WO2022224560A1

WO2022224560A1 - Control device

Info

Publication number: WO2022224560A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/005983
Authority: WO
Inventors: 祐喜中村; 裕太外山; 和彦竹野
Original assignee: 株式会社Ｎｔｔドコモ
Priority date: 2021-04-23
Filing date: 2022-02-15
Publication date: 2022-10-27
Also published as: JPWO2022224560A1

Abstract

This control device is a device for controlling power in a power supply system including: a rectifier that converts AC power supplied from a commercial power supply into DC power and supplies the DC power to a load through a bus; an electric vehicle connected to the bus through a voltage converter; and a storage battery connected to the bus. The control device comprises: a switching unit that switches the electric vehicle to a discharge mode when a power outage or power saving request occurs; and an adjustment unit that adjusts the output voltage value of the voltage converter so that the storage battery does not charge or discharge when the electric vehicle is switched to the discharge mode.

Description

Control device

The present disclosure relates to a control device.

As a backup power supply, not only a stationary storage battery but also an electric vehicle (EV) may be used. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a power supply system that supplements the power supply when there is a risk that the power supply from the commercial power source will fall short of the power demand. In this power supply system, a discharge order is set for the backup battery and the running battery of the electric vehicle, and when a power failure occurs or a demand response command (power saving request) is received, the battery with the highest discharge order is discharged in descending order.

JP 2020-96416 A

Since stationary storage batteries are used in emergencies, it is required to use as little as possible the amount of electricity stored in stationary storage batteries. In the power supply system described in Patent Literature 1, the order of discharge can be set, so that the electric vehicle and the stationary storage battery can be discharged in this order. However, the power released from the electric vehicle is not only supplied to the load, but may also be supplied to the stationary storage battery. Therefore, there is a possibility that the amount of electricity stored in the electric vehicle will be excessively consumed.

This disclosure describes a control device that can reduce the power emitted from an electric vehicle while ensuring the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery.

A control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure converts AC power supplied from a commercial power supply to DC power, and is connected to a bus via a rectifier that supplies the DC power to a load via a bus and a voltage converter. It is a device for controlling electric power in a power supply system including an electric vehicle connected to a bus and a storage battery connected to a bus. This control device includes a switching unit that switches the electric vehicle to the discharge mode when a power failure or a power saving request occurs, and a voltage converter that prevents charging and discharging of the storage battery when the electric vehicle is switched to the discharge mode. and an adjusting unit that adjusts the output voltage value.

In this control device, when a power failure or a power saving request occurs, the electric vehicle is switched to the discharge mode and the output voltage value of the voltage converter is adjusted so that the storage battery is not charged or discharged. According to this configuration, the possibility that the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery is reduced is reduced, and the possibility that the electric power released from the electric vehicle is used to charge the storage battery is reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the power emitted from the electric vehicle while ensuring the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the power emitted from the electric vehicle while ensuring the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply system including a control device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the converter device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device shown in FIG. 2; 4 is a flow chart showing a series of processes of a power control method performed by the control device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing in detail the power failure control of FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing in detail the power saving control of FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another schematic configuration example of the converter device shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. As shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

A configuration of a power supply system including a control device according to one embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply system including a control device according to one embodiment. A power supply system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system that supplies a load L with power. In this embodiment, the power system 1 is a DC power system. The power supply system 1 receives, for example, AC power Pac from a commercial power supply PS and supplies a load L with DC power Pload.

The load L is a power consumption device that receives DC power Pload from the power supply system 1 and operates by consuming the DC power Pload. The load L is, for example, a wireless communication device (communication load). A wireless communication device is a device that performs wireless communication in a wireless base station used in a mobile communication network. As the load L, a load other than the wireless communication device may be used. The load L can operate within a predetermined voltage range (hereinafter referred to as "voltage range VR"). In other words, the voltage range VR is the voltage range that the load L allows. If the load L is a wireless communication device, the voltage range VR is, for example, 41V-57V.

The power supply system 1 includes a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) 2, a smart meter 3, a rectifier 4, a converter device 5, an electric vehicle 6, a storage battery 7, and a control device 10.

