JP2012239334A - Vehicle and non contact power supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To supply power to multiple charged objects with a smaller number of non contact power supply devices compared to conventional technologies.SOLUTION: A non contact power supply system includes: a power reception coil 3a provided so as to face a ground power supply coil 2a and receiving power from the ground power supply coil 2a; an accumulator battery 3d accumulating power received by the power reception coil 3a; and a power supply coil 3f supplying at least a part of the power received by the power reception coil 3a to the exterior.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle and a non-contact power feeding system.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses a power transmission system that transmits power in a contactless manner by using an antenna coil. Patent Document 2 below discloses a mobile vehicle power supply system in which a plurality of power transmission devices are provided in a power supply area, and power is supplied from each power transmission device to a mobile vehicle without contact.

JP 2009-225551 A JP 2010-193657 A

  By the way, in the moving vehicle electric power feeding system described in patent document 2, since it is necessary to provide a power transmission apparatus for every stop position of this moving vehicle, installation and maintenance of a power transmission apparatus require time and expense. For example, when a non-contact power supply facility is to be temporarily installed at a construction site or an event venue, if the number of power transmission devices is large, it takes time to install, which makes it difficult to quickly set up the venue.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to supply power to a plurality of charging objects with a smaller number of non-contact power feeding devices than in the past.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, as a first solution means for a vehicle, a power receiving device that is provided so as to face a ground power feeding device and receives power from the ground power feeding device, and the power receiving device includes A power storage device that stores received power and a power supply device that supplies at least a part of the power received by the power receiving device to an external power supply target are adopted.

  As the second solving means relating to the vehicle, in the first solving means, means is adopted in which the power receiving device is provided on one side surface and the power feeding device is provided on the other side surface.

  As a third solution for the vehicle, in the first or second solution, the wireless communication device that performs wireless communication with the outside, and the charging state of the power supply target of the power supply device using the wireless communication device are grasped. The control device further includes a control device that adjusts the amount of power supplied from the power supply device to the power supply target according to the state of charge.

  As a fourth solution for a vehicle, in the third solution, the control device limits the amount of charge to the power storage device when the amount of stored power to be fed is larger than the amount of power stored in the charging device. Then, a method is adopted in which the power supply target is first fully charged.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is a non-contact electric power feeding system which electrically feeds electric power from a ground electric power feeder to a vehicle as 1st solution means which concerns on a non-contact electric power feeding system, Comprising: Any one of said 1st-4th The vehicle according to the solving means and a plurality of stop areas adjacent to each other while the vehicle stops are employed.

  As a second solving means relating to the non-contact power feeding system, a means is adopted in which, in the first solving means, the stop area is provided on a traveling track on which an automatic guided vehicle as a moving body travels.

  According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided so as to face a ground power feeding device, and receives a power from the ground power feeding device, and supplies at least a part of the power received by the power receiving device to an external power feeding target. Therefore, it is possible to supply electric power to other vehicles that are parked adjacent to each other, thereby reducing the number of ground power supply devices as compared with the conventional one. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the time and cost required for the installation and maintenance of the ground power supply device as compared with the conventional case.

It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the unmanned conveyance system containing the non-contact electric power feeding system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the power supply / reception system of the automatic guided vehicle 3 (vehicle) in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the charging station 2 in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the characteristic operation | movement of the non-contact electric power feeding system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a characteristic view which shows the charge pattern of the non-contact electric power feeding system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The non-contact power feeding system according to this embodiment is applied to an unmanned conveyance system A as shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, this unmanned transport system A is for transporting articles such as parts and finished products between an automatic warehouse and a manufacturing facility, and includes a traveling track 1, a charging station 2, and a plurality of unmanned transport vehicles 3. (Vehicle).

  The automatic warehouse and the manufacturing facility are provided with an entry station and an exit station for delivering articles to and from the automated guided vehicle 3. As shown in the figure, the traveling track 1 is provided in a loop shape (endless shape) across the warehousing and unloading stations of the automatic warehouse and the warehousing and unloading stations of the manufacturing equipment, and guides the traveling of the automatic guided vehicle 3. Is to do. Various types of traveling tracks 1 are known depending on the traveling method of the automatic guided vehicle 3.

