Charging system for electric vehicles and computer program

Abstract

To suppress power consumption of a charging device in a charging system for an electric vehicle.SOLUTION: Charging systems 100, 100A, 100B, and 100C for an electric vehicle comprises: a system power supply PS supplied to an operation section of the electric vehicle; a plurality of distribution lines DL1, DL2, DL3, and DL4 connected to the system power supply; a plurality of charging devices 120 respectively arranged in a plurality of areas AR1, AR2, AR3, and AR4 dividing the operation section and supplied with power from distribution lines to charge the electric vehicle; power supply control devices 110 and 150 installed in each distribution line to execute or stop the power supply to the downstream side of the distribution line; and a consumption power control unit 140 for receiving information indicating peak power to control the power supply control devices. The consumption power control unit determines a charging stop area so as to prevent a total of consumption power by the charging devices from exceeding the peak power, and controls the power supply control devices to stop charging of the charging devices disposed in the charging stop area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging system and a computer program for an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Charging systems that charge electric vehicles are known. When charging multiple electric vehicles in such a charging system, it is necessary to charge them so that the amount of power consumed by charging does not exceed the amount of power that can be supplied. The charging system described in Patent Document 1 obtains the remaining charge of the rechargeable battery of each electric vehicle and its destination, and determines a charging schedule for charging devices installed in each home, thereby preventing excessive power consumption caused by simultaneous charging at multiple charging devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-65265 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the charging system described in Patent Document 1, a charging schedule is determined for each charging device, which causes a problem that the configuration of the charging system becomes complicated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a charging system (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) for an electric vehicle is provided. This charging system is a charging system for electric vehicles and includes: a grid power source (PS) that supplies power to an operating area of ​​the electric vehicle; a plurality of distribution lines (DL1, DL2, DL3, DL4) connected to the grid power source; a plurality of areas (AR1, AR2, AR3, AR4) that divide the operating area, each of which has different distribution lines; a plurality of charging devices (120) that are each arranged in the plurality of areas and receive power from the distribution lines to charge the electric vehicle; a power supply control device (110, 150) that is installed on each of the distribution lines and that starts or stops the supply of power to the downstream side of the distribution line; and a power consumption control unit (140) that receives information indicating peak power, which is an upper limit of the total power that can be supplied to the plurality of charging devices, and controls the power supply control device, wherein the power consumption control unit determines a charging stop area among the plurality of areas where charging is to be stopped so that the total power consumed by the plurality of charging devices does not exceed the peak power, and controls the power supply control device to stop charging by the charging devices arranged in the charging stop area.

[0007] According to this type of control device, a charging stop area is determined so that the total power consumption by the charging devices does not exceed the peak power, and the power supply device is controlled to stop charging by the charging devices located in the charging stop area.This makes it possible to prevent the configuration of the charging system from becoming more complex than in a type in which the execution and stop of charging is controlled for each charging device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a charging process performed by the charging system of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power transmission circuit, a power supply side control unit, and a power receiving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a power consumption suppression process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a power consumption suppression process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a power consumption suppression process according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a power consumption suppression process according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charging system according to another embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charging system according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charging system according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A. First embodiment: A-1. System Configuration: 1 is a system for charging an electric vehicle operating within a pre-designated operating area. In this embodiment, the electric vehicle is configured as an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) that can autonomously determine its operating route using a pre-trained AI and operates within a factory or warehouse as its operating area. The charging system 100 includes a power grid PS, a plurality of power distribution lines DL1, DL2, DL3, and DL4, a plurality of power feeding devices 110, a plurality of power transmission devices 120, and a control device 130.

[0010] The power grid PS is an AC power source that receives power from a power grid of an electric power company or the like. Power distribution lines DL1, DL2, DL3, and DL4 are connected to the power grid PS. Note that the power grid PS is not limited to a power grid of an electric power company or the like, and may also be an AC power source that receives power generated by a factory's own power generation system.

[0011] The power transmitting device 120 receives power from one of the power distribution lines DL1, DL2, DL3, and DL4, and transmits the power to a power receiving circuit of an electric vehicle (described later). The power transmitting device 120 corresponds to a "charging device" in this disclosure. The specific configuration of the power transmitting device 120 will be described later.

[0012] The power transmission devices 120 are respectively arranged in a plurality of areas AR1, AR2, AR3, and AR4 that are obtained by dividing the operation area. Each area is divided, for example, by a factory floor. Furthermore, each area may be divided by a process or section within the same floor. Each area has a power distribution line that is different from other areas, and the power transmission devices 120 installed in the same area receive power from a common power distribution line. Note that the operation area is not limited to four areas, and may be divided into two, three, five or more areas.

