WO2022113918A1 - Switching device, vehicle-mounted switching system, and switch control method - Google Patents

Abstract

This switching device includes: a switching switch that is provided between a plurality of charging inlets provided in an electric-powered vehicle and a plurality of battery packs mounted in the electric-powered vehicle, and switches a connection path between the plurality of charging inlets and the plurality of battery packs such that each of the battery packs can be connected to any of the plurality of charging inlets; a plurality of first power supply paths that are disposed between the plurality of charging inlets and the plurality of battery packs; and a second power supply path that connects at least two among the plurality of first power supply paths. The switching switch includes a first switch that is provided in the second power supply path, and in response to a first control signal, switches power supply in the second power supply path on and off.

Description

Switching device, in-vehicle switching system, and switch control method

This disclosure relates to a switching device, an in-vehicle switching system, and a switch control method. This application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2020-195017 filed on November 25, 2020, and incorporates all the contents described in the Japanese application.

The number of electric vehicles equipped with a rechargeable battery pack and running by driving a motor with the electric power from the battery pack is increasing. In the early days of electric vehicles, passenger cars were the mainstream. However, it is expected that electricity will be used as a power source for large vehicles such as trucks and buses in the future.

However, in the case of large vehicles such as trucks and buses, the vehicle body is large and the load weight is also large, so the power consumption is much higher than that of passenger cars. Further, in order for an electric vehicle to replace the conventional internal combustion engine, it is necessary to increase the distance that can be traveled by one charge. In order to solve these problems, it is necessary to make the battery packs installed in the vehicle larger than those for passenger cars, or to install more battery packs of the same standard as passenger cars. By doing so, the amount of electric power stored in the battery pack is large, and the electric power discharged at one time is also large, so that a large vehicle can be operated in a state close to the conventional one.

However, if the capacity of the installed battery pack is increased, there is a problem that the time required for charging becomes longer. If the time required for charging is too long, the utilization efficiency of the vehicle will decrease and it will be difficult to spread it.

The same problem occurs in the case of passenger cars. In the case of passenger cars as well, attempts have been made to increase the capacity of the battery pack in order to increase the distance that can be traveled by one charge. However, in that case, the problem is still the charging time. In the current situation where charging stations that can be charged are limited, it is necessary to complete charging of large-capacity batteries as soon as possible.

As one measure for that, it is conceivable to increase the charging power capacity. In fact, some vehicles are equipped with a high power charger having a charging capacity larger than that of the 50 kW class electric vehicle charging station used so far, for example, a 150 kW class to 350 kW class high power charger.

However, such high power chargers have not yet become widespread. Therefore, the existing charging station has to be used for charging a large vehicle, and it is necessary to shorten the charging time by using the existing charger.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-27236

The switching device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is provided between the plurality of charging inlets provided in the electric vehicle and the plurality of battery packs mounted on the electric vehicle, and each of the plurality of battery packs is provided. A changeover switch that switches the connection path between multiple charging inlets and multiple battery packs, and a switch located between multiple charging inlets and multiple battery packs so that any of the multiple charging inlets can be connected. A plurality of first power supply paths and a second power supply path connecting at least two of the plurality of first power supply paths are included, and a changeover switch is provided in the second power supply path and is a first. It includes a first switch that switches power supply on and off in the second power supply path in response to a control signal.

The vehicle-mounted switching system according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is provided between a plurality of battery packs mounted on an electric vehicle, a plurality of charging inlets provided on the electric vehicle, and a plurality of battery packs, as described above. Including any switching device.

The switch control method according to the third aspect of the present disclosure is provided between the first and second charging inlets and the first and second battery packs, and the first and second charging inlets and the first and first charging inlets are provided. 2 A switch control method that controls a switch circuit that switches the connection between the battery pack and the battery pack. The switch circuit is a switch unit capable of electrically separating or coupling the charging system from the first and second charging inlets. , Includes first and second contactors located between the first and second charging inlets and the switch section, and responds to the connection of a charging plug to any of the first and second charging inlets. Then, by controlling the switch circuit, the step of separating the charging system from the first and second charging inlets and the safety for charging each of the charging systems from the first and second charging inlets. In response to the step of performing the sexual diagnosis and the conformity determination and the result of the safety diagnosis and the conformity determination being determined to be safe, a signal for permitting the charging plug to start charging is sent. The first contactor or the second contactor connected to the charging inlet to which the charging plug is connected in response to the transmission step and the result of the safety diagnosis and the conformity judgment being both determined to be safe. Includes a step to turn on the contactor.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a quick charging system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram relating to the charging of the vehicle shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram of the switch box shown in FIG. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a switching state of the switch box when a safety diagnosis and a compatibility determination are performed when one charger is connected to the vehicle shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating a switching state of the switch box when a safety diagnosis and a compatibility determination are performed when two chargers are connected to the vehicle shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating a switching state of the switch box when safety diagnosis and conformity determination are performed when three chargers are connected to the vehicle shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a switching state of the switch box when charging the vehicle shown in FIG. 2 with one charger. FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a switching state of the switch box when charging the vehicle shown in FIG. 2 with two chargers. FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating a switching state of the switch box when charging the vehicle shown in FIG. 2 with three chargers. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the capacities of each battery pack during charging and discharging when the voltages of the three battery packs match. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the capacity loss that occurs during charging and discharging when the voltages of the three battery packs do not match. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a change in the capacity of each battery pack during charging according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a change in the capacity of each battery pack at the time of discharging in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a switching state of the switch box at the time of discharging in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control structure of a computer program for realizing the charging process according to the first embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a portion related to charging of the vehicle according to the second embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a switching state of the switch box when charging is performed using the high power charger in the vehicle shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a switching state of the switch box when charging is performed using two normal chargers in the vehicle shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a switching state of a switch box when performing voltage balancing processing of two battery packs using two normal chargers in the vehicle shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a method of utilizing the electric power stored in the vehicle in the third embodiment of the disclosure.

[Issues to be solved by disclosure]
Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle charging system that uses a plurality of chargers to charge a plurality of battery packs. In this system, the controller changes the number of chargers to supply power according to the required power determined by the remaining capacity of multiple battery packs and the rated output power of multiple chargers.

With such a system, multiple battery packs can be charged in parallel using multiple chargers. If sufficient power can be supplied, this configuration can shorten the time required for charging.