  The charging station 2 is provided on a branch track 1a that is branched from a part of the traveling track 1, and is a place where the automatic guided vehicle 3 stops for charging. Details of the charging station 2 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The plurality of automatic guided vehicles 3 are automatic guided vehicles that perform an article transport operation between the automatic warehouse and the manufacturing facility. Each automatic guided vehicle 3 travels in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow on the traveling track 1 based on the instruction information related to the transport work received from the ground control station (not shown) via wireless communication. Articles such as parts are transported from the unloading station to the receiving station of the manufacturing facility, and articles such as finished products are transported from the unloading station of the manufacturing facility to the receiving station of the automatic warehouse.

  Each automatic guided vehicle 3 constitutes a non-contact power feeding system together with the charging station 2 described above. FIG. 2 shows a functional configuration of the main part of each automatic guided vehicle 3, that is, a power supply / reception system. That is, each automatic guided vehicle 3 includes a power receiving coil 3a, a power receiving circuit 3b, a charge / discharge circuit 3c, a storage battery 3d, a power feeding circuit 3e, a power feeding coil 3f, a wireless communication device 3g, and a control device 3h as functional components of the power receiving and feeding system. It has.

  The power receiving coil 3a is an induction coil that receives non-contact power feeding from the ground feeding coil 2a shown in FIG. 3 and is provided at a height (position) facing the ground feeding coil 2a on one side surface of the automatic guided vehicle 3. Yes. Such a power receiving coil 3a receives AC power in a non-contact manner and outputs it to the power receiving circuit 3b by electromagnetic induction based on the AC magnetic field generated by the ground feeding coil 2a. The power receiving circuit 3b is a power conversion circuit that converts AC power input from the power receiving coil 3a into DC power, and outputs the DC power to the charge / discharge circuit 3c and the power feeding circuit 3e.

  The charge / discharge circuit 3c is a power adjustment circuit that regulates power supply (charging) from the power receiving circuit 3b to the storage battery 3d and power supply (discharge) from the storage battery 3d to the power feeding circuit 3e. The charging / discharging circuit 3c outputs, for example, the DC power supplied from the power receiving circuit 3b to the storage battery 3d while adjusting the DC power to a constant current, and sets the upper limit value of the DC power (discharge power) supplied from the storage battery 3d. Output to the feeding circuit 3e while regulating. The storage battery 3d is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a lead storage battery. The storage battery 3d charges the DC power supplied from the charge / discharge circuit 3c, while discharging the stored power and supplies it to the charge / discharge circuit 3c.

  Although not shown in FIG. 2, the automatic guided vehicle 3 has a plurality of driving wheels, driven wheels, a traveling motor and other functional components such as a driving motor that drives the driving wheels, and delivery of goods to and from the warehousing and unloading stations. And a functional component of a main control system for comprehensively controlling the traveling system and the cargo handling system. The traveling system, the cargo handling system, and the main control system function using the power of the storage battery 3d described above as a power source.

  The power supply circuit 3e is a power conversion circuit that converts the discharge power supplied from the charge / discharge circuit 3c into AC power, and outputs the AC power to the power supply coil 3f. The power supply coil 3f generates an induction magnetic field based on the AC power supplied from the power supply circuit 3e, and supplies AC power to the outside via the induction magnetic field. Further, as shown in the figure, the feeding coil 3f is provided on the other side of the automatic guided vehicle 3 located on the opposite side to the power receiving coil 3a and at the same height as the power receiving coil 3a.

  The power receiving coil 3a is provided at a position corresponding to the position of the ground feeding coil 2a in the automatic guided vehicle 3, and the power feeding coil 3f is provided at a position opposite to the power receiving coil 3a. This is due to the configuration of the charging station 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the charging station 2 has two stop areas adjacent to each other such that the two automatic guided vehicles 3 stop with the side surfaces facing each other, that is, the stop area 1 and the stop area 2. It has. A ground feed coil 2 a is provided in one stop area, that is, on the side of the stop area 1 in a state adjacent to the stop area 1.

  In such a stop area 1 and a stop area 2, when the automatic guided vehicle 3 stops in both, the two automatic guided vehicles 3 face each other, and the automatic guided vehicle in the stopped area 1 3 is a state where the power receiving coil 3a is opposed to the ground feeding coil 2a, and the automatic guided vehicle 3 in the stop area 2 is in a state where the power receiving coil 3a is opposed to the power feeding coil 3f of the automatic guided vehicle 3 in the stopping area 1. Become.

