JP7403607B2 - Charge/discharge control method and charge/discharge device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a charging/discharging control method and a charging/discharging device.

As a conventional charging/discharging device, for example, one described in Patent Document 1 is known. The charging/discharging device described in Patent Document 1 includes a charger/discharger that charges and discharges an electric vehicle, and a connector with a cable. A power line, a control line, and a communication line are connected to the charger/discharger and the electric vehicle via a connector. A relay is interposed in the control line, and by turning on this relay, mutual CAN communication via the communication line becomes possible.

The charging/discharging device described in Patent Document 1 includes a connection detector that detects that the connector is connected to an electric vehicle, so it can check the connection state of the connector without turning on a relay and performing CAN communication. It can be confirmed.

Patent No. 5642226

However, the charging/discharging device described in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that voltage is applied to the connector connection confirmation line included in the control line, so voltage is not applied to the connector connection confirmation line. In the case of electric vehicles that do not have one, there is a problem that the connection detector does not function. That is, the charging/discharging device described in Patent Document 1 cannot determine whether the connector is not connected to the electric vehicle or whether the connector is connected but no voltage is applied to the connector connection confirmation line. Therefore, the charging/discharging device described in Patent Document 1 cannot be said to have high versatility.

On the other hand, in the case of an electric vehicle where no voltage is applied to the connector connection confirmation line, the charging/discharging device can check the connection status between the connector and the electric vehicle by turning on the relay and performing CAN communication. . However, since the relay is activated every time the connection status is checked, for example, if the connection status is checked many times within a few seconds, the relay will deteriorate. Therefore, from the viewpoint of the lifespan of the relay, there is a problem in that the connection state cannot be periodically checked.

Furthermore, in the case of a charging/discharging device in which the connection state can be set manually, even in an electric vehicle where no voltage is applied to the connector connection confirmation line, the connection state can be confirmed without turning on the relay. However, in this case, there is a problem that not only the number of required operations increases and the operability deteriorates, but also that the automatic charging/discharging operation is hindered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a highly versatile charging/discharging control method that takes into consideration the lifespan of the relay and does not interfere with automatic charging/discharging operation. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charging/discharging device.

In order to solve the above problems, a charge/discharge control method according to the present invention includes:
A charging and discharging control method for performing charging and discharging operations of an electric vehicle using a charging and discharging device, the method comprising:
A first step of determining whether the current time is included in a preset operating time period for the charging and discharging operation by the charging and discharging device;
In order to check the connection state of the connector of the charging/discharging device, during the driving time period, a relay interposed in the control line of the charging/discharging device is turned on to enable the electric vehicle to communicate with the charging/discharging device. The second step of starting
a third step of determining whether the connector is connected to the electric vehicle based on the communication during the driving time;
a fourth step of determining whether the connector is in a locked state during the operating time period after the third step;
If it is determined in the third step that the connector is connected to the electric vehicle, or if it is determined in the fourth step that the connector is in a locked state, charging and discharging of the electric vehicle is started. a fifth step of
If it is determined in the third step that the connector is connected to the electric vehicle and the connector is not locked, the connector is automatically locked.

With this configuration, as long as the connector is connected to the electric vehicle, charging and discharging of the electric vehicle can be started regardless of whether the connector is locked or not. In other words, according to this configuration, even if the user forgets to lock the connector, as long as the connector is connected to the electric vehicle, it will be automatically locked and power can be transferred to and from the electric vehicle. becomes.

According to this configuration, the first to fifth steps can be executed without human intervention, so that the automatic charging/discharging operation is not hindered. Furthermore, this configuration is compatible with electric vehicles in which no voltage is applied to the connector connection confirmation line included in the control line, so it is highly versatile.

In the above charge/discharge control method,
It is preferable to include a step of notifying a user of the electric vehicle when it is determined in the third step that the connector is not connected to the electric vehicle.

