HYBRID VEHICLE MANAGEMENT DEVICE, HYBRID VEHICLE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND HYBRID VEHICLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Abstract

To provide a management device of a hybrid vehicle, a management method of the hybrid vehicle and a management system of the hybrid vehicle capable of suppressing an obstacle to traveling of the hybrid vehicle to be subjected to external charging (external discharging).SOLUTION: A server 200 (management device) of hybrid vehicles 10a, 10b comprises a communication device (communication unit), and a controller (control unit). The communication device acquires vehicle information including information about presence / absence of an engine (internal combustion), information about whether or not external charging is possible, and information about the amount of residual fuel, of each of the plurality of vehicles 10, by communicating with the plurality of vehicles 10. The controller preferentially selects the hybrid vehicle 10a with more amount of residual fuel from the hybrid vehicle 10a and the hybrid vehicle 10b, as the vehicle which request the external charging, on the basis of the vehicle information of each of the hybrid vehicle 10a and the hybrid vehicle 10b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device for a hybrid vehicle, a management method for a hybrid vehicle, and a management system for a hybrid vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, JP 2018-099920 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a cloud server (management device) that acquires vehicle information of a vehicle configured to be capable of performing external charging. The cloud server uses vehicle information of other vehicles having the same destination as the target vehicle from among the acquired vehicle information to determine whether the target vehicle can be externally charged at the destination. The vehicle information includes vehicle type information indicating whether the vehicle is a vehicle without an internal combustion engine or a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. The cloud server uses the vehicle type information to determine whether the vehicle can be externally charged at the destination. This makes it possible to preferentially allow vehicles without an internal combustion engine, which have a high priority for external charging, to be externally charged at the destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-099920 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above Patent Document 1, while the priority of external charging is determined based on the presence or absence of an internal combustion engine as described above, the case where each of the multiple vehicles has an internal combustion engine is not taken into consideration. For this reason, when each of the multiple vehicles has an internal combustion engine, it may not be possible to select an appropriate vehicle as a target for external charging. In this case, the vehicle selected as a target for external charging may run out of power or fuel, which may cause problems in the running of the selected vehicle. Therefore, there is a demand for an apparatus (system) that can suppress problems in the running of a vehicle that is a target for external charging (and external discharging).

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and a purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a hybrid vehicle management device, a hybrid vehicle management method, and a hybrid vehicle management system that are capable of suppressing interference with the driving of hybrid vehicles that are the subject of external charging (external discharging) even when each of the multiple vehicles has an internal combustion engine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A hybrid vehicle management device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a management device for managing a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine capable of generating electricity, a traction motor, and a power storage unit that supplies power to the traction motor, and is configured to enable at least one of external charging, in which power from a power grid is charged into the power storage unit, and external discharging, in which power from the power storage unit is supplied to the power grid. The management device includes a communication unit that communicates with a plurality of vehicles to acquire vehicle information for each of the plurality of vehicles, the vehicle information including information on whether or not an internal combustion engine is present, information on whether at least one of external charging and external discharging is possible, and information on remaining fuel, and a control unit that selects a hybrid vehicle to request at least one of external charging and external discharging based on the vehicle information acquired by the communication unit. The plurality of vehicles include a first hybrid vehicle that is a hybrid vehicle and a second hybrid vehicle that is also a hybrid vehicle, and the control unit is configured to preferentially select the first hybrid vehicle having the largest remaining fuel amount from the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle, based on the vehicle information for each of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle.

[0007] In the management device for a hybrid vehicle according to the first aspect, as described above, the control unit preferentially selects the first hybrid vehicle having a large amount of remaining fuel among the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle as a hybrid vehicle to be requested to perform at least one of external charging and external discharging based on the vehicle information of each of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle. Here, since the first hybrid vehicle has a relatively large amount of remaining fuel, it can travel a relatively long distance using fuel even if its own SOC is significantly reduced due to traveling (or external discharging) before external charging. In addition, since the first hybrid vehicle has a relatively large amount of remaining fuel, it can generate a relatively large amount of power using fuel. As a result, it is possible to prevent the first hybrid vehicle from running out of power when the SOC of the first hybrid vehicle is significantly reduced due to traveling (or external discharging) before external charging. Therefore, by preferentially selecting the first hybrid vehicle having a large amount of remaining fuel as a hybrid vehicle to be requested to perform external charging (external discharging), it is possible to prevent interference with the traveling of the hybrid vehicle requested to perform external charging (external discharging).

[0008] In the hybrid vehicle management device according to the first aspect, preferably, when a predicted increase in power demand in the power grid due to external charging of the first hybrid vehicle is smaller than a target amount of the management device, the control unit performs control to request external charging of the second hybrid vehicle as well. With this configuration, when the target amount of the control device cannot be reached by external charging of the first hybrid vehicle alone, the predicted increase in power demand can be easily increased by external charging of the second hybrid vehicle.

[0009] A hybrid vehicle management method according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is a hybrid vehicle management method for managing a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine capable of generating electricity, a traction motor, and a power storage unit that supplies power to the traction motor, and is configured to enable at least one of external charging, in which power from a power grid is charged into the power storage unit, and external discharging, in which power from the power storage unit is supplied to the power grid, the method including the steps of: acquiring vehicle information for each of a first hybrid vehicle and a second hybrid vehicle, the vehicle information including information on whether or not the first hybrid vehicle has an internal combustion engine, information on whether at least one of external charging and external discharging is possible, and information on remaining fuel, by communicating with each of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle; and selecting, based on the vehicle information of the first hybrid vehicle and the vehicle information of the second hybrid vehicle, the first hybrid vehicle having the largest remaining fuel amount as the hybrid vehicle to be preferentially requested to perform at least one of external charging and external discharging.