However, the system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is premised on a sufficient number of chargers required to charge a plurality of batteries. Furthermore, it is necessary for the system on the charger side to control which charger to use, and it is difficult to use the existing charger as it is or to use chargers with different output powers together.

Therefore, this disclosure is intended to provide a switching device, an in-vehicle switching system, and a switch control method that can efficiently charge a plurality of battery packs by using at least an existing charger without modification.

[Explanation of Embodiments of the present disclosure]
In the following description and drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numbers. Their functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed explanations about them will not be repeated. In addition, at least a part of each embodiment described below may be combined.

(1) The switching device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is provided between a plurality of charging inlets provided in an electric vehicle and a plurality of battery packs mounted on the electric vehicle, and is provided between the plurality of battery packs. A changeover switch that switches the connection path between multiple charging inlets and multiple battery packs, and between multiple charging inlets and multiple battery packs so that each can be connected to any of multiple charging inlets. A plurality of first power supply paths arranged in the above and a second power supply path connecting at least two of the plurality of first power supply paths are included, and a changeover switch is provided in the second power supply path. , Includes a first switch that switches power supply on and off in the second power supply path in response to the first control signal.

The second power supply path switches the power supply on and off between at least two first power supply paths. By switching the power supply off, the safety diagnosis and suitability determination of each first power supply path can be performed separately from the other power supply paths. As a result, a plurality of battery packs can be safely charged using a plurality of chargers.

(2) The changeover switch is further provided in each of the plurality of first power supply paths, and in response to each of the second control signals, a plurality of first power supply paths for switching on and off of power supply in the plurality of first power supply paths. It may include two switches.

The first power supply path can be turned on and off individually by the second switch. Battery packs can be individually received and charged at the same time. As a result, the balance process at the time of charging the battery pack can be easily performed.

(3) The changeover device may be provided between the changeover switch and the plurality of battery packs, and may further include a sub changeover switch for switching the connection path between the changeover switch and the plurality of battery packs, and the sub changeover switch is a battery pack. It may include a switch for switching between a state in which they are connected in series and a state in which they are connected in parallel.

The sub changeover switch switches the connection path of the battery pack between the state where multiple battery packs are connected in series and the state where they are connected in parallel. When charging with high voltage, multiple battery packs can be connected in series, and when charging with normal voltage, multiple battery packs can be connected in parallel. Since the connection of the battery pack can be switched by the voltage of the charger, both charging by high voltage and charging by normal voltage become possible.

(4) At least one of the changeover switch and the sub changeover switch may be controlled by an in-vehicle control device mounted on the electric vehicle.

At least one of the changeover switch and the sub changeover switch does not need to be controlled on the charger side. When both are controlled by the in-vehicle control device, neither needs to be controlled on the charger side. Therefore, the modification on the charger side can be minimized or eliminated at all. As a result, a plurality of chargers can be efficiently charged using both high voltage and normal voltage chargers while minimizing the need for modification on the charger side.

(5) The changeover device may further include a plurality of contactors provided between the plurality of charging inlets and the changeover switch.

A contactor is provided between multiple charging inlets and the changeover switch. Therefore, the safety diagnosis and the suitability determination before charging can be individually performed for each charging inlet between the charging plug connected to each charging inlet and the in-vehicle device. As a result, a plurality of battery packs can be appropriately charged using the plurality of charging inlets.

(6) A charger for supplying power to a plurality of battery packs may be electrically connected to the charging inlet, and the in-vehicle control device responds to the fact that the charger is connected to the charging inlet. Then, the state information of the plurality of battery packs may be provided to the charger by communicating with the charger, and the changeover switch charges the plurality of battery packs by the electric power supplied from the charger according to the state information. Therefore, the connection path may be switched under the control of the vehicle-mounted control device.

While monitoring the power of multiple battery packs with the in-vehicle control device, the connection route can be switched by the changeover switch so that the battery packs are charged with the power supplied from the charger. When charging multiple battery packs, balance processing between battery packs can be performed.

(7) The vehicle-mounted switching system according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is provided between a plurality of battery packs mounted on an electric vehicle, a plurality of charging inlets provided on the electric vehicle, and a plurality of battery packs. , Includes any of the above switching devices.

There is no need to modify the charger side to charge multiple battery packs in parallel with multiple chargers by switching the connection with the switching device. Multiple chargers can be efficiently charged using conventional chargers.

(8) The in-vehicle system includes an in-vehicle control device that is mounted on an electric vehicle together with a switching device and controls the switching device.

Since the in-vehicle control device controls the switching device, there is no need to control the switching device on the charger side. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of modifications on the charger side as much as possible, or to eliminate the need for modification at all. As a result, a plurality of chargers can be efficiently charged by using a plurality of chargers while minimizing the need for modification on the charger side.

(9) The switch control method according to the third aspect of the present disclosure is provided between the first and second charging inlets and the first and second battery packs, and the first and second charging inlets and the first. A switch control method for controlling a switch circuit that switches the connection between the first and second battery packs, wherein the switch circuit can electrically separate or couple the charging system from the first and second charging inlets. A charging plug is connected to either the first or second charging inlet, including the switch unit and the first and second contactors arranged between the first and second charging inlets and the switch unit. In response to this, by controlling the switch circuit, the step of separating the charging system from the first and second charging inlets and the charging system of each of the charging systems from the first and second charging inlets are charged. Allows the charging plug to start charging in response to the step of performing the safety diagnosis and conformity judgment for the purpose and the result of both the safety diagnosis and the conformity judgment being judged to be safe. The first contactor connected to the charging inlet to which the charging plug is connected in response to the step of transmitting the signal to be performed and the result of the safety diagnosis and the conformity judgment being both determined to be safe. Alternatively, it includes a step of turning on the second contactor.

When the charging plug is connected to either the first or second charging inlet, the charging system from the first and second charging inlets is separated. In that state, safety diagnosis and conformity determination for charging can be performed for each of the charging systems. As a result, a plurality of battery packs can be safely charged using a plurality of charging inlets.

