Electric vehicle

Abstract

To suppress giving of a sense of discomfort to a user when charging is not completed at a scheduled charging end time or when charging is completed beyond the scheduled charging end time.SOLUTION: An electric motor car includes a power storage device, a charger that charges the power storage device with power from an external power source, and a control device that controls the charger, and the control device calculates a charging time required for charging before charging the power storage device with the charger, calculates a scheduled charging end time using the charging time, and obtains the uncompleted reason for charging not being completed when charging of the power storage device is not completed at the scheduled charging end time, or obtains a delay factor that caused the completion of charging to be delayed when charging of the power storage device is completed beyond the scheduled charging end time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle, and more particularly to an electric vehicle equipped with a charger that charges an on-board power storage device with electric power from an external power source. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an electric vehicle of this type, a vehicle has been proposed that outputs information for notifying a user that external charging has stopped when a charging device is controlled to stop charging of a power storage device using power from an external power source (external charging) without being caused by a user action such as a charging abnormality (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this electric vehicle, when a charging device is controlled to stop external charging due to a user action such as an unlocking operation of a door lock device, information for notifying a user that external charging has stopped is not output. This makes it possible to minimize the notification of the fact that external charging has stopped while suppressing the annoyance felt by the user by the notification. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-27687 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned electric vehicle, when charging of the power storage device is normally completed even if it takes longer than the scheduled charging time due to a voltage drop in the external power source or the like, the user is not notified of this, which may cause the user to feel uneasy about why charging took so long.

[0005] The main object of the electric vehicle of the present invention is to prevent a user from feeling uncomfortable when charging is not completed at the scheduled charging end time or when charging is completed beyond the scheduled charging end time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned main object, the electric vehicle of the present invention employs the following means.

[0007] The electric vehicle of the present invention comprises: An electric vehicle including: a power storage device; a charger that charges the power storage device with electric power from an external power source; and a control device that controls the charger, The control device includes: calculating a required charging time required for charging the power storage device before the charger charges the power storage device, and calculating a scheduled charging end time using the required charging time; When the charging of the power storage device is not completed at the scheduled charging end time, a cause of incompletion of charging is acquired, or when the charging of the power storage device is completed beyond the scheduled charging end time, a cause of delay in the completion of charging is acquired. It is characterized by:

[0008] In the electric vehicle of the present invention, the control device that controls the charger calculates a required charging time before charging the power storage device by the charger, and calculates a scheduled charging completion time using the required charging time. The scheduled charging completion time can be calculated, for example, by adding the required charging time to the current time when charging is started immediately, or by subtracting the sum of the required charging time and a margin time from the set completion time when the time for completing charging (set completion time) is set by the user. Then, the control device acquires a cause of incompletion of charging when charging of the power storage device is not completed at the scheduled charging completion time, and acquires a cause of delay that delayed the completion of charging when charging of the power storage device is completed beyond the scheduled charging completion time. In this way, by notifying the user of the acquired cause of incompletion or cause of delay, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable when charging is not completed at the scheduled charging completion time or when charging is completed beyond the scheduled charging completion time.

[0009] In the electric vehicle of the present invention, the control device may acquire factors including at least one of a temperature drop of the power storage device and a voltage drop on the external power supply side as the incompletion factor or the delay factor, based on the fact that a drop in temperature of the power storage device or a voltage drop on the external power supply side increases the time required to complete charging of the power storage device.

[0010] In the electric vehicle of the present invention, the control device may store the cause of the incompletion or the cause of the delay. In this way, it is possible to read out the stored cause of the incompletion or the cause of the delay and deal with a situation in which charging is not completed at the scheduled charging end time or a situation in which charging is completed beyond the scheduled charging end time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the outline of the configuration of an electric vehicle 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a power conversion circuit 52. FIG. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a charging process executed by an electronic control unit 70. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. EXAMPLES

[0013] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of an electric vehicle 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment includes a motor 32, an inverter 34, a battery 36, a boost converter 40, a high-voltage power line 42, a low-voltage power line 44, a system main relay 38, a charger 50, a charging power line 51, a vehicle-side inlet 54, and an electronic control unit 70. A connector 254 of a commercial power source 220 is connected to the vehicle-side inlet 54 via a charging cable device 120.

