Charging device

Abstract

To avoid or restrain occurrence of thermal interference between components disposed in a charging device while downsizing the charging device.SOLUTION: A charging device mounted on an electric vehicle includes: a first charger that can convert AC power supplied from the outside to DC power to be supplied to a battery of the electric vehicle; a second charger that can convert AC power supplied from the outside to DC power to be supplied to the battery and further can convert DC power supplied from the battery to AC power to be supplied to the outside; a DC-DC converter that can convert DC power supplied from the battery to low-voltage DC power to be supplied to an auxiliary battery of the electric vehicle; a relay that electrically connects and disconnects a DC charging inlet of the electric vehicle to the battery; and a housing that has a first chamber accommodating the second charger, a second chamber accommodating the first charger and the relay, and a third chamber accommodating the DC-DC converter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a charging device, particularly to a charging device mounted on an electric vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a power control device mounted on an electric vehicle. In this power control device, a plurality of circuits and elements such as a boost converter, an inverter, and a DC-DC converter are integrated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As a power control unit mounted on an electric vehicle, the development of a charging device that integrates a plurality of circuits and elements related to charging is in progress. Circuits and elements related to charging have a relatively large amount of heat generated during operation. Therefore, simply integrating a plurality of circuits and elements related to charging only considering the miniaturization of the charging device will cause problems of heat interference between those circuits and elements.

[0005] In view of the above situation, this specification provides a technology for avoiding or suppressing heat interference from occurring between the components arranged inside while achieving miniaturization of the charging device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The technology disclosed herein is embodied in a charging device mounted on an electric vehicle. The charging device comprises: a first charger capable of converting AC power supplied from an external source into DC power supplied to the battery of the electric vehicle; a second charger capable of converting AC power supplied from an external source into DC power supplied to the battery, and also capable of converting DC power supplied from the battery into AC power supplied to an external source; a DC-DC converter capable of converting DC power supplied from the battery into low-voltage DC power supplied to an auxiliary battery of the electric vehicle; a relay for electrically connecting and disconnecting the DC charging inlet of the electric vehicle to the battery; and a housing having a first chamber for housing the second charger, a second chamber for housing the first charger and the relay, and a third chamber for housing the DC-DC converter.

[0007] In the charging device described above, the first charger and relay are not typically expected to operate simultaneously. Therefore, the first charger and relay are located in the same second chamber of the housing. On the other hand, the second charger and DC-DC converter are expected to operate simultaneously with other components. Therefore, the second charger and DC-DC converter are located independently in the first and third chambers of the housing, respectively. This allows for miniaturization of the charging device while avoiding or suppressing thermal interference between the components located inside it.

[0008] In a second embodiment, the housing may be provided with a first refrigerant flow path for cooling the second charger and a second refrigerant flow path for cooling the DC-DC converter, in accordance with the first embodiment. With this configuration, the second charger and the DC-DC converter, which often generate heat, can be efficiently cooled by independent refrigerant flow paths.

[0009] In a third embodiment, in the second embodiment, the first charger and relay may be cooled by a common refrigerant flow path provided in the housing. In this case, the common refrigerant flow path may be a first refrigerant flow path or a second refrigerant flow path, although this is not particularly limited. Since the first charger and relay have mutually exclusive operating opportunities, configuring them to be cooled by a common refrigerant flow path simplifies the cooling path provided in the housing.

[0010] In a fourth embodiment, in the third embodiment, the first chamber may be located above the second chamber, and the second chamber may be located above the third chamber. In this case, the second charger is mounted on the upper surface of the first chamber, and the first refrigerant flow path may be provided inside the upper wall of the housing that forms the upper surface of the first chamber. The first charger and relay are mounted on the lower surface of the second chamber, and the DC-DC converter may be mounted on the upper surface of the third chamber. The second refrigerant flow path may be provided inside the partition wall of the housing that forms the lower surface of the second chamber and the upper surface of the third chamber. With this configuration, each component can be effectively cooled by a refrigerant flow path with a relatively simple structure while suppressing thermal interference between the components.

[0011] In a fifth embodiment, in any of the first to fourth embodiments, a control device may be further provided to control the operation of the first charger and the second charger when charging the battery with AC power supplied from an external source. In this case, the control device may operate only the first charger when the charging command power to the battery is less than the maximum output of the first charger, and operate both the first charger and the second charger when the charging command power exceeds the maximum output of the first charger.