According to this configuration, it is possible to make the user aware that the connector is not connected to the electric vehicle.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the charging/discharging device according to the present invention includes:
A charging/discharging device that performs charging/discharging operations on an electric vehicle,
power lines, communication lines, and control lines interposed with relays;
a connector for connecting the power line, the communication line, and the control line to the electric vehicle;
a power conversion unit that performs charging and discharging operations of the electric vehicle via the power line;
a communication unit that communicates with the electric vehicle via the communication line;
a control unit that outputs a control command to the electric vehicle via the control line,
The control unit includes:
a storage unit that stores an operating time period in which the charging/discharging operation is performed;
a first determination unit that determines whether the current time is included in the driving time zone;
a sequence circuit unit that outputs the control command for turning on the relay during the driving time and causing the electric vehicle to start the communication in order to check the connection state of the connector;
a second determination unit that determines whether the connector is connected to the electric vehicle based on the communication during the driving time period;
a third determination unit that determines whether the connector is in a locked state during the operating time period after the determination by the second determination unit;
When the second determination section determines that the connector is connected to the electric vehicle, or when the third determination section determines that the connector is in a locked state, the power conversion section a charging/discharging control unit that starts the charging/discharging operation,
The connector is characterized in that the connector is automatically locked when the second determination unit determines that the connector is connected to the electric vehicle and is in an unlocked state.

With this configuration, as long as the connector is connected to the electric vehicle, the power converter can start charging and discharging the electric vehicle, regardless of whether the connector is locked. In other words, according to this configuration, even if the user forgets to lock the connector, as long as the connector is connected to the electric vehicle, it will be automatically locked and power can be transferred to and from the electric vehicle. becomes.

According to this configuration, it is possible to cause the power converter to start the charging/discharging operation without manual intervention, so that the automatic charging/discharging operation is not hindered. Further, according to this configuration, the automatic charging/discharging operation can be performed even for an electric vehicle to which no voltage is applied to the connector connection confirmation line included in the control line, so it is highly versatile.

The charging/discharging device further includes a notification section,
The notification unit may notify a user of the electric vehicle under the control of the second determination unit when the second determination unit determines that the connector is not connected to the electric vehicle. is preferred.

According to this configuration, it is possible to make the user aware that the connector is not connected to the electric vehicle.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a highly versatile charging/discharging control method and charging/discharging device without interfering with automatic charging/discharging operation while taking the life of the relay into consideration.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a charging/discharging device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control section of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a connection relationship between a charging/discharging device and an electric vehicle according to the present invention. 3 is a flowchart of a charge/discharge control method according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a charging/discharging control method and a charging/discharging device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Charging/discharging device]
FIG. 1 shows a charging/discharging device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The charging/discharging device 100 performs automatic charging/discharging operation on an electric vehicle 200 such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The charging/discharging device 100 includes a main body 10, a connector 20 with a cable, power lines 21 (21a, 21b), communication lines 22 (22a, 22b), and control lines 23 (23a to 23e) in which a relay d1 is interposed. Equipped with.

The main body 10 includes a power conversion section 30, a communication section 40, a control section 50, and a notification section 60, and is installed outdoors, for example. Note that the notification unit 60 can be installed at a location away from the main body 10, for example, indoors.

Connector 20 is configured to connect power line 21, communication line 22, and control line 23 to electric vehicle 200. The connector 20 takes a locked state and an unlocked state when connected to the electric vehicle 200. The main body 10 is provided with a manually operated lock button and a lock release button (both not shown). When the lock button is operated while the connector 20 is connected to the electric vehicle 200, the connector 20 becomes a locked state, and when the unlock button is operated, the connector 20 becomes an unlocked state (unlocked). state).

The power conversion unit 30 is configured to perform a charging/discharging operation (a charging operation and/or a discharging operation) on the electric vehicle 200 via the power line 21 . The power converter 30 includes, for example, a bidirectional DC/DC converter.

The communication unit 40 is configured to communicate with the electric vehicle 200 via the communication line 22 (in this embodiment, CAN communication). Specifically, when the relay d1 is turned on under the control of the control unit 50, the communication unit 40 becomes capable of mutual CAN communication with the electric vehicle 200. The information regarding the electric vehicle 200 received by the communication unit 40 is shared by the control unit 50.

The control unit 50 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer and/or a dedicated IC, and is configured to output a control command to the electric vehicle 200 via the control line 23. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 50 includes a charge/discharge control unit 51, a sequence circuit unit 52, a first determination unit 53, a second determination unit 54, a third determination unit 55, and a storage unit 56. including.

