Electric vehicle and battery temperature control method

Abstract

To adjust a temperature of a rechargeable battery properly before start of charging and thereby achieve reduction of electric power consumption and the charge time.SOLUTION: A charging prediction part 310 predicts a possibility that a battery of an electric vehicle is charged. When the possibility that the battery is charged is predicted, an EVSE (electric vehicle service equipment) information acquisition section 320 acquires a rated maximum output of EVSE. A target temperature calculation section 330 calculates a target temperature based on the rated maximum output of the EVSE and a temperature TB of the battery. A temperature adjustment section 340 controls a cooling / temperature rising device 800 so that a temperature of the battery becomes the target temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle and a method for controlling the temperature of a storage battery, and particularly to an electric vehicle equipped with a storage battery that can be charged from an external power source.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-39226 (Patent Document 1) discloses a system for cooling and controlling a battery of an electric vehicle. In this Patent Document 1, when it is determined that there is a sign of charging the battery, it is determined whether it is necessary to cool the battery. The determination of whether it is necessary to cool the battery is made based on the real-time battery temperature, the increase in the battery temperature due to charging, and the allowable battery temperature. And when it is determined that the battery needs to be cooled, the battery is cooled during driving and / or during parking.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For a battery (storage battery), there is a preferable charging power (charging current) according to the battery temperature. If charging is performed with a current exceeding the preferable charging power, there is a concern of accelerating the deterioration of the storage battery. If charging is performed with a power exceeding the power that the storage battery can receive (current), the charging efficiency deteriorates and the power consumption during charging deteriorates. In order to suppress the deterioration of the storage battery, etc., when the temperature of the storage battery is high or low, if the charging power is limited, the charging time may become long depending on the state of the battery temperature. Therefore, when charging of the storage battery is assumed, it is preferable to adjust the temperature of the storage battery to an appropriate temperature in advance before starting charging.

[0005] By the way, there are two main types of battery charging equipment (EVSE: Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment / Electric Vehicle Service Equipment): standard chargers (AC chargers) and fast chargers (DC chargers). The output power (rated maximum output) is 3-6kW for standard chargers and 40-300kW for fast chargers. During charging, the battery temperature rises due to heat generation, and the degree of temperature rise varies depending on the magnitude of the charging power (charging current), etc. Since the charging time (for example, the time to fully charge) differs depending on the magnitude of the charging power, the period of battery temperature rise due to heat generation also differs. For this reason, the appropriate battery temperature before charging begins varies depending on the output characteristics of the EVSE.

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to reduce power consumption and shorten charging time by appropriately adjusting the temperature of the storage battery before charging begins. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The electric vehicle of this disclosure is an electric vehicle equipped with a battery that can be charged from an external power source. The electric vehicle includes a temperature control device that adjusts the temperature of the battery, and a control device that controls the temperature control device. The control device controls the temperature control device so that the temperature of the battery at the start of charging reaches a target temperature set based on the maximum output of the external power source.

[0008] In this configuration, the temperature control device adjusts the battery temperature at the start of charging so that it reaches a target temperature set based on the maximum output of the external power supply. This allows the target temperature at the start of charging to be set taking into account the degree of temperature rise due to heat generation, charging time, etc., making it possible to appropriately adjust the battery temperature before charging starts, thereby reducing power consumption and shortening charging time. The maximum output of the external power supply may be the rated maximum output of the EVSE.

[0009] (2) The control device may include a charge prediction unit that predicts the possibility of the battery being charged, an external power supply information acquisition unit that acquires information on an external power supply, and a target temperature calculation unit that calculates a target temperature for the battery. When it is predicted that the battery may be charged, the target temperature calculation unit calculates a target temperature based on the maximum output of the external power supply.

[0010] In this configuration, when the charge prediction unit predicts that the battery may be charged, the target temperature calculation unit calculates a target temperature based on the maximum output of the external power supply. Then, the temperature control device is controlled so that the battery temperature at the start of charging reaches the calculated target temperature. As a result, a target temperature is set when there is a possibility of charging the battery, making it possible to adjust the battery's initial charging temperature at the appropriate time.