[0010] In the hybrid vehicle management method according to the second aspect, as described above, based on the vehicle information of each of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle, the first hybrid vehicle having a larger remaining fuel amount is preferentially selected as the hybrid vehicle to be requested to perform at least one of external charging and external discharging. Here, as described above, the first hybrid vehicle having a relatively large remaining fuel amount can travel a relatively long distance using fuel, and is less likely to run out of power because it generates a relatively large amount of power from the fuel. Therefore, by preferentially selecting the first hybrid vehicle having a large remaining fuel amount as the hybrid vehicle to be requested to perform external charging (external discharging), it is possible to provide a hybrid vehicle management method that can suppress interference with the traveling of the hybrid vehicle requested to perform external charging (external discharging).

[0011] A management system for a hybrid vehicle according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine capable of generating electricity, a traction motor, and a power storage unit that supplies power to the traction motor, and is configured to enable at least one of external charging, in which power from a power grid is charged into the power storage unit, and external discharging, in which power from the power storage unit is supplied to the power grid; and a management device including a communication unit that communicates with a plurality of vehicles to acquire vehicle information for each of the plurality of vehicles, the vehicle information including information on whether or not an internal combustion engine is present, information on whether at least one of external charging and external discharging is possible, and information on a remaining fuel amount, and a control unit that selects a hybrid vehicle for which at least one of external charging and external discharging is requested based on the vehicle information acquired by the communication unit, wherein the plurality of vehicles include a first hybrid vehicle and a second hybrid vehicle that is also a hybrid vehicle, and the control unit of the management device is configured to preferentially select, between the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle, the first hybrid vehicle having a larger remaining fuel amount, based on the vehicle information for each of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle, and the hybrid vehicle that accepts the request for external charging performs control to reduce its own SOC.

[0012] In the hybrid vehicle management system according to the third aspect, as described above, the control unit of the management device preferentially selects the first hybrid vehicle having a larger remaining fuel amount out of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle as the hybrid vehicle to be requested to perform at least one of external charging and external discharging based on the vehicle information of each of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle. Here, as described above, the first hybrid vehicle having a relatively large remaining fuel amount can travel a relatively long distance using fuel, and is less likely to run out of power because it generates a relatively large amount of power from the fuel. Therefore, by preferentially selecting the first hybrid vehicle having a large remaining fuel amount as the hybrid vehicle to be requested to perform external charging, it is possible to provide a hybrid vehicle management system that can suppress interference with the traveling of the hybrid vehicle requested to perform external charging (external discharging).

[0013] In addition, in the management system for a hybrid vehicle according to the third aspect, as described above, the hybrid vehicle that accepts the request for external charging controls to reduce its own SOC. This reduces the SOC of the hybrid vehicle that accepts the request for external charging, and increases the amount of external charging of the hybrid vehicle. As a result, the amount of power demand in the power grid can be increased.

[0014] In the management system for a hybrid vehicle according to the third aspect, the hybrid vehicle that has accepted a request for external charging is preferably configured to adjust the amount of reduction in its own SOC according to the amount of charging requested from the power grid. With this configuration, the amount of external charging from the power grid can be adjusted according to the amount of charging requested. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress interference with the running of a hybrid vehicle that is the subject of external charging (external discharging). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a power system according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the power system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the power demand in a power system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a torque requirement of a hybrid vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a sequence diagram of the power system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a power system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of a power system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference characters and their description will not be repeated. [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the power system 1 includes a power grid PG, a plurality of vehicles 10, an aggregator server 200 (hereinafter simply referred to as "server 200"), a power transmission and distribution company server 300 (hereinafter simply referred to as "server 300"), and a power receiving and transforming facility 501. The aggregator is an electric utility that provides an energy management service by bundling a plurality of power adjustment resources in an area 500. The power system 1 and the server 200 correspond to examples of a "management system" and a "management device" according to the present disclosure, respectively.

[0018] The power system PG is a power grid constructed by power plants and power transmission and distribution facilities (not shown). In this embodiment, an electric power company serves as both a power generation business operator and a power transmission and distribution business operator. The electric power company corresponds to a general power transmission and distribution business operator, and maintains and manages the power system PG. The electric power company corresponds to an administrator of the power system PG. Server 300 is a computer that manages the supply and demand of the power system PG (power network), and belongs to the electric power company. The power system PG corresponds to an example of a "power network" according to the present disclosure.

[0019] The aggregator manages a plurality of vehicles 10. The server 200 is a computer that manages the plurality of vehicles 10 and belongs to the aggregator. The plurality of vehicles 10 include a hybrid vehicle 10a and a hybrid vehicle 10b. Each of the hybrid vehicle 10a and the hybrid vehicle 10b includes an engine 11 capable of generating electricity, a traction motor 12, and a battery 13 that supplies power to the traction motor 12. The engine 11 and the traction motor 12 are examples of an "internal combustion engine" and a "traffic motor," respectively, in the present disclosure. The battery 13 is an example of an "electricity storage unit" in the present disclosure. The hybrid vehicle 10a and the hybrid vehicle 10b are examples of a "first hybrid vehicle" and a "second hybrid vehicle," respectively, in the present disclosure.

