Battery Management Unit

Abstract

A battery management device manages the state of a battery (B) for traveling installed in a vehicle (A). The battery management device has a temperature adjustment unit (42), an environment information acquisition unit (10a), an input / output estimation unit (10b), a temperature specification unit (10c), and a temperature adjustment amount control unit (10d). The environment information acquisition unit acquires environment information including information pertaining to a travel route on which the vehicle will travel to a destination in the future. On the basis of the environment information acquired by the environment information acquisition unit, the input / output estimation unit estimates battery input / output required at a specified location established on the travel route when the vehicle travels on the travel route using battery power. The temperature specification unit specifies a necessary temperature of the battery needed to realize the battery input / output estimated by the input / output estimation unit. The temperature adjustment amount control unit controls the operation of the temperature adjustment unit so that the battery temperature will reach the necessary temperature of the battery specified by the temperature specification unit at the time the vehicle arrives at the specified location.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-167246 filed on October 12, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Technical field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a battery management device that manages a battery for driving a vehicle mounted on the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0003] Conventionally, the battery installed in a vehicle for driving is managed from various viewpoints in order to fully utilize the performance of the battery. For example, the battery management device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to adjust the temperature of the battery before charging at the charging facility based on future driving information to the charging facility. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-27797 Summary of the Invention

[0005] Here, since the input / output state of the battery for driving changes depending on the temperature of the battery, it is assumed that the temperature of the battery will affect the speed range of the driving speed in a vehicle that runs on the power of the battery for driving. For example, when the battery temperature is low, it is assumed that a sufficient driving speed cannot be ensured due to the output limit of the battery.

[0006] In addition, roads on which a vehicle travels include general roads and roads with different speed ranges, such as expressways. For this reason, the battery output state differs when traveling on general roads and when traveling on expressways, and at the very least, the required battery temperature also differs.

[0007] Considering these points, for example, when the battery temperature is low and the vehicle enters an expressway from a general road, it is conceivable that the battery output limitations will affect the vehicle and the vehicle will not be able to output the driving speed required on the expressway.

[0008] In consideration of the above points, the present disclosure relates to a battery management device that manages a driving battery installed in a vehicle, and aims to provide a battery management device that adjusts the temperature of the battery in accordance with future changes in the driving environment of the vehicle.

[0009] A battery management device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a battery management device that manages the state of a battery for driving mounted in a vehicle. The battery management device includes a temperature adjustment unit, an environmental information acquisition unit, an input / output estimation unit, a temperature determination unit, and a temperature adjustment amount control unit. An information transmission unit, a maximum speed identification unit, and a transmission control unit; has.

[0010] The temperature adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of the battery. The environmental information acquisition unit acquires environmental information including information regarding a future driving route along which the vehicle will travel toward the destination. The input / output estimation unit estimates the input / output of the battery required at a specific point determined for the driving route when traveling along the driving route using the battery's power, based on the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit. The temperature identification unit identifies the required temperature of the battery necessary to achieve the input / output of the battery estimated by the input / output estimation unit. The temperature adjustment control unit controls the operation of the temperature adjustment unit so that the temperature of the battery becomes the required temperature of the battery identified by the temperature identification unit when the specific point is reached. The information transmission unit transmits information to a vehicle occupant. The maximum speed identification unit identifies the maximum speed of the vehicle that can be output at the current time using the current battery temperature and the current battery charge rate. The transmission control unit controls the operation of the information transmission unit so as to transmit the maximum speed of the vehicle identified by the maximum speed identification unit to the occupant. The maximum speed identification unit then identifies a higher maximum speed of the vehicle the higher the current battery temperature is, and also identifies a higher maximum speed of the vehicle the higher the current battery charge rate is.

[0011] According to the battery management device, the temperature adjustment control unit controls the operation of the temperature adjustment unit so that the temperature of the battery becomes the required temperature of the battery specified by the temperature specification unit when the specific point is reached. This allows the battery management device to operate the temperature adjustment unit in advance before the specific point is reached so that input / output restrictions on the battery are not imposed, and the input / output performance of the battery can be sufficiently guaranteed when the vehicle travels after passing the specific point. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle to which a battery management device according to a first embodiment is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an energy manager according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a battery management program according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship among the battery temperature, the charging rate of the battery, and the discharge amount of the battery; [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship among the battery temperature, the charging rate, and the charge amount of the battery; [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a heating amount determination table in the first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an influence of the battery pre-heating control according to the first embodiment on a battery output upper limit; [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an effect of the battery pre-heating control according to the first embodiment on the battery temperature; [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a high heat generation time heating amount determination table in the second embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the load amount, the discharge amount, and the traveling speed of a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, the same reference numerals may be used to designate parts corresponding to matters described in the preceding embodiment, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a part of the configuration is described, other embodiments described previously may be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to combinations of parts that are specifically indicated as being possible in each embodiment, it is also possible to partially combine embodiments even if not indicated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0014] (First embodiment) First, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the first embodiment, a battery management device according to the present disclosure is realized as an energy manager 1 mounted on a vehicle A.

[0015] 1, vehicle A is a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) equipped with a battery B for driving, and driven by the power of battery B. Energy manager 1 has a general control unit 10, a battery manager 20, a motion manager 30, a heat manager 40, and an information notification unit 50, and manages the state of battery B.

