JP2021191196A - Charge control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a charge control device that makes it easy to perform charging according to a request from a power grid administrator and suppresses the deterioration of user convenience regarding charging.SOLUTION: In a power system, in a case in which a power storage device is charged using power supplied from a power grid, a charge control device (ECU) 150 that controls the charge of a power storage device (battery) 130 that can be electrically connected to the power grid performs the charge control of the power storage device in a first control mode when a predetermined condition is not satisfied, and performs the charge control of the power storage device in a second control mode when the predetermined condition is satisfied. The first control mode is a control mode in which the charge control is performed according to an instruction from a management computer (server) 30 of the power grid and the charging is not started according to an instruction from a user, and the second control mode is a control mode in which the charging is started according to the instruction from the user, and the charge control is not performed according to the instruction from the management computer of the power grid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to a charge control device that controls charge of a power storage device.

International Publication No. 2013/140536 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique for limiting the discharge of a power storage device for a predetermined period after charging the power storage device mounted on the vehicle with a power source outside the vehicle. ..

International Publication No. 2013/140536

In recent years, demand response (hereinafter referred to as "DR") has been attracting attention as a method for adjusting the supply and demand of an electric power grid. In DR, a predetermined request is made to a consumer of the power grid using a DR signal. DR is roughly divided into two types: DR that requests suppression of power demand (hereinafter, also referred to as "lower DR") and DR that requests an increase in power demand (hereinafter, also referred to as "up DR"). .. The grid administrator can request the grid consumers (eg, vehicle users) to promote or curb charging by DR. Grid consumers can receive incentives from grid managers by following their requests.

The charge control device described in Patent Document 1 starts charging the power storage device according to an instruction from the user when the power storage device is charged by using the electric power supplied from the power source outside the vehicle. According to such a charge control device, since the user can start charging the power storage device at an arbitrary timing, it is considered that the convenience of the user is improved with respect to the charging of the power storage device. However, the opportunity for the user to obtain an incentive in response to the request from the grid administrator is considered to be limited to the user being near the vehicle when the request from the grid administrator is received.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is a charge control device capable of easily performing charging in accordance with a request from a power grid administrator and suppressing a decrease in user convenience regarding charging. Is to provide.

The charge control device according to the present disclosure is configured to perform charge control of a power storage device configured to be electrically connectable to an electric power grid. When charging the power storage device using the electric power supplied from the power grid, this charge control device performs charge control of the power storage device in the first control mode if the predetermined conditions are not satisfied, and the predetermined conditions are satisfied. In this case, the charging control of the power storage device is performed in the second control mode. The first control mode is a control mode in which charging control is executed according to an instruction from the management computer of the power grid, and charging is not started according to an instruction from the user. The second control mode is a control mode in which charging is started according to an instruction from the user and charging control is not executed according to an instruction from the management computer of the power grid. Hereinafter, the above "predetermined condition" is also referred to as "OFF condition".

The charge control device performs charge control of the power storage device in the first control mode, except when the OFF condition is satisfied. In the first control mode, charging control of the power storage device is performed according to an instruction from the management computer of the power grid. For this reason, charging according to the request from the power grid administrator becomes easy, and the opportunity to obtain incentives can be increased.

On the other hand, when the OFF condition is satisfied, the charge control device performs charge control of the power storage device in the second control mode. Therefore, when the OFF condition is satisfied, charging of the power storage device can be started at the user's own discretion. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in user convenience regarding charging of the power storage device.

The charge control device determines that the OFF condition is not satisfied when the place where charging is performed is within the predetermined range, and determines that the OFF condition is satisfied when the place where charging is performed is outside the predetermined range. May be good. The predetermined range may be a range including the user's home.

The OFF condition may be satisfied when the incentive cannot be obtained by charging. For example, the OFF condition may be satisfied when charging is performed outside the target area of the incentive contract. The OFF condition may be variable. The OFF condition may be arbitrarily set by the user.

The power storage device may be mounted on a vehicle. The power storage device may be configured to supply electric power for the vehicle to travel. The vehicle may be an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle is a vehicle configured to travel using the electric power stored in the power storage device. Electric vehicles include EVs (electric vehicles) and PHVs (plug-in hybrid vehicles), as well as FC vehicles (fuel cell vehicles) and range extender EVs.

The charging connector was connected to the inlet of the vehicle equipped with the power storage device, the charging connector was unplugged before the first period had elapsed since it was connected, and the charging connector was reconnected before the second period had elapsed since it was unplugged. Occasionally, the above-mentioned OFF condition may be satisfied. Each of the first period and the second period is a predetermined period. The first period and the second period may be the same or different.

As described above, the connection, disconnection, and reconnection of the charging connector within a predetermined period is hereinafter referred to as "double insertion". The OFF condition is satisfied from the time when the OFF condition is satisfied by inserting twice until the predetermined condition (hereinafter, also referred to as "ON condition") is satisfied, and when the ON condition is satisfied, the OFF condition is not satisfied. May be good. If charging is started by an instruction from the user after being inserted twice, the ON condition may be satisfied when the charging is completed. Further, the ON condition may be satisfied when the charging connector is disconnected again after being inserted twice.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a charge control device that can easily perform charging in accordance with a request from a power grid administrator and can suppress a decrease in user convenience regarding charging.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this disclosure. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the electric power system which concerns on embodiment of this disclosure. It is a figure which shows the detailed structure of the charge control device and the server included in the electric power system which concerns on embodiment of this disclosure. It is a flowchart which shows the process which concerns on charge control executed by the charge control apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this disclosure. It is a flowchart which shows the charge control by the 2nd control mode executed in the process shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the charge control by the 1st control mode executed in the process shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the modification of the process shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the 1st modification of the process which concerns on ON / OFF setting of a VPP cooperation mode. It is a flowchart which shows the 2nd modification of the process which concerns on ON / OFF setting of a VPP cooperation mode. It is a figure for demonstrating the VPP contract area.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the figure, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will not be repeated.