[0014] The motor 32 is configured as a synchronous generator motor, and includes a rotor in which a permanent magnet is embedded and a stator around which a three-phase coil is wound. The rotor of the motor 32 is connected to a drive shaft 26 that is connected to the drive wheels 22a, 22b via a differential gear 24.

[0015] The inverter 34 is connected to the motor 32 and is also connected to the high-voltage power line 42. The inverter 34 is configured as a well-known inverter circuit having six transistors and six diodes.

[0016] The battery 36 is configured as, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery or a nickel-hydrogen secondary battery, and is connected to a low-voltage side power line 44 .

[0017] The boost converter 40 is connected to a high-voltage power line 42 and a low-voltage power line 44, and is configured as a well-known boost-buck converter circuit having two transistors, two diodes, and a reactor.

[0018] A high-voltage side capacitor 46 is connected to the positive and negative busbars of the high-voltage side power line 42. A low-voltage side capacitor 48 is attached to the positive and negative busbars of the low-voltage side power line 44. A system main relay 38 is attached to the low-voltage side power line 44. This system main relay 38 has a positive side relay SMRB provided on the positive busbar of the low-voltage side power line 44, a negative side relay SMRG provided on the negative busbar of the low-voltage side power line 44, and a pre-charge circuit in which a pre-charge resistor R and a pre-charge relay SMRP are connected in series to bypass the negative side relay SMRG. A DC / DC converter 82 is connected to the low-voltage side power line 44, and exchanges power with an auxiliary power line 84 to which an auxiliary battery 86 and an auxiliary device (not shown) are connected.

[0019] The charger 50 includes a charging power line 51 having one end connected to the boost converter 40 side (motor 32 side) via the system main relay 38 of the low-voltage side power line 44 and the other end connected to a vehicle side inlet 54, and a power conversion circuit 52 attached to the charging power line 51. The power conversion circuit 52 is a well-known power conversion circuit that converts AC power from the commercial power source 20 into DC power of a desired voltage capable of charging the battery 35. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the power conversion circuit 52 may include a commercial power source side AC / DC conversion circuit 52a that converts AC power from the commercial power source 220 into DC power of a desired voltage, a smoothing capacitor 52b, a DC / AC conversion circuit 52c that converts the DC power into AC power, a transformer 52d, and a battery side AC / DC conversion circuit 52e that converts the AC power into DC power.

[0020] In addition to the charging power line 51, the vehicle-side inlet 54 is connected to a vehicle-side ground line 57 having the other end grounded, a vehicle-side connection line 58 having the other end connected to the electronic control unit 70, a vehicle-side communication line 60 having the other end connected to the electronic control unit 70, and a lid signal line 62 connected to a lid sensor 56 attached to the vehicle-side inlet 54 and having the other end connected to the electronic control unit 70. The vehicle-side ground line 57 and the vehicle-side connection line 58 are connected via a resistor. The lid sensor 56 is a sensor that detects whether a lid (cover) covering the vehicle-side inlet 54 is in an open or closed state.

[0021] The charger 50 charges the battery 36 with power from the commercial power source 220 when the vehicle connector 154a of the charging cable device 120 is connected to the vehicle side inlet 54 and the power connector 154b of the charging cable device 120 is connected to the power source side connector 254 on the commercial power source 220 side.