[0012] As mentioned above, the first charger operates only when the battery is charged by an external AC power source, whereas the second charger operates not only when the battery is charged by an external AC power source but also when power is supplied to an external source. Therefore, when the battery is charged by an external AC power source, if the charging command power is relatively small, the first charger can be operated preferentially, thereby equalizing the cumulative usage time between the first and second chargers. This reduces the thermal load on the second charger and extends the lifespan of the charging device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle 100 on which a charging device 10 is installed. [Figure 2] A block circuit diagram showing the electrical configuration of the charging device 10 in the embodiment. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram showing the mechanical configuration of the charging device 10 in this embodiment. For reference, a separate device located below the charging device 10 is shown by a dashed line. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the operating state of each component in each mode. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the series of processes performed by the control device 20. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Referring to the drawings, the charging device 10 of the embodiment and the vehicle 100 on which it is mounted will be described. The vehicle 100 referred to here is an electric vehicle having motors 110 that drive wheels 104f and 104r. The vehicle 100 in this embodiment is a rechargeable electric vehicle that is charged by an external power source. However, the vehicle 100 may also be a hybrid vehicle (i.e., a plug-in hybrid vehicle) that is charged by an external power source.

[0015] Here, direction FR in the drawing indicates the front of the vehicle 100 in the longitudinal direction, and direction RR indicates the rear of the vehicle 100 in the longitudinal direction. Direction UP indicates the upward direction of the vehicle 100 in the vertical direction, and direction DW indicates the downward direction of the vehicle 100 in the vertical direction. In this specification, the longitudinal direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction of the vehicle 100 may be simply referred to as the longitudinal direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction, respectively.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 100 comprises a body 102 and a plurality of wheels 104f, 104r. The body 102 has a passenger compartment 102c, which is a space for occupants (e.g., the user of the vehicle 100). The plurality of wheels 104f, 104r are rotatably mounted on the body 102. The plurality of wheels 104f, 104r include a pair of front wheels 104f located at the front of the body 102 and a pair of rear wheels 104r located at the rear of the body 102. The pair of front wheels 104f are arranged coaxially with each other, and the pair of rear wheels 104r are also arranged coaxially with each other. The number of wheels 104f, 104r is not limited to four. Although not particularly limited, the body 102 is made of metal such as steel or aluminum alloy.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 100 further comprises a main battery 106, a power control unit (PCU) 108, a motor 110, and a system main relay 112. The main battery 106 incorporates multiple secondary battery cells, such as lithium-ion battery cells, nickel-metal hydride battery cells, or all-solid-state battery cells. The main battery 106 is a high-voltage battery with an output voltage exceeding 100 volts.

[0018] The PCU 108 includes an inverter, a converter, etc. The PCU 108 controls the supplied power between the main battery 106 and the motor 110. The motor 110 is a traveling motor that drives a pair of front wheels 104f and is connected to the pair of front wheels 104f. The motor 110 is electrically connected to the main battery 106 via the PCU 108. For example, when the vehicle 100 accelerates, the PCU 108 controls the driving power supplied from the main battery 106 to the motor 110. Alternatively, when the vehicle 100 decelerates, the PCU 108 controls the regenerative power supplied from the motor 110 to the main battery 106. Note that the motor 110 is not limited to the pair of front wheels 104f and may be configured to drive at least one of a plurality of wheels 104f, 104r.

[0019] The system main relay 112 is electrically interposed between the main battery 106 and the motor 110. Therefore, when the system main relay 112 is closed and opened, the main battery 106 and the motor 110 are electrically connected and disconnected. The operation of the system main relay 112 may be controlled by the control device 20 of the charging device 10 or may be controlled by another control device (not shown).

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle 100 further includes a charging device 10, an AC charging inlet 114, a DC charging inlet 116, and a power supply outlet 118. The AC charging inlet 114, the DC charging inlet 116, and the power supply outlet 118 are electrically connected to the main battery 106 via the charging device 10.