The charge control device according to this embodiment is applied to a vehicle included in an electric power system. The power system according to this embodiment includes a plurality of electric vehicles. A plurality of electric vehicles in an electric power system may have different configurations from each other. However, in this embodiment, it is assumed that each electric vehicle in the electric power system has the configuration shown in FIG. Hereinafter, each of the plurality of electric vehicles included in the electric power system will be referred to as “vehicle 50”, and each of the plurality of EVSEs included in the electric power system will be referred to as “EVSE 40”, except for the case where they will be described separately. EVSE means Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle 50 according to this embodiment. With reference to FIG. 1, the vehicle 50 includes a battery 130 that stores electric power for traveling. The battery 130 comprises a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery. In this embodiment, as the secondary battery, an assembled battery including a plurality of lithium ion batteries is adopted. An assembled battery is composed of a plurality of cells (generally also referred to as "cells") electrically connected to each other. In addition, instead of the secondary battery, another power storage device such as an electric double layer capacitor may be adopted. The battery 130 according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of the "power storage device" according to the present disclosure.

The vehicle 50 includes an electronic control unit (hereinafter, referred to as “ECU (Electronic Control Unit)”) 150. The ECU 150 is configured to perform charge control and discharge control of the battery 130. Further, the ECU 150 is configured to control communication with the outside of the vehicle 50. The vehicle 50 may be an electric vehicle (EV) capable of traveling using only the electric power stored in the battery 130, or both the electric power stored in the battery 130 and the output of the engine (not shown). It may be a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) that can be used and run. In this embodiment, the vehicle 50 is driven by the user, but the vehicle 50 may be configured to be self-driving. The ECU 150 according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of the "charge control device" according to the present disclosure.

The vehicle 50 further includes a monitoring module 131 for monitoring the status of the battery 130. The monitoring module 131 includes various sensors for detecting the state of the battery 130 (for example, voltage, current, and temperature), and outputs the detection result to the ECU 150. The monitoring module 131 has a BMS (Battery Management) having an SOC (State Of Charge) estimation function, a SOH (State of Health) estimation function, a cell voltage equalization function, a diagnostic function, and a communication function in addition to the above sensor function. System) may be used. The ECU 150 can acquire the state of the battery 130 (eg, temperature, current, voltage, SOC, and internal resistance) based on the output of the monitoring module 131.

The vehicle 50 includes an inlet 110 and a charger 120 corresponding to the power supply method of the EVSE 40. The inlet 110 is configured to receive electric power supplied from the outside of the vehicle 50. Although only the inlet 110 and the charger 120 are shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 50 has a plurality of power supply methods for each power supply method so as to be compatible with a plurality of types of power supply methods (for example, AC method and DC method). It may be provided with an inlet.

The EVSE 40 includes a power supply circuit 41. A charging cable 42 is connected to the EVSE 40. The charging cable 42 may be always connected to the EVSE 40, or may be detachable from the EVSE 40. The charging cable 42 has a connector 43 at the tip thereof and includes a power line inside. The inlet 110 is configured so that the connector 43 of the charging cable 42 can be connected. By connecting the connector 43 of the charging cable 42 connected to the EVSE 40 to the inlet 110 of the vehicle 50, the EVSE 40 and the vehicle 50 are electrically connected. This makes it possible to supply electric power from the EVSE 40 to the vehicle 50 through the charging cable 42.

The charger 120 is located between the inlet 110 and the battery 130. The charger 120 includes a charging relay that switches connection / disconnection of the power path from the inlet 110 to the battery 130, and a power conversion circuit (neither is shown). The power conversion circuit is configured to convert the electric power input from the inlet 110 side into electric power suitable for charging the battery 130 and output the electric power to the battery 130 side. The power conversion circuit may include a PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuit, an inverter, an isolation circuit (for example, an isolation transformer), and a rectifier circuit. Each of the charging relay and the power conversion circuit included in the charger 120 is controlled by the ECU 150. The vehicle 50 further includes a monitoring module 121 that monitors the status of the charger 120. The monitoring module 121 includes various sensors for detecting the state of the charger 120, and outputs the detection result to the ECU 150. In this embodiment, the monitoring module 121 is configured to detect the voltage and current input to the power conversion circuit and the voltage and current output from the power conversion circuit.

By connecting the EVSE 40 outside the vehicle 50 and the inlet 110 via the charging cable 42, it becomes possible to transfer electric power between the EVSE 40 and the vehicle 50. Therefore, external charging by the vehicle 50 (that is, charging the battery 130 of the vehicle 50 by receiving electric power from the outside of the vehicle 50) becomes possible. Power for external charging is supplied to the inlet 110 from, for example, the EVSE 40 through the charging cable 42. The charger 120 converts the electric power received by the inlet 110 into electric power suitable for charging the battery 130, and outputs the converted electric power to the battery 130. When the external charging is executed, the charging relay of the charger 120 is closed (connected state), and when the external charging is not executed, the charging relay of the charger 120 is opened (disconnected state).

