the vehicle system ECU 8, and obtains the distance from the vehicle's current position to the destination from the navigation device 15. Next, based on the obtained vehicle speed and the distance from the current position to the destination, the hybrid ECU 10 estimates the power consumption of the battery 5 to the destination and the temperature of the battery 5 upon arrival at the destination without being cooled by the cooling device 6.

[0051] Next, the hybrid ECU 10 performs the initial setup of the cooling start temperature and cooling level (S9). Specifically, the hybrid ECU 10 sets the initial cooling start temperature and cooling level so that the temperature of the battery 5 reaches the target temperature Tp upon arrival at the destination.

[0052] Furthermore, the hybrid ECU 10 checks the regeneration level and corrects the battery 5 temperature estimated in S8 according to the regeneration level. The hybrid ECU 10 corrects the estimated battery 5 temperature so that it is higher the higher the regeneration level, for example, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 6. Based on the corrected battery 5 temperature, the hybrid ECU 10 sets the cooling start temperature and cooling level so that the battery 5 temperature reaches the target temperature Tp upon arrival at the destination.

[0053] Battery 5 is cooled more as the regeneration level decreases, and as the distance to the destination increases and the cooling time increases. As shown in Figure 6, the cooling control unit 11 sets a higher cooling start temperature and a lower cooling level as the regeneration level decreases and the distance to the destination increases, i.e., the cooling time increases. As a result, the temperature of battery 5 upon arrival will be the same at the target temperature Tp, regardless of whether the regeneration level is level B0 or ​​level B5, and whether the destination is short and arrives at time t1 or long and arrives at time t2.

[0054] Figure 7 is a graph showing the time variation of the battery temperature 5 at vehicle speeds V0 and V1 (>V0). As shown in Figure 7, the cooling control unit 11 sets a higher cooling start temperature and a lower cooling level as the speed decreases. As a result, the temperature of the battery 5 upon arrival will be equal to the target temperature Tp, regardless of whether the vehicle speed is V0 or V1.

[0055] Next, the hybrid ECU 10 determines whether the regeneration level has been changed by the operation of the paddle shift 9 (S10). If the hybrid ECU 10 determines that the regeneration level has not been changed (N in S10), it maintains the set cooling start temperature and cooling level and proceeds to S11.

[0056] Meanwhile, when the hybrid ECU 10 determines that the regeneration level has changed (Y in S10), it estimates the temperature of battery 5 upon arrival at the destination again, similar to S8 (S12), and then, similar to S9, resets the cooling start temperature and cooling level (S13), before proceeding to S11.

[0057] After determining in S10 that the regeneration level has not changed, or after performing the process in S13, the hybrid ECU10 determines whether the ignition switch is OFF or OFF (S11). If the hybrid ECU10 determines that the ignition switch is ON (N in S11), it returns to S10. On the other hand, if the hybrid ECU10 determines that the ignition switch is OFF (Y in S11), it terminates the series of procedures. Through the above operation, the hybrid ECU10 can ensure that the temperature of the battery 5 is uniform upon arrival.

[0058] According to the embodiment described above, the cooling control unit 11 sets a higher cooling start temperature and a lower cooling level as the vehicle speed decreases. Therefore, the cooling control unit 11 can reduce the power required to cool the battery 5 as the regenerative force is weaker, thereby suppressing the power consumption required to cool the battery 5.

[0059] According to the embodiment described above, the cooling control unit 11 sets a lower cooling start temperature and a higher cooling level when the distance to the destination is short, and sets a higher cooling start temperature and a lower cooling level when the distance to the destination is long. As a result, the cooling control unit 11 can reduce the power required for the battery 5 as the distance to the destination is long and the cooling time can be extended, thereby suppressing the power consumption required for cooling the battery 5.

[0060] According to the embodiment described above, the hybrid ECU 10 estimates the temperature of the battery 5 upon arrival at the destination from the vehicle speed and the distance to the destination, and sets the cooling start temperature and cooling level based on the estimated temperature of the battery 5 so that the temperature of the battery 5 upon arrival at the destination approaches the target temperature. As a result, the hybrid ECU 10 can bring the temperature of the battery 5 to the target temperature upon arrival and suppress the power consumption required to cool the battery 5.