[0021] The AC charging inlet 114 is configured to be detachable from an external AC power source 2. The external AC power source 2 is, for example, a household commercial power source. The AC charging inlet 114 receives the charging power for charging the main battery 106 from the external AC power source 2. The AC charging inlet 114 of the present embodiment is connected to the external AC power source 2 via a cable. However, as another embodiment, the AC charging inlet 114 may be wirelessly connected to the external AC power source 2.

[0022] The DC charging inlet 116 is configured such that an external DC power source 4 can be detachably attached thereto. The external DC power source 4 is, for example, a charging stand. The DC charging inlet 116 receives charging power for charging the main battery 106 from the external DC power source 4. The DC charging inlet 116 of the present embodiment is connected to the external DC power source 4 via a cable. However, as another embodiment, the DC charging inlet 116 may be wirelessly connected to the external DC power source 4.

[0023] The power supply outlet 118 is disposed inside the passenger compartment 102c. The power supply outlet 118 is configured such that an electrical device can be detachably attached thereto. The power supply outlet 118 outputs AC power to the electrical device. The electrical devices herein include, for example, home appliances, personal computers, smartphones, tablet terminals, and the like.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 100 further includes an auxiliary battery 120 and at least one auxiliary machine 122. The auxiliary battery 120 is a low-voltage battery having a rated voltage of 30 volts or less. The auxiliary battery 120 supplies power to at least one auxiliary machine 122. The at least one auxiliary machine 122 includes, for example, an electric control unit, lights, audio equipment, a car navigation system, a drive recorder, and the like.

[0025] Next, the electrical configuration of the charging device 10 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the charging device 10 includes a first charger 12. The first charger 12 is a type of power converter. The first charger 12 is electrically connected to the AC charging inlet 114 and is electrically interposed between the AC charging inlet 114 and the main battery 106. The first charger 12 can convert the AC power supplied from the external AC power source 2 into DC power to be supplied to the main battery 106. Thereby, the first charger 12 can charge the main battery 106 using the AC power supplied from the outside.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the charging device 10 further includes a second charger 14. The second charger 14 is a type of power converter. The second charger 14 is electrically connected to the AC charging inlet 114 and electrically intervenes between the AC charging inlet 114 and the main battery 106. The second charger 14 can convert AC power supplied from an external AC power source 2 into DC power supplied to the main battery 106. As a result, the second charger 14 can charge the main battery 106 using AC power supplied from an external source.

[0027] In addition, the second charger 14 is electrically connected to the power supply outlet 118 and electrically intervenes between the power supply outlet 118 and the main battery 106. The second charger 14 can convert the DC power supplied from the main battery 106 into AC power supplied to the power supply outlet 118. As a result, the second charger 14 can convert the DC power supplied from the main battery 106 into AC power and supply it to the outside of the vehicle 100, i.e., to electrical equipment connected to the power supply outlet 118. In other words, the second charger 14 is a charger that has not only a charging function but also a power supply function, and is also called a bidirectional charger.

[0028] The charging device 10 is electrically connected to the main battery 106 not only when charging the vehicle 100, but also while the vehicle 100 is in motion. As a result, the second charger 14 can supply power from the main battery 106 to the power outlet 118 even while the vehicle 100 is in motion.

[0029] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the charging device 10 further includes a DC-DC converter 16. The DC-DC converter 16 is a type of power converter. The DC-DC converter 16 is electrically connected to the auxiliary battery 120 and is electrically interposed between the main battery 106 and the auxiliary battery 120. The DC-DC converter 16 can step down the DC power supplied from the main battery 106 and supply it to the auxiliary battery 120. As a result, the DC-DC converter 16 can charge the auxiliary battery 120 using the high-voltage DC power supplied from the main battery 106.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the charging device 10 further includes a relay 18. The relay 18 is electrically connected to the DC charging inlet 116 and electrically intervenes between the DC charging inlet 116 and the main battery 106. When the relay 18 is closed, the DC charging inlet 116 is electrically connected to the main battery 106. As a result, the main battery 106 is charged using DC power supplied from an external source.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the charging device 10 further includes a control device 20. The control device 20 is communicatively connected to the first charger 12, the second charger 14, the DC-DC converter 16, and the relay 18, and controls their operation. For example, when an external AC power supply 2 is connected to the AC charging inlet 114, the control device 20 issues an operation command to the first charger 12 and / or the second charger 14. As a result, the charging device 10 charges the main battery 106. Alternatively, when an external DC power supply 4 is connected to the DC charging inlet 116, the control device 20 closes the relay 18, electrically connecting the DC charging inlet 116 to the main battery 106. As a result, the charging device 10 charges the main battery 106. Except when charging with the external DC power supply 4, the relay 18 is kept open, so the DC charging inlet 116 is electrically disconnected from the main battery 106.