The ECU 150 includes a processor 151, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 152, a storage device 153, and a timer 154. As the processor 151, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be adopted. The RAM 152 functions as a working memory for temporarily storing the data processed by the processor 151. The storage device 153 is configured to be able to store the stored information. The storage device 153 includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a rewritable non-volatile memory. In addition to the program, the storage device 153 stores information used in the program (for example, maps, mathematical formulas, and various parameters). In this embodiment, the processor 151 executes the program stored in the storage device 153 to execute various controls in the ECU 150. However, various controls in the ECU 150 are not limited to execution by software, but can also be executed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit). The number of processors included in the ECU 150 is arbitrary, and processors may be prepared for each predetermined control.

The timer 154 is configured to notify the processor 151 of the arrival of the set time. At the time set in the timer 154, the timer 154 transmits a signal to that effect to the processor 151. In this embodiment, a timer circuit is adopted as the timer 154. However, the timer 154 may be realized by software instead of hardware (timer circuit). Further, the ECU 150 can acquire the current time by using a real-time clock (RTC) circuit (not shown) built in the ECU 150.

The vehicle 50 further includes a traveling drive unit 140, an input device 160, a notification device 170, a communication device 180, and a drive wheel W. The drive system of the vehicle 50 is not limited to the front wheel drive shown in FIG. 1, and may be rear wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

The traveling drive unit 140 includes a PCU (Power Control Unit) and an MG (Motor Generator) (not shown), and is configured to drive the vehicle 50 using the electric power stored in the battery 130. The PCI is configured to include, for example, an inverter, a converter, a relay (hereinafter referred to as "SMR (System Main Relay)"), and (none of them are shown). The PCU inverter, converter, and SMR are controlled by the ECU 150. MG is, for example, a three-phase AC motor generator. The MG is driven by the PCU and is configured to rotate the drive wheels W. Further, the MG is configured to perform regenerative power generation and supply the generated power to the battery 130. The SMR is configured to switch connection / disconnection of the power path from the battery 130 to the PCU. The SMR is closed (connected) when the vehicle 50 is running.

The input device 160 is a device that receives input from the user. The input device 160 is operated by the user and outputs a signal corresponding to the user's operation to the ECU 150. The communication method may be wired or wireless. Examples of the input device 160 include various switches, various pointing devices, a keyboard, and a touch panel. The input device 160 may be an operation unit of a car navigation system. The input device 160 may be a smart speaker that accepts voice input.

The notification device 170 is configured to perform a predetermined notification process to the user (for example, the occupant of the vehicle 50) when requested by the ECU 150. The notifying device 170 may include at least one of a display device (eg, a touch panel display), a speaker, and a lamp (eg, a MIL (failure warning light)). The notification device 170 may be a meter panel, a head-up display, or a car navigation system.

The communication device 180 includes various communication I / Fs (interfaces). The communication device 180 may include a DCM (Data Communication Module). The communication device 180 may include a communication I / F compatible with 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system). The ECU 150 is configured to perform wireless communication with a communication device outside the vehicle 50 through the communication device 180.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric power system according to this embodiment. With reference to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the VGI ( Vehicle Grid Integration) System 1 is constructed. Each of the vehicles 50A to 50D has the configuration shown in FIG. The VGI system 1 corresponds to an example of an electric power system.

In FIG. 2, the mobile terminals 80A to 80D correspond to mobile terminals carried by users of vehicles 50A to 50D, respectively. Hereinafter, each of the mobile terminals 80A to 80D will be referred to as a "mobile terminal 80", except for the case where the description is made separately. In this embodiment, a smartphone equipped with a touch panel display is adopted as each mobile terminal 80. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any mobile terminal can be adopted as each mobile terminal 80, and a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a wearable device (for example, a smart watch), an electronic key, or the like can also be adopted.

Although FIG. 2 shows four vehicles, four mobile terminals, and four EVSEs, the number of vehicles, mobile terminals, and EVSEs included in the VGI system 1 is independently arbitrary and is 10 or more. It may be 100 or more. The VGI system 1 may include at least one of a vehicle owned by an individual (POV) and a vehicle managed by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) operator (MaaS vehicle). The VGI system 1 may include at least one of a non-public EVSE that can be used only by a specific user (for example, a home EVSE) and a public EVSE that can be used by an unspecified number of users.

The vehicle 50A shown in FIG. 2 is electrically connected to the EVSE 40A. In this embodiment, the EVSE40A is an AC power supply facility (eg, a normal charger). However, the VGI system 1 may include DC power feeding equipment (eg, a quick charger). By connecting the connector 43 of the charging cable 42 connected to the EVSE 40A to the inlet 110 of the vehicle 50A, communication between the vehicle 50A and the EVSE 40A becomes possible, and power is transferred between the EVSE 40A and the battery 130. Will be possible. This completes the preparation for external charging. When the charging relay of the charger 120 is closed, the battery 130 is electrically connected to the power system PG.