[0011] The charging prediction unit may make predictions based on the destination set in the navigation system, the relationship between the battery's SOC (State of Charge) and the electric vehicle's driving route, etc., or it may learn the user's behavior patterns of the electric vehicle through machine learning (for example, deep learning) and predict the user's charging behavior.

[0012] (3) In (2) above, the target temperature calculation unit may calculate a first target temperature based on the maximum output of the external power supply when the temperature of the storage battery is higher than the set temperature, and calculate a second target temperature based on the maximum output of the external power supply when the temperature of the storage battery is lower than the set temperature. The control device controls the temperature control device to reach the first target temperature or the second target temperature.

[0013] With this configuration, when the battery temperature is higher than the set temperature, the battery temperature at the start of charging is adjusted to reach the first target temperature, and when the battery temperature is lower than the set temperature, the battery temperature at the start of charging is adjusted to reach the second target temperature. Therefore, it becomes possible to set the target temperature for cooling the battery (first target temperature) and the target temperature for raising the battery (second target temperature) separately, allowing for appropriate temperature control that also takes into account the energy consumption of the temperature control device.

[0014] (4) In (2) and (3) above, the control device may be configured to communicate with an external server, and the external power supply information acquisition unit may acquire external power supply information from the external server.

[0015] (5) The electric vehicle of this disclosure is an electric vehicle equipped with a battery that can be charged from an external power source. The electric vehicle includes a temperature control device for adjusting the temperature of the battery and a control device for controlling the temperature control device. When the maximum output of the external power source is high, the control device sets the target temperature at the start of charging of the battery to be lower compared to when the maximum output is low, and controls the temperature control device to reach that target temperature.

[0016] In this configuration, the temperature control device that adjusts the battery temperature sets a lower target temperature when the maximum output of the external power supply is high compared to when the maximum output of the external power supply is low, and adjusts the battery temperature at the start of charging to reach the target temperature. This allows the battery temperature at the start of charging to be set taking into account the degree of temperature rise due to heat generation, charging time, etc., making it possible to appropriately adjust the battery temperature before charging starts, thereby reducing power consumption and shortening charging time. Note that the maximum output of the external power supply may be the rated maximum output of the EVSE.

[0017] (6) The temperature control method for a battery of the present disclosure is a temperature control method for a battery mounted on an electric vehicle and rechargeable from an external power source. The temperature control method includes acquiring information from an external power source, setting a target temperature at the start of charging of the battery based on the maximum output of the external power source, and controlling the temperature at the start of charging of the battery so that it reaches the target temperature.

[0018] This method adjusts the battery temperature at the start of charging so that it reaches a target temperature set based on the maximum output of the external power supply. This allows the target temperature at the start of charging to be set taking into account the degree of temperature rise due to heat generation, charging time, etc., making it possible to appropriately adjust the battery temperature before charging begins, thereby reducing power consumption and shortening charging time.

[0019] (7) The battery temperature control method may further include predicting the possibility that the battery will be charged, and if it is predicted that the battery will be charged, the temperature of the battery at the start of charging may be controlled to reach the target temperature.

[0020] This method allows the battery temperature to be adjusted when there is a possibility of charging, making it possible to adjust the temperature at which charging begins at the appropriate time.

[0021] (8) In (6) and (7) above, the following may be added: when the temperature of the storage battery is higher than the set temperature, a first target temperature is calculated as the target temperature; when the temperature of the storage battery is lower than the set temperature, a second target temperature is set as the target temperature; and the temperature of the storage battery may be controlled to reach the calculated first target temperature or the second target temperature.