[0032] Referring to Figure 3, the mechanical configuration of the charging device 10 will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the charging device 10 further comprises a housing 22. The housing 22 is a housing member. The housing 22 has an upper wall 24 and four side walls 26 extending downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper wall 24. The housing 22 is made of a metal such as aluminum. As will be described in more detail later, the first chamber 32, the second chamber 34, and the third chamber 36 are arranged in order from top to bottom inside the housing 22, so the upper wall 24 of the housing 22 forms the upper surface 32a of the first chamber 32.

[0033] The housing 22 further comprises a first partition wall 28 and a second partition wall 30. The first partition wall 28 and the second partition wall 30 are located inside the housing 22. The second partition wall 30 is located below the first partition wall 28. The first partition wall 28 and the second partition wall 30 divide the internal space of the housing 22 into a first room 32, a second room 34, and a third room 36. Specifically, the first room 32 is located above the second room 34, separated by the first partition wall 28. The second room 34 is located above the third room 36, separated by the second partition wall 30. The second partition wall 30 of the housing 22 forms the lower surface 34a of the second room 34 and the upper surface 36a of the third room 36.

[0034] For example, the first partition wall 28 is composed of a plate-shaped member 28a that forms the lower surface of the first chamber 32 and a plate-shaped member 28b that forms the upper surface of the second chamber 34. Therefore, the housing 22 of this embodiment can be formed by integrating the upper portion of the housing 22 with the lower portion of the housing 22.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, the second charger 14 is housed in the first chamber 32. More specifically, the second charger 14 is mounted on the upper surface 32a of the first chamber 32. The first charger 12 and relay 18 are housed in the second chamber 34. More specifically, the first charger 12 and relay 18 are mounted on the lower surface 34a of the second chamber 34. The DC-DC converter 16 is housed in the third chamber 36. More specifically, the DC-DC converter 16 is mounted on the upper surface 36a of the third chamber 36.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the housing 22 is provided with a first refrigerant passage 38 and a second refrigerant passage 40. The first refrigerant passage 38 and the second refrigerant passage 40 are passages through which a refrigerant, such as cooling water, flows. In this embodiment, the first refrigerant passage 38 is provided inside the upper wall 24 of the housing 22. As mentioned above, the upper wall 24 forms the upper surface 32a of the first chamber 32, and the second charger 14 is attached to the upper surface 32a of the first chamber 32. Thus, the first refrigerant passage 38 is configured to cool the second charger 14.

[0037] In this embodiment, the second refrigerant flow path 40 is provided inside the second partition wall 30 of the housing 22. As described above, the second partition wall 30 forms the lower surface 34a of the second chamber 34, and the first charger 12 and relay 18 are mounted on the lower surface 34a of the second chamber 34. The second partition wall 30 also forms the upper surface 36a of the third chamber 36, and the DC-DC converter 16 is mounted on the upper surface 36a of the third chamber 36. Thus, the second refrigerant flow path 40 is configured to cool both the first charger 12 and relay 18 located in the second chamber 34 and the DC-DC converter 16 located in the third chamber 36.

[0038] In this embodiment, the charging device 10 is assumed to have four operating modes, as shown in Figure 4: AC charging mode, DC charging mode, DC charging mode (My Room), and driving mode.

[0039] The AC charging mode is an operating mode in which the main battery 106 is charged by AC power supplied from an external source. In this mode, the first charger 12 and the second charger 14 operate. When charging of the auxiliary battery 120 or operation of the auxiliary 122 is required, the DC-DC converter 16 may also operate simultaneously. On the other hand, the relay 18 is not expected to operate. In other words, in AC charging mode, the first charger 12, the second charger 14, and the DC-DC converter 16 may generate heat, while the relay 18 does not.