[0020] Each of the hybrid vehicles 10a and 10b is configured to be capable of external charging, in which the battery 13 is charged with electric power from the power system PG. External charging refers to charging the battery 13 of the vehicle 10 by receiving electric power from outside the vehicle 10. Specifically, each of the hybrid vehicles 10a and 10b is a so-called PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle). The multiple vehicles 10 also include vehicles other than PHVs (not shown) (for example, EVs (Electric Vehicles) and the like). The multiple vehicles 10 may also include at least one of a vehicle owned by an individual (POV) and a vehicle managed by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) operator (MaaS vehicle). In this embodiment, the hybrid vehicles 10a and 10b are assumed to have the same configuration.

[0021] The area 500 constructs a microgrid MG using a plurality of power regulation resources. A power line for networking a plurality of power regulation resources in the microgrid MG may be a private power line. The power receiving and transforming equipment 501 is provided at an interconnection point (power receiving point) of the microgrid MG, and is configured to be capable of switching between parallel (connection) and parallel-off (disconnection) between the power system PG and the microgrid MG. When the microgrid MG is interconnected with the power system PG, the power receiving and transforming equipment 501 receives, for example, extra-high voltage (voltage exceeding 7000 V) AC power from the power system PG, and steps down the received power to supply it to the microgrid MG. The power receiving and transforming equipment 501 includes high-voltage side (primary side) switchgear (for example, a section switch, a disconnecting switch, a circuit breaker, and a load switch), a transformer, a protective relay, a measuring instrument, and a control device. The power that the power receiving and transforming equipment 501 receives from the power system PG is not limited to extra-high voltage power, and may be high voltage power (a voltage exceeding 600V and not exceeding 7000V), for example.

[0022] A plurality of elements (power regulation resources) included in the area 500 are electrically connected to each other to form a microgrid MG. Specifically, the area 500 includes a plurality of EVSEs 20, a stationary power storage device 30, a factory 510, industrial equipment 520, a naturally variable power source 530, a generator 540, a building 550, and a house 560.

[0023] Each EVSE 20 is an EVSE installed in the area 500. EVSE stands for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment. Each EVSE 20 is electrically connected to the microgrid MG so that power can be exchanged between each EVSE 20 and the microgrid MG. The vehicle 10 is configured to be electrically connectable to the EVSE 20. For example, a charging cable connected to the EVSE 20 is connected to an inlet of the vehicle 10, thereby enabling power to be exchanged between the EVSE 20 and the vehicle 10. The number of EVSEs 20 provided in the area 500 is arbitrary, and may be about 5, 10 or more, or 100 or more. The EVSE 20 may be provided in a house 560 or a facility in the area (e.g., a shopping mall, etc.).

[0024] The stationary power storage device 30 is a power storage device installed in the area 500. The stationary power storage device 30 is electrically connected to the microgrid MG so that power can be exchanged between the stationary power storage device 30 and the microgrid MG. In this embodiment, a lithium ion battery is adopted as the stationary power storage device 30. The lithium ion battery may be a battery (recycled product) used in a vehicle. The stationary power storage device 30 is not limited to a lithium ion battery, and may be another secondary battery or a PtG (Power to Gas) device. In this embodiment, the number of stationary power storage devices 30 is one, but the number of stationary power storage devices 30 provided in the area 500 is arbitrary, and may be about five, may be 10 or more, or may be 100 or more.

[0025] Factory workers and the like enter and leave the factory 510. The factory 510 includes various electric devices (for example, lighting fixtures and air conditioning equipment) that operate with power supplied from the microgrid MG. In this embodiment, generators (naturally variable power sources 530 and generators 540) are provided only outside the factory 510, but generators may be provided inside the factory 510. In addition, the power status (power consumption, generated power, and stored power) of the factory 510 is managed by a server 511. The server 511 communicates with the server 200 to transmit the power status of the factory 510 to the server 200 and to receive a power adjustment command to the factory 510 from the server 200.

[0026] The industrial facility 520 is an industrial facility used outdoors and operates on power supplied from the microgrid MG. The industrial facility 520 according to this embodiment includes an electric melting furnace and a holding furnace for aluminum. The industrial facility 520 may include at least one of a wastewater plant that performs wastewater treatment and a recycling plant that recycles waste.

[0027] The naturally variable power source 530 is a power source whose power output fluctuates depending on weather conditions, and outputs the generated power to the microgrid MG. The power generated by the naturally variable power source 530 corresponds to variable renewable energy (VRE). Surplus power generated by the naturally variable power source 530 may be stored in the stationary power storage device 30. In this embodiment, a PV power generation facility (for example, a solar panel installed on a roof) is adopted as the naturally variable power source 530. PV power generation means photovoltaic power generation. However, the naturally variable power source 530 is not limited to this, and may include a wind power generation facility instead of (or in addition to) the PV power generation facility.

[0028] The generator 540 is a generator that does not fall under the category of naturally variable power sources, and outputs the generated power to the microgrid MG. In this embodiment, a steam turbine generator is adopted as the generator 540. However, without being limited thereto, the generator 540 may include at least one of a gas turbine generator, a diesel engine generator, a gas engine generator, and a biomass generator instead of (or in addition to) the steam turbine generator. The area 500 may include a cogeneration system that utilizes heat generated during power generation.

[0029] Employees of the building enter and leave the building 550. The building 550 includes various electrical devices (for example, lighting fixtures and air conditioning equipment) that operate with power supplied from the microgrid MG. The power status (power consumption, generated power, and stored power) of the building 550 is managed by a server 551. The server 551 communicates with the server 200 to transmit the power status of the building 550 to the server 200 and to receive a power adjustment command to the building 550 from the server 200.