[0061] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the embodiments described above are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0062] According to the embodiment described above, the battery ECU 10 estimated the temperature of the battery 5 upon arrival based on the vehicle speed and the distance to the destination, but it is not limited to this. The temperature of the battery also changes depending on the ambient temperature, vehicle weight, and tire pressure. Therefore, the temperature of the battery upon arrival may be estimated not only based on the vehicle speed and the distance to the destination, but also on the ambient temperature, vehicle temperature, and tire pressure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1 vehicle 2 motors 5 batteries 6 Cooling device 9. Paddle shifters (regenerative braking control unit) 10. Battery ECU (Control Unit) 12th Generation Student Development Department 11 Cooling Control Unit 14 Estimation part 16 Destination control section 17 Position acquisition part Ss Vehicle speed sensor (vehicle speed acquisition unit) St Temperature Sensor (Temperature Measurement Unit)

Claims

1. A control device applied to a vehicle having a motor that drives the vehicle using battery power and charges the battery with regenerative power when the vehicle is decelerating, a cooling device that cools the battery using the battery's power, and a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the battery, The system includes a cooling control unit which initiates cooling by the cooling device when the temperature of the battery, as measured by the temperature measuring unit, reaches or exceeds a predetermined cooling start temperature, The cooling control unit raises the cooling start temperature as the regenerative force from the motor weakens. Control device.

2. A control device according to claim 1, which is applied to a vehicle having a regenerative force operating unit for operating the regenerative force of the motor, The regenerative force setting unit sets the regenerative force of the motor based on the operation of the regenerative force operation unit, The cooling control unit acquires the cooling start temperature corresponding to the regenerative force set by the regenerative force setting unit, and when the battery temperature is equal to or higher than the acquired cooling start temperature, it starts cooling by the cooling device. Control device.

3. A control device according to claim 1 or 2, applicable to a vehicle having a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed, The cooling control unit raises the cooling start temperature as the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit decreases. Control device.

4. A control device according to claim 1 or 2, applicable to a vehicle having a destination operation unit that accepts an input operation for setting a destination and sets the accepted destination, and a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle, The cooling control unit sets the cooling start temperature lower the shorter the distance from the current position acquired by the position acquisition unit to the destination set by the destination operation unit, and sets the cooling start temperature higher the longer the distance. Control device.

5. A control device according to claim 1 or 2, which is applied to a vehicle having a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed, a destination operation unit that accepts an input operation for setting a destination and sets the accepted destination, and a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle, The system includes an estimation unit that estimates the battery temperature upon arrival at the destination based on the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit and the distance from the current position acquired by the position acquisition unit to the destination set by the destination operation unit. The cooling control unit sets the cooling start temperature based on the temperature estimated by the estimation unit so that the temperature of the battery upon arrival at the destination approaches the target temperature. Control device.

6. A control device applied to a vehicle having a motor that drives the vehicle using battery power and charges the battery with regenerative power when the vehicle is decelerating, a cooling device that cools the battery using the battery's power, and a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the battery, The system includes a cooling control unit which initiates cooling by the cooling device when the temperature of the battery, as measured by the temperature measuring unit, reaches or exceeds a predetermined cooling start temperature, The cooling control unit lowers the cooling level of the cooling device as the regenerative force from the motor weakens. Control device.

7. A control device according to claim 6, which is applied to a vehicle having a regenerative force operating unit for operating the regenerative force of the motor, The regenerative force setting unit sets the regenerative force of the motor based on the operation of the regenerative force operation unit, The cooling control unit acquires the cooling level corresponding to the regenerative force set by the regenerative force setting unit, and controls the cooling device to operate at the acquired cooling level. Control device.

8. A control device according to claim 6 or 7, applicable to a vehicle having a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed, The cooling control unit lowers the cooling level as the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit decreases. Control device.

9. A control device according to claim 6 or 7, When the temperature of the battery exceeds the cooling start temperature, the cooling control unit lowers the cooling level as the difference between the battery temperature and the cooling start temperature increases. Control device.

10. A control device according to claim 6 or 7, applicable to a vehicle having a destination operation unit that accepts input operations for setting a destination and sets the accepted destination, and a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle, The cooling control unit sets the cooling level higher the shorter the distance from the current position acquired by the position acquisition unit to the destination set by the destination operation unit, and sets the cooling level lower the longer the distance. Control device.

11. A control device according to claim 6 or 7, which is applied to a vehicle having a vehicle speed acquisition unit that acquires vehicle speed, a destination operation unit that accepts an input operation for setting a destination and sets the accepted destination, and a position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle, The system includes an estimation unit that estimates the battery temperature upon arrival at the destination based on the vehicle speed acquired by the vehicle speed acquisition unit and the distance from the current position acquired by the position acquisition unit to the destination set by the destination operation unit. The cooling control unit sets the cooling level based on the temperature estimated by the estimation unit so that the temperature of the battery upon arrival at the destination approaches the target temperature. Control device.

12. A control device according to claim 1 or 6, The cooling control unit stops cooling by the cooling device when the temperature of the battery, as measured by the temperature measuring unit, falls below the cooling stop temperature. Control device.

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