[0022] According to this method, if the battery temperature is higher than the set temperature, the battery temperature at the start of charging is adjusted to reach the first target temperature, and if the battery temperature is lower than the set temperature, the battery temperature at the start of charging is adjusted to reach the second target temperature. Therefore, the target temperature for cooling the battery (first target temperature) and the target temperature for raising the battery (second target temperature) can be set individually, making it possible to perform appropriate temperature adjustments that also take into account the energy consumption for adjusting the battery temperature. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present disclosure, by appropriately adjusting the temperature of the storage battery before the start of charging, it becomes possible to suppress power consumption and shorten the charging time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is an overall configuration diagram of an electric vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] In the present embodiment, it is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram configured in the ECU. [Figure 3] It is a flowchart showing an example of the process of battery temperature control executed by the ECU. [Figure 4] (A) and (B) are diagrams showing an example of a map for calculating a target temperature.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[0026] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an electric vehicle according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the electric vehicle 1 is, for example, a battery electric vehicle (BEV). The electric vehicle 1 includes a motor generator (MG) 10 that is a rotating electric machine, a power transmission gear 20, drive wheels 30, a power control unit (PCU) 40, a system main relay (SMR) 50, a battery 100, a monitoring unit 200, and an electronic control unit (ECU) 300 which is an example of a control device.

[0027] MG10 is, for example, an embedded permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPM motor) that has both the function of a motor and the function of a generator. The output torque of MG10 is transmitted to the drive wheels 30 via a power transmission gear 20 which includes a reduction gear and a differential gear.

[0028] When the electric vehicle 1 is braked, the MG10 is driven by the drive wheels 30, and the MG10 operates as a generator. As a result, the MG10 also functions as a braking device that performs regenerative braking, converting the kinetic energy of the electric vehicle 1 into electricity. The regenerative power generated by the regenerative braking force in the MG10 is stored in the battery 100.

[0029] The PCU40 is a power converter that converts power bidirectionally between the MG10 and the battery 100. The PCU40 includes, for example, an inverter and a converter that operate based on control signals from the ECU300. The PCU40 may also be configured without the converter.

[0030] The SMR50 is electrically connected to the power line connecting the battery 100 and the PCU 40. When the SMR50 is closed (ON) (conducting) in response to a control signal from the ECU 300, power can be exchanged between the battery 100 and the PCU 40. On the other hand, when the SMR50 is open (OFF) (disconnected) in response to a control signal from the ECU 300, the electrical connection between the battery 100 and the PCU 40 is disconnected.

[0031] Battery 100 stores power to drive MG10. Battery 100 is a rechargeable DC power source (secondary battery) and is composed of multiple single cells stacked and electrically connected in series, for example. Battery 100 corresponds to a storage battery. The single cells are, for example, made of lithium-ion batteries. The single cells may be nickel-metal hydride batteries or solid-state batteries. Note that Battery 100 corresponds to "storage battery" in this disclosure.

[0032] The monitoring unit 200 includes a voltage detection unit, a current sensor, and a temperature detection unit. The voltage detection unit detects the battery voltage VB. The current sensor detects the current IB that is input to and output from the battery 100. The temperature detection unit 230 detects the temperature TB of the battery 100. Each detection unit outputs its detection result to the ECU 300.

[0033] The electric vehicle 1 is equipped with a DC inlet 60 and an AC inlet 80, and is capable of charging the battery 100 (external charging) from an EVSE (charging equipment) 2, which includes an external DC power supply 400 or an external AC power supply 500. The DC inlet 60 is configured to be connectable to a connector 420 provided at the end of the charging cable 410 of the external DC power supply (EVSE) 400. The charging relay 70 is electrically connected to the power line connecting the DC inlet 60 and the battery 100. The charging relay 70 switches between supplying and cutting off power between the DC inlet 60 and the battery 100 in response to a control signal from the ECU 300. When the charging relay 70 is closed, external charging (rapid charging) of the battery 100 is performed.