[0016] Here, the energy manager 1 is realized by an in-vehicle computer including a processing unit, RAM, a storage unit, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The processing unit is hardware for arithmetic processing coupled with the RAM. The processing unit accesses the RAM to execute various processes for implementing the functions of each functional unit described below. The storage unit includes a non-volatile storage medium. The storage unit stores various programs (such as a battery management program) executed by the processing unit. The specific configuration of the energy manager 1 and each functional unit will be described in detail later.

[0017] In addition to the energy manager 1, the vehicle A is equipped with a communication module 60, a navigation device 70, a user input unit 80, a plurality of consumption domains DEc, power supply domains DEs, a charging system 21, and the like.

[0018] The communication module 60 is a data communication module mounted on the vehicle A. The communication module 60 transmits and receives radio waves to and from base stations around the vehicle A by wireless communication based on communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) and 5G. By mounting the communication module 60, the vehicle A becomes a connected car that can be connected to a network NW.

[0019] The communication module 60 can transmit and receive information between the cloud server 100, the station manager 90, etc., via the network NW. The cloud server 100 is an information distribution server installed on the cloud, and distributes, for example, weather information, road traffic information, etc.

[0020] The station manager 90 is a calculation system installed in the charging management center CTc. The station manager 90 is communicatively connected to a large number of charging stations CS installed in a specific area via a network NW. The station manager 90 keeps track of station information for each charging station CS. The station information includes the installation location of the charging station CS, availability information indicating whether the station is in use, and charging capacity information of the charger. The charging capacity information is, for example, whether quick charging is possible, the corresponding charging standard, and the maximum output of quick charging. The station information is an example of environmental information.

[0021] A charging station CS is an infrastructure facility that charges a battery B mounted on a vehicle A for driving, and corresponds to a charging facility. Each charging station CS charges the battery B using AC power supplied through a power grid or DC power supplied from a solar power generation system or the like. The charging stations CS are installed in, for example, parking lots of shopping malls, convenience stores, public facilities, and the like.

[0022] The navigation device 70 is an in-vehicle device that provides guidance on a driving route to a destination set by a user. The navigation device 70 provides guidance, such as going straight, turning right or left, and changing lanes at intersections, branching points, and merging points, by displaying on a screen and playing audio, etc. The navigation device 70 can provide the energy manager 1 with information, such as the distance to the destination, the vehicle speed in each driving section, and the elevation difference, as navigation information, and information, such as environmental information.

[0023] In addition, the driving route may include sections where the speed range differs depending on the driving section, such as general roads and expressways. Since the legal speed limit on expressways is higher than the legal speed limit on general roads, it is expected that the output of Battery B required for driving on expressways will be higher than when driving on general roads.

[0024] The driving route may include a driving section consisting of a plain area and a driving section consisting of a mountain area. The driving section in the mountain area may be composed of a driving section that climbs a slope with a certain gradient or more, and it is expected that the output of Battery B required when driving this uphill section will be greater than when driving on the plain area.

[0025] The user input unit 80 is an operation device that accepts input operations by a user who is an occupant of the vehicle A. To the user input unit 80, for example, a user operation to operate the navigation device 70, a user operation to switch between starting and stopping temperature adjustment control (described later), a user operation to change various setting values ​​related to the vehicle A, etc. are input. The user input unit 80 can provide the energy manager 1 with input information based on the user operations.

[0026] For example, a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, a switch and a dial installed on a center console or the like, a voice input device that detects the driver's speech, and the like are mounted on the vehicle A as the user input unit 80. Also, a touch panel or the like of the navigation device 70 may function as the user input unit 80. Furthermore, a user terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal may function as the user input unit 80 by being connected to the energy manager 1 by wire or wirelessly.

[0027] The consumption domain is a group of in-vehicle devices that realize various vehicle functions by using power from the battery B, etc. One consumption domain includes at least one domain manager, and is composed of a group of in-vehicle devices whose power consumption is managed by the domain manager. The multiple consumption domains include a driving control domain and a temperature control domain.

[0028] The driving control domain is a consumption domain that controls the driving of the vehicle A. The driving control domain includes the motor generator MG, the inverter INV, the steering control system SCS, the brake control system BCS, and the motion manager 30.

[0029] The motor generator MG is a drive source that generates a drive force for running the vehicle A. The inverter INV controls the power generation and regeneration by the motor generator MG. The steering control system SCS controls the steering of the vehicle A. The brake control system BCS controls the braking force generated in the vehicle A.

[0030] During power running by the motor generator MG, the inverter INV converts the DC power supplied from the battery B into three-phase AC power and supplies it to the motor generator MG. The inverter INV can adjust the frequency, current, and voltage of the AC power, and controls the driving force generated by the motor generator MG. On the other hand, during regeneration by the motor generator MG, the inverter INV converts the AC power into DC power and supplies it to the battery B.

[0031] The motion manager 30 comprehensively controls the inverter INV, the steering control system SCS, and the brake control system BCS to realize the driving of the vehicle A according to the driving operation of the driver. The motion manager 30 functions as a domain manager of the driving control domain, and comprehensively manages the power consumption by each of the motor generator MG, the inverter INV, the steering control system SCS, and the brake control system BCS.

[0032] The motion manager 30 also has a vehicle speed control unit 30a. The vehicle speed control unit 30a controls the traveling speed of the vehicle A by integrally controlling the inverter INV, the steering control system SCS, and the brake control system BCS.

