Hybrid Vehicle Charging Control Unit Current Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle charging systems fail to accommodate power supplies of various standards and do not consider the current capacity of charging cables and external power supplies, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage during charging.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle with a power storage mechanism and a control unit that calculates and controls the charging current based on the state of the battery and the charging cable's capacity, preventing excessive current flow and ensuring safe and efficient charging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the charging current is increased to charge the power storage mechanism faster, then the charging speed is improved, but the charging cable may be damaged or the breaker may trip due to exceeding current capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The charging current is made dynamically adjustable based on real-time detection of the charging cable's current capacity. The control unit modifies the charging current within the range between a first current value (safe limit) and a second current value (optimal charging current) according to the detected capacity, allowing the system to adapt between safety and speed requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the charging current parameter based on the detected current capacity of the charging cable. By detecting the actual capacity and adjusting the charging current accordingly, the system optimizes charging speed while preventing cable damage or breaker tripping
2Reliability
If the charging current is limited to the charging cable's capacity to prevent damage, then the safety is improved, but the charging time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The charging current is dynamically adjusted based on the detected current capacity. Rather than using a fixed conservative limit, the system adapts the current to match the actual cable capacity, minimizing unnecessary time loss while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit detects the current capacity of the charging cable and uses this feedback information to adjust the charging current. This closed-loop control ensures that the charging current is optimized based on actual cable conditions, preventing both underutilization and overloading
3Device complexity
If the charging system uses fixed current values to simplify control, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different power supply standards and cable capacities is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system performs self-detection of the charging cable's current capacity and automatically adjusts the charging current accordingly. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex manual configuration or pre-programming for different power supply standards, achieving adaptability through automatic detection and adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
An ECU executes a program including a step (S100) of calculating a first charging current value in accordance with the state of a battery pack; a step (S102) of calculating a second charging current value in accordance with the current capacity of a charging cable coupling a hybrid vehicle and an external power supply to output a pilot signal CPLT indicating the current capacity; a step (S 104) of setting the smaller one of the first charging current value and the second charging current value as a third charging current value; and a step (S 108) of controlling a charger such that the output current value of the charger connected to the charging cable for controlling a value of a current supplied to the battery pack is equal to the third charging current value, for charging the battery pack.