The communication device 180 mounted on the vehicle 50A is configured to communicate with the EVSE 40A via the charging cable 42. The communication method between the EVSE 40A and the vehicle 50A is arbitrary, and may be, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network) or PLC. The standard for communication between the EVSE 40A and the vehicle 50A may be ISO / IEC15118 or IEC61851.

The power supply circuit 41 built in the EVSE 40A is electrically connected to the power system PG via the smart meter 11. For example, the battery 130 is externally charged by supplying electric power from the power system PG to the vehicle 50A via the power supply circuit 41 and the charging cable 42. The power supply circuit 41 converts the electric power supplied from the electric power system PG into electric power suitable for external charging.

The smart meter 11 is configured to measure the amount of electric power supplied from the EVSE 40A to the vehicle 50A. The smart meter 11 is configured to measure the power consumption every predetermined time (for example, every 30 minutes), store the measured power consumption, and transmit the measured power consumption to the server 10. As a communication protocol between the smart meter 11 and the server 10, for example, IEC (DLMS / COSEM) can be adopted. Further, the server 10 transmits the measured value of the smart meter 11 to the server 30 at any time. The server 10 may transmit periodically, or may transmit in response to a request from the server 30.

The communication device 180 mounted on each vehicle 50 included in the VGI system 1 is configured to wirelessly communicate with the server 30 via, for example, a mobile communication network (telematics). The signal exchanged between the communication device 180 and the server 30 may be encrypted. Further, in this embodiment, the communication device 180 mounted on the vehicle 50A and the mobile terminal 80A are configured to communicate wirelessly with each other. The ECU 150 can control the mobile terminal 80A by wireless communication so that the mobile terminal 80A can notify the user. The communication between the communication device 180 and the mobile terminal 80A may be short-range communication (for example, direct communication in the vehicle and in the range around the vehicle) such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

Predetermined application software (hereinafter, simply referred to as "application") is installed in the mobile terminal 80. The mobile terminal 80 is carried by the user of the vehicle 50 and can exchange information with the server 30 through the above application. The user can operate the above application through, for example, a touch panel display (not shown) of the mobile terminal 80.

In this embodiment, the VGI system 1 functions as a VPP (virtual power plant). VPP bundles a large number of distributed energy resources (hereinafter, also referred to as "DER (Distributed Energy Resources)") by advanced energy management technology using IoT (Internet of Things), and remotely and integratedly controls these DERs. It is a mechanism that makes it function as if it were one power plant. Examples of DER include energy resources owned by each consumer (hereinafter, also referred to as “DSR (Demand Side Resources)”). In the VGI system 1, an electric vehicle equipped with a power storage device (that is, the vehicle 50 shown in FIG. 1) is adopted as a DSR for realizing VPP.

In VPP, an electric power company that bundles DERs and provides energy management services is called an "aggregator". The electric power company can adjust the supply and demand balance of electric power by demand response (DR), for example, by cooperating with an aggregator.

The server 10 is a server belonging to a power transmission and distribution business operator. In this embodiment, the electric power company also serves as a power generation business operator and a power transmission and distribution business operator. The electric power company constructs an electric power network (that is, an electric power system PG) by a power plant and a power transmission and distribution facility (not shown), and maintains and manages a server 10, a smart meter 11, EVSE40A to 40D, and an electric power system PG. An electric power company can make a profit, for example, by doing business with a consumer who uses electric power (for example, an individual or a company). The power system PG according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of the "power grid" according to the present disclosure.

The server 30 is configured to be able to communicate with each of the server 10, the vehicles 50A to 50D, and the mobile terminals 80A to 80D. The server 30 is a server belonging to the aggregator. The aggregator carries out the business related to the management of the power system PG in accordance with the instructions from the power company. Each of the electric power company and the aggregator corresponds to the manager of the electric power system PG. The server 30 corresponds to the management computer of the power system PG. The server 10 and the server 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via, for example, a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The communication protocol between the server 10 and the server 30 may be OpenADR. In this embodiment, the aggregator terminal (for example, the server 30) is configured to be able to communicate with each of the electric power company terminal (for example, the server 10) and the vehicle user's terminal (for example, the communication device 180 and the mobile terminal 80). Will be done. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the VGI system 1 may separately include a server that contacts the electric power company and a server that contacts the vehicle user. These servers may be managed by different utilities (eg, higher / lower aggregators).

In this embodiment, communication is not performed between the server 30 and the EVSE 40, but the server 30 and the EVSE 40 may be configured to be capable of mutual communication. The server 30 may be configured to communicate with the vehicle 50 via the EVSE 40. The EVSE 40 may be configured to be communicable with the EVSE management cloud. The communication protocol between the EVSE 40 and the EVSE management cloud may be OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol).

The server 30 includes a control device 31, a storage device 32, and a communication device 33. The control device 31 includes a processor, performs predetermined information processing, and is configured to control the communication device 33. The storage device 32 is configured to be able to store various types of information. The communication device 33 includes various communication I / Fs. The control device 31 is configured to communicate with the outside through the communication device 33.

The server 10 is configured to perform power leveling using DR. When the server 10 performs power leveling, it first selects the number of aggregators required for power leveling from a plurality of aggregators, and requests the selected aggregator to participate in DR. For example, a signal requesting participation in DR (hereinafter, also referred to as “DR request signal”) is transmitted from the server 10 to the server 30. The DR request signal includes the area covered by the DR, the type of DR (eg, lowered DR or raised DR), the amount of DR for the aggregator, and the DR period. The DR amount is the amount of power adjustment requested by the electric power company to the aggregator. The DR period is information indicating the DR start time and the DR end time.