[0033] The temperature adjustment control domain is a consumption domain that performs air conditioning of the passenger space of the vehicle A and temperature adjustment of the battery B. The temperature adjustment control domain includes an air conditioner 41, a temperature adjustment system 42, and a heat manager 40. Note that a plurality of air conditioners 41 may be installed for one vehicle A.

[0034] The air conditioner 41 is an electrically-driven vehicle air conditioner that uses power supplied from the battery B to heat, cool, ventilate, and the like, the passenger compartment. The air conditioner 41 includes a refrigeration cycle device, a blower fan, an electric heater, an interior air conditioning unit, and the like. The air conditioner 41 controls the compressor of the refrigeration cycle device, the electric heater, the interior air conditioning unit, and the like, and is capable of generating warm air and cold air. The air conditioner 41 supplies the generated warm air or cold air to the passenger compartment as conditioned air by operating the blower fan.

[0035] The temperature adjustment system 42 is a system that cools or heats the battery B. The temperature adjustment system 42 may cool or heat the motor generator MG, the inverter INV, and the like, in addition to the battery B. The temperature adjustment system 42 maintains the temperature of the electric driving system within a predetermined temperature range by circulating a heat medium that is heated or cooled by the air conditioner 41.

[0036] As an example, the temperature adjustment system 42 is composed of a heat medium circuit, an electric pump, a radiator, a chiller, a liquid temperature sensor, etc. The heat medium circuit is mainly composed of piping installed to circulate each component of the electric driving system such as the battery B, the motor generator MG, and the inverter INV. The electric pump circulates the heat medium filled in the piping of the heat medium circuit. The exhaust heat of the battery B transferred to the heat medium is released to the outside air by the radiator, or released to the refrigerant of the air conditioner 41 by the chiller. The liquid temperature sensor measures the temperature of the heat medium. Therefore, the temperature adjustment system 42 corresponds to an example of a temperature adjustment unit.

[0037] The heat manager 40 is an on-board computer that controls the operation of the air conditioner 41 and the temperature regulation system 42. The heat manager 40 compares the air conditioning set temperature in the passenger compartment with the temperature measured by a temperature sensor installed in the passenger compartment, and controls the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 41. The heat manager 40 also refers to the measurement results of the liquid temperature sensor, and controls the temperature regulation operation of the air conditioner 41 and the temperature regulation system 42.

[0038] That is, the thermal manager 40 functions as a domain manager of the thermal domain. The thermal manager 40 has a temperature adjustment control unit 40a, which comprehensively manages the power consumption by the air conditioner 41 and the temperature adjustment system 42.

[0039] The power supply domain is a group of in-vehicle devices that enable power supply to the consumption domain. The power supply domain includes at least one domain manager, similar to the consumption domain, and has a charging circuit, a battery B, and a battery manager 20.

[0040] The charging circuit, in cooperation with the battery manager 20, functions as a junction box that comprehensively controls the flow of power between each consumption domain and the battery B. The charging circuit supplies power from the battery B and charges the battery B.

[0041] Battery B is a secondary battery capable of charging and discharging power. Battery B is configured as a battery pack including a large number of battery cells. For example, nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and solid-state batteries can be used as the battery cells. The power stored in battery B can be used mainly for driving vehicle A and for air conditioning the passenger compartment.

[0042] The battery manager 20 is an in-vehicle computer that functions as a domain manager of the power supply domain. The battery manager 20 has a power management unit 20a and manages the power supplied from the charging circuit to each consumption domain. The battery manager 20 also notifies the overall control unit 10 of the energy manager 1 of the remaining capacity information of the battery B as environmental information.

[0043] The charging system 21 supplies power to the power supply domain to enable charging of the battery B. An external charger is electrically connected to the charging system 21 at a charging station CS. The charging system 21 outputs charging power supplied through a charging cable to a charging circuit.

[0044] When performing normal charging, charging system 21 converts AC power supplied from a normal charging charger into DC power and supplies it to the charging circuit. On the other hand, when performing quick charging, charging system 21 outputs DC power supplied from a quick charging charger to the charging circuit. Charging system 21 has a function of communicating with the quick charging charger, and controls the voltage supplied to the charging circuit in cooperation with the charger's control circuit.

[0045] 1, the energy manager 1 according to the first embodiment includes a general control unit 10, a battery manager 20, an exercise manager 30, a heat manager 40, and an information notification unit 50. As described above, the battery manager 20, the exercise manager 30, and the heat manager 40 are in-vehicle computers that each handle control related to a specific function (e.g., a vehicle's driving function or a temperature control function), and constitute a part of the energy manager 1.

[0046] The overall control unit 10 comprehensively manages the power consumption by each consumption domain using various information output from the battery manager 20, the motion manager 30, and the thermal manager 40. The overall control unit 10 is configured by an on-board computer and constitutes a part of the energy manager 1. The overall control unit 10 plays a major role in the control processing in the energy manager 1.

[0047] The information notification unit 50 is an in-vehicle computer that functions as a domain manager for notifying the user of the vehicle A of information specified using various information from the battery manager 20 and the like, and constitutes a part of the energy manager 1. The information notification unit 50 is connected to a consumption domain for notifying the user of the vehicle A of information. For example, a display and speaker of the navigation device 70, a display unit arranged on an instrument panel at the front end of the vehicle interior (i.e., an instrument panel) and the like are connected to the information notification unit 50.