(10) The switch control method includes a step of acquiring the voltage at the start of charging for each of the first and second battery packs, a step of comparing the voltages of the first and second battery packs, and the first and second batteries. In response to different pack voltages, the switch circuit is controlled so that one of the first and second battery packs, which has a higher voltage, is disconnected from the switch circuit, and the other battery pack, which has a lower voltage, is used. Control the switch circuit to connect one of the battery packs to the switch circuit in response to the step of charging until it becomes equal to the voltage of the battery pack of 1 and the voltage of the 1st and 2nd battery packs becomes equal. Along with the other battery pack, it may further include a step of charging until a predetermined end-of-charge voltage is reached.

(11) The switch control method includes a step of acquiring the voltage at the start of each discharge of the first and second battery packs in response to the request for discharge from the first and second battery packs, and the first step. Of the first and second battery packs, in response to the step of comparing the voltages at the start of discharge of the first and second battery packs and the difference in the discharge voltages at the start of discharge of the first and second battery packs. The switch circuit is controlled so that one of the battery packs having a low voltage at the start of discharge is disconnected from the switch circuit, and the voltage of the remaining battery pack is the battery pack of one of the remaining battery packs having a high voltage at the start of discharge. Switch circuit of one of the battery packs in response to the step of discharging until it becomes equal to the voltage at the start of discharging of the battery and the voltage of the remaining battery pack becomes equal to the voltage at the time of discharging of one of the battery packs. It may further include a step of controlling the switch circuit to connect to, and with the remaining battery pack, discharging until a predetermined end-of-discharge voltage is reached.

(12) In the switch control method, the switch circuit is controlled so as to switch a predetermined connection according to the number and position of the charging plug connected to either the first or second charging inlet. Further may include a step of charging both the 1st and 2nd battery packs.

(13) The switch control method is a switch for switching a predetermined connection according to which of the first and second charging inlets the charging plug is connected to, the number, the position, and the magnitude of the charging power. Further may include a step of controlling the circuit and charging both the first and second battery packs in series or in parallel.

(14) In the switch control method, in response to the charging / discharging device being connected to either the first or second charging inlet, the first battery pack, the second battery pack, or both of them are the same. It may further include a step of controlling the switch circuit to be connected to the charging inlet and supplying power to the charger / discharger via the charging inlet.

(15) The first and second battery packs may have the same specifications.

[Effect of disclosure]
As described above, according to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a switching device, an in-vehicle switching system, and a switch control method that can efficiently charge a plurality of battery packs by using at least an existing charger without modification.
[Details of Embodiments of the present disclosure]
Specific examples of the switching device, the vehicle-mounted switching system, and the switch control method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, and is indicated by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims. Other configurations and effects of this disclosure will be further clarified by the accompanying drawings and the detailed description below.

<First Embodiment>
[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a quick charging system 50 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. With reference to FIG. 1, the vehicle 60 driven by electric power from the battery pack includes an inlet 62, an inlet 64 and an inlet 66. In the first embodiment, the case where the number of inlets is three is shown, but two or four or more inlets may be used. Vehicle 60 includes three battery packs of the same specifications, not shown in FIG.

In this example, the inlet 62, the inlet 64, and the inlet 66 can be connected to any of the conventional low power quick charger 70, quick charger 72, and quick charger 74, respectively. When the quick charger 70, the quick charger 72 and the quick charger 74 are connected to the inlet 62, the inlet 64 and the inlet 66, the above-mentioned three battery packs are charged through them. Since 3 battery packs can be charged using up to 3 chargers, when charging 3 battery packs (or 1 battery pack with the same capacity) using 1 charger The battery pack can be fully charged in about one-third of the time.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram relating to charging of the vehicle 60 shown in FIG. With reference to FIG. 2, the vehicle 60 includes the above-mentioned inlet 62, inlet 64, inlet 66, contactor 80, switch box 82, battery pack 84, battery pack 88 and battery pack 92, and a BMS (Battery Management system). ) 86, BMS90 and BMS94, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 96 which is an in-vehicle device. In FIG. 2, the quick charger 70, the quick charger 72, and the quick charger 74 are connected to the inlet 62, the inlet 64, and the inlet 66, respectively. However, in this embodiment, the battery pack 84, the battery pack 88, and the battery pack 92 can be charged using any one to three quick chargers as described above. Further, the same charging can be performed regardless of where they are connected to the inlet 62, the inlet 64 and the inlet 66.

The inlet 62, the inlet 64, and the inlet 66 can be connected to the quick charger by a set of wiring including a power supply line, a CAN (Control Area Area Network) cable, and a DC circuit wiring, respectively. The power supply line is used to supply charging power to the battery pack 84, the battery pack 88, and the battery pack 92. The CAN cable is used by the ECU 96 to send and receive control signals between the ECU 96 and the quick charger 70, the quick charger 72 and the quick charger 74. The DC circuit wiring is used by the ECU 96 for analog signal processing for ensuring safety when the quick charger 70 or the like is connected to the inlet 62. Although the DC circuit wiring is shown as one in the figure, it actually includes a plurality of wirings.

The ECU 96 acquires the charging status (voltage, etc.) of the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 from the BMS 86, 90, and 94, and controls switching between the contactor 80 and the switch box 82 by communicating with the quick charger 70, 72, or 74. Provided corresponding to each charging path for communicating the control signal by the DC circuit between the microcomputer that executes the program for executing the control signal and outputs the control signal and the quick charger 70, 72, or 74. The DC control circuit is included, and a CAN-TR (Transceiver) that provides digital communication between the quick charger 70, 72, or 74 and the microcomputer is included.

The contactor 80 includes three contactors provided on the power supply line between the inlet 62, the inlet 64, and the inlet 66 and the switch box 82, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 3, the switch box 82 connects three nodes N1, N2 and N3, an inlet side power supply line 100 connecting the node N1 and the inlet 62, and the node N1 and the battery pack 84. Battery pack side power supply line 102, inlet side power supply line 104 connecting node N2 and inlet 64, battery pack side power supply line 106 connecting node N2 and battery pack 88, node N3 and inlet It includes an inlet-side power supply line 108 connecting the 66 and a battery pack-side power supply line 110 connecting the node N3 and the battery pack 92.

The switch box 82 further includes a power supply line 112 connecting the node N1 and the node N2, a power supply line 114 connecting the node N2 and the node N3, and a power supply line 116 connecting the node N3 and the node N1. including. The switch box 82 is further provided on the power supply line 112 with a switch C1 for turning on and off the connection between the node N1 and the node N2, and is provided on the power supply line 114 with the node N2 and the node N3. It includes a switch C2 for turning on and off the connection between the nodes and a switch C3 provided on the power supply line 116 for turning on and off the connection between the node N1 and the node N3.