[0034] The AC inlet 80 is configured to accept a connector 520 located at the end of the charging cable 510 of the external AC power supply (EVSE) 500. An onboard charger 130 is provided in the power line between the AC inlet 80 and the battery 100. The charger 130 converts the alternating current power supplied from the external AC power supply into direct current power and also converts the voltage to a level suitable for charging the battery 100. The charging relay 90 is electrically connected to the power line connecting the onboard charger 130 and the battery 100. The charging relay 90 switches between supplying and cutting off power between the onboard charger 130 and the battery 100 in response to a control signal from the ECU 300. When the charging relay 90 is closed, external charging (normal charging) of the battery 100 is performed. When charging the electric vehicle 1 (battery 100), external charging is performed using either the external DC power supply 400 or the external AC power supply 500.

[0035] The ECU 300 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, memory (including, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory)) 302, and a communication unit 303. Based on signals received from the monitoring unit 200, signals from various sensors (not shown) (for example, accelerator opening signals, vehicle speed signals, etc.), and information such as maps and programs stored in the memory 302, the ECU 300 controls each device so that the electric vehicle 1 reaches a desired state. The communication unit 303 includes a communication I / F (interface) for wireless communication with the network NW and user terminal 3. The communication unit 303 may also include a TCU (Telematics Control Unit) and / or a DCM (Data Communication Module) for wireless communication. The ECU 300 also controls the cooling / heating device 800, which will be described later.

[0036] The navigation device 600 includes map data containing information such as the location and output of EVSE (for example, DC power supply 400, AC power supply 500), and a vehicle position calculation unit that calculates the current position (vehicle position) based on GPS (Global Positioning System) information. Similar to the ECU 300, the navigation device 600 is composed of a CPU, memory, etc., and is realized by executing a program stored in memory. The navigation device 600 provides route guidance to a user-set destination. It is also possible to set waypoints on the route to the destination. The map data may be configured to be acquired by communication via an external server 5 and a network NW.

[0037] The Human-Machine Interface (HMI) device 610 includes an input device and a display device. The HMI device 610 includes a touch panel display that functions as both an input device and a display device, and this touch panel display is also used as an input device and a display device for the navigation device 600.

[0038] The user terminal 3 is configured to be portable by the user. The user terminal is a mobile terminal carried and operated by the user (vehicle manager) of the electric vehicle 1. In this embodiment, a smartphone equipped with a touch panel display is used as the user terminal 3. However, any terminal that can be carried by the user of the electric vehicle 1 can be used as the user terminal 3. For example, a laptop, tablet, portable game console, or wearable device (smartwatch, smart glasses, smart gloves, etc.) can also be used as the user terminal 3. The user terminal 3 can communicate with the communication unit 303, for example, by short-range wireless communication, and can also communicate with the external server 5 via the network NW.

[0039] The external server 5 is configured to communicate with the electric vehicle 1 (communication unit 303) and the user terminal 3 via the network NW. The database (DB) held by the external server 5 contains EVSE information. EVSE information includes, for example, the EVSE identification number (ID), manufacturer (model), power supply type (AC power / DC power), output range [kW], maximum output (rated maximum output) [kW], location, etc.

[0040] The electric vehicle 1 is equipped with a cooling / heating device 800. The cooling / heating device 800 adjusts the temperature of the battery 100 and corresponds to an example of a "temperature adjustment device" in this disclosure. The cooling / heating device 800 consists of a battery cooling section (battery cooling system) 801 and a battery heating section (battery heating system) 802. The cooling / heating device 800 may employ, for example, the battery temperature adjustment device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-151635. In this case, the configuration in which the battery 100 is cooled using a chiller cooled by a refrigeration cycle device that is also used for indoor air conditioning corresponds to the battery cooling section 801, and the configuration in which the battery 100 is heated using a PTC heater corresponds to the battery heating section 802. The cooling / heating device 800 only needs to be configured to cool / heat the battery 100, and may be air-cooled (heat exchange using a gas medium) or liquid-cooled (heat exchange using a liquid medium), and may utilize the waste heat from the MG10 and PCU40, or the heat generated by the charging and discharging of the battery 100.