[0048] Therefore, the information notification unit 50 can display information specified by the overall control unit 10 (for example, information related to a recommended driving speed, which will be described later) on a display or the like of the navigation device 70. Furthermore, the information notification unit 50 can output the information specified by the overall control unit 10 as audio from a speaker of the navigation device 70. The display, speaker, etc. of the navigation device 70 correspond to an example of an information transmission unit.

[0049] Incidentally, power supply to the energy manager 1, which is an on-board computer, continues even when the vehicle A is in a non-runnable state (for example, the ignition is off). Therefore, even during a standing period, the energy manager 1 can start up each functional unit and execute a predetermined process if control execution is required.

[0050] Here, in the overall control unit 10 of the energy manager 1, a control unit that controls various control target devices connected as a consumption domain and a power supply domain is integrally configured. As shown in Fig. 2, in the overall control unit 10, a configuration (hardware and software) that controls the operation of each control target device configures a control unit that controls the operation of each control target device.

[0051] For example, in the general control unit 10, a component that acquires environmental information including information on a future travel route along which the vehicle A will travel toward the destination corresponds to the environmental information acquisition unit 10a. The environmental information includes information that will affect the state of the battery B at the destination of the vehicle A. The destination may be a parking lot or waiting area where the vehicle A is left, or a charging station CS. The state of the battery B may be, for example, the remaining charge and temperature.

[0052] The environmental information includes information provided from outside the vehicle A, such as center information distributed from the station manager 90 and the cloud server 100. The center information includes information on whether the charger at the charging station CS can be used and charging capacity information. The environmental information also includes meteorological information and road traffic information. The meteorological information includes information indicating the outside temperature, the amount of solar radiation, the amount of radiant heat from the road surface, and the presence or absence of rainfall or snowfall on the driving route set in the navigation device 70.

[0053] Furthermore, the environmental information includes information that affects the state of the battery B and is generated inside the vehicle A. For example, information provided by the navigation device 70, the power supply domain, the power consumption domain, etc. corresponds to an example of the environmental information. The information provided by the navigation device 70 includes, in addition to the distance to the destination, the vehicle speed and the elevation difference in each section, information such as the number of traffic lights (number of stops), the legal speed limit, the slope of the road, etc.

[0054] Among the environmental information, the information provided by the power supply domain includes status information indicating the state of the power supply domain. The status information includes remaining capacity information and temperature information of the battery B. The remaining capacity information includes, for example, a value of the states of charge.

[0055] The information provided by the motion manager 30 also includes, for example, information indicating the driver's driving tendencies, and more specifically, includes at least information indicating the driver's accelerator opening and brake pressure tendencies.

[0056] Information provided by the user input unit 80 may be acquired as the environmental information. In this case, the information may be information input to the user input unit 80 by a user in the vehicle A, or information input to a user terminal functioning as the user input unit 80 by a user outside the vehicle A. Furthermore, the information may be information input in real time by the user in response to an inquiry from the system side such as the energy manager 1, or information indicating setting values ​​recorded by the user's past operations.

[0057] Among the environmental information, the information provided by the consumption domain may include status information indicating the state of each consumption domain. For example, the status information may include air conditioning information indicating the set temperature of the air conditioning in the living space (hereinafter, "air conditioning request information") and the current temperature, temperature information of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit, and information indicating the state (e.g., current temperature, etc.) of the motor generator MG and the inverter INV, etc.

[0058] The environmental information is not limited to information including current measured values, but may include information including future estimated values. Specifically, a future usage schedule can be set for vehicle A. The usage schedule may include a driving schedule after vehicle A is left unattended, a driving schedule under high load, a charging schedule, a driving schedule after battery B is left unattended in a high temperature state, and a driving schedule after being left unattended in a low temperature state.

[0059] In the overall control unit 10, the configuration that estimates the input / output of battery B required at a specific point defined on the driving route when traveling along the driving route using the power of battery B based on the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 10a corresponds to the input / output estimation unit 10b.

[0060] When estimating the output of battery B, the input / output estimation unit 10b estimates a predicted vehicle speed required at a specific point using information on the travel route from the navigation device 70, center information from the station manager 90, road traffic information from the cloud server 100, etc. Then, the input / output estimation unit 10b derives the output of battery B required at the specific point (hereinafter referred to as a predicted discharge amount) using the predicted vehicle speed required at the specific point. Then, when estimating the input of battery B, the input / output estimation unit 10b derives the input of battery B required at the specific point (hereinafter referred to as a predicted charge amount) as regenerative energy or a charge amount using the predicted vehicle speed required at the specific point.

[0061] Furthermore, within the overall control unit 10, the configuration for identifying the required battery temperature of battery B required to realize the input / output (estimated discharge amount or estimated charge amount) of battery B estimated by the input / output estimation unit 10b corresponds to the temperature identification unit 10c. Specifically, the temperature identification unit 10c identifies the required battery temperature of battery B required to realize the estimated discharge amount or estimated charge amount, using the estimated discharge amount or estimated charge amount estimated by the input / output estimation unit 10b and an estimated value of the charging rate of battery B upon arrival at the specific location. The required battery temperature is an example of the required temperature.

[0062] The temperature adjustment amount control unit 10d is a component of the overall control unit 10 that controls the operation of the temperature adjustment system 42 so that the battery temperature of battery B becomes the required battery temperature of battery B identified by the temperature identification unit 10c when vehicle A reaches a specific location. The temperature adjustment amount control unit 10d determines the amount of temperature adjustment (i.e., the amount of heating) by the temperature adjustment system 42 according to the difference between a target battery temperature TbO defined as the required battery temperature and the current battery temperature Tb.