The individual switch box 98 is provided on the battery pack side power supply line 102, is provided on the switch P1 for turning on and off the connection between the node N1 and the battery pack 84, and is provided on the battery pack side power supply line 106, and is provided on the battery pack side power supply line 106. A switch P2 for turning on and off the connection between the battery pack 88 and the battery pack 88, and a switch P2 provided on the battery pack side power supply line 110 for turning on and off the connection between the battery pack side power supply line 110 and the battery pack 92. Includes switch P3. All of the switches operate under the control of the ECU 96 shown in FIG.

4A, 4B and 4C show the switch box 82 for performing safety diagnosis and conformity determination when one, two and three chargers are connected to the vehicle 60 shown in FIG. 2, respectively. It is a figure explaining each switching state.

As shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C, in this embodiment, when performing safety diagnosis and conformity determination, the switch C1, the switch C2 and the switch C3 shown in FIG. 3 are referred to as the ECU 96 shown in FIG. It is turned off by the control of. Further, all of the switch P1, the switch P2 and the switch P3 shown in FIG. 3 are turned on by the control of the ECU 96. Then, the power supply path between the inlet 62 and the battery pack 84, the power supply path between the inlet 64 and the battery pack 88, and the power supply path between the inlet 66 and the battery pack 92 are electrically separated from each other. To. In this state, the ECU 96 performs safety diagnosis and conformity determination for each power supply path in the same procedure as in the case of the conventional single inlet. With such a configuration, each quick charger may perform safety diagnosis and conformity determination according to the same procedure as before. By connecting each other in parallel, there is no need to make any modifications to each quick charger.

5A, 5B, and 5C are diagrams for explaining the switching state of the switch box 82 when charging the vehicle 60 shown in FIG. 2 with one, two, and three chargers, respectively. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C, the switch C1, the switch C2 and the switch C3 are turned on in each case. As a result, basically, all the quick chargers connected to the vehicle 60 are used to charge the battery pack 84, the battery pack 88, and the battery pack 92 in parallel. At this time, regarding the switch P1, the switch P2, and the switch P3, those corresponding to the battery pack to be charged are turned on according to the balance processing described later, and those corresponding to the battery pack not to be charged are turned off. This control is performed by the ECU 96.

Balance processing refers to processing in which the voltage of each battery is made the same so that capacity loss does not occur as much as possible when the batteries are discharged and charged.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the capacities of each battery pack during charging and discharging when the voltages of the three battery packs match, that is, when they are balanced. With reference to FIG. 6A, it is assumed that the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 before charging are the same. In this case, when charging is performed with the same charging power for the same time, all the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 simultaneously become the charging end voltage, and charging is stopped at the same time, as shown in FIG. 6 (B). When the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 are discharged with the same discharge power from this state, all the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 become the discharge end voltage at the same time as shown in FIG. 6C, and at the same time. The discharge ends.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the capacity loss that can occur during charging and discharging when the voltages of the three battery packs do not match. As shown in FIG. 7, it is assumed that the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 before the start of charging are sequentially lowered in this order. When charging is performed with the same charging power from this state, as shown in FIG. 7B, the battery pack 84 reaches the end-of-charge voltage when the voltages of the battery pack 88 and the battery pack 92 have not yet reached the end-of-charge voltage. Reach. When the charging of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 is completed, the battery pack 88 and the battery pack 92 are not sufficiently charged. As a result, capacity loss 120 and capacity loss 122 occur.

Further, it is assumed that the discharge is started from the state shown in FIG. 7 (B). If the discharge powers are the same, as shown in FIG. 7C, the voltage of the battery pack 92 first becomes the discharge end voltage when the voltages of the battery pack 84 and the battery pack 88 have not reached the discharge end voltage yet. Reach. When the discharge is completed here, the battery pack 84 and the battery pack 88 still have electric power that can be discharged, and as a result, the capacity loss 130 and the capacity loss 132 occur.

If the voltages of multiple battery packs are not balanced as described above, capacity loss will occur both during charging and discharging, and the driveable distance of the vehicle will be shortened. Therefore, it is necessary to balance the voltage as much as possible for a plurality of battery packs.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a change in the capacity of each battery when charging each battery while balancing the voltage of each battery pack in the first embodiment of the disclosure. With reference to FIG. 8A, it is assumed that, for example, the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 are decreasing in this order. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8B, the battery pack 92 is first charged so that the voltage of the battery pack 92 becomes equal to the voltage of the battery pack 88. When the voltages of the battery pack 88 and the battery pack 92 become equal, the battery pack 88 and the battery pack 92 are charged until the voltages of the battery pack 88 and the battery pack 92 become equal to the voltage of the battery pack 84. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8C, the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 become equal. From this state, charging of all the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 with the same charging power is started. Then, as shown in FIG. 8D, charging ends when the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 reach the charging end voltage.

By adopting such a charging method, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of capacity loss during charging in this embodiment. In the above explanation, "equal voltage" does not mean that the two voltages are exactly equal. Since the voltage measurement originally includes an error, it is assumed that the condition that the voltages of the two are equal when the voltage difference between the two becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value is satisfied. If the threshold value in this case is too large, it will lead to capacity loss, so it is necessary to set it to an appropriate size.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a change in the capacity of each battery pack at the time of discharging in the first embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9A, it is assumed that the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 are different for some reason. In this example, it is assumed that the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 are in the order of highest voltage. In this case, first, the battery pack having the highest voltage, and in the case of FIG. 9, the battery pack 84 is started to be discharged. The battery pack 88 and the battery pack 92 are separated from the discharge circuit. FIG. 9B shows a state in which the voltage of the battery pack 84 drops and becomes equal to the voltage of the battery pack 88.

When the state shown in FIG. 9B is reached, the battery pack 88 is connected to the discharge path, and both the battery pack 84 and the battery pack 88 are started to be discharged. The battery pack 92 is maintained in a state separated from the discharge path. As a result, the voltages of the battery pack 84 and the battery pack 88 decrease in a state of being equal to each other, and eventually, as shown in FIG. 9C, the voltages of both and the voltage of the BMS 94 become equal to each other. In this state, the battery pack 92 is connected to the discharge path. As a result, all discharges are started with the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 being the same. Then, as shown in FIG. 9D, the discharge is terminated when all the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 reach the discharge end voltage.