The HEMS 2 is a device that acquires various information in the power supply system 1. The HEMS 2 receives a DR request (demand response request) from an electric power company or an aggregator to the power supply system 1 . A DR request is a signal requesting the power supply system 1 to implement DR. For example, on extremely hot days, an increase in power demand is expected due to an increase in the use of air conditioners and the like. Adjustments are made (down DR, negawatt trade). On the other hand, when the amount of power generated by photovoltaic power generation exceeds the power demand during the daytime, supply and demand adjustment is performed by increasing the power demand (power consumption) of consumers such as the power supply system 1 (increase DR). The HEMS 2 transmits a DR start command and a DR release command to the control device 10 .

The smart meter 3 is provided between the commercial power supply PS and the rectifier 4 and measures the AC power Pac supplied from the commercial power supply PS to the power supply system 1 . The smart meter 3 holds demand data (B route data) indicating the AC power Pac supplied to the power supply system 1 from the commercial power supply PS.

The rectifier 4 is a device (power supply device) that converts AC power Pac supplied from the commercial power supply PS into DC power Pdc. Rectifier 4 is connected to load L via bus B; Rectifier 4 supplies DC power Pdc to load L via bus B. The rectifier 4 can supply DC power Pdc to the electric vehicle 6 and the storage battery 7 to charge the electric vehicle 6 and the storage battery 7 . The rectifier 4 includes, for example, a rectifier circuit and a voltage conversion circuit (booster circuit or step-down circuit). The rectifier 4 transmits a power failure command to the control device 10 when the AC power Pac (input voltage) is lost, and transmits a power restoration command to the control device 10 when the AC power Pac (input voltage) is recovered. Rectifier 4 can change the voltage value (output voltage value) of output voltage Vr (see FIG. 2 ) based on a command from control device 10 . The output voltage Vr is the output voltage of the rectifier 4 and is the terminal voltage (open voltage) of the rectifier 4 connected to the bus B. In normal times, the voltage value of the output voltage Vr is set to 48V, for example.

The converter device 5 is a device that adjusts the DC power Pev that the electric vehicle 6 charges and discharges. The converter device 5 has a function of adjusting current and voltage when transferring electric power to and from the electric vehicle 6 .

The electric vehicle 6 is configured to be able to charge and discharge DC power Pev. Specifically, the electric vehicle 6 includes a storage battery, and the storage battery is charged and discharged. For convenience of explanation, charging the storage battery of the electric vehicle 6 may simply be expressed as "charging the electric vehicle 6". Similarly, discharging the storage battery of the electric vehicle 6 may simply be expressed as "discharging the electric vehicle 6". The electric vehicle 6 is connected to the bus B via a voltage converter 53 which will be described later. The electric vehicle 6 can charge the DC power Pev via the bus B and the voltage converter 53 and discharge the DC power Pev via the voltage converter 53 and the bus B.

The storage battery 7 is a device capable of charging and discharging DC power Pbt. The storage battery 7 is a stationary storage battery. Examples of storage battery 7 include lithium ion batteries (LiB) and lead storage batteries. A storage battery 7 is connected to the bus B. The storage battery 7 can charge the DC power Pbt via the bus B and discharge the DC power Pbt via the bus B. For example, a radio base station or the like needs to provide communication services even when a power failure occurs, so a storage battery 7 is provided in preparation for a power failure due to a disaster. Note that the output voltage Vb of the storage battery 7 (see FIG. 2) changes according to the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 7 (SOC; State Of Charge). The output voltage Vb is the terminal voltage (open voltage) of the storage battery 7 . As the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 7 increases, the output voltage Vb increases. The lower limit of output voltage Vb is higher than the lower limit of voltage range VR, and the upper limit of output voltage Vb is lower than the normal voltage value of output voltage Vr.

The load L can be supplied with DC power Pdc from the rectifier 4 , DC power Pev from the electric vehicle 6 , and DC power Pbt from the storage battery 7 . That is, the load L is supplied with the DC power Pload, which is the sum of the DC power Pdc, the DC power Pev, and the DC power Pbt. For example, even if the DC power Pdc is not supplied from the rectifier 4 to the load L, the load L can receive DC power from the electric vehicle 6 or the storage battery 7 to operate.

The control device 10 is a device (controller) that controls power in the power supply system 1 . The control device 10 is communicably connected to the HEMS 2, the rectifier 4, and the converter device 5 via communication lines, for example. Since the power supply system 1 does not include a device for controlling charging and discharging of the storage battery 7, voltage control is used as a charging and discharging control method. For example, the electric vehicle 6 is discharged by increasing the voltage value (output voltage value) of the output voltage Vc (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, to be greater than the voltage value of the output voltage Vr. The storage battery 7 is charged by making the voltage value of the output voltage Vr larger than the voltage value of the output voltage Vb. Furthermore, when the charging current of the storage battery 7 is increased, the voltage value of the output voltage Vr is further increased. When reducing the charging current of the storage battery 7, the voltage value of the output voltage Vr is decreased within a range not lower than the voltage value of the output voltage Vb. A functional configuration of the control device 10 will be described later.