The server 30 selects the number of DR vehicles required to respond to the request of the DR request signal. The DR vehicle is a vehicle 50 that participates in DR. The DR vehicle is selected from the vehicles 50 belonging to the user who has previously signed a contract with the aggregator. The user who has signed this contract can receive a predetermined incentive by charging according to the request from the aggregator. The user may approve by the above contract to comply with the request from the aggregator if a predetermined requirement (for example, a requirement to specify at least one of a place and a time zone in which charging is performed) is satisfied. A user who approves to comply with the request but does not comply with the request may be penalized with a predetermined penalty.

The server 30 performs the power adjustment requested by the DR request signal by transmitting a charging command to each of the selected DR vehicles. The server 30 may confirm whether or not each DR vehicle is charging according to the charging command during the DR period indicated by the DR request signal. Then, when a DR vehicle that does not comply with the charging command is confirmed, the server 30 may compensate for the insufficient power adjustment amount by transmitting the charging command to the newly selected DR vehicle.

The server 30 may measure the charge power amount for each DR vehicle by a predetermined power meter. The predetermined watt-hour meter may be a smart meter 11 or a watt-hour meter mounted on the vehicle 50 (for example, a monitoring module 121). The installation location of the electricity meter is arbitrary. The EVSE 40 may have a built-in watt-hour meter. A watt-hour meter may be attached to the portable charging cable.

In this embodiment, the storage device 153 (FIG. 1) has information indicating whether the VPP cooperation mode is ON or OFF. When the VPP cooperation mode is turned on, remote control of the charger 120 by the server 30 is permitted. When the VPP cooperation mode is ON, the server 30 can control the charging of the battery 130 by transmitting a charging command to the vehicle 50.

When the ECU 150 according to this embodiment charges the battery 130 using the electric power supplied from the electric power system PG, if the VPP cooperation mode is ON, the ECU 150 performs charge control of the battery 130 in the first control mode. , When the VPP cooperation mode is OFF, the charge control of the battery 130 is performed in the second control mode. The ECU 150 determines whether the VPP cooperation mode is ON / OFF based on the information in the storage device 153. The first control mode is a control mode in which charging control is executed according to an instruction from the server 30 and charging is not started according to an instruction from the user. The second control mode is a control mode in which charging is started according to an instruction from the user and charging control is not executed according to an instruction from the server 30. Details of charge control in each of the first control mode and the second control mode will be described later (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the ECU 150 of the vehicle 50 and the server 30. With reference to FIG. 3 with FIGS. 1 and 2, the ECU 150 includes an information management unit 501 and a control unit 502. In the ECU 150 according to this embodiment, each of the above parts is embodied by the processor 151 shown in FIG. 1 and a program executed by the processor 151 (for example, a program stored in the storage device 153). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each of the above parts may be embodied by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit).

The information management unit 501 updates the information in the storage device 153 based on the given information. The ON / OFF of the above-mentioned VPP cooperation mode is set by the information management unit 501. The information management unit 501 turns on the VPP cooperation mode when the predetermined OFF condition is not satisfied, and turns off the VPP cooperation mode when the predetermined OFF condition is satisfied. The details of the OFF condition will be described later (see FIG. 4). Further, the information management unit 501 is configured to notify the notification device 170 of predetermined information. The output signal of the input device 160, the detection results of various sensors mounted on the vehicle 50, and the information received by the communication device 180 from the outside of the vehicle 50 are input to the information management unit 501.

The information management unit 501 acquires the state of the vehicle 50 by using the outputs of various sensors mounted on the vehicle 50. The information management unit 501 acquires the position of the vehicle 50 by using, for example, a position sensor (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 50. The position sensor may be a position sensor using GPS (Global Positioning System) (for example, a position sensor used in a car navigation system). The information management unit 501 acquires the temperature and SOC of the battery 130 based on, for example, the output of the monitoring module 131 (FIG. 1). As a method for measuring SOC, a method such as a current integration method or an OCV estimation method can be adopted.

The information management unit 501 stores the charging schedule set by the user of the vehicle 50 in the storage device 153. The user can reserve the timer charging schedule (eg, start time and end time) in the ECU 150 through the input device 160. The reserved schedule is registered in the storage device 153 as a charging schedule.

The information management unit 501 is configured to transmit the state of the vehicle 50 and the charging schedule to the server 30. The information management unit 501 may sequentially transmit the latest data to the server 30 in real time. Alternatively, the information management unit 501 may transmit the data stored in the storage device 153 to the server 30 at a predetermined timing (for example, at the end of traveling of the vehicle 50 or at the time of connecting the charging connector).

The control unit 502 is configured to be able to execute external charging of the battery 130. The control unit 502 is configured to control the charging of the battery 130 by controlling the charger 120.

When the VPP cooperation mode is OFF, the charging start operation is performed by the user or preset by the user in the state where the preparation for external charging is completed (for example, the state of the vehicle 50A shown in FIG. 2). At the charging start time, the control unit 502 starts external charging. The charging start operation can be set arbitrarily. The charging start operation may be an operation of pressing a button (including a virtual button displayed on the screen) provided on the EVSE 40 or the vehicle 50. The charging start time preset by the user is, for example, the timer charging start time, which is indicated by the charging schedule described above. Each of the charging start operation performed by the user and the charging start time being set by the user correspond to the charging instruction from the user.