[0040] DC charging mode is an operating mode in which the main battery 106 is charged by DC power supplied from an external source. In this mode, relay 18 operates. When charging of the auxiliary battery 120 or operation of the auxiliary 122 is required, the DC-DC converter 16 may also operate simultaneously. On the other hand, the operation of the first charger 12 and the second charger 14 is not expected. In other words, in DC charging mode, the DC-DC converter 16 and relay 18 may generate heat, while the first charger 12 and the second charger 14 do not generate heat.

[0041] DC charging mode (My Room) is a mode in which, while the DC charging mode described above is in operation, the user of vehicle 100 uses the passenger compartment 102c of vehicle 100 as the user's own room (My Room). For example, the user of vehicle 100 can connect and use electrical equipment brought in from outside to the power outlet 118. In this case, the second charger 14 and relay 18 operate. When charging of the auxiliary battery 120 or operation of the auxiliary 122 is required, the DC-DC converter 16 may also operate simultaneously. On the other hand, the first charger 12 does not operate. In other words, in DC charging mode, the second charger 14, DC-DC converter 16 and relay 18 may generate heat, while the first charger 12 does not generate heat.

[0042] The driving mode is the operating mode when the vehicle 100 is in motion. In this mode, the user of the vehicle 100 may use the passenger compartment 102c of the vehicle 100 as their own room. In this case, the second charger 14 operates. When charging of the auxiliary battery 120 or operation of the auxiliary 122 is required, the DC-DC converter 16 may also operate simultaneously. On the other hand, the operation of the first charger 12 and relay 18 is not expected. In other words, in driving mode, the second charger 14 and DC-DC converter 16 may generate heat, while the first charger 12 and relay 18 do not.

[0043] As described above, in the charging device 10 of this embodiment, it is not typically assumed that the first charger 12 and the relay 18 will operate simultaneously. Therefore, the first charger 12 and the relay 18 are located in the same second chamber 34 of the housing 22. On the other hand, the second charger 14 and the DC-DC converter 16 are each assumed to operate simultaneously with other components. Therefore, the second charger 14 and the DC-DC converter 16 are each located independently in the first chamber 32 and the third chamber 36 of the housing 22, respectively. This makes it possible to miniaturize the charging device 10 while avoiding or suppressing thermal interference between the components located inside it.

[0044] Note that the main battery 106 in this embodiment is an example of a battery in the present invention. The second refrigerant flow path 40 in this embodiment is an example of a common refrigerant flow path in the present invention. The second partition wall 30 in this embodiment is an example of a partition wall in a housing in the present invention.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, a first refrigerant flow path 38 for cooling the second charger 14 and a second refrigerant flow path 40 for cooling the DC-DC converter 16 are provided. With this configuration, the second charger 14 and the DC-DC converter 16, which often generate heat, can be efficiently cooled by independent refrigerant flow paths.

[0046] In the embodiment described above, the first charger 12 and relay 18 are cooled by a second refrigerant passage 40 provided in the housing 22. However, in another embodiment, the first charger 12 and relay 18 may be cooled by a first refrigerant passage 38 that cools the second charger 14. Alternatively, in yet another embodiment, a third refrigerant passage for cooling the first charger 12 and relay 18 may be further provided. Since the first charger 12 and relay 18 have mutually exclusive operating opportunities, configuring them to be cooled by a common refrigerant passage simplifies the cooling path provided in the housing 22.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the first chamber 32 is located above the second chamber 34, and the second chamber 34 is located above the third chamber 36. The second charger 14 is mounted on the upper surface 32a of the first chamber 32, and the first refrigerant flow path 38 is provided inside the upper wall 22a of the housing 22 that forms the upper surface 32a of the first chamber 32. The first charger 12 and relay 18 are mounted on the lower surface 34a of the second chamber 34, and the DC-DC converter 16 is mounted on the upper surface 36a of the third chamber 36. The second refrigerant flow path 40 is provided inside the second partition wall 30 of the housing 22 that forms the lower surface 34a of the second chamber 34 and the upper surface 36a of the third chamber 36. With this configuration, each component can be effectively cooled by a refrigerant flow path with a relatively simple structure while suppressing thermal interference between components.

[0048] As an example, the control device 20 in this embodiment can perform the series of processes shown in Figure 5. When the main battery 106 is charged with AC power supplied from an external source (i.e., while AC charging mode is being performed), the control device 20 controls the operation of the first charger 12 and the second charger 14 to perform the series of processes shown in Figure 5. For example, the control device 20 starts the series of processes when an external AC power source 2 is connected to the AC charging inlet 114.