[0013] The power supply device 110 is installed on each power distribution line. In this embodiment, one power supply device 110 is installed in each area. The power supply device 110 converts AC power supplied from the power system PS into high-frequency AC power and supplies it to the power transmission device 120. The power supply device 110 is also controlled by the control device 130 to stop supplying power to the power transmission device 120. In this way, the power supply device 110 starts or stops supplying power to the downstream side of the power supply device 110. The power supply device 110 corresponds to a "power supply control device" in this disclosure. The specific configuration of the power supply device 110 will be described later.

[0014] The control device 130 is configured as a computer having a CPU 131, a memory 132, and a communication device 133. The CPU 131 functions as a power consumption control unit 140 by executing a program stored in the memory 132 in advance.

[0015] The power consumption control unit 140 acquires information relating to the total current power consumption by each power transmission device 120 (hereinafter also referred to as "power consumption information") from the power grid PS via the communication device 133. The power consumption control unit 140 also acquires information indicating peak power, which is the upper limit of the total power that can be supplied to each power transmission device 120 (hereinafter also referred to as "peak power information"), from the power management system 300 via the communication device 133. The power management system 300 is a system that manages the power supply in a larger power grid that includes the power grid PS, outside the charging system 100. The power management system 300 includes, for example, a system managed by a factory's private power generation supply system or a VPP (Virtual Power Plant) aggregator. The power consumption control unit 140 uses the power consumption information and the peak power information to control the power supply device 110 and the supply of power to the power transmission devices 120 so that the total power consumption by each power transmission device 120 does not exceed the peak power.

[0016] Charging between the charging system 100 and the electric vehicle 202 of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 2. In this embodiment, the electric vehicle 202 is charged when it travels on a track 105 on which the charging system 100 is buried, as shown in Fig. 2. "Traveling on the track 105" includes not only cases in which the electric vehicle 202 is moving, but also cases in which the electric vehicle 202 is stopped near fixed equipment such as a transport robot or conveyor for transferring transported goods, etc. In Fig. 2, the x-axis direction indicates the traveling direction of the electric vehicle 202, the y-axis direction indicates the width direction of the electric vehicle 202, and the z-axis direction indicates the vertically upward direction.

[0017] The AC power supplied from the power system PS is converted into high-frequency AC power by an AC-DC converter circuit 111, an inverter circuit 112, and a filter circuit 113 included in the power supply device 110. More specifically, the AC power supplied from the power system PS is rectified and converted into DC power by the AC-DC converter circuit 111, converted into high-frequency AC power by the inverter circuit 112, and extracted by the filter circuit 113 as high-frequency AC power in a preset frequency band.

[0018] The power supply device 110 is connected in parallel to a plurality of power transmission devices 120 installed underground along the x-direction of the track 105, and supplies high-frequency AC power to each of the power transmission devices 120. Note that the power transmission devices 120 may be installed in a location other than underground of the track 105, for example, on the side of the conveyance equipment.

[0019] Each power transmitting device 120 has a power transmitting circuit 10 and a power supply side control unit 20. The power supply side control unit 20 switches the state of the power transmitting circuit 10 between a first state and a second state, and in the second state, sets the power transmitting circuit 10 in a resonant state to supply power to the power receiving device 200, and in the first state, sets the power transmitting circuit 10 in a non-resonant state to limit the supply of power to the power receiving device 200. The specific configurations of the power transmitting circuit 10 and the power supply side control unit 20 will be described later.

[0020] The electric vehicle 202 includes a battery 210, an auxiliary battery 215, a power receiving side control unit 220, a rectifier circuit 230, a power receiving circuit 240, a DC / DC converter circuit 260, an inverter circuit 270, a motor generator 280, and an auxiliary unit 290. The power receiving device 200 does not necessarily have to include the auxiliary unit 290. In this case, the auxiliary battery 215 and the DC / DC converter circuit 260 may also not be included. In this embodiment, the power receiving circuit 240 is provided in a position facing the road 105, for example, on the underside of the electric vehicle 202. In addition, when the power transmission circuit 10 is disposed on the side of the fixed equipment, the power receiving circuit 240 may be provided on the side of the electric vehicle 202. As will be described later, the power receiving circuit 240 includes a power receiving coil and a capacitor that form a resonant circuit. The power receiving circuit 240 is connected to the rectifier circuit 230, and AC power received by the power receiving circuit 240 is converted into DC power. The output of the rectifier circuit 230 is connected to the battery 210, the high-voltage side of the DC / DC converter circuit 260, and the inverter circuit 270. The low-voltage side of the DC / DC converter circuit 260 is connected to the auxiliary battery 215 and the auxiliary device 290. The inverter circuit 270 is connected to the motor generator 280. The DC power output from the rectifier circuit 230 can be used to charge the battery 210 or drive the motor generator 280 via the inverter circuit 270. Furthermore, by stepping down the DC power output from the rectifier circuit 230 using the DC / DC converter circuit 260, the DC power can also be used to charge the auxiliary battery 215 or drive the auxiliary device 290.