When the VPP cooperation mode is ON, the control unit 502 waits for a charging command from the server 30 in a state where preparations for external charging are completed. Upon receiving the charging command from the server 30, the control unit 502 executes the charging control of the battery 130 according to the charging instruction.

The server 30 includes an information management unit 301, a selection unit 302, and a request unit 303. In the server 30 according to this embodiment, each of the above parts is embodied by the processor of the control device 31 shown in FIG. 2 and the program executed by the processor (for example, the program stored in the storage device 32). To. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each of the above parts may be embodied by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit).

The information management unit 301 is configured to manage the information of each registered user (hereinafter, also referred to as "user information") and the information of each registered vehicle 50 (hereinafter, also referred to as "vehicle information"). Will be done. Identification information for identifying a user (hereinafter, also referred to as "user ID") is given to each user, and the information management unit 301 manages the user information by distinguishing it by the user ID. The user ID also functions as information (terminal ID) for identifying the mobile terminal 80 carried by the user. The user information includes the communication address of the mobile terminal 80 carried by each user and the vehicle ID of the vehicle 50 belonging to each user. In addition, the user information may include the incentive acquisition amount. The incentive acquisition amount is the total amount of incentives acquired by the user by participating in DR in a predetermined period. The vehicle ID is identification information for identifying the vehicle 50. A vehicle ID is assigned to each vehicle 50, and the information management unit 301 manages the vehicle information by distinguishing it by the vehicle ID. The vehicle information includes the communication address of the communication device 180 mounted on each vehicle 50, the state of each vehicle 50 (for example, the position of the vehicle 50, the temperature of the battery 130 and the SOC), and the charging schedule of each vehicle 50. included. User information and vehicle information are stored in the storage device 32.

The information management unit 301 stores the information received from the outside of the server 30 through the communication device 33 in the storage device 32. When the information management unit 301 receives the DR request signal from the server 10 (FIG. 2), the information management unit 301 stores the DR request signal in the storage device 32. The selection unit 302 selects a DR vehicle based on the DR request signal. The selection unit 302 may select a DR vehicle in consideration of the state of each vehicle 50 and the charging schedule. The requesting unit 303 creates a charging command for each DR vehicle based on the DR request signal. The requesting unit 303 may create a charging command for each DR vehicle in consideration of the state of each DR vehicle and the charging schedule. The information management unit 301 transmits the charging command created by the requesting unit 303 to each DR vehicle selected by the selection unit 302. By the above processing, the charging command is transmitted from the server 30 to each DR vehicle during the DR period indicated by the DR request signal.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process related to charge control executed by the ECU 150 of the vehicle 50. The process shown in this flowchart is started by connecting the charging connector (for example, the connector 43 of the charging cable 42 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) to the inlet 110 of the vehicle 50.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, in step 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as “S”) 1, the charging connector from the inlet 110 is connected to the charging connector before the period T1 elapses after the charging connector is connected to the inlet 110. The information management unit 501 determines whether or not the connector has been removed. In this embodiment, the period from the connection of the charging connector to the elapse of a predetermined time is defined as the period T1. The period T1 corresponds to an example of the first period. The information management unit 501 executes the determination of S1 at the timing when the period T1 ends or when the charging connector is disconnected, for example.

If YES is determined in S1, the process proceeds to S2. In S2, the information management unit 501 determines whether or not the charging connector is reconnected before the period T2 elapses after the charging connector is disconnected. In this embodiment, the period from the disconnection of the charging connector to the elapse of a predetermined time is defined as the period T2. The period T2 corresponds to an example of the second period. The information management unit 501 executes the determination of S2, for example, at the timing when the period T2 ends or when the charging connector is reconnected.

When the charging connector is disconnected during the period T1 and the charging connector is reconnected during the period T2 (YES in both S1 and S2), the information management unit 501 turns off the VPP cooperation mode in S3. Set. The fact that the VPP cooperation mode is OFF means that the OFF condition is satisfied. On the other hand, if it is determined to be NO in either S1 or S2, the information management unit 501 sets the VPP cooperation mode to ON in S5. When the VPP cooperation mode is ON, it means that the OFF condition is not satisfied.

As described above, in this embodiment, the OFF condition is satisfied when YES is determined in both S1 and S2, and the OFF condition is satisfied when NO is determined in either S1 or S2. Not satisfied.

After the processing of S3, the control unit 502 executes charge control by the second control mode in S4. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the details of S4 of FIG. With reference to FIGS. 5 and 2 and 3, in S11, the control unit 502 determines whether or not the charging start operation has been performed by the user. If it is determined that the charging start operation has not been performed (NO in S11), the process proceeds to S12. In S12, the control unit 502 determines whether or not the charging start time indicated by the charging schedule stored in the storage device 153 has been reached. If the charging start time has not arrived yet, it is determined as NO in S12. Further, even when the charging start time is not set, it is determined as NO in S12. If NO is determined in S12, the process proceeds to S13. In S13, the control unit 502 determines whether or not the charging connector has been pulled out from the inlet 110. When the charging connector is connected to the inlet 110 (NO in S13), the process returns to S11.