[0041] Battery 100 has an appropriate charging power (charging current) depending on its temperature TB, and charging with a current exceeding this appropriate power may accelerate the degradation of battery 100. Also, charging with a current exceeding the power that battery 100 can accept (allowable power) will worsen charging efficiency and increase power consumption during charging. Limiting the charging power (charging current) when the temperature TB is high or low in order to suppress the degradation of battery 100 may increase the charging time depending on the temperature TB. For this reason, if external charging of battery 100 is anticipated, it is preferable to adjust the temperature of battery 100 to an appropriate temperature before starting charging.

[0042] During charging of Battery 100, the temperature TB rises due to heat generation, and the degree of temperature rise varies depending on the magnitude of the charging power (charging current). Since the charging time to full charge differs depending on the magnitude of the charging power, the period during which the temperature TB rises due to heat generation also differs. For this reason, the appropriate temperature TB before charging begins varies depending on the output characteristics of the EVSE.

[0043] In this embodiment, the temperature TB of the battery 100 at the start of charging is adjusted according to the magnitude of the output power [kW] of the EVSE, thereby reducing power consumption during charging and shortening the charging time.

[0044] Figure 2 shows an example of a functional block diagram configured in the ECU 300 in this embodiment. The charging prediction unit 310 predicts the possibility of the battery 100 being charged (externally charged) based on destination or waypoint information set in the navigation device 600. For example, if an EVSE (installation location) is set as the destination or waypoint, it may be predicted that the battery 100 may be charged. When the charging prediction unit 310 predicts that the battery 100 may be charged, the EVSE information acquisition unit 320 acquires the EVSE output (rated output) PE from the EVSE information included in the map data of the navigation device 600. The EVSE output PE is the maximum power that can be continuously output from the EVSE and is the rated maximum output [kW]. The EVSE information acquisition unit 320 corresponds to an example of the "external power supply information acquisition unit" in this disclosure.

[0045] The target temperature calculation unit 330 calculates the target temperature for the battery 100 at the start of charging from the battery temperature TB detected by the monitoring unit 200 and the EVSE output PE. The temperature adjustment unit 340 controls the cooling / heating device 800 so that the battery temperature TB reaches the target temperature calculated by the target temperature calculation unit 330.

[0046] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the battery temperature control process performed by the ECU 300. This flowchart is repeated at predetermined intervals while the electric vehicle 1 is starting up (from when the power switch is turned ON until it is turned OFF). First, in step 10 (hereinafter, steps are abbreviated as "S"), it is determined whether or not there is a possibility that the battery 100 will be charged. In this embodiment, if an EVSE (location of its installation) is set as the destination or waypoint of the navigation device 600, it is determined that there is a possibility that the battery 100 will be charged. If an EVSE is not set as the destination or waypoint, it is determined that there is no possibility of charging the battery 100, and the routine ends with a negative determination. If an EVSE is set as the destination or waypoint, it is determined that there is a possibility that the battery 100 will be charged, and the routine proceeds to S11 with a positive determination.

[0047] In S11, the output PE of the EVSE is obtained from the information of the EVSE set as the destination or waypoint. For example, the output PE of the EVSE is included in the map data of the navigation device 600, and the output PE of the EVSE is read from the map data. The output PE may be the rated maximum output [kW] of the EVSE.

[0048] S1 continues 2 Next, the monitoring unit 200 determines whether the temperature TB of the battery 100 detected is lower than the set temperature α. The set temperature α is a threshold value used to determine whether to cool or raise the temperature of the battery 100, and is set in advance according to the specifications of the battery 100 through experiments, etc. If the temperature TB is lower than the set temperature α, the result is positive and the process proceeds to S13. If the temperature TB is higher than the set temperature α (if the temperature TB is equal to or greater than the set temperature α), the result is negative and the process proceeds to S14.