[0021] Battery 210 is a secondary battery that outputs relatively high DC power, for example, a voltage of several tens to several hundreds of volts, for driving motor generator 280. Motor generator 280 operates as a three-phase AC motor and generates driving force for running electric vehicle 202. Motor generator 280 operates as a generator and regenerates electric power when electric vehicle 202 decelerates. When motor generator 280 operates as a motor, inverter circuit 270 converts the electric power of battery 210 into three-phase AC and supplies it to motor generator 280. When motor generator 280 operates as a generator, inverter circuit 270 converts the three-phase AC regenerated by motor generator 280 into DC and supplies it to battery 210.

[0022] The DC / DC converter circuit 260 converts the output of the battery 210 to a voltage lower than the output voltage of the battery 210, for example, 12 V, and supplies the voltage to the auxiliary battery 215 and the auxiliary device 290. The auxiliary battery 215 is a secondary battery for driving the auxiliary device 290, and its voltage is relatively low. The auxiliary device 290 includes peripheral devices such as an air conditioner, an electric power steering device, headlights, blinkers, and wipers of the electric vehicle 202, as well as various accessories of the electric vehicle 202.

[0023] The power receiving side control unit 220 controls the inverter circuit 270 and other units in the electric vehicle 202. When receiving contactless power feeding while the vehicle is traveling, the power receiving side control unit 220 controls the power receiving circuit 240 to receive power.

[0024] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the power transmission circuit 10, the power supply side control unit 20, and the power receiving circuit 240. The power transmission circuit 10 includes a power transmission coil 11, two capacitors 12 and 13, and a switch SW. The capacitor 12 and the power transmission coil 11 are connected in series. The capacitor 13 and the switch SW are connected in series, and the series-connected capacitor 13 and switch SW are connected in parallel with the capacitor 12. The power transmission coil 11 and the two capacitors 12 and 13 form a resonant circuit. The power receiving circuit 240 includes a power receiving coil 241 and a capacitor 242 connected in series, and the power receiving coil 241 and the capacitor 242 form a resonant circuit.

[0025] The capacitance of the capacitor 12 is C1, the capacitance of the capacitor 13 is C2, the inductance of the power transmission coil 11 is L1, and the electrical resistance of the wiring is R. The impedance Zon of the power transmission circuit 10 is Zon=R+j(ωL1-1 / ωCg) Here, when the switch SW is off, the capacitor 13 is disconnected, so Cg=C1 and When the switch SW is on, the capacitor 13 is connected, so Cg=C1+C2 is. In the above equation, ω is the angular frequency, and ω=2πf, where f is the operating frequency of the power transmitting circuit 10. Furthermore, the power transmitting coil 11 is magnetically coupled to the power receiving coil 241. Hereinafter, magnetic coupling is also referred to as "coupling." Therefore, the inductance L1 of the power transmitting coil 11 changes depending on the relative positional relationship with the power receiving coil 241. If the inductance when the power transmitting coil 11 is not coupled to any coil is L41, and the inductance when the power receiving coil 241 is not coupled to any coil is L241, then the inductance L1 of the power transmitting coil 11 is L1 = L41 ± k (L41 × L241) 1 / 2 where k is a coupling coefficient, which is determined by the relative positional relationship between power transmitting coil 11 and power receiving coil 241, and is maximum when power transmitting coil 11 and power receiving coil 241 are closest to each other. The plus / minus sign (±) before the second term in the above equation is positive if the winding directions of power transmitting coil 11 and power receiving coil 241 are the same, and negative if they are opposite.

[0026] The power supply side control unit 20 includes a measurement unit 21, a determination circuit 22, a switching circuit 23, and a drive circuit 24. The measurement unit 21 is a sensor that measures a physical quantity of the power transmitting coil 11. The physical quantity is an index indicating the degree of resonance of a resonant circuit including the power transmitting coil 11 and capacitors 12 and 13. In this embodiment, the voltage across the power transmitting coil 11 is used as the physical quantity. Note that multiple types of physical quantities can be used as the physical quantity. Physical quantities other than the voltage across the power transmitting coil 11 used in this embodiment, such as the current flowing through the power transmitting coil 11, the magnetic flux generated by the power transmitting coil 11, the voltage across the capacitor 12, and the current flowing through the capacitor 12, may also be used. When the switch SW is on, the voltage across the capacitor 13 and the current flowing through the capacitor 13 may also be used. The voltage across the power transmitting coil 11 when the switch SW is off is referred to as an off-voltage Voff, and the voltage across the power transmitting coil 11 when the switch SW is on is referred to as an on-voltage Von. The physical quantity to be detected may be different depending on whether the switch SW is in an off or on state. For example, when the switch SW is off, the voltage across the transmitting coil 11 may be used as the physical quantity to be detected, and when the switch SW is on, the current flowing through the transmitting coil 11 or the voltage across the capacitor 12 may be used as the physical quantity to be detected in addition to the voltage across the transmitting coil 11.