When the charging start operation is performed by the user with the charging connector connected to the inlet 110 (YES in S11), charging of the battery 130 is started in S14. Further, when the charging start time indicated by the charging schedule is reached while the charging connector is connected to the inlet 110 (YES in S12), charging of the battery 130 is also started in S14. As described above, in the charging control by the second control mode, charging is started by an instruction (charging instruction) from the user.

In S14, the control unit 502 controls the charger 120 to execute external charging of the battery 130. Then, the control unit 502 determines in S15 whether or not a predetermined charging end condition (hereinafter, also referred to as "first end condition") is satisfied. In this embodiment, the first termination condition is satisfied when the SOC of the battery 130 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined SOC value (for example, an SOC value indicating a full charge). In timer charging, the first end condition is satisfied even when the charge end time indicated by the charge schedule stored in the storage device 153 is reached. Further, the first end condition may be satisfied when a predetermined charge end operation is performed by the user. If the first termination condition is not satisfied (NO in S15), the process returns to S14 and charging of the battery 130 is continued.

When the above first termination condition is satisfied (YES in S15), the process proceeds to S16. In S16, the control unit 502 requests the power supply equipment (for example, EVSE40) to stop power transmission, and controls the charger 120 so as to stop charging. When the process of S16 is executed, the series of processes shown in FIG. 5 is completed, and the process proceeds to S5 of FIG.

On the other hand, if the charging connector is disconnected before the external charging is started (YES in S13), the charging control is terminated without returning to the process shown in FIG. After that, when the charging connector is connected to the inlet 110 of the vehicle 50, the process shown in FIG. 4 is started from S1.

When the processing of S4 (that is, the series of processing shown in FIG. 5) is completed with reference to FIG. 4 together with FIGS. 2 and 3, the information management unit 501 sets the VPP cooperation mode to ON in S5. ..

When the VPP cooperation mode is set to ON in S5, the control unit 502 executes charge control by the first control mode in S6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the details of S6 of FIG. With reference to FIGS. 6 and 2 and 3, in S21, the control unit 502 determines whether or not the charging connector has been pulled out from the inlet 110.

When the charging connector is connected to the inlet 110 (NO in S21), the control unit 502 waits for a charging command from the server 30 in S22. While the control unit 502 does not receive the charging command from the server 30 (NO in S22), the processes of S21 and S22 are repeated. Then, when the control unit 502 receives a charging command from the server 30 (YES in S22), the control unit 502 performs charging control of the battery 130 in S23 according to the command. Then, the control unit 502 determines in S24 whether or not a predetermined charging end condition (hereinafter, also referred to as “second end condition”) is satisfied. In this embodiment, the second termination condition is satisfied when the SOC of the battery 130 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined SOC value (for example, an SOC value indicating a full charge). If the second end condition is not satisfied (NO in S24), the process returns to S21. As described above, in the charge control by the first control mode, the charge control is executed according to the instruction from the server 30. In the charge control by the first control mode, charging is not started according to the instruction from the user.

When the above second end condition is satisfied (YES in S24), the process proceeds to S25. In S25, the control unit 502 requests the power supply equipment (for example, EVSE40) to stop power transmission, and controls the charger 120 so as to stop charging. When the process of S25 is executed, a series of processes shown in FIG. 6 is completed. Also, when the charging connector is disconnected (YES in S21), the series of processes shown in FIG. 6 is completed. When the series of processes shown in FIG. 6 is completed, the series of processes shown in FIG. 4 is also completed.

As described above, the vehicle 50 according to this embodiment includes a battery 130 and an ECU 150 that controls charging of the battery 130. The battery 130 is configured to be electrically connectable to the power system PG (power grid). When the ECU 150 charges the battery 130 using the electric power supplied from the electric power system PG, if a predetermined OFF condition is not satisfied (for example, when the VPP cooperation mode is ON), the ECU 150 is the battery in the first control mode. The charge control of the 130 is performed, and when a predetermined OFF condition is satisfied (for example, when the VPP cooperation mode is OFF), the charge control of the battery 130 is performed in the second control mode. The charge control by the first control mode is, for example, the charge control shown in FIG. In the charge control by the first control mode, the charge control is executed according to the instruction from the server 30, and the charge is not started by the instruction from the user. The charge control by the second control mode is, for example, the charge control shown in FIG. In the charge control by the second control mode, charging is started according to the instruction from the user, and the charge control is not executed according to the instruction from the server 30.

The ECU 150 controls the charging of the battery 130 according to the instruction from the server 30 except when the OFF condition is satisfied. Therefore, charging according to the request from the manager of the power system PG becomes easy, and the chance of obtaining an incentive can be increased.

On the other hand, if the OFF condition is satisfied, charging of the battery 130 can be started at the user's own discretion. As a result, the decrease in user convenience regarding the charging of the battery 130 is suppressed. In this embodiment, the user can establish the OFF condition by inserting the charging connector twice (see FIG. 4). Since the charging connector can be inserted twice in the flow of charging preparation work, the burden on the user is less than the configuration in which the VPP cooperation mode is set to OFF by touch panel operation for the input device 160 or the mobile terminal 80. ..

In the above embodiment, a charging schedule is set in the ECU 150, and the ECU 150 is configured to perform timer charging. However, setting a charging schedule in the ECU 150 and charging the timer by the ECU 150 are not indispensable configurations. In a configuration in which the ECU 150 does not charge the timer, the process shown in FIG. 7 may be executed instead of the process shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of the process shown in FIG. In the process shown in FIG. 7, S12 in the process shown in FIG. 5 is omitted.