Note that the converter device 5 includes the control device 10 in this embodiment. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the converter device 5 substantially adjusts the transfer of power not only with the electric vehicle 6 but also with the rectifier 4, the storage battery 7, and the load L. there is

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, cooperation with each part will be described, focusing on the configuration of the converter device 5 in the power supply system 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the converter device shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the converter device 5 has terminals T1, T2, T3, and T4. A rectifier 4 is connected to the terminal T1. A load L is connected to the terminal T2. An electric vehicle 6 is connected to the terminal T3. A storage battery 7 is connected to the terminal T4.

The converter device 5 includes a current detection section 51 , an operation mode switching section 52 , a voltage converter 53 and a control device 10 . The current detector 51 measures the charge/discharge current of the storage battery 7 . The current detection unit 51 outputs the measured charging/discharging current value to the control device 10 . In this embodiment, a current value having a positive value means that a current flows toward the storage battery 7 (charging current), and a current value having a negative value means that a current flows from the storage battery 7 to the converter device 5. (discharge current). The current detector 51 is, for example, a current sensor.

The operation mode switching unit 52 switches the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 based on commands from the control device 10 . Operation modes of the electric vehicle 6 include a charge mode, a discharge mode, and a standby mode. The charging mode is an operating mode (state) in which charging is possible. The discharge mode is an operating mode (state) in which discharge is possible. The standby mode is an operation mode (state) in which power is not exchanged with other devices such as the load L. The operation mode switching unit 52 is, for example, a bidirectional converter.

The voltage converter 53 converts the output voltage of the electric vehicle 6 into the output voltage Vc based on the command from the control device 10 . The output voltage Vc is the output voltage of the voltage converter 53 and is the terminal voltage (open voltage) of the voltage converter 53 connected to the bus B. Voltage converter 53 can change the voltage value of output voltage Vc within voltage range VR. Voltage converter 53 is, for example, a DC/DC converter. Note that the operation mode switching unit 52 and the voltage converter 53 may be realized by one bidirectional converter.

Next, the functional configuration of the control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device shown in FIG. 2; As shown in FIG. 3 , the control device 10 functionally includes a determination unit 11 (first determination unit), a determination unit 12 (second determination unit), a switching unit 13, an adjustment unit 14, A clock unit 15 is provided. Since the function (operation) of each functional unit will be described in detail in the description of the power control method that will be described later, the function of each functional unit will be briefly described here.

The determination unit 11 is a functional unit that determines whether a power failure has occurred. In other words, the determination unit 11 determines whether or not the power supply from the commercial power source PS has stopped. The determination unit 11 further determines whether power has been restored at the time of the power failure. In other words, the determination unit 11 determines whether or not the power supply from the commercial power source PS has been restored. In this embodiment, the determining unit 11 determines that a power failure has occurred in response to receiving a power failure command indicating that a power failure has occurred from the rectifier 4 . The determination unit 11 determines that the power has been restored in response to receiving a power restoration command indicating that the power has been restored from the rectifier 4 .

The determination unit 12 is a functional unit that determines whether or not a power saving request has occurred. In this embodiment, the determination part 12 determines with the power saving request having arisen according to the control apparatus 10 having received the downward DR start command from HEMS2. The determination unit 12 determines whether the power saving request has been canceled (whether the requested period has ended). In this embodiment, the determination unit 12 determines that the power saving request has been canceled (request period has ended) in response to the control device 10 receiving the lowered DR cancellation command from the HEMS 2 .

The switching unit 13 is a functional unit that switches the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6. The switching unit 13 switches the electric vehicle 6 to the discharge mode, for example, when a power failure or a power saving request occurs. The switching unit 13 switches the electric vehicle 6 from the discharge mode to the standby mode, for example, when power is restored or when the power saving request is cancelled.