[0022] The charging cable device 120 includes a cable electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as cable ECU) 130, a power supply circuit 132, a control pilot circuit 134, a vehicle connector 154a, a power supply connector 154b, a cable side power line 151, a charging relay 152 attached to the cable side power line 151, a cable side ground line 157, a cable side connection line 158, a connection switch 158a, and a cable side temperature detection line 162. When the vehicle connector 154a of the charging cable device 120 is connected to the vehicle side inlet 54 and the power supply connector 154b of the charging cable device 120 is connected to the power supply side connector 254 on the commercial power source 220 side, the charging power line 51 is connected to the power supply side power line 251 of the commercial power source 220 via the cable side power line 151. The vehicle-side ground line 57 is connected to the cable-side ground line 157, the vehicle-side connection line 58 is connected to the cable-side connection line 158, and the vehicle-side communication line 60 is connected to the cable-side communication line 160. The cable-side temperature detection line 162 is connected to a power-supply-side temperature detection line 262 connected to a temperature sensor 256 attached to the power-supply-side connector 254. The power supply circuit 132 is connected to the cable-side power line 151, and when the power supply connector 154b of the charging cable device 120 is connected to the power supply-side connector 254 on the commercial power supply 220 side and the cable-side power line 151 is connected to the power supply-side power line 251 of the commercial power supply 220, the power supply circuit 132 converts AC power supplied from the commercial power supply 220 into DC power of a predetermined voltage and supplies the DC power to the cable ECU 130 and the like. The control pilot circuit 134 has an oscillation circuit (not shown), and outputs a signal transmitted from the oscillation circuit to the cable-side communication line 160 with a duty changed according to a control signal from the cable ECU 130. One end of the connection switch 158a is connected to the vehicle-side ground line 57, and the other end is connected via a resistor to the cable-side connection line 158 which is connected to the vehicle-side connection line 58, and both ends of the connection switch 158a are connected via a resistor. The connection switch 158a is configured as a push-down switch that is turned off when pushed down near the vehicle connector 154a.The cable ECU 130 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU (not shown), and includes, in addition to the CPU, a ROM for storing processing programs, a RAM for temporarily storing data, an input / output port, a communication port, and the like. A cable-side temperature detection line 142 is connected to the cable ECU 130, and a power connector temperature is input from a temperature sensor 240 attached to a power connector 254. A signal is also input to the cable ECU 130 from a leakage detection circuit (not shown) attached to a cable-side power line 151. A drive signal is output from the cable ECU 130 to a charging relay 152. The cable ECU 130 also communicates with a control pilot circuit 134. The cable ECU 130 transmits a control signal to the control pilot circuit 134, which indicates a chargeable current as a duty for the rated current, based on information (such as a rated current and a power connector temperature) obtained from the commercial power source 220. The control pilot circuit 134 performs duty control on a signal transmitted from the oscillator circuit based on a control signal received from the cable ECU 130, and transmits the signal to the electronic control unit 70 via the cable side communication line 160 and the vehicle side communication line 60. When the connection switch 158a is pressed down and turned off, the cable ECU 130 turns off the charging relay 152 based on a signal from the electronic control unit 70 that detects that the connection switch 158a has been turned off.

[0023] The electronic control unit 70 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU 72, and in addition to the CPU 72, includes a ROM 74 for storing processing programs, a RAM 76 for temporarily storing data, a flash memory (not shown), an input / output port (not shown), a communication port (not shown), etc.