[0063] In addition, the configuration of the central control unit 10 that uses the current temperature of battery B and the current charging rate of battery B to identify the maximum speed that can be outputted by vehicle A at the current time corresponds to the maximum speed identification unit 10e.

[0064] Furthermore, within the overall control unit 10, the configuration that controls the operation of the navigation device 70, etc. via the information notification unit 50 so as to transmit the maximum speed of vehicle A identified by the maximum speed identification unit 10e to the occupants of vehicle A corresponds to the transmission control unit 10f.

[0065] Next, the processing contents of the battery management program according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 6. The battery management program according to the first embodiment is executed to enable output of battery B required at a specific point when vehicle A is traveling while adjusting the temperature of battery B by temperature adjustment system 42.

[0066] As described above, the battery management program according to the first embodiment is stored in the storage unit of the energy manager 1, and is read and executed by the general control unit 10 constituting the processing unit. In the following description, it is assumed that a destination for the travel of the vehicle A has been set, and that a travel route from the current location to the destination has been determined by the navigation device 70.

[0067] A plurality of specific points are set on the travel route set by the navigation device 70, and the travel route is divided into travel sections by the specific points. The plurality of specific points include a point where the travel load in the travel section is greater than that in the previous travel section. Examples of such specific points include an entrance to a highway when going from a general road to a highway, and an entrance to an uphill road when going from a plain area to a mountain area.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step S1, the vehicle speed when traveling along a route from the current location to the destination and the battery output that can be output at any location are estimated using environmental information acquired from the navigation device 70, the cloud server 100, etc.

[0069] For example, the travel speed at any point on the travel route can be estimated by referring to information such as the legal speed limit for the travel section up to the arbitrary position, and road traffic information up to the arbitrary position, as environmental information. Also, the output of battery B that can be output at any position can be estimated by referring to the current status information of battery B, battery temperature Tb, road traffic information for the arbitrary position, weather information, etc., as environmental information. After estimating the travel speed, battery output, etc. on the travel route from the current location to the destination using the environmental information, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0070] In step S2, the arrival time at a specific point set on the travel route is set as a specific time for executing the battery management program. As described above, the specific point includes a point where the travel load in the travel section is greater than that of the previous travel section. Therefore, the specific time includes a time when the travel load in the next travel section is greater than that of the previous travel section (for example, the time of arrival at the entrance to a highway).

[0071] In step S3, the charging rate of battery B at a specific time is estimated. The charging rate of battery B at a specific time can be estimated by referring to the status information of battery B at the current time, the traveling speed up to the specific time, the traveling load estimated from road traffic information, etc.

[0072] In step S4, a required battery temperature at a specific time is estimated using the charging rate of battery B at the specific time estimated in step S2 and the estimated values ​​of the input / output (discharge amount or charge amount) of battery B at the specific time. Here, the required battery temperature refers to the lower limit value of battery temperature Tb required to realize the input / output of battery B required at the specific time.

[0073] It is known that there is a relationship shown in Fig. 4 between the battery temperature, the output (discharge amount) of battery B, and the charging rate of battery B. Line La in Fig. 4 shows the relationship between the output of battery B and battery temperature Tb when the charging rate of battery B is 100%, and line Lb shows the relationship between the output of battery B and battery temperature Tb when the charging rate of battery B is 50%. Line Lc shows the relationship between the output of battery B and battery temperature Tb when the charging rate of battery B is 20%, and line Ld shows the relationship between the output of battery B and battery temperature Tb when the charging rate of battery B is 10%.

[0074] As shown by lines La to Ld in Fig. 4, the higher the battery temperature Tb, the greater the output of battery B, and therefore the instantaneous required output of battery B can be realized. Therefore, in step S4, the required battery temperature at a specific time is specified using the relationship among battery temperature Tb, output of battery B, and charging rate of battery B shown in Fig. 4.

[0075] It is known that there is a relationship shown in Fig. 5 between the battery temperature, the input (charge amount) of battery B, and the charging rate of battery B. Line Ls in Fig. 5 shows the relationship between the input of battery B and the battery temperature Tb when the charging rate of battery B is 100%, line Lt shows the relationship between the input of battery B and the battery temperature Tb when the charging rate of battery B is 80%, and line Lu shows the relationship between the input of battery B and the battery temperature Tb when the charging rate of battery B is 10%.

[0076] As shown by lines Ls to Lu in Fig. 5, the higher the battery temperature Tb, the greater the input of battery B, so that the requested input of battery B can be realized instantly. Therefore, in step S4, the required battery temperature at a specific time is specified using the relationship among battery temperature Tb, input of battery B, and charging rate of battery B shown in Fig. 5.

[0077] In step S5, it is determined whether or not the current battery temperature Tb is lower than the required battery temperature estimated in step S4. That is, in step S5, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to heat Battery B in order to realize the output of Battery B at the specific point.

[0078] If the battery temperature Tb is lower than the required battery temperature, the process proceeds to step S6 because the battery temperature Tb needs to be raised to the required battery temperature by a specific time. On the other hand, if the battery temperature Tb is equal to or higher than the required battery temperature, it is determined that there is no need to heat the battery B, and the process proceeds to step S7.