By performing the discharge as shown in FIG. 9, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of capacity loss during discharge.

FIG. 10 shows the electrical configuration of the vehicle 60 at the time of discharge. The DC power discharged from these is converted into AC power via the inverter 150 to drive the motor 152. In the switch box 82, the switch C1, the switch C2, and the switch C3 are all turned on. In the state of FIG. 9A, only the switch P1 is turned on, and the switch P2 and the switch P3 are turned off. As a result, only the battery pack 84 is connected to the discharge path to the inverter 150, and the battery pack 88 and the battery pack 92 are separated from the discharge path. Similarly, after the result of FIG. 9B, the switch P2 is turned on in addition to the switch P1. Switch P3 remains off. When the state shown in FIG. 9C is reached, the switch P3 is further turned on. Then, when FIG. 9D is reached, the switch P1, the switch P2, and the switch P3 are turned off at the same time.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control structure of a computer program for realizing the charging process according to the first embodiment of the disclosure. Prior to the execution of this program, all contactors were disconnected at the end of the previous charging process.

With reference to FIG. 11, this program responds to step 180, which waits for a charger to be connected, and the charging plug is connected to any of the inlets, detects the number of chargers, and switches C1 to. FIG. 2 shows a step 182 that outputs a control signal for turning off C3 to separate each charging path, a step 184 that determines a master charger and transmits it to the charger, and a step 186 that starts CAN communication. Step 188 to acquire the information of each battery pack (maximum voltage, battery capacity, maximum charging time, etc.) from BMS86, BMS90 and BMS94, and step 190 to transmit the information of the battery pack acquired in step 188 to the charger. include. The master charger makes a conformity determination based on this information.

This program further receives charger information (maximum voltage, maximum current, conformity determination above determination value) from the master charger, and a step of determining conformity based on the information received from the master charger. 194, step 196 to send a readiness notification to the charger in response to the confirmation of compatibility, step 198 to turn on all contactors, switch C1 to C3 on, switch P1 to P3 off. Then, based on the step 200 of transmitting the charging start command to the charger and the voltage acquired in step 188, the identifiers assigned to the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 are rearranged in descending order of voltage and prepared in the memory. Includes step 202 and stored in sequences E [0] to E [2]. The identifier of each battery pack here may be anything as long as the battery packs can be distinguished from each other.

In the following description, it is assumed that the voltage of each battery pack is stored in the array V [0] to V [2] prepared in the memory in the same manner as the identifier. Here, when the identifier of a certain battery pack is stored in E [i] (i = 0, 1 or 2), it is assumed that the voltage of the battery pack is stored in the array V [i]. Further, in the following, in order to shorten the description, the voltage value stored in the array V [i] is represented by Vi, and the battery pack corresponding to the identifier stored in the array E [i] is represented by Ei.

This program further determines whether or not the absolute value of V2-V3 is less than a predetermined threshold value following step 202, and steps 204 for branching the control flow according to the determination result, and the determination of step 204 is negative. Occasionally, in step 206 where charging of the battery pack E3 is started and control is returned to step 204, and when the determination in step 204 is affirmative, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of V1-V2 is less than a predetermined threshold value. , Step 208 for branching the control flow according to the determination result, and step 210 for starting charging of the battery packs E2 and E3 and returning the control to step 208 when the determination in step 208 is negative.

This program further determines whether any of V1, V2, and V3 is equal to or higher than the charge termination voltage when the determination in step 208 is affirmative, and the determination in step 212 and step 212 to branch the control flow according to the determination. When negative, charging of E1, E2 and E3 is started and control is returned to step 212, and when the judgment of step 212 is affirmative, a signal requesting the charging plug to stop charging is transmitted. This includes step 216 of executing a charging process termination process such as turning off all contactors to terminate the execution of this program.

[motion]
The vehicle 60 according to the first embodiment operates as follows at the time of charging. With reference to FIG. 2, it is assumed that the vehicle 60 is stopped. When stopped, the switch P1, the switch P2, and the switch P3 shown in FIG. 3 are all turned off, and the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 are neither discharged nor charged. The contactor 80 is all off.

Here, it is assumed that the charging plug is connected to the inlet 62, the inlet 64 or the inlet 66 with reference to FIG. Here, it is assumed that the charging plug is connected to the inlet 62. When the charging plug is connected to the inlet 62, the potential of one of the DC lines becomes high level. In response to this change, the ECU 96 detects that the charging plug is connected (YES in step 180 in FIG. 11). Further, the ECU 96 detects the number of chargers connected to the inlet, turns off the switches C1 to C3, and separates all the charging systems (step 182). After that, the ECU 96 determines the master charger (step 184) and starts CAN communication with the charger (step 186). The ECU 96 further acquires battery information including the maximum voltage, maximum current, maximum charging time and current voltage of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 from the BMS 86, BMS 90 and BMS 94 shown in FIG. 2 (step 188), and obtains this information. Send to the charger via the charging plug (step 190). Based on this information on the charger side, conformity determination regarding charging is performed, and the result is transmitted to the ECU 96 together with the charger information.

Upon receiving the charger information and the compatibility result, the ECU 96 determines the compatibility regarding charging based on the received charger information and its own storage battery information when the compatibility is confirmed (step 194). .. If there is no problem with the compatibility, the ECU 96 sends a notification indicating the completion to the charger (step 196). After that, the ECU 96 inputs all the contactors (step 198). Further, the ECU 96 turns on all the switches C1 to C3 shown in FIG. 3, turns off all the switches P1 to P3, and transmits a charging start command to the charger. As a result, the charging path including the inlet side power supply line 100 and the battery pack side power supply line 102, the charging path including the inlet side power supply line 104 and the battery pack side power supply line 106, and the inlet side power supply line 108 and the battery. All the charging paths including the pack-side power supply line 110 are connected to the charger, and the voltage for charging is causal. However, since switches P1 to P3 are off, these power supply lines are not yet connected to each battery pack, and charging of the battery pack has not started. In this state, the ECU 96 starts charging with balance processing by the following procedure.