The adjustment unit 14 is a functional unit that adjusts the voltage value of the output voltage Vr and the voltage value of the output voltage Vc. For example, the adjustment unit 14 adjusts the voltage value of the output voltage Vc so that the storage battery 7 is not charged or discharged when the electric vehicle 6 is switched to the discharge mode. Specifically, the adjustment unit 14 increases the voltage value of the output voltage Vc from the lower limit value of the voltage range VR, and maintains the voltage value at which the storage battery 7 no longer discharges. More specifically, the adjustment unit 14 increases the voltage value of the output voltage Vc by a predetermined value from the lower limit value of the voltage range VR every time a predetermined time elapses, and maintains the voltage value at which the storage battery 7 no longer discharges. do. The adjustment unit 14 changes the voltage value of the output voltage Vr to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR when it is determined that the power saving request has occurred.

The clock unit 15 is a functional unit that measures time. The clock unit 15 outputs a timing signal to the adjustment unit 14 each time a predetermined period of time elapses. The predetermined time is set to, for example, approximately 5 seconds.

Next, the power control method performed by the control device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a series of processes of a power control method performed by the control device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing in detail the power failure control of FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing in detail the power saving control of FIG. A series of processes shown in FIG. 4 are started, for example, each time a predetermined time elapses.

As shown in FIG. 4, first, the determination unit 11 determines whether or not a power failure has occurred (step S11). Specifically, the determination unit 11 determines that a power failure has occurred when a power failure command is received from the rectifier 4 . The determination unit 11 determines that a power failure has not occurred when a power failure command has not been received from the rectifier 4 . When it is determined in step S11 that a power failure has occurred (step S11; YES), power failure control in step S12 is performed.

In the power failure control in step S12, as shown in FIG. 5, the switching unit 13 first switches the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 to the discharge mode (step S21). Specifically, the switching unit 13 transmits a command for switching the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 to the discharge mode to the operation mode switching unit 52 . Then, when the operation mode switching unit 52 receives the command, it switches the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 to the discharge mode. Then, the adjustment unit 14 transmits to the voltage converter 53 a command for setting the voltage value of the output voltage Vc to the lower limit value (for example, 41 V) of the voltage range VR. Then, when the voltage converter 53 receives the command, it sets the voltage value of the output voltage Vc to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR.

Subsequently, the determination unit 11 determines whether power has been restored (step S22). Specifically, the determination unit 11 determines that power has been restored when a power restoration command is received from the rectifier 4 . The determination unit 11 determines that the power has not been restored when the power restoration command is not received from the rectifier 4 . When it is determined in step S22 that the power has not been restored (step S22; NO), the adjustment unit 14 determines whether or not the storage battery 7 is discharged (step S23). Specifically, the adjustment unit 14 determines whether or not the storage battery 7 is discharging based on the current value measured by the current detection unit 51 . For example, when the current value is a value indicating discharge (for example, a negative value), the adjustment unit 14 determines that the storage battery 7 is discharging. If the current value does not indicate discharge, the adjustment unit 14 determines that the storage battery 7 is not discharged.

If it is determined in step S23 that the storage battery 7 is discharged (step S23; YES), the adjustment unit 14 increases the voltage value of the output voltage Vc by a predetermined value (for example, 0.1 V) (step S24 ). Specifically, the adjustment unit 14 transmits a command to the voltage converter 53 to increase the voltage value of the output voltage Vc by a predetermined value. Then, when the voltage converter 53 receives the command, it increases the voltage value of the output voltage Vc by a predetermined value. Then, step S25 is performed. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S23 that the storage battery 7 is not discharged (step S23; NO), the adjustment unit 14 maintains the voltage value of the output voltage Vc. In other words, the adjustment unit 14 does not send a command to the voltage converter 53 . Then, step S25 is performed.

In step S25, the adjustment unit 14 determines whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) has passed. The adjustment unit 14 determines that the predetermined time has passed, for example, by receiving the timing signal from the clock unit 15 . If it is determined that the predetermined time has not passed (step S25; NO), the determination in step S25 is repeated until the predetermined time has passed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined time has passed (step S25; YES), the determination of step S22 is performed again.

If it is determined in step S22 that the power has been restored (step S22; YES), the switching unit 13 switches the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 from the discharge mode to the standby mode (step S26). Specifically, the switching unit 13 transmits a command for switching the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 to the standby mode to the operation mode switching unit 52 . Then, when the operation mode switching unit 52 receives the command, it switches the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 to the standby mode. As described above, the power failure control in step S12 ends, and the series of processes of the power control method ends.

If it is determined in step S11 that a power failure has not occurred (step S11; NO), the determining unit 12 determines whether or not a power saving request has occurred (step S13). Specifically, the determination part 12 determines with the power saving request having arisen, when the downward DR start instruction|command is received from HEMS2. Judgment part 12 judges with a power-saving request not having arisen, when a fall DR start order is not received from HEMS2. If it is determined in step S13 that a power saving request has occurred (step S13; YES), power saving control in step S14 is performed.