[0049] In S13, the target temperature of battery 100 is calculated. Figure 4 shows an example of a map for calculating the target temperature. Figure 4(A) is a heating map for calculating the target temperature Ttr of battery 100 when it is heated, and Figure 4(B) is a cooling map for calculating the target temperature Ttc of battery 100 when it is cooled. In S13, the target temperature Ttr is calculated using the heating map. In Figure 4(A), the horizontal axis is the output PE (rated maximum output) of the EVSE, and the vertical axis is the target temperature Ttr. In S13, the target temperature Ttr is calculated using the heating map with the output PE obtained in S11 as a parameter. Note that the target temperature Ttr corresponds to an example of the "second target temperature" in this disclosure.

[0050] In the following step S15, the cooling / heating device 800 is controlled. In S15, the battery heating unit 802 raises the temperature of the battery 100 to the target temperature Ttr. It is desirable that the heating operation of the cooling / heating device 800 be started a "set time" before the start of charging of the battery 100 so that the temperature of the battery 100 reaches the target temperature Ttr. For example, the heating time required for temperature TB to reach the target temperature Ttr is calculated from the difference between the current temperature TB and the target temperature Ttr. Then, the time required to arrive at the destination or the EVSE set as a waypoint from the current position of the electric vehicle 1 is calculated, and the heating operation of the cooling / heating device 800 is started when the time required becomes the heating time (position). In this case, the "heating time" corresponds to the "set time". Alternatively, the heating operation of the cooling / heating device 800 may be started after the target temperature Ttr is calculated in S13.

[0051] In S16, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the heating operation, or whether external charging of the electric vehicle 1 (charging of the battery 100) has started. If the predetermined time has not elapsed and external charging has not started, the process returns to S15. When the predetermined time has elapsed, or when external charging has started, S16 is affirmative, and the routine ends. In this case (when the routine ends), the operation of the cooling / heating device 800 may be stopped, or if temperature control of the battery 100 is performed during charging, the control may be handed over to the temperature control during charging.

[0052] In S14, the target temperature Ttc is calculated using the cooling map shown in Figure 4(B). Figure 4(B) is a cooling map for calculating the target temperature Ttc when cooling the battery 100, where the horizontal axis is the output PE (rated maximum output) of the EVSE and the vertical axis is the target temperature Ttc. In S14, the target temperature Ttc is calculated using the cooling map with the output PE obtained in S11 as a parameter. Note that the target temperature Ttc corresponds to an example of the "first target temperature" in this disclosure.

[0053] In the following S17, the cooling / heating device 800 is controlled. In S17, the battery cooling unit 801 cools the battery 100 so that its temperature reaches the target temperature Ttc. It is desirable that the cooling operation of the cooling / heating device 800 be started a "set time" before the start of charging of the battery 100 so that the temperature of the battery 100 reaches the target temperature Ttc. For example, the cooling time required for temperature TB to reach the target temperature Ttc is calculated from the difference between the current temperature TB and the target temperature Ttr. Then, the time required to arrive at the destination or the EVSE set as a waypoint from the current position of the electric vehicle 1 is calculated, and the cooling operation of the cooling / heating device 800 is started when the required time becomes the heating time (position). In this case, the "cooling time" corresponds to the "set time". Alternatively, the heating operation of the cooling / heating device 800 may be started after the target temperature Ttc is calculated in S17.

[0054] In S18, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the cooling operation, or whether external charging of the electric vehicle 1 (charging of the battery 100) has started. If the predetermined time has not elapsed and external charging has not started, the process returns to S17. When the predetermined time has elapsed, or when external charging has started, S18 is affirmative, and the routine ends. In this case (when the routine ends), the operation of the cooling / heating device 800 may be stopped, or if temperature adjustment of the battery 100 is performed during charging, the control may be handed over to the temperature adjustment control during charging. The "predetermined time" in S16 and S18 is set to stop the operation of the cooling / heating device 800 in the event that the user forgets to charge the electric vehicle 1 for a long period of time after it has arrived at the EVSE installation site.