[0024] Signals from various sensors are input to the electronic control unit 70 via input ports. Examples of signals input to the electronic control unit 70 include a rotational position θm from a rotational position detection sensor (e.g., resolver) 32a that detects the rotational position of the rotor of the motor 32, a voltage VB from a voltage sensor 36a attached between the terminals of the battery 36, and a current IB from a current sensor 36b attached to the output terminal of the battery 36. Other examples include a voltage VH of the high-voltage side capacitor 46 (high-voltage side power line 42) from a voltage sensor 46a attached between the terminals of the high-voltage side capacitor 46, and a voltage VL of the low-voltage side capacitor 48 (low-voltage side power line 44) from a voltage sensor 48a attached between the terminals of the low-voltage side capacitor 48. A supply voltage Vin from a voltage sensor 51a attached to a charging power line 51, a charging voltage Vchg from a voltage sensor 51b, a charging current Ichg from a current sensor 51b, and a voltage from a voltage sensor that detects a terminal voltage of a smoothing capacitor 52b in the power conversion device 52 are also input. The input port of the electronic control unit 70 is also connected to a vehicle-side connection line 58 connected to the vehicle-side inlet 54 and a lid signal line 62 from a lid sensor 56 attached to the vehicle-side inlet 54. The electronic control unit 70 also functions as a drive control device for the vehicle, and therefore receives input of information necessary for system startup and driving control. Examples of this information include a start signal from a start switch 77, a shift position from a shift position sensor that detects the operating position of a shift lever (not shown), an accelerator opening from an accelerator pedal position sensor that detects the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal (not shown), a brake pedal position from a brake pedal position sensor that detects the amount of depression of a brake pedal (not shown), and a vehicle speed from a vehicle speed sensor (not shown).

[0025] Various control signals are output via an output port from the electronic control unit 70. Examples of signals output from the electronic control unit 70 include a switching control signal to the transistors of the inverter 34, a switching control signal to the transistors of the boost converter 40, a drive control signal to the system main relay 38, a drive control signal to the charging relay 52, a display signal to a display 78 disposed on the instrument panel in front of the driver's seat, a lighting signal to a ready lamp 79, and a switching control signal to the transistors of the DC / DC converter 82.

[0026] The electronic control unit 70 communicates with the control pilot circuit 134 of the charging cable device 120 by connecting the communication line 60 connected to the communication port to the cable side communication line 160. The electronic control unit 70 calculates the chargeable current Iin that can be supplied to charge the battery 36 from the commercial power source 220 based on a duty-controlled transmission signal from the control pilot circuit 134, and calculates the chargeable power (infrastructure power) Pin based on the chargeable current Iin and the supply voltage Vin from the voltage sensor 51a. The electronic control unit 70 also calculates the storage ratio SOC of the battery 36 based on an integrated value of the current Ib of the battery 36 from the current sensor 36b. The storage ratio SOC is the ratio (percentage) of the amount of power that can be discharged from the battery 36 to the total capacity of the battery 36.

[0027] Next, the operation of the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment thus configured, particularly the operation when charging the battery 36 with power from the commercial power source 220, will be described. External charging of the battery 36 is performed when the user issues a reservation charging instruction with setting of the charging end time Tend, or when the user issues a charging start instruction to start charging immediately, with the commercial power source 220 connected to the vehicle-side inlet 54 of the electric vehicle 20 via the charging cable device 120. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a charging process executed by the electronic control unit 70. This process is performed when the vehicle-side inlet 54 of the electric vehicle 20 is connected to the commercial power source 220 via the charging cable device 120 and external charging of the battery 36 is performed.

[0028] When the charging process is executed, the electronic control unit 70 first calculates the charging time Tchg (step S100). The charging time Tchg can be calculated by dividing the free capacity of the battery 36 by the chargeable power (infrastructure power) Pin. The free capacity of the battery 36 can be calculated by multiplying the total capacity of the battery 36 by (100-storage ratio SOC) / 100. The chargeable power (infrastructure power) Pin can be calculated by the product of the supply voltage Vin from the voltage sensor 51a and the chargeable current Iin based on the duty-controlled transmission signal from the control pilot circuit 134.

[0029] Next, it is determined whether or not the charging end time Tend is set (step S110). The charging end time Tend is set by the user when the user instructs the scheduled charging. When it is determined that the charging end time Tend is set, the charging start time Tstrt is set by subtracting the charging required time Tchg plus the margin time α from the charging end time Tend (step S120), and charging is started (step S130) after waiting until the charging start time Tstrt is reached (step S130). The margin time α can be, for example, 10 minutes or 15 minutes. On the other hand, when it is determined that the charging end time Tend is not set, the charging end time Tend is calculated by adding the charging required time to the current time (step S140), and charging is started (step S150). The external charging of the battery 36 is performed with charging power set within the range of the rated current and rated voltage. Specifically, it can be performed by controlling the power conversion circuit 52 so that the charging power has a charging voltage Vchg appropriate for charging the battery 36.