[0030] The house 560 includes various electric appliances (for example, lighting fixtures and air conditioners) that operate with power supplied from the microgrid MG. The power state (power consumption, power generation, and stored power) of the house 560 is managed by a server 561. The server 561 communicates with the server 200 to transmit the power state of the house 560 to the server 200 and to receive a power adjustment command to the house 560 from the server 200.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of each of the servers 200, 300 and the hybrid vehicle 10a (10b). As shown in FIG. 2, the servers 200, 300 are configured to include control devices 201, 301, storage devices 202, 302, and communication devices 203, 303, respectively. Each of the control devices 201, 301 includes a processor and is configured to perform a predetermined information processing. Each of the storage devices 202, 302 is configured to be able to store various information. In addition to the programs executed by the control devices 201, 301, the storage devices 202, 302 store information used in the programs (for example, maps, formulas, and various parameters). Each of the communication devices 203, 303 includes various communication I / Fs. The control devices 201, 301 are configured to communicate with the outside through the communication devices 203, 303, respectively. Note that in FIG. 2, for simplification, the illustration of the server 511 (551, 561) is omitted. Moreover, the control device 201 and the communication device 203 are examples of a "control unit" and a "communication unit" of the present disclosure, respectively.

[0032] In addition to the battery 13 described above, the hybrid vehicle 10a (10b) includes a charger / discharger 14 that adjusts the charging / discharging power of the battery 13, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 15 that controls the charger / discharger 14. The ECU 15 includes a processor (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit)), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage device, and a timer (none of which are shown). The ECU 13 may be a microcomputer. Note that, for the sake of simplification, the engine 11 and the traction motor 12 are not shown in FIG. 2.

[0033] The battery 13 includes a secondary battery that stores power for driving. In this embodiment, a battery pack including a plurality of lithium ion batteries is used as the secondary battery. The battery pack is configured by electrically connecting a plurality of single batteries (generally also referred to as "cells") to each other. Note that other power storage devices such as an electric double layer capacitor may be used instead of the secondary battery.

[0034] In this embodiment, a DC EVSE is adopted as the EVSE 20. Therefore, direct current power is supplied from the vehicle 10 (10a, 10b) to the EVSE 20, and DC / AC conversion is performed by an inverter built into the EVSE 20. The charger / discharger 14 is configured to adjust the charging / discharging power, for example, by a DC / DC converter. The standard of the DC EVSE may be any of CHAdeMO, CCS (Combined Charging System), GB / T, and Tesla. However, it is not essential that the EVSE 20 is of the DC type, and the EVSE 20 may be of the AC type. In a form in which the vehicle 10 (10a, 10b) externally supplies power to the AC EVSE, the charger / discharger 14 may include a rectifier circuit, a PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuit, an isolation circuit (for example, an isolation transformer), an inverter, and a filter circuit. The charger / discharger 14 may perform DC / AC conversion on the power discharged from the battery 13, and the converted AC power may be supplied from the vehicle 10 (10a, 10b) to the EVSE.

[0035] The user of each vehicle 10 (10a, 10b) carries a mobile terminal 16. In this embodiment, a smartphone equipped with a touch panel display is adopted as each mobile terminal 16. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any mobile terminal can be adopted as each mobile terminal 16, and a tablet terminal, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), or an electronic key can also be adopted. A specific application software (hereinafter, simply referred to as an "app") is installed in the mobile terminal 16, and the mobile terminal 16 is configured to exchange information with the server 200 through the app. By operating the mobile terminal 16, the user can transmit the action schedule of the vehicle 10 (10a, 10b) belonging to the user to the server 200. Examples of the action schedule of the vehicle 10 (10a, 10b) include a POV driving plan (e.g., a time of departure from home, a destination, and an arrival time), or a MaaS vehicle operation plan.

[0036] The server 200 is configured to manage information on each registered user (hereinafter also referred to as "user information"), information on each registered vehicle 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle information"), information on each registered EVSE 20 (hereinafter also referred to as "EVSE information"), and information on each registered stationary power storage device 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "PS information"). The user information, vehicle information, EVSE information, and PS information are stored in the storage device 202, distinguished by identification information (ID).

[0037] Here, the vehicle information includes information regarding the presence or absence of an engine 11, information regarding whether external charging is possible, and information regarding the remaining amount of fuel for each vehicle 10. The server 200 (communication device 203) communicates with each vehicle 10 to obtain the above vehicle information (information regarding the presence or absence of an engine 11, information regarding whether external charging is possible, and information regarding the remaining amount of fuel).

[0038] The user ID is identification information for identifying a user, and also functions as information (terminal ID) for identifying the mobile terminal 16 carried by the user. The server 200 is configured to store information received from the mobile terminal 16 separately for each user ID. The user information includes the communication address of the mobile terminal 16 carried by the user and the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10 belonging to the user.

[0039] The vehicle ID is identification information for identifying the vehicle 10. The vehicle ID may be a vehicle identification number (VIN). The vehicle information includes a schedule of each vehicle 10. The EVSE-ID is identification information for identifying the EVSE 20. The EVSE information includes a communication address of each EVSE 20 and a state of the vehicle 10 connected to each EVSE 20. The EVSE information also includes information indicating a combination of the vehicle 10 and the EVSE 20 connected to each other (for example, a combination of the EVSE-ID and the vehicle ID). The vehicle 10 may be configured to directly and wirelessly communicate with the server 200. The vehicle 10 may include a data communication module (DCM) or a communication I / F compatible with 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system).

