JP7396388B2 - Charging control device and charging control method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a charging control device and a charging control method.

2. Description of the Related Art A power control device that performs continuous charging control to continuously charge a battery is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Furthermore, a charging control device is known that temporarily stops continuous charging operation when the remaining battery power (State of Charge: SOC) reaches a threshold value or a value near it (see, for example, Patent Document 2). .

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-131449 JP2012-244663A

By the way, when charging multiple batteries connected in parallel to the charger with the charging power sent out from the charger based on the indicated value, if the indicated value is set higher than the charging power value that allows continuous charging of the batteries, There is a risk that the battery may become overcharged and cannot be safely charged.

On the other hand, if the instruction value is set low, the charging time until the battery is fully charged becomes longer, so there is a problem that charging cannot be performed efficiently.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a charging control device and a charging control method that can safely and efficiently charge a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to a charger.

In order to achieve the above object, the charging control device in the present disclosure includes:
A charging control device that charges a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to the charger with charging power sent out from the charger based on an instruction value,
an acquisition unit that acquires a charging power value that allows continuous charging for each of a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to the charger;
a calculation unit that calculates a multiplication value by multiplying the minimum value of the acquired charging power values that allow continuous charging by a number of connections, which is the number of batteries connected in parallel to the charger;
a transmitter that transmits the calculated multiplication value to the charger as the instruction value;
Equipped with

The charging control method in the present disclosure includes:
A charging control method for charging a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to the charger with charging power sent out from the charger based on an instruction value, the method comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring a charging power value that allows continuous charging for each of a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to the charger;
a calculation step of calculating a multiplication value by multiplying the minimum value of the acquired charging power values that allow continuous charging by the number of connections, which is the number of batteries connected in parallel to the charger;
a transmitting step of transmitting the calculated multiplication value to the charger as the instruction value;
Equipped with

According to the present disclosure, a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to a charger can be safely and efficiently charged.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charging control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of charging power values that allow continuous charging of the battery. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a charging control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charging control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of battery packs BP forming a battery pack BU are shown. The assembled battery BU is mounted on a vehicle, for example.

Charger 1 is installed on the ground side. A plurality of battery packs BP are connected in parallel to the charger 1. The charger 1 includes a charger ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 2. Charger ECU 2 controls charger 1 so that predetermined charging power is sent to electrical path 3 . A plurality of battery packs BP are charged with the charging power sent to the electrical path 3.

The charging control device 10 includes a monitoring section 20, a battery ECU 30, and a control ECU 40.

[Monitoring unit 20]
The monitoring unit 20 is provided in each of the plurality of battery packs BP, and monitors the temperature of the battery pack BP and the battery status including the charging power input to the battery pack BP.

[Battery ECU30]
The battery ECU 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU reads a program according to the processing content from the ROM, loads it into the RAM, and executes a predetermined function of the battery ECU 30 in cooperation with the loaded program. At this time, various data stored in the storage unit 33 are referred to. The storage unit 33 includes, for example, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (so-called flash memory) or a hard disk drive. For example, the battery ECU 30 may be incorporated into a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls each part of the vehicle, may be configured integrally with the control ECU 40, or may be provided separately from the vehicle ECU and the control ECU 40. It's okay to be beaten.

For the battery pack BP, a charging power value that allows continuous charging is estimated according to the environment (temperature, state of charge, state of deterioration, etc.).

Battery ECU 30 has an acquisition section 31 and a calculation section 32 as predetermined functions. The acquisition unit 31 acquires charging power values that allow continuous charging from each of the battery packs BP connected in parallel to the charger 1.

This will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of charging power values that allow continuous charging of the battery pack BP. The acquisition unit 31 acquires a charging power value "10 kW" that allows continuous charging from the battery pack BP1. The acquisition unit 31 also acquires a charging power value of “5 kW” that allows continuous charging from the battery pack BP2. Further, the acquisition unit 31 acquires a charging power value “8 kW” that allows continuous charging from the battery pack BPn (n is a positive integer of 3 or more).

The calculation unit 32 selects the minimum value from among the acquired charging power values that allow continuous charging. Specifically, the calculation unit 32 selects the minimum value, in this case, "5 kW" from among the acquired charging power values "10 kW", "5 kW", . . . , "8 kW" that allow continuous charging.

The calculation unit 32 calculates a multiplication value by multiplying the selected minimum value by the number of connections, which is the number of battery packs BP connected in parallel to the charger 1. Specifically, the calculation unit 32 calculates a multiplication value "n*5kw" by multiplying the selected minimum value "5kw" and the number of connections n. For example, when the number of connections n is 3, the multiplication value is "15 kW".

Battery ECU 30 transmits the multiplied value to control ECU 40. For example, when the number of connections n is 3, the battery ECU 30 transmits the multiplication value "15 kW" to the control ECU 40.

[Control ECU 40]
The control ECU 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU reads a program according to the processing content from the ROM, develops it in the RAM, and executes a predetermined function of the control ECU 40 in cooperation with the developed program. At this time, various data stored in a storage unit (not shown) is referenced. The storage unit includes, for example, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (so-called flash memory) or a hard disk drive. For example, the control ECU 40 may be incorporated into a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls each part of the vehicle, may be configured integrally with the battery ECU 30, or may be provided separately from the vehicle ECU and the battery ECU 30. It's okay to be beaten.