[0027] The determination circuit 22 acquires whether the off-voltage Voff when the switch SW is in an off state is greater than or equal to a threshold Vth_off_L or Vth_off_H, and whether the on-voltage Von when the switch SW is in an on state is greater than or equal to a threshold Vth_on_L or Vth_on_H. If the off-voltage Voff is greater than or equal to the threshold Vth_off_L or Vth_off_H, the signal Soff is set to a high level (hereinafter referred to as [H]). If the off-voltage Voff is less than the threshold Vth_off_L or Vth_off_H, the signal Soff is set to a low level (hereinafter referred to as [L]). If the on-voltage Von is greater than or equal to the threshold Vth_on_L or Vth_on_H, the signal Son is set to [H]. If the on-voltage Von is less than the threshold Vth_on_L or Vth_on_H, the signal Son is set to [L].

[0028] The switching circuit 23 determines the value of a switching signal Ss that turns the switch SW on and off based on the values ​​of the signals Soff and Son. The drive circuit 24 drives the on-off switching of the switch SW according to the switching signal Ss that is the output of the switching circuit 23. The switch SW may be a device that switches a mechanical contact such as a relay in response to an external command, but it may also be configured using a semiconductor element such as a MOS-FET or an analog switch.

[0029] A-2. Power consumption reduction process: 4, the power consumption control unit 140 controls the power feeding device 110 to control the supply of power to the power transmitting device 120 so that the power consumption by the power transmitting device 120 does not exceed the peak power. The power consumption control unit 140 starts the power consumption control process when power supply to the operation area starts. The power consumption control unit 140 repeatedly executes the power consumption control process while power is being supplied to the operation area.

[0030] In step S100, the power consumption control unit 140 acquires peak power information and power consumption information. In this embodiment, the power consumption control unit 140 acquires the peak power information from the power management system 300. The power consumption control unit 140 also acquires the power consumption information from the power system PS.

[0031] In step S200, power consumption control unit 140 determines whether or not it is necessary to suppress power consumption due to charging with respect to peak power.

[0032] If it is determined that power consumption needs to be reduced (step S200: Yes), the power consumption control unit 140 determines a charging stop area according to a switching pattern (step S300). A charging stop area refers to an area among areas AR1 to AR4 where power supply from the grid power supply PS is stopped. In this embodiment, the switching pattern refers to a pattern that is set in advance and stored in memory 132, and indicates the order in which charging stop areas are selected and the time for which charging is stopped in the charging stop area. It is preferable that the switching pattern is determined so as not to affect the operation of the electric vehicle 202, taking into consideration the regular operation schedule of the electric vehicle 202, etc.

[0033] In step S400, the power consumption control unit 140 controls the power supply device 110 installed in the charging stop area to stop the power supply to the charging stop area. In this embodiment, after stopping the power supply to the charging stop area, the power consumption control unit 140 resumes the power supply to the charging stop area after the time determined by the above-described switching pattern has elapsed.

[0034] On the other hand, if it is determined that power consumption does not need to be reduced (step S200: No), the power consumption control unit 140 supplies power to all areas (step S500).

[0035] After step S400 or step S500 is completed, the power consumption control unit 140 executes step S100 again.

[0036] According to the charging system 100 of the embodiment described above, a charging stop area is determined so that the total power consumption by the power transmission devices 120 does not exceed the peak power, and the power feeding device 110 is controlled to stop charging by the power transmission devices 120 located in the charging stop area. Therefore, the configuration of the charging system 100 can be made less complex than in a configuration in which the start and stop of charging are controlled for each power transmission device 120.

[0037] Furthermore, the power transmission device 120 includes a power transmission circuit 10 that transmits power contactlessly to the power receiving circuit 240 of the electric vehicle 202, and therefore can charge the electric vehicle 202 when the power transmission device 120 installed on a fixed facility or the power transmission device 120 installed underground and the power receiving circuit 240 of the electric vehicle 202 come closer than a predetermined distance. This allows charging to be performed more frequently than in a configuration in which the electric vehicle 202 travels to a dedicated charging location for charging, and increases the likelihood that charging has been performed in an area that has been determined as a charging stop area and where charging has been stopped, thereby preventing a decrease in the effect of suppressing power consumption due to stopping charging.

[0038] In addition, the power transmitting device 120 switches between a power transmitting state and a power transmitting standby state depending on the degree of coupling between the power receiving circuit 240 and the power transmitting device 120, thereby shortening the time during which the power transmitting device is in a power transmitting state and power consumption is high, thereby further reducing the power consumption of the charging system 100.