In the power saving control of step S14, as shown in FIG. 6, the adjustment unit 14 first changes the voltage value of the output voltage Vr of the rectifier 4 to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR (step S31). Specifically, adjustment unit 14 transmits to rectifier 4 a command for setting the voltage value of output voltage Vr to the lower limit value of voltage range VR. Then, when the rectifier 4 receives the command, it sets the voltage value of the output voltage Vr to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR.

Subsequently, the switching unit 13 switches the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 to the discharge mode (step S32). Since the process of step S32 is the same as the process of step S21, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Also in step S32, adjustment unit 14 transmits to voltage converter 53 a command for setting the voltage value of output voltage Vc to the lower limit value of voltage range VR. Then, when the voltage converter 53 receives the command, it sets the voltage value of the output voltage Vc to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR.

Subsequently, the determination unit 12 determines whether or not the requested period has ended (step S33). Specifically, the determination unit 12 determines that the request period has ended when the lowered DR cancellation command is received from the HEMS 2 . Judgment part 12 judges with the request period not having ended, when the fall DR cancellation order is not received from HEMS2. When it is determined in step S33 that the requested period has not ended (step S33; NO), the adjustment unit 14 determines whether or not the storage battery 7 is discharged (step S34). Since the processing of subsequent steps S34 to S36 is the same as the processing of steps S23 to S25, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

If it is determined in step S33 that the requested period has expired (step S33; YES), the switching unit 13 switches the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 from the discharge mode to the standby mode (step S37). Since the process of step S37 is the same as the process of step S26, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Subsequently, the adjustment unit 14 restores the voltage value of the output voltage Vr of the rectifier 4 (step S38). Specifically, adjustment unit 14 transmits a command to rectifier 4 to set the voltage value of output voltage Vr to the original value before being changed in step S31. Then, when the rectifier 4 receives the command, it sets the voltage value of the output voltage Vr to the original value. As described above, the power saving control in step S14 ends, and the series of processes of the power control method ends.

If it is determined in step S13 that no power saving request has occurred (step S13; NO), the switching unit 13 maintains the operation mode of the electric vehicle 6 in the standby mode (step S15). In other words, the switching unit 13 does not send a command to the operation mode switching unit 52 . With the above, a series of processes of the power control method is completed.

Note that step S13 may be performed before step S11, or may be performed in parallel with step S11. The execution order of step S22, step S23, and step S25 can be arbitrarily changed. Similarly, the execution order of steps S33, S34, and S36 can be changed arbitrarily.

According to the power control method described above, the voltage value of the output voltage Vc is set to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR when a power failure or power saving request occurs. At this time, the voltage value of the output voltage Vb is higher than the voltage value of the output voltage Vc, so the storage battery 7 is discharged. Then, the voltage value of the output voltage Vc is increased by a predetermined value every predetermined time, and when the voltage value of the output voltage Vc exceeds the voltage value of the output voltage Vb, the storage battery 7 stops discharging. Then, the voltage value of the output voltage Vc is maintained at the voltage value when the storage battery 7 is no longer discharged. Through such processing, the power emitted from the electric vehicle 6 is mainly supplied to the load L, and the extent to which it is used for charging the storage battery 7 can be suppressed.

In the control device 10 described above, when a power failure or a power saving request occurs, the electric vehicle 6 is switched to the discharge mode, and the voltage value of the output voltage Vc of the voltage converter 53 is set so that the storage battery 7 is not charged or discharged. adjusted. According to this configuration, the possibility that the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 7 is reduced and the possibility that the electric power released from the electric vehicle 6 is used to charge the storage battery 7 is reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the electric power emitted from the electric vehicle 6 while ensuring the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 7 .

The determination unit 11 determines whether or not a power failure has occurred. Specifically, the determining unit 11 determines that a power failure has occurred in response to receiving a power failure command from the rectifier 4 . Therefore, since power can be supplied from the electric vehicle 6 immediately when a power failure occurs, consumption of power stored in the storage battery 7 can be suppressed. As a result, it becomes possible to secure the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 7 .