[0040] The PS-ID is identification information for identifying the stationary power storage device 30. The PS information includes a state and a communication address of the stationary power storage device 30. The server 200 is configured to store the state (e.g., SOC) of the stationary power storage device 30 received from the stationary power storage device 30 in association with the PS-ID.

[0041] 1, the server 300 transmits to the server 200 a request (demand and supply adjustment request) for adjusting the power demand of the power system PG based on the power generation and consumption by each power adjustment resource in the area 500. For example, when the amount of power generated by the naturally variable power source 530 is expected to be larger than usual (or is currently larger), the server 300 transmits to the server 200 a request for increasing the amount of power demand compared to usual (see the dashed line in FIG. 3).

[0042] As one means for increasing the power demand of the power system PG, the server 200 requests the vehicle 10 to perform external charging. The control device 201 of the server 200 performs control to select the hybrid vehicle (10a, 10b) for which external charging is requested, based on the vehicle information acquired by the communication device 203.

[0043] Here, in the past (Patent Document 1), a control is performed to determine the priority of requesting external charging based on the presence or absence of an internal combustion engine. However, in the conventional control, when multiple vehicles each have an internal combustion engine, it is difficult to determine the priority. For this reason, an inappropriate vehicle may be selected as a target for external charging. In this case, the vehicle selected as a target for external charging may lower its SOC in preparation for external charging, resulting in an insufficient SOC for the selected vehicle. As a result, the driving of the selected vehicle may be hindered. Therefore, there is a demand for an apparatus (system) that can suppress the driving of the hybrid vehicle (10a, 10b) that is the target of external charging (and external discharging) from being hindered.

[0044] Therefore, in the first embodiment, the server 200 (control device 201) is configured to preferentially select the hybrid vehicle 10a having the greater remaining fuel amount between the hybrid vehicle 10a and the hybrid vehicle 10b as a target for requesting external charging based on the vehicle information of each of the hybrid vehicles 10a and 10b. Note that, as described above in the first embodiment, an example in which the remaining fuel amount of the hybrid vehicle 10a is greater than the remaining fuel amount of the hybrid vehicle 10b has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. When the remaining fuel amount of the hybrid vehicle 10b is greater than the remaining fuel amount of the hybrid vehicle 10a, the hybrid vehicle 10b is preferentially selected as a target for requesting external charging.

[0045] Server 200 may select a vehicle with a large amount of remaining fuel (amount of fuel actually remaining in the fuel tank) as a vehicle with a large amount of remaining fuel, or may select a vehicle with a long possible driving distance based on the amount of remaining fuel as a vehicle with a large amount of remaining fuel. Server 200 may also select a vehicle with a large ratio of the amount of remaining fuel to the capacity of the fuel tank as a vehicle with a large amount of remaining fuel.

[0046] Here, the hybrid vehicle 10a with a relatively large amount of remaining fuel can use fuel to travel a relatively long distance even if its own SOC drops to a level that interferes with its travel. Therefore, the hybrid vehicle 10a is unlikely to encounter problems in its travel even if its own SOC drops. As a result, the server 200 selects the hybrid vehicle 10a with a relatively large amount of remaining fuel as a target for which to preferentially request external charging.

[0047] In the first embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, two hybrid vehicles (10a, 10b) are described as an example, but the number of hybrid vehicles is not limited to this. For example, among n hybrid vehicles (n is 3 or more), the hybrid vehicle (1 to n-1) with the most remaining fuel may be selected as the target for requesting external charging.

[0048] Furthermore, the server 200 (control device 201) calculates a predicted increase in the power demand of the power grid PG due to external charging of the hybrid vehicle 10a. Specifically, the control device 201 calculates the predicted increase based on, for example, a travel schedule of the hybrid vehicle 10a (for example, a time of departure from home, a destination, an arrival time, etc.).

[0049] Furthermore, the control device 201 of the server 200 calculates a target value of an increase in the power demand in the electric power system PG based on the supply and demand request adjustment from the server 300. The calculated target value is stored in the storage device 202. The target value may be calculated by the control device 301 of the server 300.

[0050] Here, in the first embodiment, the server 200 (control device 201) performs control to request external charging also for the hybrid vehicle 10b when the predicted increase in the power demand in the power system PG due to the external charging of the hybrid vehicle 10a is smaller than the target amount of the server 200. When there are multiple hybrid vehicles 10b, external charging may be requested for a predetermined number of hybrid vehicles 10b (all or part), or the number of hybrid vehicles 10b required to exceed the target amount may be calculated and then external charging may be requested for the necessary number of hybrid vehicles 10b. At this time, the server 200 (control device 201) may preferentially request external charging from the hybrid vehicle 10b having the largest remaining amount of fuel. The increase in the power demand does not mean the increase in the instantaneous value of the power demand at each time, but means the increase in the integrated value of the power demand in a predetermined time period.

[0051] In the following, the description will be continued on the assumption that a request for external charging has been made only to hybrid vehicle 10a.

[0052] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when the hybrid vehicle 10a accepts a request for external charging, the hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15, see FIG. 2) performs control to reduce its own SOC.

[0053] Here, the hybrid vehicle 10a (10b) is configured to run in EV mode without starting the engine 11 when the torque requirement is equal to or less than a threshold torque, and to run by starting the engine 11 when the torque requirement exceeds the threshold torque. The torque requirement is determined based on the amount of operation (accelerator opening) of an accelerator pedal (not shown) by the driver of the hybrid vehicle 10a (10b).