  As described above, the wireless communication device 3g wirelessly communicates with the ground control station and exchanges information related to transport work and power supply / reception processing with the wireless communication device 3g of other automatic guided vehicles 3. The control device 3h controls the power receiving circuit 3b, the charging / discharging circuit 3c, the power feeding circuit 3e, and the wireless communication device 3g based on a predetermined control program. The power receiving / feeding process with the vehicle 3 is realized.

  Next, the operation of the automatic guided system A configured as described above, in particular, the power supply / reception operation of the automatic guided vehicle 3, which is a characteristic point of the present embodiment, will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  In the automatic transport system A, a ground control station (not shown) controls the transfer work of the automatic guided vehicle 3 in an integrated manner. In other words, the automatic guided vehicle 3 travels clockwise on the traveling track 1 based on the instruction information of the transport work received by the wireless communication device 3g, so that the articles received from the unloading station of the automatic warehouse are stored in the manufacturing facility. The goods are transported to the warehousing station, and the articles received from the warehousing station of the manufacturing facility are transported to the warehousing station of the automatic warehouse.

  The automatic guided vehicle 3 sequentially repeats such transport work by sequentially receiving the instruction information of the transport work. When the stored amount of the storage battery 3d falls below a predetermined warning value due to the transport work, this is indicated by radio. Notifying the ground control station via the communication device 3g and obtaining permission to travel to the charging station 2. This travel permission includes designation information of a stop area as a travel destination.

  Since the ground control station controls all the automatic guided vehicles 3 in an integrated manner, the ground control station grasps the usage status of the charging station 2. Therefore, the ground control station travels to the charging station 2 with designation information that specifies the stopping area that is not in use, that is, the stopping area where the automatic guided vehicle 3 is not stopped, among the two stopping areas in the charging station 2. It transmits to the automatic guided vehicle 3 which has transmitted permission. The automatic guided vehicle 3 travels toward the stop area indicated in the stop area designation information. Note that the traveling and cargo handling of the automatic guided vehicle 3 are controlled by a main control system that comprehensively controls the traveling system and the cargo handling system described above.

  When the automatic guided vehicle 3 stops in the stop area designated by the ground control station, the control device 3h executes the control process related to the power supply / reception process according to the procedure shown in FIG.

  That is, the control device 3h determines, for example, whether or not the vehicle has stopped in the stop area 1 adjacent to the ground feed coil 2a, based on the stop area designation information received from the ground control station by the wireless communication device 3g (step S3). S1). Then, when the determination in step S1 is “Yes”, that is, when the vehicle stops in the stop area 1, the control device 3h confirms whether another automatic guided vehicle 3 is stopped in the adjacent stop area 2 (step). S2). That is, the control device 3h performs the confirmation process in step S2 by performing wireless communication with another automatic guided vehicle 3 or a ground control station using the wireless communication device 3g.

  On the other hand, if the determination in step S1 is “No”, that is, if its own automatic guided vehicle 3 (hereinafter referred to as “automatic automatic guided vehicle 3M”) stops in the stop area 2, the control device 3h already has another unmanned vehicle. Electric power is received from the automatic guided vehicle 3 in the stop area 1 where the transport vehicle 3 is stopped (step S3). That is, the control device 3h changes the power reception circuit 3b from the function stop state to the function state, thereby alternating current from the power supply coil 3f of the automatic guided vehicle 3 stopped in the stop area 1 through the power reception coil 3a and the power reception circuit 3b. The storage battery 3d is charged with AC power charged via the power receiving coil 3a and the power receiving circuit 3b by receiving power and setting the charging / discharging circuit 3c to the charging mode.

  When the determination in step S2 is “Yes”, that is, when another automatic guided vehicle 3 is stopped in the stop area 2, the control device 3h uses, for example, the wireless communication device 3g to enter the stop area 2. Whether charging of the other automatic guided vehicle 3T has been completed by performing wireless communication with another stopped automatic guided vehicle 3 (hereinafter referred to as the other automatic guided vehicle 3T) and acquiring information indicating the charging state. It is confirmed whether or not (step S4). If the determination in step S4 is “No”, that is, if charging of the other automatic guided vehicle 3T has not been completed, the control device 3h determines whether charging of the storage battery 3d of the automatic guided vehicle 3M has been completed. Is confirmed (step S5). That is, the control device 3h performs the confirmation process of step S5 by acquiring information indicating the charging status of the storage battery 3d from the charge / discharge circuit 3c.