[0079] In step S6, the amount of battery heating until the specific time is calculated in order to make the battery temperature Tb equal to or higher than the required battery temperature when the vehicle arrives at the specific location. The amount of battery heating corresponds to an example of a temperature adjustment amount. The amount of battery heating until the specific time is determined by referring to a heating amount determination table stored in the storage unit and the difference between the battery temperature Tb and the required battery temperature.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 6, the heating amount determination table according to the first embodiment is configured so that the greater the difference between the required battery temperature and the battery temperature Tb, the greater the amount of battery heating. In the heating amount determination table, a hysteresis width is set to prevent control hunting. After calculating the amount of battery heating up to a specific time based on the difference between the battery temperature Tb and the required battery temperature and the heating amount determination table shown in Fig. 6, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0081] In step S7, it is determined whether the specific time is the arrival time at the destination. That is, in step S7, it is determined whether the destination is set as the specific point. If the specific time is the arrival time at the destination, the calculation of the amount of battery heating for the travel route from the current location to the destination is completed, so the process proceeds to step S8. On the other hand, if the specific time is not the arrival time at the destination, the process proceeds to step S9.

[0082] In step S8, the current amount of battery heating is determined using the process results of steps S2 to S7. As described above, since the amount of battery heating on the travel route from the current location to the destination can be specified in steps S2 to S7, the current amount of battery heating can be determined from these process results. As a result, battery B is heated according to the travel load on the travel route from the current location to the destination, so that the output of battery B required at a specific point can be reliably achieved.

[0083] On the other hand, if the specific time is not the arrival time at the destination, since there is a specific point on the travel route that has not yet been processed, the calculation target for the amount of heat in the battery is updated to the next specific point. After updating to the next specific point, the process returns to step S2. As a result, the arrival time for the updated specific point is set as the new specific time.

[0084] In step S10, the maximum speed at which the vehicle can currently be output is notified. The maximum speed at which the vehicle can currently be output is determined by referring to the characteristic diagram shown in Fig. 4 using the current battery temperature Tb and the current charging rate of battery B. The maximum speed at which the vehicle can currently be output may also be determined based on the current battery temperature Tb.

[0085] Then, the energy manager 1 notifies the user of the maximum speed that can currently be output via the information notification unit 50. Various methods such as image output and audio output can be adopted as a method of notifying the user. For example, the information may be displayed on the display of the navigation device 70, or information regarding the target value of the traveling speed may be output as audio via an audio system mounted on the vehicle A.

[0086] This allows the user of vehicle A to know the maximum speed that can currently be output, and therefore allows the user to drive vehicle A within the range of output that battery B can provide.

[0087] Next, the effect of the battery management program according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 will be described with an example in which an entrance to a highway is set as a specific point, and the vehicle travels from a general road via the entrance to the highway on the highway.

[0088] Fig. 7 shows the effect of the pre-heating control of battery B by the battery management program on the battery output upper limit. The battery output upper limit Oa in Fig. 7 shows the output upper limit of battery B when the pre-heating control of battery B is performed, and the battery output upper limit Oc shows the output upper limit of battery B when the pre-heating control of battery B is not performed.

[0089] The first battery output upper limit OLa is a predetermined amount of output of battery B, and means the output of battery B required when vehicle A travels at a traveling speed Va (e.g., 120 km / h). The second battery output upper limit OLb means a value smaller than the first battery output upper limit OLa, and means the output of battery B required when vehicle A travels at a traveling speed Vb (e.g., 50 km / h).

[0090] Fig. 8 shows the effect of the pre-heating control of battery B by the battery management program on the battery temperature Tb. Battery temperature Tba in Fig. 8 shows the battery temperature Tb when the pre-heating control of battery B is performed. Battery temperature Tbc shows the battery temperature Tb when the pre-heating control of battery B is not performed.

[0091] First, the changes in the battery output upper limit and the battery temperature Tb when the pre-heating control of the battery B is not performed will be described. When the vehicle A starts and starts traveling from the departure point to the destination along the travel route, the vehicle A heads toward the entrance of the expressway, which is a specific point. At this time, the battery B generates heat by itself due to the output generated by the vehicle A traveling.

[0092] For this reason, there is no significant change in the battery temperature Tbc when heading toward the specific point, as shown by the battery temperature Tbc in Fig. 8. Furthermore, since the vehicle A travels on an ordinary road until the specific point, the battery output upper limit Oc changes to a value equivalent to the first battery output upper limit OLa, as shown by the battery output upper limit Oc in Fig. 7.

[0093] When vehicle A arrives at the specific point, the entrance to a highway, without performing pre-heating control of battery B, it will start traveling on the highway, and so it is necessary to obtain output from battery B so as to achieve a speed range suitable for the highway. However, since the battery temperature Tbc remains low when vehicle A arrives at the specific point, it is only possible to obtain output equivalent to that of battery B when traveling on an ordinary road.

[0094] Therefore, after passing a specific point, the battery output upper limit Oc is gradually brought closer to the second battery output upper limit OLb by increasing the battery temperature Tbc. Therefore, without battery heating control, the output of battery B is insufficient near the entrance to the expressway, making it difficult to provide a comfortable driving experience for vehicle A.