The charge/discharge control section 51 controls the charge/discharge operation of the power conversion section 30 . For example, the charging/discharging control unit 51 automatically causes the power converting unit 30 to start charging/discharging operation or switches the power converting unit 30 between charging operation and discharging operation during a predetermined operating time period. The driving time zone is a time zone in which the charging/discharging device 100 performs automatic charging/discharging operation, and the user of the electric vehicle 200 can set the driving time zone (for example, start time and end time) in advance in the charging/discharging device 100. .

The sequence circuit section 52 is configured to output various control commands to the electric vehicle 200 when causing the power conversion section 30 to start charging and discharging operations. As shown in FIG. 3, the sequence circuit section 52 includes a relay d1, a relay d2, a photocoupler j, a power source (a 12V power source in this embodiment), and the like. The operation of the sequence circuit unit 52 will be described later, but to give one example, the sequence circuit unit 52 outputs a control command to turn on the relay d1 during the driving time and cause the electric vehicle 200 to start CAN communication. .

The first determination unit 53 measures the current time using a timer and determines whether the current time is included in the driving time zone. The second determination unit 54 determines whether the connector 20 is connected to the electric vehicle 200 based on the CAN communication from the electric vehicle 200. The third determination unit 55 determines whether the connector 20 is locked to the electric vehicle 200 or not. In FIG. 2, the first determining section 53, the second determining section 54, and the third determining section 55 are illustrated separately, but at least one determining section The third determination unit 55 may have all the functions.

The first determination unit 53 performs determination even when it is not the driving time, but the second determination unit 54 and the third determination unit 55 perform determination only during the driving time. When the second determination section 54 determines that the connector 20 is connected to the electric vehicle 200, or when the third determination section 55 determines that the connector 20 is in a locked state, the charge/discharge control section 51 causes the power conversion unit 30 to start charging and discharging operations.

The storage unit 56 stores the operating time period in which the charging/discharging device 100 performs automatic charging/discharging operation. In this embodiment, up to three driving hours can be set in one day. In this way, by limiting the number of operating hours, it is possible to prevent relay d1 from operating excessively. The storage unit 56 also stores the current state of the connector 20, that is, whether the connector 20 is locked or unlocked.

Referring again to FIG. 1, when the control unit 50 (specifically, the second determination unit 54) determines that the connector 20 is not connected to the electric vehicle 200, the notification unit 60 connects the electric vehicle 200 to the electric vehicle 200. Notify users. The notification unit 60 is configured with visual and/or auditory notification means such as an LED and/or a buzzer. Furthermore, when the notification unit 60 is installed apart from the main body 10, the notification unit 60 can notify using a wired remote controller or a wirelessly connected remote controller (for example, a smartphone app). can.

[Charge/discharge control method]
FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a charge/discharge control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The charging/discharging control method according to the present embodiment charges/discharges the electric vehicle 200 using the charging/discharging device 100.

When the charging/discharging device 100 starts the charging/discharging control method according to the present embodiment, the first determination unit 53 measures the current time using the timer, refers to the storage unit 56, and determines whether the current time is included in the operating time zone. (S1). This step S1 corresponds to the first step of the present invention.

If the first determination unit 53 determines that the current time is not included in the operating time zone (NO in S1), the charging/discharging device 100 once ends the charging/discharging control method and then starts the charging/discharging control method again. let That is, if the current time is not included in the driving time zone, the determination in step S1 is repeated at a predetermined cycle.

When the first determination unit 53 determines that the current time is included in the operating time zone (YES in S1), the sequence circuit unit 52 turns on the relay d1 connected to the control line 23a (S2). When relay d1 is turned on, a control command (12V voltage signal) is output from sequence circuit section 52 to electric vehicle 200 via control line 23a. This step S2 corresponds to the second step of the present invention.

The electric vehicle 200 side recognizes that the photocoupler f is turned on by the control command and that the relay d1 is turned on. The electric vehicle 200 that recognizes that the relay d1 is on performs CAN communication via the communication lines 22a and 22b, and transmits information regarding the storage battery 201 to the communication unit 40 of the charging/discharging device 100. Information regarding the storage battery 201 includes, for example, battery capacity, maximum voltage, maximum charge/discharge time, and the like.