[0049] As shown in Figure 5, the control device 20 first determines whether the charging command power for the main battery 106 is less than the maximum output of the first charger 12 (step S12). If the answer in step S12 is YES, the control device 20 operates only the first charger 12 (step S14). As a result, the first charger 12 charges the main battery 106 using AC power supplied from an external source. On the other hand, if the answer in step S12 is NO (i.e., the charging command power exceeds the maximum output of the first charger 12), the control device 20 operates both the first charger 12 and the second charger 14 (step S16). As a result, the first charger 12 and the second charger 14 charge the main battery 106 using AC power supplied from an external source.

[0050] Next, the control device 20 determines whether the termination conditions for the AC charging mode have been met (step S18). These termination conditions include, for example, the removal of the external AC power supply 2 from the AC charging inlet 114, or the State of Charge (SOC) of the main battery 106 exceeding a predetermined value. If the result in step S18 is NO, the control device 20 returns to the process in step S10. If the result in step S18 is YES, the control device 20 terminates the series of processes. That is, the processes from step S10 to step S14 are repeated until the result in step S18 is YES.

[0051] As mentioned above, the first charger 12 operates only when the main battery 106 is in AC charging mode, whereas the second charger 14 operates not only when the main battery 106 is in AC charging mode but also when power is supplied to an external source. Therefore, when the charging command power is relatively small when the main battery 106 is in AC charging mode, the first charger 12 can be operated preferentially, thereby equalizing the cumulative usage time between the first charger 12 and the second charger 14. This reduces the thermal load on the second charger 14 and extends the lifespan of the charging device 10.

[0052] Although several specific examples have been described in detail above, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or in the drawings exhibit technical usefulness individually or in combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 2: AC power supply, 4: DC power supply, 10: Charging device, 12: First charger, 14: Second charger, 16: DC-DC converter, 18: Relay, 20: Control device, 22: Housing, 24: Top wall, 26: Side wall, 28: First bulkhead, 30: Second bulkhead, 32: First chamber, 34: Second chamber, 36: Third chamber, 38: First refrigerant flow path, 40: Second refrigerant flow path, 100: Vehicle, 102: Body, 102c: Compartment, 104f, 104r: Wheels, 106: Main battery, PCU: 108, 110: Motor, 112: System main relay, 114: AC charging inlet, 116: DC charging inlet, 118: Power supply outlet, 120: Auxiliary battery, 122: Auxiliary

Claims

1. A charging device installed on an electric vehicle, A first charger capable of converting AC power supplied from an external source into DC power supplied to the battery of the electric vehicle, A second charger capable of converting AC power supplied from an external source into DC power supplied to the battery, and converting DC power supplied from the battery into AC power supplied to an external source, A DC-DC converter capable of converting the DC power supplied from the battery into low-voltage DC power supplied to the auxiliary battery of the electric vehicle, A relay for electrically connecting and disconnecting the DC charging inlet of the electric vehicle to the battery, A housing having a first chamber for housing the second charger, a second chamber for housing the first charger and the relay, and a third chamber for housing the DC-DC converter, A charging device equipped with the following features.

2. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a first refrigerant flow path for cooling the second charger and a second refrigerant flow path for cooling the DC-DC converter.

3. The charging device according to claim 2, wherein the first charger and the relay are cooled by a common refrigerant flow path provided in the housing.

4. The aforementioned first room is located above the aforementioned second room. The aforementioned second room is located above the aforementioned third room. The second charger is mounted on the upper surface of the first chamber, The first refrigerant flow path is provided inside the upper wall of the housing that forms the upper surface of the first chamber, The first charger and the relay are mounted on the lower surface of the second chamber. The DC-DC converter is mounted on the upper surface of the third chamber, The charging device according to claim 3, wherein the second refrigerant flow path is provided inside the partition wall of the housing that forms the lower surface of the second chamber and the upper surface of the third chamber.

5. The system further includes a control device that controls the operation of the first charger and the second charger when charging the battery with AC power supplied from an external source. The charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control device operates only the first charger when the charging command power for the battery is less than the maximum output of the first charger, and operates both the first charger and the second charger when the charging command power exceeds the maximum output of the first charger.

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