  On the other hand, when the determination in step S4 is “Yes”, that is, when charging of the other automatic guided vehicle 3T is completed, the control device 3h starts to receive power from the ground feeding coil 2a and uses all of this received power. The storage battery 3d is charged (step S6). That is, the control device 3h receives the supply of AC power from the ground feeding coil 2a via the power receiving coil 3a and the power receiving circuit 3b by shifting the power receiving circuit 3b from the function stop state to the function state, and the charge / discharge circuit 3c. Is set in the charging mode, the ac power charged through the power receiving coil 3a and the power receiving circuit 3b is charged in the storage battery 3d.

  Then, when the determination in step S5 is “No”, that is, when the storage battery 3d of the automatic guided vehicle 3M is not fully charged, the control device 3h determines whether the other automatic guided vehicle 3T is nearly fully charged. (Step S7). That is, the control device 3h has information indicating the charging status of the storage battery 3d of the other automated guided vehicle 3T already acquired from the other automated guided vehicle 3T, and charging of the storage battery 3d of the automated guided vehicle 3M already acquired from the charge / discharge circuit 3c. By comparing the information indicating the situation, it is determined whether or not the other automatic guided vehicle 3T is in a fully charged state before the automatic guided vehicle 3M.

  On the other hand, when the determination in step S5 is “Yes”, that is, when the storage battery 3d of the automatic guided vehicle 3M is in a fully charged state, the control device 3h starts receiving power from the ground feeding coil 2a. All the received power is supplied to the other automatic guided vehicle 3T (step S8).

  That is, the control device 3h receives AC power from the ground power supply coil 2a through the power receiving coil 3a and the power receiving circuit 3b by shifting the power receiving circuit 3b from the function stop state to the function state, and the charge / discharge circuit 3c is turned off. By setting the charging mode and shifting the power supply circuit 3e from the function stop state to the function state, all of the AC power received from the ground power supply coil 2a is supplied to the power supply circuit 3e without charging the storage battery 3d. As a result, the AC power received from the ground feed coil 2a is supplied to the feed coil 3f via the feed circuit 3e and transmitted to the other automatic guided vehicle 3T.

  When the determination in step S7 is “Yes”, that is, when the other automatic guided vehicle 3T is nearly fully charged, the control device 3h starts to receive power from the ground feeding coil 2a, and among the received power, Relatively small power (small power Cmin) is used as charging power, and the remaining relatively large power is supplied to the other automatic guided vehicle 3T (step S9).

  That is, the control device 3h receives AC power from the ground feeding coil 2a through the power receiving coil 3a and the power receiving circuit 3b by shifting the power receiving circuit 3b from the function stop state to the function state, and the charge / discharge circuit 3c is reduced. By setting the charging mode of power Cmin and shifting the power feeding circuit 3e from the function stop state to the function state, the storage battery 3d is charged with being limited to the small power Cmin and most of the AC power received from the ground feeding coil 2a is charged. The power supply circuit 3e is supplied. As a result, most of the AC power received from the ground feed coil 2a is supplied to the feed coil 3f via the feed circuit 3e and transmitted to the other automatic guided vehicle 3T.

  On the other hand, if the determination in step S7 is “No”, that is, if the other automatic guided vehicle 3T is not nearly fully charged, the control device 3h starts to receive power from the ground feeding coil 2a and makes this received power full. The storage battery 3d is charged in the charging mode and surplus power is supplied to the other automatic guided vehicle 3T (step S10).

  That is, the control device 3h receives AC power from the ground feeding coil 2a through the power receiving coil 3a and the power receiving circuit 3b by shifting the power receiving circuit 3b from the function stop state to the function state, and also makes the charge / discharge circuit 3c full. By setting the charging mode and shifting the power supply circuit 3e from the function stop state to the function state, most of the AC power received from the ground power supply coil 2a is charged in the storage battery 3d and surplus power of the charge is supplied to the power supply circuit 3e. Supply. As a result, most of the AC power received from the ground feed coil 2a is charged in the self-guided transport vehicle 3M, and the rest is supplied to the power feed coil 3f via the power feed circuit 3e and transmitted to the other unmanned transport vehicle 3T. .

  FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing charging patterns of the self-guided guided vehicle 3M (stop area 1) and the other automatic guided vehicle 3T (stop area 2) based on such a charging process. When the other automatic guided vehicle 3T that has already stopped in the stop area 2 is in a fully charged state, the automatic guided vehicle 3M stopped in the stop area 1 is limited to a small power Cmin that is lower than the normal charging power. Then, the storage battery 3d is charged. As a result, the other automated guided vehicle 3T can receive more power from the automated guided vehicle 3M than when the automated guided vehicle 3M charges the storage battery 3d with the normal charging power. Charging can be completed earlier than when the vehicle 3M charges the storage battery 3d with normal charging power, and the vehicle can be returned to the transport operation.

  According to this embodiment, since the automatic guided vehicle 3 has not only a charging function but also a power supply function, it is possible to supply power to other automatic guided vehicles 3 that are stopped adjacent to each other. As a result, the number of ground feed devices such as the ground feed coil 2a can be reduced as compared with the conventional case. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the time and cost required for installation and maintenance of the ground power supply apparatus as compared with the prior art.

  Moreover, according to the process of step S1-10 mentioned above, when the automatic guided vehicle 3 stops in both the stop area 1 and the stop area 2 and charges the storage battery 3d, the unattended person who completes charge first. Since the transport vehicle 3 is preferentially charged, the operation rate of the automatic guided vehicle 3 can be increased as a whole.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, For example, the following modifications can be considered.
(1) In the said embodiment, although the receiving coil 3a and the feed coil 3f were each provided in the different side surface of the automatic guided vehicle 3, this invention is not limited to this. A power receiving coil 3a and a power feeding coil 3f may be provided before and after the automatic guided vehicle 3, respectively. In this case, the non-contact power feeding system includes a charging station in which the stop area 1 and the stop area 2 are provided on the branch track 1a at the front and rear. In the above embodiment, two stop areas are provided adjacent to each other, but the number of stop areas may be three or more.

(2) In the above embodiment, the charging information and the like of the other automatic guided vehicle 3 is acquired using the wireless communication device 3g of the automatic guided vehicle 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. The charging information or the like of other automatic guided vehicles 3 may be acquired by using means other than the wireless communication device 3g. For example, the charging information or the like of the automatic guided vehicle 3 may be acquired by using the power receiving coil 3a and the power feeding coil 3f not only for power transmission but also for non-contact signal transmission.

(3) Although the case where the non-contact power feeding system is applied to the automatic transport system A has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to various applications other than the automatic transport system A. That is, the vehicle according to the present invention is not limited to the automatic guided vehicle 3 but can be applied to various automobiles that require charging.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Running track, 1a ... Branch track, 2 ... Charging station, 2a ... Ground feeding coil, 3 ... Automated guided vehicle (vehicle), 3a ... Power receiving coil, 3b ... Power receiving circuit, 3c ... Charge / discharge circuit, 3d ... Storage battery, 3e ... feed circuit, 3f ... feed coil, 3g ... wireless communication device, 3h ... control device

Claims (6)

A power receiving device provided to face the ground power feeding device and receiving power from the ground power feeding device;
A power storage device for storing the power received by the power receiving device;
A vehicle comprising: a power supply device that supplies at least part of the power received by the power reception device to an external power supply target.   The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power receiving device is provided on one side surface, and the power feeding device is provided on the other side surface. A wireless communication device for wireless communication with the outside;
And a control device for grasping a charging state of a power supply target of the power supply apparatus using the wireless communication device and adjusting an amount of power supplied from the power supply apparatus to the power supply target according to the charge state. Item 1. The vehicle according to item 1 or 2.   The control device limits the amount of charge to the power storage device and sets the power supply target to a fully charged state first when the amount of power stored in the power supply device is larger than the amount of power stored in the charging device. 3. The vehicle according to 3. A non-contact power feeding system that powers a vehicle from a ground power feeding device in a non-contact manner,
The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A non-contact power feeding system comprising: a plurality of stop areas adjacent to each other while the vehicle stops.   The contactless power feeding system according to claim 5, wherein the stop area is provided on a traveling track on which an automatic guided vehicle as a moving body travels.

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