[0039] Furthermore, the power consumption control unit 140 determines the charging stop area according to a preset switching pattern, so that charging can be stopped according to a schedule that takes into consideration in advance the impact of charging stop on the operation of the electric vehicle 202, thereby minimizing the impact of charging stop on the operation of the electric vehicle 202.

[0040] B. Second embodiment: The charging system 100 of the second embodiment differs from the charging system 100 of the first embodiment in that, in the power consumption suppression process, steps S110 and S120 are executed after step S100, as shown in Fig. 5. Note that the system configuration of the charging system 100 of the second embodiment and other steps in the power consumption suppression process are the same as those of the charging system 100 of the first embodiment, and therefore the same configurations and steps are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] In step S110, the power consumption control unit 140 acquires information indicating the operation history of each electric vehicle 202 (hereinafter also referred to as "operation history information") from each electric vehicle 202 via the communication device 133. The operation history information includes, for example, information indicating whether each electric vehicle 202 has stopped operation due to insufficient charge.

[0042] In step S120, the power consumption control unit 140 updates the switching pattern using the acquired operation history information. In this embodiment, when operation history information indicating that any of the electric vehicles 202 has stopped operation due to insufficient charge is acquired, the power consumption control unit 140 updates the switching pattern, for example, to shorten the charging stop time in the area in which the electric vehicle 202 was operating. By updating the switching pattern in this way, the power consumption control unit 140 can determine the power outage stop area using an appropriate switching pattern depending on the operation status of each electric vehicle 202.

[0043] According to the charging system 100 of the second embodiment described above, the switching pattern is updated using operation history information, so that the power outage stop area can be determined using an appropriate switching pattern depending on the operation status of each electric vehicle 202, and the impact of charging stop on the operation of the electric vehicle 202 can be further reduced while suppressing power consumption.

[0044] C. Third embodiment: As shown in Fig. 6, the charging system 100 of the third embodiment differs from the charging system 100 of the second embodiment in that it executes steps S112 and S122 instead of steps S110 and S120 shown in Fig. 5. Note that the system configuration and other steps in the power consumption suppression process of the charging system 100 of the third embodiment are the same as those of the charging system 100 of the second embodiment, and therefore the same configurations and steps are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0045] In step S112, the power consumption control unit 140 acquires information on the power consumption not caused by the power transmission device 120 (hereinafter also referred to as "non-charging power consumption information") from the power management system 300 via the communication device 133. The non-charging power consumption information includes, for example, information on the power consumption caused by production equipment and transport robots installed in a factory.

[0046] In step S122, the power consumption control unit 140 updates the switching pattern using the non-charging power consumption information. In this embodiment, when facilities other than the power transmission device 120, such as production facilities or transport robots, are stopped and power consumption is low, the power consumption control unit 140 can reduce the amount of power consumption suppression due to charging, and therefore updates the switching pattern to shorten the charging suspension time in the charging suspension area. By updating the switching pattern in this way, the power consumption control unit 140 can determine the power outage suspension area using an appropriate switching pattern depending on the power consumption in the entire operation location.

[0047] According to the charging system 100 of the third embodiment described above, the switching pattern is updated using operation history information, so that when power consumption by facilities other than the power transmission device is low, the charging stop time in the charging stop area can be shortened, and the impact of charging stop on the operation of the electric vehicle 202 can be further reduced while suppressing power consumption.

[0048] D. Fourth embodiment: 7, charging system 100 of the fourth embodiment differs from charging system 100 of the third embodiment in that it executes steps S114 and S124 instead of steps S112 and S122 shown in Fig. 6, and in that it executes step S410 after step S400. Note that the system configuration and other steps in the power consumption suppression process of charging system 100 of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of charging system 100 of the third embodiment, and therefore the same configurations and steps are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0049] In step S114, the power consumption control unit 140 acquires information indicating the charge state of the battery 210 of the electric vehicle 202 (hereinafter also referred to as "charge state information"), and information that is preset for each electric vehicle 202 and indicates the degree of impact on operation when each electric vehicle 202 stops (hereinafter also referred to as "operation impact information"). In this embodiment, the power consumption control unit 140 acquires the charge state information transmitted from each electric vehicle 202. The power consumption control unit 140 also acquires operation impact information that is pre-stored in the memory 132. The operation impact information may be transmitted from each electric vehicle 202 together with the charge state information.