On the charging/discharging device 100 side, the second determination unit 54 determines whether the connector 20 is connected to the electric vehicle 200 based on the CAN communication from the electric vehicle 200 (S3). For example, when the communication unit 40 receives information regarding the storage battery 201 within a predetermined time, the second determination unit 54 determines that the connector 20 is connected to the electric vehicle 200 (YES in S3), and the communication unit 40 does not receive information regarding the storage battery 201 within a predetermined period of time, it is determined that the connector 20 is not connected to the electric vehicle 200 (NO in S3). This step S3 corresponds to the third step of the present invention.

If the second determination unit 54 determines that the connector 20 is connected to the electric vehicle 200 (YES in S3), the charging/discharging device 100 starts automatic charging/discharging operation (S4). This step S4 corresponds to the fifth step of the present invention.

When automatic charging/discharging operation is started, the communication unit 40 performs CAN communication via the communication lines 22a and 22b, and transmits information regarding the power conversion unit 30 (for example, maximum output current, maximum output voltage, etc.) to the electric vehicle 200. do.

The electric vehicle 200 that has received the information regarding the power conversion unit 30 turns on the transistor k and outputs a preparation completion notification to the charging/discharging device 100. The charging/discharging device 100 side recognizes that the electric vehicle 200 side is ready when the photocoupler j is turned on by the notification of completion of preparation, and performs an insulation diagnosis. Note that if the connector 20 is not locked, the charging/discharging device 100 automatically locks the connector 20 before performing the insulation diagnosis.

The sequence circuit unit 52 that has performed the insulation diagnosis turns on the relay d2 interposed in the control line 23b. When the relay d2 is turned on, the electric vehicle 200 side recognizes that the relay d2 is turned on because the photocoupler g is turned on. Recognizing that relay d2 is on, electric vehicle 200 turns on relay e and turns on contactor c. Thereby, power can be exchanged between the power conversion unit 30 of the charging/discharging device 100 and the storage battery 201 of the electric vehicle 200.

On the other hand, if the second determination unit 54 determines that the connector 20 is not connected to the electric vehicle 200 (NO in S3), the notification unit 60, under the control of the second determination unit 54, 200 users are notified (S5). The notification unit 60 provides notification using visual and/or auditory notification means such as an LED and/or a buzzer.

Next, the third determination unit 55 refers to the storage unit 56 and determines whether the connector 20 is locked to the electric vehicle 200 (S6). As described above, the storage unit 56 stores whether the connector 20 is in a locked state or an unlocked state. This step S6 corresponds to the fourth step of the present invention.

For example, if the user connects the connector 20 to the electric vehicle 200 and operates the lock button after the notification unit 60 gives the notification, the third determination unit 55 determines that the connector 20 is in the locked state. It is determined (YES in S6), and the charging/discharging device 100 starts automatic charging/discharging operation (S4).

On the other hand, for example, if the user does not notice the notification from the notification unit 60 and the connector 20 is not connected to the electric vehicle 200, or if the user connects the connector 20 to the electric vehicle 200 but forgets to operate the lock button. , the third determination unit 55 determines that the connector 20 is not in a locked state (NO in S6).

Next, the first determination unit 53 measures the current time using the timer and refers to the storage unit 56 to determine whether the current time is included in the driving time zone (S7). When the first determination unit 53 determines that the current time is included in the operating time zone (YES in S7), the third determination unit 55 determines whether the connector 20 is in a locked state (S6 ).

On the other hand, if the first determination unit 53 determines that the current time is not included in the operating time zone (NO in S7), the charging/discharging device 100 once ends the charging/discharging control method and then performs the charging/discharging control again. Get the method started.

After all, according to the charging/discharging device 100 and the charging/discharging control method according to the present embodiment, the relay d1 is turned on only when the current time is included in the preset driving time zone, and the current time is not included in the driving time zone. Since the relay d1 is not turned on when the power is not turned on, the number of operations of the relay d1 can be suppressed to the necessary minimum.