[0030] When charging starts, a process of acquiring a charging status is executed until external charging ends (steps S160, S170). The charging status includes the charging current Ichg, the charging voltage Vchg, the temperature Tb of the battery 36, and the like.

[0031] When external charging is completed, it is determined whether external charging has been completed normally (step S180). External charging is terminated when charging of the battery 36 is completed, or when a user issues a charge end instruction (switch operation) during charging, or when an abnormality occurs. Of these, terminations other than termination due to an abnormality are determined to be normal terminations. When it is determined that external charging has been completed normally, it is determined whether charging has been completed due to completion and whether charging has been completed at the charging end time Tend (steps S190, S200). When it is determined that charging has been completed due to completion and has been completed at the charging end time Tend, the obtained charging status is recorded (step S240), and this process ends.

[0032] When it is determined in step S190 that the charging is not terminated due to completion (the charging is terminated due to a charging termination instruction (switch operation) by the user during charging), the cause of the charging not being completed (the cause of incompletion) is identified from the acquired charging status and notified (step S210), the acquired charging status including the identified cause of incompletion is recorded (step S240), and this process ends. In this case, the cause of incompletion includes the charging being incomplete due to a temperature drop of the battery 36 or a voltage drop on the commercial power source 220 side, in addition to the charging termination instruction (switch operation) by the user. The notification may be made by displaying on the display 78 or by voice. For example, it may be announced that "charging could not be completed due to a drop in the battery temperature," "charging could not be completed due to a voltage drop on the external power source side," or "charging could not be completed due to a charging termination instruction by the user." If it is determined in step S200 that charging did not end at the charging end time Tend, the cause (delay cause) for not being able to end charging at the charging end time Tend is identified from the acquired charging status and notified (step S220), the acquired charging status including the identified delay cause is recorded (step S240), and this process ends. Delay causes include delays in the completion of charging due to a drop in temperature of the battery 36 or a drop in voltage on the commercial power source 220 side. The notification may be made by display on the display 78 or by audio, for example, announcing "It took time to complete charging due to a drop in battery temperature" or "It took time to complete charging due to a drop in voltage on the external power source side."

[0033] If it is determined in step S180 that external charging has not ended normally (abnormal termination), the cause of the abnormal termination is identified from the acquired charging status and the like and notified (step S230), the acquired charging status including the cause of the abnormal termination is recorded (step S240), and this process ends. The notification may be made by display on the display 78 or by voice, for example, an announcement such as "Charging has been terminated due to an abnormality. Please consult your dealer or repair shop."

[0034] In the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment described above, when charging of the battery 36 is not completed even if external charging has been normally completed, or when charging completion of the battery 36 exceeds the charging end time Tend, the cause (cause of incompletion or delay) is identified and notified. This makes it possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable when charging is not completed at the charging end time Tend or when charging is completed beyond the charging end time Tend. Furthermore, the charging status is recorded, including the identified cause (cause of incompletion, delay, or abnormal termination). This makes it possible to obtain the charging status and cause (cause of incompletion, delay, or abnormal termination) recorded at the dealer or repair shop, and to deal with these situations.

[0035] In the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment, external charging is performed by connecting a commercial power source 220 to the vehicle-side inlet 54 of the electric vehicle 20 using the charging cable device 120. However, external charging may also be performed by connecting a connector on the external power source side to the vehicle-side inlet 54 of the electric vehicle 20 without using the charging cable device 120.

[0036] In the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment, the commercial power source 220 that provides AC power is used as the external power source, but a DC power source that provides DC power may be used as the external power source. In this case, the charger 50 may be provided with a circuit that converts the power from the external power source into power of a desired voltage, instead of the power conversion circuit 52.