[0054] As shown in FIG. 4, when the hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15) accepts a request for external charging, it performs control to increase the threshold torque, for example. As a result, in the hybrid vehicle 10a, the engine 11 becomes less likely to be started compared to before the threshold torque is increased. As a result, the hybrid vehicle 10a runs in EV mode without starting the engine 11 for a relatively long time. This makes it possible to more efficiently reduce the SOC of the hybrid vehicle 10a. The example shown in FIG. 4 shows how, unlike before the threshold torque is increased, the engine 11 does not start in period C due to the increase in the threshold torque.

[0055] In the first embodiment, the hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15) is configured to adjust the amount of reduction in its own SOC according to the amount of charging requested from the power grid PG. Specifically, the hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15) adjusts the amount of reduction in its own SOC by adjusting the amount of increase in the threshold torque according to the amount of charging requested from the power grid PG. The hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15) may perform the above control by referring to a map showing the relationship between the amount of increase in the threshold torque and the amount of charging requested, or may calculate (calculate) the amount of increase in the threshold torque based on the amount of charging requested. (Management method for hybrid vehicles) Next, a method for managing the hybrid vehicles (10a, 10b) by the server 200 (power system 1) will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.

[0056] First, in step S1, the server 200 receives a supply and demand adjustment request from the server 300. As described above, the server 300 transmits the supply and demand adjustment request to the server 200 based on the power generation and consumption by each power adjustment resource in the area 500. Specifically, it is assumed that a signal for increasing the power demand of the power system PG above normal times is transmitted to the server 200.

[0057] Next, in step S2, server 200 communicates with each of hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b to obtain information regarding the presence or absence of engine 11, information regarding whether external charging is possible, and information regarding the remaining amount of fuel for each of hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b. Note that the order of steps S1 and S2 may be reversed.

[0058] Next, in step S3, server 200 selects, from hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b, a hybrid vehicle to be preferentially requested for external charging, based on the vehicle information of hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b acquired in step S2. Specifically, server 200 selects, from hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b, the hybrid vehicle with the greater amount of remaining fuel (hybrid vehicle 10a in the first embodiment), as the hybrid vehicle to be preferentially requested for external charging.

[0059] Next, in step S4, the server 200 requests (inquires) the hybrid vehicle 10a selected in step S3 for external charging via communication. The server 200 may transmit an inquiry signal for requesting external charging directly to the hybrid vehicle 10a, or may transmit the inquiry signal to the mobile terminal 16 of the user (owner) of the hybrid vehicle 10a.

[0060] Next, in step S5, hybrid vehicle 10a transmits a response signal indicating acceptance of the request for external charging received in step S4 (indicating an intention to participate in external charging) to server 200. Note that when hybrid vehicle 10a transmits a response signal rejecting the request for external charging in step S5, server 200 may request external charging from hybrid vehicle 10b instead.

[0061] Next, in step S6, the hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15) that has accepted the request for external charging performs control to reduce its own SOC based on the transmission of the response signal. The hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15) adjusts the amount of reduction in its own SOC according to the amount of charging requested from the power grid PG.

[0062] Specifically, the hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15) reduces its own SOC by increasing the threshold torque for starting the engine 11. In more detail, the hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15) adjusts the amount of increase in the threshold torque to adjust the amount of reduction in its own SOC.

[0063] Next, in step S7, the server 200 calculates a predicted increase in the power demand in the power grid PG due to external charging of the hybrid vehicle 10a selected in step S3. Note that the control for calculating the predicted increase may be performed before the control for selecting the hybrid vehicle in step S3. Note that, although it is described above that step S7 is performed after step S6, in practice the order is not limited to this.

[0064] Next, in step S8, server 200 determines whether the predicted increase in the power demand in power system PG due to external charging of hybrid vehicle 10a calculated in step S7 is equal to or greater than the target amount of server 200. If the predicted increase is smaller than the target amount (No in S8), server 200 also requests external charging of hybrid vehicle 10b (step S9). Note that if the predicted increase is equal to or greater than the target amount (Yes in S8), server 200 does not request external charging of hybrid vehicle 10b.

[0065] Next, in step S10, hybrid vehicle 10b transmits to server 200 a response signal indicating acceptance of the request for external charging received in step S9 (indicating an intention to participate in external charging).

[0066] Then, in step S11, the hybrid vehicle 10b (ECU 15) that has accepted the request for external charging performs control to reduce its own SOC based on the transmission of the response signal. The hybrid vehicle 10b (ECU 15) adjusts the amount of reduction in its own SOC according to the amount of charging requested from the power grid PG. For example, the hybrid vehicle 10b adjusts the amount of reduction in its own SOC by increasing the threshold torque as described above.

[0067] If the predicted increase is smaller than the target amount even when external charging is performed by hybrid vehicle 10b, a request for external charging is made to another hybrid vehicle. Then, the control of requesting external charging is repeated until the predicted increase becomes equal to or greater than the target amount.