The control ECU 40 has a transmitting/receiving section 41 as a predetermined function. The transmitter/receiver 41 receives the multiplication value and transmits the received multiplication value to the charger ECU 2 of the charger 1 as an instruction value. Charger ECU 2 controls charger 1 so that charging power based on the instruction value is sent to electrical path 3 . For example, when the number of connections n is 3, the transmitting/receiving unit 41 transmits the multiplication value "15 kW" as the instruction value to the charger ECU 2. Charger ECU 2 controls charger 1 so that charging power based on the instruction value “15 kW” is sent to electrical path 3 . Thereby, each of the battery packs BP1, BP2, and BP3 connected in parallel to the charger 1 is charged with 5 kW of charging power. Since 5 kW is a charging power value that allows continuous charging of the battery pack BP2, the battery pack BP2 can be safely charged. Moreover, since 5 kW is the minimum value of charging power values that allow continuous charging, battery packs BP1 and BP3 can also be safely charged. Furthermore, since the multiplication value is a charging power value that ensures safety, it is possible to efficiently charge the assembled battery BU.

Next, an example of a charging control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a charging control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that this flow is started, for example, when the battery pack BP is connected to the charger and the user instructs to start charging, and thereafter is repeated at predetermined intervals. Although each step shown in FIG. 3 is performed by each function of the battery ECU 30 and the control ECU 40, for example, the steps will be described here assuming that each of the CPUs of the battery ECU 30 and the control ECU 40 performs the steps.

First, in step S100, the CPU obtains a charging power value that allows continuous charging.

Next, in step S110, the CPU selects the minimum value from among the acquired charging power values that allow continuous charging, and connects the selected minimum value to the number of battery packs BP connected in parallel to the charger 1. Calculate the multiplication value by multiplying by the number.

Next, in step S120, the CPU transmits the multiplied value to the charger 1 as an instruction value. After that, this flow ends.

Charging control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure charges a plurality of battery packs BP1, BP2, ... BPn connected in parallel to charger 1 with charging power sent from charger 1 based on an instruction value. The charging control device includes an acquisition unit 31 that acquires a charging power value that allows continuous charging for each of a plurality of battery packs BP1, BP2, ... BPn connected in parallel to a charger 1, and an acquired continuous charging possible charging power value. a calculation unit 32 that calculates a multiplication value by multiplying the minimum value of the charging power values by the number of connections, which is the number of battery packs BP1, BP2, ... BPn connected in parallel to the charger, and the calculated multiplication value. and a transmitting/receiving unit 41 that transmits the command value to the charger 1 as an instruction value.

With the above configuration, since the minimum value is a charging power value that allows continuous charging of the battery pack BP2 related to the minimum value, not only can the battery pack BP2 be safely charged, but also the minimum value is a charging power value that allows continuous charging of the battery pack BP2. Since it is the minimum value of the two, battery packs BP1 and BPn other than battery pack BP2 can also be safely charged. Furthermore, since the multiplication value is a charging power value that ensures safety, it is possible to efficiently charge the plurality of battery packs BP connected in parallel to the charger 1.

Although the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment described above is applied to a charging system in which a battery pack BP is connected to a charger 1 via an electrical path 3 (cable), the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention may be applied to a non-contact charging system that wirelessly transmits power using a power transmitting coil on the charger 1 side and a power receiving coil on the vehicle side. In this case, control ECU 40 wirelessly transmits the instruction value to charger 1 side. Note that the transmitted power is converted into direct current by an on-vehicle rectifier and then supplied to the battery pack BP.

In the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment described above, the acquisition unit 31 may not be able to acquire a charging power value that allows continuous charging. In this case, the battery pack BP that cannot obtain a charging power value that allows continuous charging is disconnected from the charger 1. Note that a relay switch (not shown) for disconnecting the battery pack BP from the charger 1 is provided in the branch path 3a of the electrical path 3. The calculation unit 32 selects the minimum value from the continuously chargeable charging power values of the remaining battery packs BP excluding the separated battery pack BP, and calculates the selected minimum value and the number of remaining battery packs BP. Calculate the multiplication value by multiplying by the number of connections. This makes it possible to charge the remaining battery pack BP safely and efficiently.

Furthermore, in the charging control device 10 according to the embodiment described above, one or more of the plurality of battery packs BP connected to the charger 1 may become fully charged. In this case, the fully charged battery pack BP may be disconnected from the charger 1. The calculation unit 32 selects the minimum value from the continuously chargeable charging power values of the remaining battery packs BP excluding the separated battery pack BP, and calculates the selected minimum value and the number of remaining battery packs BP. Calculate the multiplication value by multiplying by the number of connections. This makes it possible to charge the remaining battery pack BP safely and efficiently.

In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of implementation of the present disclosure, and the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be interpreted to be limited by them. . That is, the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or main features thereof.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present disclosure is suitably used in a vehicle equipped with a charging control device that is required to be able to safely and efficiently charge a plurality of battery packs connected in parallel to a charger.

BP, BP1, BP2, BPn Battery pack BU Battery pack 1 Charger 2 Charger ECU
3 Electrical path 10 Charging control device 20 Monitoring section 30 Battery ECU
31 Acquisition unit 32 Calculation unit 40 Control ECU
41 Transmission/reception section

Claims (2)

A charging control device that charges a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to the charger with charging power sent out from the charger based on an instruction value,
an acquisition unit that acquires a charging power value that allows continuous charging for each of a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to the charger;
a calculation unit that calculates a multiplication value by multiplying the minimum value of the acquired charging power values that allow continuous charging by a number of connections, which is the number of batteries connected in parallel to the charger;
a transmitter that transmits the calculated multiplication value to the charger as the instruction value;
Equipped with
Charging control device. A charging control method for charging a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to the charger with charging power sent from the charger based on an instruction value, the method comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring a charging power value that allows continuous charging for each of a plurality of batteries connected in parallel to the charger;
a calculation step of calculating a multiplication value by multiplying the minimum value of the acquired charging power values that allow continuous charging by the number of connections, which is the number of batteries connected in parallel to the charger;
a transmitting step of transmitting the calculated multiplication value to the charger as the instruction value;
Equipped with
Charging control method.