[0037] In the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment, the battery 36 is used as the power storage device, but any device capable of storing power may be used, such as a capacitor. In the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment, the boost converter 40 is provided, but the boost converter 40 may not be provided.

[0038] In the embodiment, the electric vehicle 20 is provided with a motor 32. However, the electric vehicle 20 may be provided with a hybrid vehicle that includes an engine in addition to the motor 32, or may be provided with a fuel cell.

[0039] The correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section on means for solving the problem will be described below. In the embodiment, the battery 36 corresponds to the "electricity storage device", the charger 50 corresponds to the "charger", and the electronic control unit 70 corresponds to the "control device".

[0040] The correspondence between the main elements of the Examples and the main elements of the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column does not limit the elements of the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column, since the Examples are examples for specifically explaining the mode for implementing the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column. In other words, the interpretation of the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column should be based on the description in that column, and the Examples are merely a specific example of the invention described in the Summary of the Problem column.

[0041] Although the form for carrying out the present invention has been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out in various forms without departing from the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] The present invention can be used in the electric vehicle manufacturing industry and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 20 electric vehicle, 22a, 22b drive wheels, 24 differential gear, 26 drive shaft, 32 motor, 32a rotational position detection sensor, 36b current sensor, 34 inverter, 36 battery, 36a, 46a, 48a voltage sensor, 38 system main relay, 40 boost converter, 42 high-voltage side power line, 44 low-voltage side power line, 46 high-voltage side capacitor, 48 low-voltage side capacitor, 50 charger, 51 charging power line, 51a voltage sensor, 51b current sensor, 52 power conversion circuit, 52a commercial power supply side AC / DC conversion circuit, 52b smoothing capacitor, 52c DC / AC conversion circuit, 52d transformer, 52e battery side AC / DC conversion circuit, 54 vehicle side inlet, 56 lid sensor, 57 vehicle side ground line, 58 vehicle side connection line, 60 vehicle side communication line, 62 Lid signal line, 70 electronic control unit, 72 CPU, 74 ROM, 76 RAM, 77 start switch, 78 display, 82 DC / DC converter, 84 auxiliary power line, 86 auxiliary battery, 120 charging cable device, 130 cable electronic control unit (cable ECU), 132 power circuit, 134 control pilot circuit, 151 cable side power line, charging relay 152, 154a vehicle connector, 154b power connector, 157 cable side ground line, 158 cable side connection line, 158a switch, 160 cable side communication line, 162 cable side temperature detection line, 220 commercial power supply, 251 power supply side power line, 254 power supply side connector, 257 power supply side ground line, 256 temperature sensor, 262 power supply side temperature detection line, R precharge resistor, SMRB positive side relay, SMRG negative side relay, SMRP Precharge relay.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle including: a power storage device; a charger that charges the power storage device with electric power from an external power source; and a control device that controls the charger, The control device includes: calculating a required charging time required for charging the power storage device before the charger charges the power storage device, and calculating a scheduled charging end time using the required charging time; When charging of the power storage device is normally completed, including when charging of the power storage device is completed based on a charge completion instruction from a user, when charging of the power storage device is completed at a charge completion time set by a user, and when charging of the power storage device is completed because the power storage device is fully charged, if charging of the power storage device is not completed at the scheduled charge completion time, causes of incompletion including a cause of charging not being completed due to a charge completion instruction from a user, a cause of charging not being completed due to a temperature drop of the power storage device, and a cause of charging not being completed due to a voltage drop on the external power source side are acquired, and when charging of the power storage device is completed beyond the scheduled charge completion time, causes of delay including a cause of delayed completion of charging due to a temperature drop of the power storage device and a cause of delayed completion of charging due to a voltage drop on the external power source side are acquired. An electric vehicle characterized by:

2. An electric vehicle according to claim 1, The control device stores the incompletion cause or the delay cause. Electric car.

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