[0095] Next, the changes in the battery output upper limit and the battery temperature Tb when the pre-heating control of the battery B is performed will be described. When the vehicle A starts, the battery management program shown in Fig. 3 is executed, and the time of arrival at the entrance of the expressway, which is a specific point, and the battery output (second battery output upper limit OLb) required at the entrance of the expressway are estimated. Then, based on the second battery output upper limit OLb required at the entrance of the expressway, the battery temperature Tb required for the output at the time of arrival at the entrance of the expressway is determined as the target battery temperature TbO corresponding to the time of arrival. Also, the amount of battery heating until the entrance of the expressway is reached is determined using the target battery temperature TbO and the current battery temperature Tb.

[0096] When the vehicle A starts traveling from the departure point toward the specific point, the operation of the temperature adjustment system 42 is controlled according to the determined battery heating amount. As a result, as the vehicle A travels toward the entrance to the expressway, the battery temperature Tba gradually rises toward the target battery temperature TbO. In response to the rise in the battery temperature Tba, the battery output upper limit Oa also rises toward the second battery output upper limit OLb.

[0097] As shown in Fig. 8, when vehicle A arrives at the entrance to the expressway, battery temperature Tba reaches target battery temperature TbO. As a result, battery output upper limit Oa at the time of arriving at the entrance to the expressway becomes equal to or greater than second battery output upper limit OLb, so that output of battery B suitable for driving on the expressway can be ensured. In other words, by performing pre-heating control of battery B, it is possible to enable output of battery B corresponding to changes in driving load, and comfortable driving of the host vehicle can be realized.

[0098] As described above, according to the energy manager 1 as the battery management device of the first embodiment, the battery management program controls the operation of the temperature adjustment system 42 so that the battery temperature Tb becomes the required battery temperature when the specific point is reached. As a result, the energy manager 1 can activate the operation of the temperature adjustment system 42 in advance before the specific point is reached so that the input / output restriction of the battery B is not imposed, and the input / output performance of the battery B can be sufficiently guaranteed when the vehicle A travels after passing the specific point.

[0099] In step S4, the required battery temperature at the specific time is determined using the predicted input / output of battery B at the time of arrival at the specific location, or the predicted input / output and predicted charging rate of battery B at the time of arrival at the specific location. This ensures that the conditions of vehicle A and battery B at the time of arrival at the specific location are reflected in the required battery temperature, and more accurate pre-heating control of battery B can be performed.

[0100] Then, in step S5, if there is a difference between the current battery temperature Tb and the required battery temperature, the temperature adjustment system 42 executes pre-heating control of the battery B. Since the required battery temperature is a battery temperature for achieving a required battery output at a specific point, the energy manager 1 can accurately determine the necessity of pre-heating control.

[0101] Moreover, in step S6, the battery heating amount for warming battery B by the temperature adjustment system 42 is set to be larger as the difference between the battery temperature Tb and the required battery temperature increases. This allows the current state of battery B and the state of battery B estimated at the time of arrival at the specific location to be reflected, so that the energy manager 1 can realize the output of battery B required at the specific location by pre-heating control.

[0102] Then, when the required battery temperature is specified in step S4, the higher the predicted output of Battery B at the time of arrival at the specific location, the higher the required battery temperature is specified. Since the required battery temperature is determined in consideration of the correspondence relationship between the battery temperature and the upper limit of the battery output, the output of Battery B required at the specific location can be reliably realized.

[0103] Furthermore, in step S4, when determining the required battery temperature for output from battery B, the lower the predicted charging rate of battery B at the time of arrival at the specific location, the higher the required battery temperature is determined. By taking into consideration that the lower the charging rate of battery B, the more efficient the output from battery B needs to be, the energy manager 1 can reliably achieve the output of battery B required at the specific location.

[0104] Furthermore, when specifying the required battery temperature at the time of input to battery B, the lower the expected charging rate of battery B at the time of arrival at the specific location, the lower the required battery temperature is specified. By taking into consideration that the lower the charging rate of battery B, the more efficiently input (e.g., charging) needs to be performed for battery B, the energy manager 1 can reliably realize the input to battery B required at the specific location.

[0105] Then, in step S10, the currently available maximum speed is notified to the user of vehicle A via the navigation device 70 or the like. This allows the user of vehicle A to know the currently available maximum speed, and therefore allows the user to drive vehicle A within the range of the output available from battery B.

[0106] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment different from the above-mentioned embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. In the second embodiment, the processing content related to the calculation of the amount of heat of the battery in step S6 is different from the above-mentioned embodiment. Other basic configurations are the same as the above-mentioned embodiment, so repeated description will be omitted.

[0107] In step S6 of the battery management program according to the second embodiment, the amount of heating of the battery is determined using the heating amount determination table shown in FIG. 9 in addition to the heating amount determination table shown in FIG.

[0108] As shown in Fig. 9, in the heating amount determination table during high heat generation, the difference between the target battery temperature (required battery temperature) and the battery temperature Tb when the amount of battery heating changes is set to be larger than in the heating amount determination table shown in Fig. 4. This difference between the target battery temperature and the battery temperature is based on the difference in the amount of self-heating of battery B. In other words, the heating amount determination table during high heat generation is applied when the amount of self-heating of battery B is larger than in the heating amount determination table shown in Fig. 4. The amount of self-heating of battery B is an expected value, and thus corresponds to an example of an expected amount of heat generation.