[0050] In step S124, the power consumption control unit 140 updates the switching pattern using the charge state information and the operation impact information. In this embodiment, the power consumption control unit 140 updates the switching pattern using the charge state information to shorten the charging stop time in areas where electric vehicles 202 with low remaining battery power 210 are operating. Furthermore, when there are multiple electric vehicles 202 with low remaining battery power 210, the power consumption control unit 140 updates the switching pattern using the operation impact information to preferentially shorten the charging stop time in areas where electric vehicles 202 with low remaining battery power 210, which have a large impact on operation when stopped, are operating. By updating the switching pattern in this way, the power consumption control unit 140 can determine the power outage stop area using an appropriate switching pattern depending on the impact on operation when charging is stopped.

[0051] In step S410, the power consumption control unit 140 notifies each electric vehicle 202 of information indicating which of the areas AR1 to AR4 has been determined to be a charging suspension area and charging by the power transmission device 120 has been suspended. Using this information, each electric vehicle 202 can, for example, temporarily move from a predetermined operating area to an area where charging is not suspended according to the charging state of each electric vehicle 202 to perform charging.

[0052] According to the charging system 100 of the fourth embodiment described above, the switching pattern is updated using the charging state information, so that the charging stop time in an area where the electric vehicle 202 with a low remaining battery 210 is operating can be shortened, and the impact of charging stop on the operation of the electric vehicle 202 can be further reduced while suppressing power consumption.

[0053] Furthermore, since the charging system 100 updates the switching pattern using the operation impact information, when there are multiple electric vehicles 202 with low remaining battery power in the battery 210, it is possible to prioritize shortening the charging stop time in areas where electric vehicles 202 whose stopping would have a large impact on operation are operating. This makes it possible to further reduce the impact on operation of the electric vehicles 202 caused by charging stoppage while suppressing power consumption.

[0054] Furthermore, charging system 100 notifies each electric vehicle 202 of information indicating which of the areas AR1 to AR4 has been determined to be a charging suspension area and charging by power transmission device 120 has been suspended, so that each electric vehicle 202 can move to an area where charging is not suspended as needed to charge. This makes it possible to further reduce the impact on operation of electric vehicle 202 due to suspension of charging while suppressing power consumption.

[0055] E. Other Embodiments: (E1) In the above embodiment, charging system 100 charges electric vehicle 202 by wireless power supply, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Charging system 100 may be configured to include a charger having a charging connector instead of power transmitting device 120, and to perform contact charging on electric vehicles having a power receiving connector instead of power receiving circuit 240. Charging system 100 may also be configured to have dedicated charging locations for wireless power supply or contact charging in some of each area, and to charge only electric vehicles that arrive at the dedicated charging locations. Charging system 100 may also perform charging using different charging methods for each area, among charging by wireless power supply, contact charging, and charging at dedicated charging locations. Even with charging system 100 configured in this way, the configuration of charging system 100 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0056] (E2) In the above embodiment, the charging system 100 includes one power supply device 110 in each area and controls the power supply device 110 to control the power supply to each area. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 8 , the charging system 100A may include one power supply device 150 for each area and one power supply device 110 installed downstream of the power supply device 150 for each power transmission device 120. The power supply device 150 is configured as a switch, such as a relay, and is controlled by the power consumption control unit 140 to start or stop the power supply downstream of the power supply device 150. The power supply device 150 corresponds to the “power supply control device” in the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9 , the charging system 100B may include one power supply device 110 shared by the entire charging system 100B and one power supply device 150 for each area. The charging systems 100A and 100B with such configurations can achieve the same effects as the above embodiment. 10, a charging system 100C may be configured to include an interrupter 150 installed for each power transmission device 120 in addition to the configuration of the charging system 100B. The charging system 100C configured as above can control the supply or stop of power for each power transmission device 120, thereby enabling more accurate control of the amount of power consumption reduction. Note that in the charging systems 100A, 100B, and 100C, the power consumption control unit 140 may control the power supply to each area by controlling the power feeding device 110 in the same manner as in the above embodiment, in addition to controlling the interrupter 150.

[0057] (E3) In the above embodiment, the electric vehicle 202 is configured as an AGV that can autonomously determine its route and operates within a factory, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The electric vehicle 202 may not be capable of autonomously determining its route, but may be, for example, a mobility that operates only on a predetermined route. Furthermore, the electric vehicle 202 is not limited to being operated within a factory, but may be, for example, a bus that operates within an airport or a mobility that operates within a theme park. Furthermore, the charging system 100 is not limited to electric vehicles 202 that operate only within a specific site, but may be, for example, a system that charges electric vehicles 202 while they are parked at a terminal where electric vehicles 202 configured as trucks or buses traveling long distances stop, and that controls the suspension of charging for each area within the terminal. A charging system 100 configured in this manner also achieves the same effects as the above embodiment.