The process related to the ON / OFF setting of the VPP cooperation mode is not limited to the process shown in FIG. For example, the ECU 150 may set the VPP cooperation mode by the process shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9 described below instead of the process of FIG. Then, when the ECU 150 charges the battery 130 using the electric power supplied from the electric power system PG, the ECU 150 charges the battery 130 by the first control mode (for example, depending on whether the VPP cooperation mode is ON or OFF). Either FIG. 6) or charge control by the second control mode (see, eg, FIG. 5 or FIG. 7) may be performed.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a first modification of the process related to the ON / OFF setting of the VPP cooperation mode. The process shown in this flowchart is initiated, for example, by connecting the charging connector to the inlet 110 of the vehicle 50. The position of the vehicle 50 when the charging connector is connected to the inlet 110 corresponds to an example of information indicating "a place where charging is performed".

With reference to FIGS. 8 and 2 and 3, in S51, the information management unit 501 determines whether or not the position of the vehicle 50 is the home of the user of the vehicle 50. The information management unit 501 may make a determination in S51 based on the output of a position sensor (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 50. When it is determined that the position of the vehicle 50 is the home of the user of the vehicle 50 (YES in S51), the information management unit 501 sets the VPP cooperation mode to ON in S52. When it is determined that the position of the vehicle 50 is not the home of the user of the vehicle 50 (NO in S51), the information management unit 501 sets the VPP cooperation mode to OFF in S53.

When the VPP cooperation mode is set to either ON / OFF by any of S52 and S53, the series of processes shown in FIG. 8 ends. The start timing of the process shown in FIG. 8 is not limited to the timing when the charging connector is connected to the inlet 110 of the vehicle 50. For example, the process shown in FIG. 8 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a second modification of the process related to the ON / OFF setting of the VPP cooperation mode. The process shown in this flowchart is initiated, for example, by connecting the charging connector to the inlet 110 of the vehicle 50.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 2 and 3, in S61, the information management unit 501 determines whether or not the position of the vehicle 50 is within the target area of the incentive contract. Hereinafter, the target area of the incentive contract will be referred to as a “VPP contract area”.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the VPP contract area. With reference to FIG. 10, the EVSE 40A-40D are located in the regions A to D, respectively. When the VPP contract area is the area A, the vehicle 50 may receive a charging instruction from the server 30 when the vehicle 50 externally charges the battery 130 with the EVSE 40A. The ECU 150 can obtain an incentive by controlling the charging of the battery 130 according to the charging instruction from the server 30.

On the other hand, when the vehicle 50 externally charges the battery 130 in any of the areas B to D which is not the VPP contract area, the vehicle 50 does not receive the charging instruction from the server 30. The position of the vehicle 50 outside the VPP contract area means that the incentive cannot be obtained by charging.

With reference to FIG. 9 again, when it is determined that the position of the vehicle 50 is within the VPP contract area (YES in S61), the information management unit 501 sets the VPP cooperation mode to ON in S62. .. When it is determined that the position of the vehicle 50 is outside the VPP contract area (NO in S61), the information management unit 501 sets the VPP cooperation mode to OFF in S63.

When the VPP cooperation mode is set to either ON / OFF by any of the above S62 and S63, the series of processes shown in FIG. 9 ends. The start timing of the process shown in FIG. 9 is not limited to the timing when the charging connector is connected to the inlet 110 of the vehicle 50. For example, the process shown in FIG. 9 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle.

The OFF condition may be variable. The OFF condition may be arbitrarily set by the user. For example, the ECU 150 may be configured to change the OFF condition to the content input by the user through the input device 160 or the mobile terminal 80.

The configuration of the vehicle is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. For example, the vehicle may be configured for non-contact charging. The vehicle is not limited to a passenger car, but may be a bus or a truck.

The charge control device may be mounted on a vehicle other than a vehicle (ship, airplane, etc.) or on an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), agricultural machine, mobile robot, drone, etc.). Alternatively, it may be installed in a building (house, factory, etc.).

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be exemplary and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of claims rather than the description of the embodiments described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

1 VGI system, 10 servers, 11 smart meters, 30 servers, 31 control devices, 32 storage devices, 33 communication devices, 41 power supply circuits, 42 charging cables, 43 connectors, 50, 50A to 50D vehicles, 80, 80A to 80D mobile phones. Terminal, 110 inlet, 120 charger, 121 monitoring module, 130 battery, 131 monitoring module, 140 driving unit, 150 ECU, 151 processor, 152 RAM, 153 storage device, 154 timer, 160 input device, 170 notification device, 180 Communication equipment, 301 information management unit, 302 selection unit, 303 request unit, 501 information management unit, 502 control unit, PG power system, W drive wheel.

Claims (1)

It is a charge control device that controls the charge of a power storage device that can be electrically connected to the power grid.
When charging the power storage device using the electric power supplied from the power grid, if the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the charging control of the power storage device is performed in the first control mode, and the predetermined condition is satisfied. Is configured to control the charging of the power storage device in the second control mode.
The first control mode is a control mode in which charging control is executed according to an instruction from the management computer of the power grid and charging is not started according to an instruction from the user.
The second control mode is a control mode in which charging is started according to an instruction from a user and charging control is not executed according to an instruction from the management computer of the power grid.

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