According to the charging/discharging device 100 and the charging/discharging control method according to the present embodiment, under certain conditions, the power converter 30 is connected to the power converter 30 without manual intervention, regardless of whether the connector 20 is in a locked state. Charging and discharging operations can be started. That is, in this embodiment, even if the user forgets to lock the connector 20, if the connector 20 is connected to the electric vehicle 200 before the driving time, automatic charging/discharging operation can be performed. Can be done.

According to the charging/discharging device 100 and the charging/discharging control method according to the present embodiment, automatic charging/discharging operation can be performed even for the electric vehicle 200 to which no voltage is applied to the control line 23c (connector connection confirmation line). . Therefore, it can be said that the charging/discharging device 100 and the charging/discharging control method according to this embodiment have relatively high versatility.

According to the charging/discharging device 100 and the charging/discharging control method according to the present embodiment, when the connector 20 is not connected to the electric vehicle 200 during driving hours, the notification unit 60 provides a notification. It is possible to make the user aware that the vehicle is not connected to 200 during driving hours.

Although the embodiments of the charging/discharging device 100 and the charging/discharging control method according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, it is possible to omit the notification unit 60 in the charging/discharging device 100, or to omit the step (S5) of notifying the user in the charging/discharging control method of the above embodiment.

In the charging/discharging control method of the above embodiment, if YES in step S7, the process moves to step S6, but the process may move to step S5.

100 Charging and discharging device 10 Main body 20 Connector 21 (21a, 21b) Power line 22 (22a, 22b) Communication line 23 (23a to 23e) Control line 30 Power conversion section 40 Communication section 50 Control section 51 Charge/discharge control section 52 Sequence circuit section 53 First determination unit 54 Second determination unit 55 Third determination unit 56 Storage unit 60 Notification unit 200 Electric vehicle 201 Storage battery

Claims (4)

A charging and discharging control method for performing charging and discharging operations of an electric vehicle using a charging and discharging device, the method comprising:
A first step of determining whether the current time is included in a preset operating time period for the charging and discharging operation by the charging and discharging device;
In order to check the connection state of the connector of the charging/discharging device, during the driving time period, a relay interposed in the control line of the charging/discharging device is turned on to enable the electric vehicle to communicate with the charging/discharging device. The second step of starting
a third step of determining whether the connector is connected to the electric vehicle based on the communication during the driving time;
a fourth step of determining whether the connector is in a locked state during the operating time period after the third step;
If it is determined in the third step that the connector is connected to the electric vehicle, or if it is determined in the fourth step that the connector is in a locked state, charging and discharging of the electric vehicle is started. a fifth step of
Charging/discharging characterized in that when it is determined in the third step that the connector is connected to the electric vehicle and the connector is not locked, the connector is automatically locked. Control method. The charging/discharging control according to claim 1, further comprising a step of notifying a user of the electric vehicle when it is determined in the third step that the connector is not connected to the electric vehicle. Method. A charging/discharging device that performs charging/discharging operations on an electric vehicle,
power lines, communication lines, and control lines interposed with relays;
a connector for connecting the power line, the communication line, and the control line to the electric vehicle;
a power conversion unit that performs charging and discharging operations of the electric vehicle via the power line;
a communication unit that communicates with the electric vehicle via the communication line;
a control unit that outputs a control command to the electric vehicle via the control line,
The control unit includes:
a storage unit that stores an operating time period in which the charging/discharging operation is performed;
a first determination unit that determines whether the current time is included in the driving time zone;
a sequence circuit unit that outputs the control command for turning on the relay during the driving time and causing the electric vehicle to start the communication in order to check the connection state of the connector;
a second determination unit that determines whether the connector is connected to the electric vehicle based on the communication during the driving time period;
a third determination unit that determines whether the connector is in a locked state during the operating time period after the determination by the second determination unit;
When the second determination section determines that the connector is connected to the electric vehicle, or when the third determination section determines that the connector is in a locked state, the power conversion section a charging/discharging control unit that starts the charging/discharging operation,
The connector is automatically locked when the second determination unit determines that the connector is connected to the electric vehicle and is in an unlocked state. Discharge device. Additionally equipped with a notification section,
The notification unit may notify a user of the electric vehicle under the control of the second determination unit when the second determination unit determines that the connector is not connected to the electric vehicle. The charging/discharging device according to claim 3, characterized in that:

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