With reference to FIG. 11, in step 202, the voltages of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 are sorted in descending order, and the identifiers of the battery packs are stored in the array E in order from the one with the highest voltage value. With reference to FIG. 3, the switch P1, the switch P2 and the switch P3 are all initially turned off. Among the contactors 80 shown in FIG. 2, those corresponding to the inlet to which the charging plug is connected are turned on, and the others are turned off. With reference to FIG. 3, the switch C1, the switch C2 and the switch C3 will be turned on eventually. As a result, the three charging paths are connected to each other.

With reference to FIG. 11, the difference between the second highest voltage V2 and the third highest (lowest) voltage V3 among the voltage values of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 is calculated, and the absolute value is the threshold value. It is determined whether or not it is less than (step 204). If this determination is negative, that is, if the difference between V2 and V3 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, charging of the battery pack E3 (battery pack having a voltage V3) is started in step 206.

For example, in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the batteries packs 84, 88, and 92 are in descending order of voltage at the start of charging. Then, the battery pack E3 becomes the battery pack 92. With reference to FIG. 3, switch P3 is turned on and switches P1 and P2 are kept off. As a result, the charging path and the battery pack 92 are connected, and charging of only the battery pack 92 is started. Since the three charging paths are connected to each other, the battery pack 92 is charged by any of the charging plugs 1 to 3 connected to the inlets 62-66.

With reference to FIG. 11, the process of step 206 is repeated until the determination of step 204 becomes affirmative. As a result, the state of charge of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 approaches the state of FIGS. 8 (A) to 8 (B). When the charging states of the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 are in FIG. 8B, the determination in step 204 in FIG. 11 becomes affirmative, and the control proceeds to step 208.

In step 208, the difference between the voltages V1 and V2 of the battery pack having the highest voltage is calculated, and it is determined whether or not the difference is less than a predetermined threshold value. In the state of FIG. 8B, this difference is equal to or greater than the threshold value. As a result, control proceeds to step 210. In step 210, charging of the battery packs E2 and E3 corresponding to V2 and V3 is started.

Specifically, with reference to FIG. 3, the switch P2 is turned on in the example currently described. Switch P1 is kept off. Switch P3 remains on. As a result, the battery pack 88 and the battery pack 92 are charged in step 210.

This charging is performed until the determination in step 208 becomes affirmative, that is, until the charging states of the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 are in the state shown in FIG. 8 (C).

When the determination in step 208 is affirmative, that is, when the charging states of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 are in the state shown in FIG. 8C, the switch P1 shown in FIG. 3 is turned on. Switch P2 and switch P3 are also kept on. In the flowchart of FIG. 11, control proceeds to step 212.

In the state of FIG. 8C, the determination in step 212 is negative. Therefore, step 214 is performed and all of the battery packs 84, 88 and 92 are charged in parallel. The process of step 214 is continued until the determination in step 212 becomes affirmative, that is, the state of charge of the battery packs 84, 88, and 92 becomes the state shown in FIG. 8 (D). When the charging state becomes FIG. 8D, the determination in step 212 becomes affirmative, and the process of step 216 is executed.

In step 216, the reverse process of the start of charging is performed, and the vehicle 60 is in a state where the charging plug can be safely removed from the inlet 62 or the like. The charging process ends when all the charging plugs are removed.

Basically, the same idea as when charging can be applied to discharging. However, since the discharge power is determined by the traveling load at the time of discharging, the control becomes more complicated than the processing at the time of charging shown in FIG. However, the same switch box 82 shown in FIG. 3 can be used.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to charge a plurality of battery packs with one or a plurality of quick chargers while controlling the vehicle 60 so as to perform charging safely. When using multiple quick chargers in parallel, multiple battery packs can be charged in a short time. All of the connection switching required for that purpose can be realized by the switch box 82 except for the mechanism for generating the control signal, and the charger side is not involved. As a result, a plurality of battery packs can be efficiently charged by using a conventional quick charger.

In the first embodiment, the number of charging inlets provided in the vehicle and the number of battery packs mounted in the vehicle are the same. However, this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. The number of charging inlets may be greater than the number of battery packs. In that case, all battery packs can be charged in a shorter time.

In addition, in order to efficiently use the capacity of the battery, the balance processing of the battery is performed in the first embodiment. However, it is not necessary to perform the battery balancing process only for the purpose of shortening the charging time.

In the first embodiment, when the charging plug is connected to the charging inlet, the charging paths inside the vehicle 60 are separated from each other. Further, when the battery pack is charged in parallel, the switching of the switch in the vehicle 60 is controlled by the ECU 96 of the vehicle 60, and the quick charger is not involved at all. Therefore, the safety diagnosis and the conformity determination can be performed separately for each separated charging path, just like the conventional method. As a result, as the quick charger, the conventional one that charges individually can be used as it is. Then, the effect that a plurality of battery packs can be charged in parallel in a short time can be obtained by using a plurality of conventional quick chargers.

<Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, a plurality of conventional chargers having the same configuration are used. On the other hand, a charger with a higher charging capacity has also been proposed. However, while conventional chargers are relatively widespread, chargers with higher charging capacity are not so widespread. Therefore, it would be more convenient if both the conventional charger and the charger with higher charging capacity could be switched and used. The vehicle according to the second embodiment described below has such a function.

[Constitution]
In the following description, as an example, consider a case where a conventional charger charges a battery with a voltage of 400 volts, whereas a charger with a higher charging capacity charges a battery with a voltage of 800 volts. In order to make both available available, this second embodiment allows two batteries, each of 400 volts, to be switched between series and parallel connections. When charging with an 800 volt charger, the batteries are connected in series and charged from both ends. When charging with a 400 volt charger, the batteries are connected in parallel and each is charged with a 400 volt charger.

In this second embodiment, a mechanism for switching between series connection and parallel connection of the above-mentioned batteries is provided in the switch box.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a portion related to charging of the vehicle 300 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. With reference to FIG. 12, the vehicle 300 has an inlet 310 and an inlet 312. The vehicle 300 further includes two 400 volt battery packs 350 and 352, and a switch box 320 and a sub switch box 322 located between the inlet 310 and inlet 312 and the battery pack 350 and battery pack 352. In FIG. 12, for simplification of the figure, a contactor provided in each charging path, an ECU that controls each switch, a CAN that provides a communication path between the charger and the ECU, a receiving electric machine and an ECU. The DC circuit for exchanging signals at the start and end of charging with and from is not shown.