[0058] (E4) In the above embodiment, power transmitting device 120 includes power supply-side control unit 20 and enters a power transmission standby state when power transmitting coil 11 and power receiving coil 241 are not coupled, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Power transmitting device 120 may not include power supply-side control unit 20 and may be in a power transmission enabled state while power is being supplied from power supply device 110. Even with charging system 100 configured in this way, the configuration of charging system 100 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0059] (E5) In the above embodiment, the power consumption control unit 140 determines the charging stop area according to a preset switching pattern, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the power consumption control unit 140 may monitor the total power consumption by the power transmission device 120 for each area, regardless of the switching pattern, and, when it becomes necessary to reduce power consumption, determine the area with the highest power consumption as the charging stop area. Even with the charging system 100 configured in this way, the configuration of the charging system 100 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0060] (E6) In the fourth embodiment, the power consumption control unit 140 updates the switching schedule using the charge state information and the operation impact information, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The power consumption control unit 140 may update the switching schedule using only the charge state information. The charging system 100 configured in this manner can also shorten the charging suspension time in an area where an electric vehicle 202 with a low remaining battery power is operating, and can further reduce the impact of charging suspension on the operation of the electric vehicle 202 while suppressing power consumption.

[0061] (E7) In the fourth embodiment described above, the power consumption control unit 140 notifies each electric vehicle 202 of the charging stop area, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The power consumption control unit 140 does not have to notify each electric vehicle 202 of the charging stop area. Even with the charging system 100 configured as described above, it is possible to shorten the charging stop time in areas where electric vehicles 202 with low remaining battery power are operating, and to further reduce the impact of charging stop on the operation of the electric vehicles 202 while suppressing power consumption. In addition, it is possible to preferentially shorten the charging stop time in areas where electric vehicles 202 whose operation will be greatly affected when stopped are operating, and to further reduce the impact of charging stop on the operation of the electric vehicles 202 while suppressing power consumption.

[0062] The controller 130 and techniques described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured with a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the controller 130 and techniques described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured with a processor configured with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the controller 130 and techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured with a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions in combination with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may also be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0063] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in the form described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. (Form 1) A charging system (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) for an electric vehicle, a power system (PS) supplied to the driving area of ​​the electric vehicle; A plurality of distribution lines (DL1, DL2, DL3, DL4) connected to the system power supply; a plurality of charging devices (120) that are respectively disposed in a plurality of areas (AR1, AR2, AR3, AR4) that are obtained by dividing the operation area and that have different power distribution lines, and that are supplied with power from the power distribution lines and charge the electric vehicles; a power supply control device (110, 150) installed on each of the distribution lines, for starting or stopping the supply of power to the downstream side of the distribution line; a power consumption control unit (140) that acquires information indicating peak power, which is an upper limit of total power that can be supplied to the plurality of charging devices, and controls the power supply control device; Equipped with the power consumption control unit determines a charging stop area among the plurality of areas where charging is to be stopped so that the total power consumption by the plurality of charging devices does not exceed the peak power, and controls the power supply control device to stop charging by the charging devices located in the charging stop area. Charging system. (Form 2) The charging system according to aspect 1, At least some of the plurality of charging devices include a power transmission circuit (10) that transmits power to a power receiving circuit (240) of the electric vehicle in a wireless manner. Charging system. (Form 3) The charging system according to aspect 2, the power transmitting circuit switches between a power transmitting enabled state and a power transmission standby state depending on the degree of coupling between the power receiving circuit and the charging device; Charging system. (Form 4) The charging system according to aspect 2 or aspect 3, the power consumption control unit determines the charging stop area in accordance with a preset switching pattern indicating an order of selecting the charging stop area and a time for stopping charging in the charging stop area; Charging system. (Form 5) The charging system according to aspect 4, the power consumption control unit acquires an operation history of the electric vehicle and updates the switching pattern using the operation history. Charging system. (Form 6) The charging system according to aspect 4, the power consumption control unit acquires non-charging power consumption information, which is information regarding power consumption not due to the charging device, among power consumption in the operation area, and updates the switching pattern using the non-charging power consumption information. Charging system. (Form 7) The charging system according to aspect 4, the power consumption control unit acquires charging state information, which is information transmitted from the electric vehicle and indicates a charging state of a battery (210) of the electric vehicle, and updates the switching pattern using the charging state information. Charging system. (Form 8) A charging system according to aspect 7, the power consumption control unit acquires operation impact information, which is information preset for each of the plurality of electric vehicles and indicates the degree of impact on operation when each of the electric vehicles is stopped, and uses the operation impact information to further reduce the frequency with which an area in which an electric vehicle with a higher impact is operating is selected as the charging stop area. Charging system. (Form 9) The charging system according to aspect 8, The electric vehicle is configured to be able to autonomously determine a driving route, the power consumption control unit notifies the electric vehicle of information indicating which of the plurality of areas has been determined to be the charging stop area and charging by the charging device has been stopped; Charging system. (Form 10) A computer program for controlling a charging system for an electric vehicle, The charging system includes: a power supply system that supplies power to an area where the electric vehicle operates; a plurality of distribution lines connected to the system power supply; a plurality of charging devices that are respectively disposed in a plurality of areas that are obtained by dividing the operation area and that have different power distribution lines, and that are supplied with power from the power distribution lines and charge the electric vehicles; a power supply control device that is installed on each of the power distribution lines and that starts or stops power supply to a downstream side of the power distribution line; Equipped with The computer program comprises: a function of determining a charging stop area among the plurality of areas in which charging is stopped so that the total power consumption by the plurality of charging devices does not exceed a peak power, which is an upper limit of the total power that can be supplied to the plurality of charging devices; a function of controlling the power supply control device to stop charging by the charging device located in the charging stop area; To realize this on a computer, Computer program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 100, 100A, 100B, 100C... charging system, 110... power supply device, 120... power transmission device, 140... power consumption control unit, 150... interrupter, AR1, AR2, AR3, AR4... area, DL1, DL2, DL3, DL4... distribution line, PS... system power supply