[0068] As described above, in the first embodiment, the server 200 preferentially selects the hybrid vehicle 10a having the greater amount of remaining fuel between the hybrid vehicle 10a and the hybrid vehicle 10b as the hybrid vehicle to be requested to perform external charging based on the vehicle information of each of the hybrid vehicles 10a and 10b. Here, since the hybrid vehicle 10a has a relatively large amount of remaining fuel, even if the hybrid vehicle 10a consumes a large amount of its own SOC before external charging, it is unlikely to impede running. Therefore, the SOC of the hybrid vehicle 10a can be consumed relatively largely before external charging. This allows the hybrid vehicle 10a having a large amount of remaining fuel to be charged with a relatively large amount of power by external charging. As a result, the power demand of the power system PG can be easily increased. [Second embodiment] Next, control in the server 400 (power system 21) according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment in which the server 200 requests the hybrid vehicles (10a, 10b) to perform external charging, the server 400 requests the hybrid vehicles (10a, 10b) to perform external discharging. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0069] 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power system 21 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. A server 400 of the power system 21 includes a control device 401, a storage device 402, and a communication device 403. The power system 21 and the server 400 correspond to examples of a "management system" and a "management device" according to the present disclosure, respectively. The control device 401 and the communication device 403 are examples of a "control unit" and a "communication unit" according to the present disclosure, respectively.

[0070] The communication device 403 of the server 400 communicates with each vehicle 10 to obtain vehicle information for each vehicle 10, including information regarding the presence or absence of an engine 11, information regarding whether external discharge is possible, and information regarding the remaining amount of fuel.

[0071] Here, in cases where the amount of available power in the power system PG is insufficient, the server 400 requests the vehicle 10 to perform external discharging as one means for increasing the amount of power in the power system PG. External discharging means that the vehicle 10 supplies power discharged in the EVSE 20 to the power system PG. The control device 401 of the server 400 performs control to select the hybrid vehicle (10a, 10b) to be requested to perform external discharging, based on the vehicle information acquired by the communication device 403.

[0072] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the server 400 (control device 401) is configured to preferentially select the hybrid vehicle 10a having the greater remaining fuel amount as the target for requesting external discharging between the hybrid vehicle 10a and the hybrid vehicle 10b based on the vehicle information of each of the hybrid vehicles 10a and 10b. Note that when the remaining fuel amount of the hybrid vehicle 10b is greater than the remaining fuel amount of the hybrid vehicle 10a, the hybrid vehicle 10b is preferentially selected as the target for requesting external discharging.

[0073] Here, the hybrid vehicle 10a with a relatively large remaining amount of fuel can travel a relatively long distance using fuel even if the SOC is reduced relatively significantly due to external discharging. In this way, by selecting the hybrid vehicle (10a, 10b) to be requested to perform external discharging based on the remaining amount of fuel, it is possible to prevent the hybrid vehicle 10a performing external discharging from being hindered in traveling.

[0074] When the predicted amount of power supply due to external discharging of hybrid vehicle 10a is smaller than the amount of power required by power system PG, server 400 (control device 401) may also request hybrid vehicle 10b to perform external discharging.

[0075] In the second embodiment, the hybrid vehicle 10a that has accepted the request for external discharge may perform control to reduce the threshold torque, for example. This increases the operating rate of the engine 11 in the hybrid vehicle 10a, and suppresses a decrease in the SOC. As a result, the hybrid vehicle 10a can secure more electric power to be supplied to the power system PG. The hybrid vehicle 10a may also adjust, for example, the amount of decrease in the threshold torque, according to the amount of discharge requested from the power system PG. (Management method for hybrid vehicles) A method for managing the hybrid vehicles (10a, 10b) by the server 400 (power system 21) will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 7. Note that description of the same contents as those in the sequence diagram of the first embodiment (see Fig. 5) will not be repeated.

[0076] First, in step S11, it is assumed that the amount of power in the power grid PG is insufficient compared to normal times, and therefore a request signal is transmitted from server 300 to server 400 to request power grid PG to supply power.

[0077] Next, in step S12, server 400 communicates with hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b to obtain information regarding the presence or absence of engine 11, information regarding whether external discharge is possible, and information regarding the remaining amount of fuel for each of hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b. Note that the order of steps S11 and S12 may be reversed.

[0078] Next, in step S13, server 400 selects, from hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b, a hybrid vehicle to be preferentially requested to perform external discharging, based on the vehicle information of hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b acquired in step S12. Specifically, server 400 selects, from hybrid vehicle 10a and hybrid vehicle 10b, the hybrid vehicle with the greater amount of remaining fuel (hybrid vehicle 10a in the second embodiment), as the hybrid vehicle to be preferentially requested to perform external discharging.

[0079] Next, in step S14, server 400 requests (inquires) hybrid vehicle 10a selected in step S13 to perform external discharging through communication.

[0080] Next, in step S15, hybrid vehicle 10a transmits to server 400 a response signal indicating acceptance of the request for external discharging received in step S14 (indicating an intention to participate in external discharging).

[0081] Next, in step S16, the hybrid vehicle 10a (ECU 15), which has accepted the request for external discharge, performs control to suppress a decrease in its own SOC, for example by lowering the threshold torque, based on the transmission of the response signal.

[0082] Next, in step S17, server 400 calculates a predicted amount of power supply to power grid PG due to external discharging of hybrid vehicle 10a selected in step S13. Note that the control for calculating the predicted amount may be performed before the control for selecting the hybrid vehicle in step S13.

[0083] Next, in step S18, server 400 determines whether the predicted amount of power supply to power grid PG due to external discharging of hybrid vehicle 10a calculated in step S14 is equal to or greater than the amount of power required by power grid PG. If the predicted amount is smaller than the amount of power required (No in S18), server 400 also requests hybrid vehicle 10b to perform external discharging (step S19). If the predicted amount is equal to or greater than the amount of power required (Yes in S18), server 400 does not request hybrid vehicle 10b to perform external discharging.