[0055] According to this embodiment, when the charge prediction unit 310 predicts that the battery 100 may be charged (affirmative determination in S10), the target temperature calculation unit 330 calculates a target temperature based on the output PE of the EVSE (S13, S14). Then, the cooling / heating device 800 is controlled so that the temperature of the battery at the start of charging reaches the calculated target temperature (S15, S17). As a result, when there is a possibility that the battery 100 will be charged, the temperature of the battery 100 at the start of charging can be appropriately adjusted, thereby reducing power consumption and shortening the charging time.

[0056] According to this embodiment, the target temperature calculation unit 330 calculates the target temperature Ttc based on the output PE of the EVSE when the temperature TB of the battery 100 is higher than the set temperature α (negative determination in S12) (S14), and calculates the target temperature Ttr based on the output PE of the EVSE when the temperature TB is lower than the set temperature α (positive determination in S12). As a result, the battery 10 0 Since the target temperature Ttc for cooling and the target temperature Ttr for raising the battery 100 are set separately, appropriate temperature adjustment can be performed while taking into account the energy consumption of the cooling / heating device 800, etc.

[0057] In the above embodiment, a target temperature Ttc for cooling and a target temperature Ttr for heating were calculated. However, the target temperature calculation unit 330 may calculate a single target temperature from the output PE of the EVSE without distinguishing between cooling and heating. In this case, the target temperature may be set so that when the output PE of the EVSE is high, it is lower than when the output PE is low (the higher the output PE, the lower the target temperature may be set).

[0058] In the above embodiment, the EVSE information (output PE) was included in the map data of the navigation device 600. However, the EVSE information acquisition unit 320 may acquire the output PE information from the EVSE information in the database (DB) held by the external server 5 via the network NW. Alternatively, the EVSE information may be stored in the memory 302 of the ECU 300.

[0059] In the above embodiment, it was predicted that the battery 100 might be charged if the destination or waypoint set in the navigation device 600 was an EVSE (installation location). However, the means / methods for predicting the possibility of the battery 100 being charged are not limited to this. For example, it may be predicted that the battery 100 might be charged when the user operates the "scheduled charging button" displayed on the HMI device 610. The "scheduled charging button" is operated at a predetermined time before charging begins, based on the user's judgment, in order to suppress power consumption during charging.

[0060] When a user makes a charging reservation by operating the HMI device 610 or the user terminal 3, it may be predicted that the battery 100 will be charged. A charging reservation is made by operating the HMI device 610 or the user terminal 3 to reserve the EVSE (Electric Power Station) to be charged and the scheduled start time of charging. Based on this reservation information, it is possible to predict that the battery 100 will be charged and to obtain information on the charging start time and the EVSE (output PE).

[0061] The possibility of battery 100 being charged may be predicted from the relationship between the electric vehicle 1's travel path or current position and the battery 100's State of Charge (SOC). For example, it may be predicted that battery 100 may be charged if the SOC of battery 100 falls below a predetermined value and an EVSE is within a predetermined distance from the electric vehicle 1's current position. Alternatively, it may be predicted that battery 100 may be charged if the SOC of battery 100 falls below a predetermined value and an EVSE is within a predetermined distance from the electric vehicle 1's travel path.

[0062] The likelihood of battery 100 being charged can be predicted based on the user's behavior patterns. For example, the driving route of electric vehicle 1, the state of charge (SOC) of battery 100, the time charging started, the day of the week on which charging occurred, etc., can be used as input parameters for the input layer, and a learning model can be created by performing deep learning. Then, the created learning model can be used to predict the likelihood of battery 100 being charged.

[0063] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, if a negative result is obtained in S16, the process returns to S15, and if a negative result is obtained in S18, the process returns to S17. Depending on the operating environment and the specifications of the battery 100, if the temperature of the battery 100 changes significantly during operation, the process may be modified so that the process returns to S12 when a negative result is obtained in S16 and when a negative result is obtained in S18. This makes it possible to bring the temperature of the battery 100 closer to the target temperature Ttr or target temperature Ttc, which is the appropriate temperature at the start of charging, by processing S12 again, even if the temperature TB of the battery 100 changes significantly while the electric vehicle 1 is running.