Claims

1. A charging system (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) for an electric vehicle, a power system (PS) supplied to the driving area of ​​the electric vehicle; a plurality of distribution lines (DL1, DL2, DL3, DL4) connected to the system power supply; a plurality of charging devices (120) that are respectively disposed in a plurality of areas (AR1, AR2, AR3, AR4) that are obtained by dividing the operation area and that have different power distribution lines, and that are supplied with power from the power distribution lines and charge the electric vehicles; a power supply control device (110, 150) installed on each of the power distribution lines, for starting or stopping the power supply to the downstream side of the power distribution line; a power consumption control unit (140) that acquires information indicating peak power, which is an upper limit of total power that can be supplied to the plurality of charging devices, and controls the power supply control device; Equipped with the power consumption control unit determines a charging stop area among the plurality of areas where charging is to be stopped so that the total power consumption by the plurality of charging devices does not exceed the peak power, and controls the power supply control device to stop charging by the charging devices located in the charging stop area. Charging system.

2. 2. The charging system according to claim 1, At least some of the plurality of charging devices include a power transmission circuit (10) that transmits power to a power receiving circuit (240) of the electric vehicle in a wireless manner. Charging system.

3. 3. The charging system according to claim 2, the power transmitting circuit switches between a power transmitting enabled state and a power transmission standby state depending on the degree of coupling between the power receiving circuit and the charging device; Charging system.

4. The charging system according to claim 2 or 3, the power consumption control unit determines the charging stop area in accordance with a preset switching pattern indicating an order of selecting the charging stop area and a time for stopping charging in the charging stop area; Charging system.

5. 5. The charging system according to claim 4, the power consumption control unit acquires an operation history of the electric vehicle and updates the switching pattern using the operation history. Charging system.

6. 5. The charging system according to claim 4, the power consumption control unit acquires non-charging power consumption information, which is information regarding power consumption not due to the charging device, among power consumption in the operation area, and updates the switching pattern using the non-charging power consumption information. Charging system.

7. 5. The charging system according to claim 4, the power consumption control unit acquires charging state information, which is information transmitted from the electric vehicle and indicates a charging state of a battery (210) of the electric vehicle, and updates the switching pattern using the charging state information. Charging system.

8. 8. The charging system according to claim 7, the power consumption control unit acquires operation impact information, which is information preset for each of the plurality of electric vehicles and indicates the degree of impact on operation when each of the electric vehicles is stopped, and uses the operation impact information to further reduce the frequency with which an area in which an electric vehicle with a higher impact is operating is selected as the charging stop area. Charging system.

9. 9. The charging system according to claim 8, The electric vehicle is configured to be able to autonomously determine a driving route, the power consumption control unit notifies the electric vehicle of information indicating which of the plurality of areas has been determined to be the charging stop area and charging by the charging device has been stopped; Charging system.

10. A computer program for controlling a charging system for an electric vehicle, The charging system includes: a power supply system that supplies power to an area where the electric vehicle operates; a plurality of distribution lines connected to the system power supply; a plurality of charging devices that are respectively disposed in a plurality of areas obtained by dividing the operation area and having different power distribution lines, and that are supplied with power from the power distribution lines and charge the electric vehicles; a power supply control device that is installed on each of the power distribution lines and that starts or stops power supply to a downstream side of the power distribution line; Equipped with The computer program comprises: a function of determining a charging stop area among the plurality of areas in which charging is stopped so that the total power consumption by the plurality of charging devices does not exceed a peak power, which is an upper limit of the total power that can be supplied to the plurality of charging devices; a function of controlling the power supply control device to stop charging by the charging device located in the charging stop area; To realize this on a computer, Computer program.

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