[0084] Next, in step S20, hybrid vehicle 10b transmits to server 400 a response signal indicating acceptance of the request for external discharging received in step S19 (indicating an intention to participate in external discharging).

[0085] Then, in step S21, the hybrid vehicle 10b (ECU 15) that has accepted the request for external discharge performs control to suppress a decrease in its own SOC based on the transmission of the response signal. The hybrid vehicle 10b (ECU 15) performs control to suppress a decrease in its own SOC, for example, by lowering the threshold torque.

[0086] If the predicted amount is smaller than the required amount of electric power even after external discharging by hybrid vehicle 10b, a request for external discharging is made to another hybrid vehicle. Then, the control of requesting external discharging is repeated until the predicted amount becomes equal to or greater than the required amount of electric power.

[0087] As described above, in the second embodiment, the server 400 preferentially selects the hybrid vehicle 10a having the greater amount of remaining fuel between the hybrid vehicles 10a and 10b as the hybrid vehicle to be requested to perform external discharge. Here, the hybrid vehicle 10a having a relatively greater amount of remaining fuel can travel a relatively long distance on fuel even if its own SOC is significantly consumed by external discharge. Therefore, a relatively large amount of power can be discharged to the hybrid vehicle 10a having a greater amount of remaining fuel by external discharge. As a result, the amount of power in the power system PG can be easily increased.

[0088] Other configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0089] In the above first and second embodiments, the server 200 (400) requests either external charging or external discharging from the hybrid vehicle (10a, 10b), but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The server may be configured to be able to request both external charging and external discharging from the hybrid vehicle (10a, 10b).

[0090] In the above first and second embodiments, the hybrid vehicle 10a (10b) adjusts its own SOC by adjusting the threshold torque, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The hybrid vehicle 10a (10b) may adjust its own SOC by a method other than adjusting the threshold torque (for example, adjusting the power consumption of an air conditioner, adjusting regenerative braking, etc.).

[0091] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1, 21 power system, 10 vehicle, 10a hybrid vehicle (first hybrid vehicle), 10b hybrid vehicle (second hybrid vehicle), 11 engine (internal combustion engine), 12 traction motor (traffic electric motor), 13 battery (power storage unit), 200, 400 server (management device), 201, 401 control device (control unit), 203, 403 communication device (communication unit), PG power system (power grid).

Claims

1. a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine capable of generating electricity, a traction motor, and a power storage unit that supplies electric power to the traction motor, and configured to enable at least one of external charging for charging electric power from a power grid into the power storage unit and external discharging for supplying electric power from the power storage unit to the power grid; a management device including a communication unit that communicates with a plurality of vehicles to acquire vehicle information for each of the plurality of vehicles, the vehicle information including information regarding the presence or absence of the internal combustion engine, information regarding whether at least one of the external charging and the external discharging is possible, and information regarding a remaining fuel amount, and a control unit that selects a hybrid vehicle to which at least one of the external charging and the external discharging is requested based on the vehicle information acquired by the communication unit; the plurality of vehicles includes a first hybrid vehicle that is the hybrid vehicle and a second hybrid vehicle that is the hybrid vehicle, the control unit of the management device is configured to preferentially select the first hybrid vehicle having a larger remaining fuel amount between the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle based on the vehicle information of each of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle is configured to run without starting the internal combustion engine when a torque requirement in the hybrid vehicle is equal to or less than a threshold torque, and to start the internal combustion engine and run when the torque requirement exceeds the threshold torque, A management system for a hybrid vehicle, in which the hybrid vehicle that accepts the request to perform external charging controls the hybrid vehicle to increase the threshold torque to increase the amount of reduction in its own SOC compared to before accepting the request to perform external charging.

2. 2. The hybrid vehicle management system according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid vehicle that has accepted the request to perform external charging is configured to adjust an amount of reduction in its own SOC by adjusting an increase amount of the threshold torque in accordance with a charging request amount from the power grid.

3. A hybrid vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine capable of generating electricity, a traction motor, and a power storage unit that supplies power to the traction motor, and configured to enable at least one of external charging, which charges the power storage unit with power from a power grid, and external discharging, which supplies power from the power storage unit to the power grid; a management device including a communication unit that communicates with a plurality of vehicles to acquire vehicle information for each of the plurality of vehicles, the vehicle information including information regarding the presence or absence of the internal combustion engine, information regarding whether at least one of the external charging and the external discharging is possible, and information regarding a remaining fuel amount, and a control unit that selects a hybrid vehicle to which at least one of the external charging and the external discharging is requested based on the vehicle information acquired by the communication unit; the plurality of vehicles includes a first hybrid vehicle that is the hybrid vehicle and a second hybrid vehicle that is the hybrid vehicle, the control unit of the management device is configured to preferentially select the first hybrid vehicle having a larger remaining fuel amount between the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle based on the vehicle information of each of the first hybrid vehicle and the second hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle is configured to run without starting the internal combustion engine when a torque requirement in the hybrid vehicle is equal to or less than a threshold torque, and to start the internal combustion engine and run when the torque requirement exceeds the threshold torque, A management system for a hybrid vehicle, in which the hybrid vehicle that accepts the request to perform external discharge controls the hybrid vehicle to reduce the amount of reduction in its own SOC by lowering the threshold torque, compared to before accepting the request to perform external discharge.

4. A management system for a hybrid vehicle as described in claim 3, wherein the hybrid vehicle that accepts a request to perform the external discharge is configured to adjust the amount of reduction in its own SOC by adjusting the amount of reduction in the threshold torque in accordance with the amount of discharge required from the power grid.

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