The switch box 320 is a connection between a power supply line 330 and a power supply line 332 whose ends are connected to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of an inlet 310, respectively, and a power supply line 330 and a power supply line 332 and a sub switch box 322. An individual switch box 342 for switching between and disconnection, a power supply line 334 and a power supply line 336 whose ends are connected to the positive and negative terminals of the inlet 312, a power supply line 330 and a power supply line 332, and a power supply line 332, respectively. It includes a power supply line 334 and an individual switch box 340 for switching connection and disconnection between the power supply line 336 and the sub switch box 322.

One terminal of the individual switch box 342 is connected to the other ends of the power supply line 330 and the power supply line 332, respectively, and the connection and disconnection between the individual switch box 342 and the sub switch box 322 are made according to the same control signal from the ECU (not shown). Includes a set of switches P1 to switch. In the individual switch box 340, one terminal is connected to the other ends of the power supply line 330 and the power supply line 332, respectively, and the power supply line 330 and the power supply line 332 are synchronized according to the same control signal from the ECU (not shown). A set of switches P2 that switches between connection and disconnection between the power supply line 322 and the sub switch box 322, and one terminal is connected to the other ends of the power supply line 334 and the power supply line 336, both of which are the same from the ECU (not shown). It includes a set of switches P3 that synchronously switch connection and disconnection between the power supply line 334 and the power supply line 336 and the sub switch box 322 according to a control signal.

The switch box 320 further includes a switch C1 that switches the connection between the power supply line 330 and the power supply line 334 between on and off according to a control signal from an ECU (not shown).

The sub switch box 322 includes a set of terminals 360 and 362 connected to the other terminal of the set of switches P1 and a set of terminals 364 and 366 connected to the other terminal of the set of switches P2, respectively. It includes a terminal 368 and a terminal 370 connected to the other terminal of P3, respectively.

The sub switch box 322 further includes a terminal 372 connected to the terminal 360 and the positive electrode terminal of the battery pack 350, a terminal 374 connected to the negative electrode terminal of the battery pack 350, and a terminal 376 connected to the positive electrode terminal of the battery pack 352. And the terminal 378 connected to the negative electrode terminal and the terminal 362 of the battery pack 352, connected between the terminal 374 and the terminal 376, and connected and disconnected between the terminal 374 and the terminal 376 according to the control signal from the ECU. Includes a switch S1 for switching between.

The sub-switch box 322 further comprises terminals 364 and 366 connected to the other terminal of the set of switches P1, respectively, and terminals 368 and 370 and terminals 364 connected to the other terminal of the set of switches P2, respectively. A terminal 380 connected to the positive electrode terminal of the battery pack 350, a terminal 382 connected to the terminal 366 and the negative electrode terminal of the battery pack 350, and a terminal 384 connected to the terminal 368 and the positive electrode terminal of the battery pack 352. , A terminal 386 connected to the terminal 370 and the negative electrode terminal of the battery pack 352.

[motion]
In this embodiment, the switch P1, the switch P2, the switch P3, the switch C1 and the switch S1 use one high power charger for charging (high power charging) and two normal chargers. The connection between the inlet 310, the inlet 312, the battery pack 350, and the battery pack 352 is switched as follows at the time of charging (normal charging).

・ High power charge switch P1 on switch P2 off switch P3 off switch C1 off switch S1 on ・ Normal charge switch P1 off switch P2 on switch P3 on switch C1 on switch S1 off High power charge inlet 310, inlet 312, The connection between the battery pack 350 and the battery pack 352 is shown in FIG. Since the switch P1 and the switch S1 shown in FIG. 12 are on, the switch P1 is not shown in FIG. 13 and is shown as a mere connection line. As shown in FIG. 13, from the inlet 310 to the inlet 310 via the power supply line 330, the terminal 360, the terminal 372, the battery pack 350, the terminal 374, the terminal 376, the battery pack 352, the terminal 378, the terminal 362, and the power supply line 332. DC power supply path is formed. As a result, the battery pack 350 and the battery pack 352 are simultaneously charged by the 800 volt high power charger. In this embodiment, the switch C1 is turned off when charging with the high power charger. As a result, the inlet 312 is disconnected from the switch P1, so it is necessary to connect the charging plug to the inlet 310.

FIG. 14 shows the connection between the inlet 310, the inlet 312, the battery pack 350, and the battery pack 352 during normal charging. Here, the switch P1 and the switch S1 are off and have nothing to do with the circuit configuration, so they are not shown. Further, the switch P2, the switch P3 and the switch C1 are all on. Therefore, in this figure, these are shown as simple connecting lines.

As shown in FIG. 14, the power supply path from the inlet 310 to the battery pack 350, that is, the power supply line 330, the terminal 364, the terminal 380, the battery pack 350, the terminal 382, the terminal 366, and the power supply line 332, and from the inlet 312. A power supply path to the battery pack 352, which is a power supply line 334, a terminal 368, a terminal 384, a battery pack 352, a terminal 386, a terminal 370, and a power supply line 336, is formed. Both are in a parallel relationship, and both the battery pack 350 and the battery pack 352 are charged by a normal charger. In this case, the power supply line 330 and the power supply line 334 are connected, and the power supply line 332 and the power supply line 336 are connected. As a result, when a normal charger is connected to both the inlet 310 and the inlet 312, the battery pack 350 and the battery pack 352 are simultaneously charged by these two chargers. The charging time required at this time is the same as the charging time with the high power charger. When a normal charger is connected to only one of the inlet 312 and the inlet 312, the battery pack 350 and the battery pack 352 are simultaneously charged by the normal charger. As a result, the charging time is about twice that of the high power charger.

Even in this second embodiment, when a normal charger is used, the balance processing for the battery pack 350 and the battery pack 352 can be executed. Therefore, the switch P2 and the switch P3 are used.

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a switching state of the switch box 320 when the voltage balance processing of the battery pack 350 and the battery pack 352 is performed by using two normal chargers in the vehicle 300 shown in FIG. be. With reference to FIG. 15, for example, when the battery pack 350 is charged and the battery pack 352 is not charged, the switch P2 may be turned on and the switch P3 may be turned off. When only the battery pack 352 is charged and the battery pack 350 is not charged, the switch P2 may be turned off and the switch P3 may be turned off. After that, this process can be realized by a program having the same configuration as that shown in FIG.