[0109] In step S6 according to the second embodiment, the self-heating amount of battery B is estimated, and either the heating amount determination table or the high heat generation heating amount determination table is selected according to the estimation result. Then, the battery heating amount is determined by referring to the selected table and the difference between the battery temperature Tb and the required battery temperature. The subsequent processing is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0110] Thus, in step S6 according to the second embodiment, the battery heating amount is determined according to the amount of self-heating of battery B. Specifically, the battery heating amount is set to be smaller as the time-integrated amount of the amount of self-heating of battery B until the battery B arrives at the specific location increases. As a result, the amount of self-heating of battery B can be reflected in the determination of the battery heating amount, and therefore the energy efficiency of the pre-heating process of battery B can be improved.

[0111] As described above, according to the energy manager 1 of the second embodiment, the larger the time-integrated amount of the self-heating amount of the battery B is, the smaller the battery heating amount can be set, so that pre-heating control of the battery B can be performed taking into consideration the self-heating amount of the battery B. In this way, the energy manager 1 can achieve energy saving in the pre-heating control of the battery B.

[0112] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made as follows without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0113] In step S1 of the above-described embodiment, when estimating the input / output of Battery B, a configuration may be adopted in which the load weight on Vehicle A is taken into consideration. Even if the traveling speed of Vehicle A is the same, if the load weight on Vehicle A is heavy, the traveling load on Battery B becomes large, and the input / output of Battery B also becomes large.

[0114] For example, the output (discharge amount) of battery B may be estimated using the control characteristics diagram shown in Fig. 10. Line Da in Fig. 10 shows the output of battery B and the traveling speed of vehicle A when the load weight on vehicle A is small (for example, when only one driver is on board). Line Db in Fig. 10 shows the output of battery B and the traveling speed of vehicle A when the load weight on the vehicle is heavier than that in the case of line Da (for example, when four passengers are on board vehicle A). Note that when estimating the input of battery B, a control characteristics diagram showing the relationship between the input (charge amount) of battery B and the load weight on vehicle A can be used in a similar manner.

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the pre-heating control of battery B is started so that the battery temperature becomes the target battery temperature TbO at the specific point from the start, but the present invention is not limited to this. The pre-heating control of battery B can be performed in various modes as long as the battery B cell is heated so that the battery temperature becomes the target battery temperature TbO before the vehicle arrives at the specific point (e.g., the entrance to a highway). In other words, the timing to start the pre-heating control and the length of the period during which the pre-heating control is performed can be set appropriately, and the pre-heating control may be started at any timing before the vehicle arrives at the specific point, or may be performed in a short period immediately before the vehicle arrives at the specific point.

[0116] In the above-described embodiment, the energy manager 1 is applied as a battery management device, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the battery management program is executed in the energy manager 1, which is an in-vehicle computer, so the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure can be regarded as a battery management program. In addition, the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure can be regarded as a battery management method.

[0117] In the above-described embodiment, the temperature adjustment system 42 is used as an example of the temperature adjustment unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. As the temperature adjustment unit, various aspects can be used as long as the temperature adjustment unit is a device or system capable of adjusting the temperature of the battery B.

[0118] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiment, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, and other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery management device that manages the state of a battery (B) for driving a vehicle (A), A temperature adjustment unit (42) that adjusts the temperature of the battery; an environmental information acquisition unit (10a) for acquiring environmental information including information on a future travel route along which the vehicle will travel toward a destination; an input / output estimation unit (10b) that estimates input / output of the battery required at a specific point determined for the travel route when the vehicle travels along the travel route using power from the battery based on the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit; a temperature specification unit (10c) that specifies a required temperature of the battery required to realize the input / output of the battery estimated by the input / output estimation unit; a temperature adjustment control unit (10d) that controls the operation of the temperature adjustment unit so that the temperature of the battery becomes the required temperature of the battery specified by the temperature specification unit at the time of arriving at the specific location; An information transmission unit (70) that transmits information to an occupant of the vehicle; a maximum speed specification unit (10e) that specifies a maximum speed that can be currently output of the vehicle using a current temperature of the battery and a current charging rate of the battery; a transmission control unit (10f) that controls the operation of the information transmission unit so as to transmit the maximum speed of the vehicle identified by the maximum speed identification unit to the occupant, The maximum speed specifying unit specifies a higher maximum speed of the vehicle as the current temperature of the battery is higher, and specifies a higher maximum speed of the vehicle as the current charging rate of the battery is higher.

2. The battery management device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature determination unit determines the temperature using an expected input / output of the battery at the time of arrival at the specific location, or an expected input / output and an expected charging rate of the battery at the time of arrival at the specific location.

3. The battery management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature adjustment control unit heats the battery using the temperature adjustment unit when there is a difference between the current temperature of the battery and the required temperature of the battery identified by the temperature identification unit.

4. A battery management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature adjustment control unit sets a larger amount of temperature adjustment when heating the battery by the temperature adjustment unit, the larger the difference between the current temperature of the battery and the required temperature of the battery identified by the temperature identification unit.

5. A battery management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature adjustment control unit sets a smaller amount of temperature adjustment when heating the battery by the temperature adjustment unit, the greater the predicted amount of heat generated by the battery until arriving at the specific location.

6. 6. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature specifying unit specifies the required temperature of the battery to be higher as the predicted output of the battery at the time of arrival at the specific location is higher.

7. 7. The battery management device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature specifying unit specifies the required temperature of the battery to be higher as the predicted charging rate of the battery at the time of arrival at the specific location is lower.

Images