[0064] Furthermore, in S15, when the heating operation of the battery heating unit 802 of the cooling / heating device 800 is started, and in S17, when the cooling operation of the battery cooling unit 801 is started, the temperature TB and the set temperature α are compared. If they differ from the result of the determination in S12, the map for calculating the target temperature (Figures 4(A), (B)) is changed to calculate the target temperature, and the temperature of the battery 100 is adjusted. This makes it possible to bring the temperature of the battery 100 closer to the target temperature Ttr or target temperature Ttc, which is the appropriate temperature at the start of charging, even if the temperature TB of the battery 100 changes significantly while the electric vehicle 1 is running.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the electric vehicle 1 is a BEV, but the electric vehicles to which this disclosure can be applied are not limited to BEVs. For example, this disclosure can also be applied to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) equipped with an engine and a motor generator, and to fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) equipped with an externally rechargeable battery. It can also be applied to industrial vehicles such as forklifts.

[0066] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the description of the embodiments above, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1 Electric vehicle, 2 EVSE, 3 User terminal, 5 External server, 10 Motor generator (MG), 20 Drive transmission gear, 30 Drive wheel, 40 PCU, 50 SMR, 60 DC inlet, 80 AC inlet, 100 Battery, 200 Monitoring unit, 300 ECU, 310 Charge prediction unit, 320 EVSE information acquisition unit, 330 Target temperature calculation unit, 340 Temperature adjustment unit, 400 DC power supply, 420 Connector, 500 AC power supply, 520 Connector, 600 Navigation device, 610 HMI device, 800 Cooling / heating device, 801 Battery cooling unit, 802 Battery heating unit.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery that can be charged from an external power source, A temperature control device for adjusting the temperature of the storage battery, The system comprises a control device for controlling the temperature control device, The control device is An external power supply information acquisition unit that acquires information about the external power supply, It includes a target temperature calculation unit that calculates the target temperature of the storage battery, The target temperature calculation unit calculates a first target temperature for cooling that is lower than the set temperature based on the rated maximum output of the external power supply when the temperature of the storage battery is higher than the set temperature, and calculates a second target temperature for raising the temperature that is higher than the set temperature based on the rated maximum output of the external power supply when the temperature of the storage battery is lower than the set temperature. An electric vehicle, wherein the control device controls the temperature control device to cool the battery so that the temperature at the start of charging of the battery by the external power supply reaches the first target temperature, or to raise the temperature of the battery so that the temperature at the start of charging of the battery by the external power supply reaches the second target temperature.

2. The control device is The system further includes a charge prediction unit that predicts the likelihood of the battery being charged, The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the target temperature calculation unit calculates the first target temperature or the second target temperature based on the maximum output of the external power supply when it is predicted that the storage battery may be charged.

3. The control device is configured to communicate with an external server, The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the external power information acquisition unit acquires information about the external power from the external server.

4. A method for controlling the temperature of a battery installed in an electric vehicle and rechargeable from an external power source, To obtain information about the aforementioned external power supply, Based on the rated maximum output of the external power supply, a target temperature is set at the start of charging the battery by the external power supply. This includes controlling the temperature of the storage battery to reach the target temperature, Setting the target temperature further includes, when the temperature of the storage battery is higher than the set temperature, calculating a first target temperature for cooling that is lower than the set temperature, and when the temperature of the storage battery is lower than the set temperature, setting a second target temperature for raising the temperature that is higher than the set temperature. A method for controlling the temperature of a battery, comprising cooling the battery to reach a calculated first target temperature, or raising the temperature of the battery to reach a second target temperature.

5. Further including predicting the possibility of the battery being charged, The battery temperature control method according to claim 4, wherein, when it is predicted that the battery may be charged, the temperature of the battery at the start of charging is controlled to be the first target temperature or the second target temperature.

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