According to this second embodiment, a plurality of battery packs can be charged by properly using a high power charger and a normal charger. It is also possible to charge the battery pack using a plurality of normal chargers, in which case the battery pack can be charged in about the same time as when using a high power charger. Even if there is only one normal charger, the battery pack can be charged, although it takes time. Therefore, if a high power charger can be used, or if a plurality of normal chargers can be used, charging can be completed in a short time. Even if only one regular charger is available, it will take some time to charge.

The vehicle 300 according to the above embodiment is provided with two inlets and two battery packs. However, this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. For example, two or more sets of the configurations shown in FIG. 12 may be provided. Further, even in the case of charging using a high power charger, two high power chargers may be available by connecting the input of the inlet. In addition, it is possible to arrange a switch capable of switching the connection between a plurality of batteries in series and in parallel, and these may be used as appropriate.

<Third Embodiment>
The vehicle according to the first embodiment and the vehicle 300 according to the second embodiment both have a rechargeable battery. The electric power stored in this rechargeable battery can be used for various purposes in the event of a disaster or the like. For that purpose, a device for extracting electric power from a charger of a vehicle 60 or the like may be connected to the inlet 62 or the like shown in FIG. 2 according to a predetermined standard.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a configuration when the electric power stored in the vehicle 60 according to the first embodiment is used as an example in the third embodiment of the disclosure. With reference to FIG. 16, the electric power stored in the battery pack 84, the battery pack 88, and the battery pack 92 can be safely taken out and used by the inlet 62, the inlet 64, and the inlet 66 of the vehicle 60 by communicating with the ECU 96. The V2H charge / discharger 400, the V2H charge / discharger 402, and the V2H charge / discharger 404 are connected. Then, the electric power for lighting and air conditioning of the shelter, the electric power for driving the elevator of the building, and the electric power for charging the smartphone are taken out and used.

Both the vehicle 60 according to the first embodiment and the vehicle 300 according to the second embodiment can provide the electric power stored in the internal battery pack to the outside in the event of a disaster or the like.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of this disclosure is not indicated by the description of the detailed description of the disclosure, but is indicated by each claim of the claims, and includes the wording of the claims and all changes in the same meaning and scope. Is intended to be.

C1, C2, C3, P1, P2, P3, S1 Switch N1, N2, N3 Node 50 Fast Charge System 60, 300 Vehicle 62, 64, 66, 310, 312 Inlet 70, 72, 74 Quick Charger 80 Contactor 82, 320 Switch Box 84, 88, 92, 350, 352 Battery Pack 86, 90, 94 BMS
96 ECU
98, 340, 342 Individual switch box 100, 104, 108 Inverter side power supply line 102, 106, 110 Battery pack side power supply line 112, 114, 116, 330, 332, 334, 336 Power supply line 120, 122, 130 , 132 Capacity Loss 150 Inverter 152 Motor 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194, 196, 198, 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216 Step 322 Sub Switch Box 360, 362, 364, 366, 368, 370, 372, 374, 376, 378, 380, 382, 384, 386 Terminals 400, 402, 404 V2H Charger / Discharger

Claims (9)

1. A plurality of charging inlets provided in the electric vehicle and a plurality of battery packs mounted on the electric vehicle are provided, and each of the plurality of battery packs can be connected to any of the plurality of charging inlets. As described above, the changeover switch for switching the connection path between the plurality of charging inlets and the plurality of battery packs,
   A plurality of first power supply paths arranged between the plurality of charging inlets and the plurality of battery packs, and a plurality of first power supply paths.
   A second power supply path connecting at least two of the plurality of first power supply paths is included.
   The changeover switch is a changeover device provided in the second power supply path and includes a first switch for switching on and off of power supply in the second power supply path in response to a first control signal.
2. The changeover switch is further provided in each of the plurality of first power supply paths, and in response to each of the second control signals, a plurality of first power supply paths for switching on and off of power supply in the plurality of first power supply paths. The switching device according to claim 1, which comprises two switches.
3. A sub changeover switch provided between the changeover switch and the plurality of battery packs and switching a connection path between the changeover switch and the plurality of battery packs is further included.
   The changeover device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sub changeover switch includes a switch for switching between a state in which the battery packs are connected in series and a state in which the battery packs are connected in parallel.
4. The changeover device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the changeover switch and the sub changeover switch is controlled by an in-vehicle control device mounted on the electric vehicle.
5. The switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a plurality of contactors provided between the plurality of charging inlets and the changeover switch.
6. A charger for supplying electric power to the plurality of battery packs is electrically connected to the charging inlet.
   In response to the charger being connected to the charging inlet, the vehicle-mounted control device communicates with the charger to provide the state information of the plurality of battery packs to the charger.
   4. The changeover switch switches the connection path under the control of the in-vehicle control device in order to charge the plurality of battery packs with the electric power supplied from the charger according to the state information. The switching device described in.
7. Multiple battery packs mounted on electric vehicles and
   An in-vehicle switching system including the switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is provided between a plurality of charging inlets provided in the electric vehicle and the plurality of battery packs.
8. The vehicle-mounted switching system according to claim 7, further comprising an vehicle-mounted control device mounted on the electric vehicle together with the switching device and controlling the switching device.
9. A switch circuit provided between the first and second charging inlets and the first and second battery packs to switch the connection between the first and second charging inlets and the first and second battery packs. It is a switch control method to control
   The switch circuit is arranged between the switch unit capable of electrically separating or coupling the charging system from the first and second charging inlets, and the first and second charging inlets and the switch unit. Including the first and second contactors
   By controlling the switch circuit in response to the connection of the charging plug to any of the first and second charging inlets, the charging system from the first and second charging inlets is separated. Steps and
   For each of the charging systems from the first and second charging inlets, a step of performing safety diagnosis and conformity determination for charging, and
   In response to the determination that the results of the safety diagnosis and the conformity determination are both safe, a step of transmitting a signal permitting the start of charging to the charging plug, and a step of transmitting the signal.
   In response to the determination that both the safety diagnosis and the conformity determination are safe, the first contactor or the second contactor connected to the charging inlet to which the charging plug is connected. A switch control method that includes a step to turn on the contactor.
   

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