In order to operate the load L continuously, it is necessary to supply the load L with the DC power Pload at a voltage having a voltage value within the voltage range VR. On the other hand, the voltage value of the output voltage Vb is greater than the lower limit value of the voltage range VR and smaller than the upper limit value of the voltage range VR. In order to prevent the storage battery 7 from being charged or discharged, it is required that the voltage value of the output voltage Vc be equal to the voltage value of the output voltage Vb. However, since the voltage value of the output voltage Vb changes according to the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 7, it is difficult to match the voltage value of the output voltage Vc with the voltage value of the output voltage Vb.

In response to this problem, the adjustment unit 14 increases the voltage value of the output voltage Vc from the lower limit value of the voltage range VR and maintains the voltage value at which the storage battery 7 no longer discharges. In this configuration, when the voltage value of the output voltage Vc is set to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR, the voltage value of the output voltage Vb is higher than the voltage value of the output voltage Vc, so the storage battery 7 is discharged. After that, by increasing the voltage value of the output voltage Vc, the voltage value of the output voltage Vc becomes larger than the voltage value of the output voltage Vb, and the storage battery 7 is no longer discharged. By maintaining the voltage value of the output voltage Vc at the voltage value at that time, the discharge of the storage battery 7 is avoided. Furthermore, since the voltage value of the output voltage Vc set as described above is slightly higher than the voltage value of the output voltage Vb, it is possible to suppress the extent to which the electric power emitted from the electric vehicle 6 charges the storage battery 7. can.

The adjustment unit 14 increases the voltage value of the output voltage Vc by a predetermined value every time a predetermined time elapses. According to this configuration, the voltage value of the output voltage Vc can be gradually increased, so that the voltage value of the output voltage Vc at the time when the storage battery 7 stops discharging can be brought close to the voltage value of the output voltage Vb. can. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the extent to which the storage battery 7 is charged with the electric power emitted from the electric vehicle 6 .

The adjustment unit 14 changes the voltage value of the output voltage Vr of the rectifier 4 to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR when it is determined that a power saving request has occurred. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the AC power Pac supplied from the commercial power supply PS, so that power saving can be realized.

When the power is restored or the power saving request is cancelled, the DC power Pdc can be supplied from the rectifier 4 to the load L, so there is no need to discharge the electric vehicle 6. Therefore, the switching unit 13 switches the electric vehicle 6 from the discharge mode to the standby mode when power is restored or when the power saving request is cancelled. With this configuration, it is possible to avoid excessive consumption of electric power stored in the electric vehicle 6 .

As described above, by releasing power from the electric vehicle 6, it is possible to continuously supply power to the load L even during a power failure without charging the storage battery 7 excessively. Similarly, by discharging electric power from the electric vehicle 6, it becomes possible to respond to the power saving request without charging the storage battery 7 excessively.

The control device 10 controls charging and discharging of the electric vehicle 6 and the storage battery 7 by voltage control. According to this configuration, it is possible to realize the power control method by simply adding software for voltage control without adding hardware. This software can be commonly used regardless of the type of storage battery 7 . Therefore, development costs can be reduced.

Next, another configuration example of the converter device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another schematic configuration example of the converter device shown in FIG. A converter device 5A shown in FIG. 7 is mainly different from the converter device 5 in that it further includes a voltage detection section 54 and in that it includes a control device 10A instead of the control device 10 .

The voltage detection unit 54 measures the bus voltage Vbus. Bus voltage Vbus is the voltage of bus B. The voltage detection unit 54 outputs the measured voltage value of the bus voltage Vbus to the control device 10A. The voltage detector 54 is, for example, a voltage sensor.

The control device 10A determines whether power failure has occurred based on the bus voltage Vbus instead of the power failure command, and determines whether power has been restored based on the bus voltage Vbus instead of the power recovery command. It is mainly different from the control device 10 in that point. That is, the power control method performed by the control device 10A is mainly different from the power control method performed by the control device 10 in steps S11 and S22.

In step S11, the determination unit 11 sequentially stores the voltage values measured by the voltage detection unit 54, and when the voltage value monotonically decreases by a threshold value ΔVth or more from the voltage value when the voltage value starts decreasing, a power failure occurs. It is determined that it has been done (step S11; YES). The threshold ΔVth is set to about 0.5V, for example. The determination unit 11 determines that a power failure has not occurred when the voltage value does not monotonically decrease by the threshold value ΔVth or more from the voltage value when the voltage value started to decrease (step S11; NO).

In step S22, the determination unit 11 determines that the power has been restored when the voltage value measured by the voltage detection unit 54 returns to the normal voltage value (for example, 48 V) of the output voltage Vr ( Step S22; YES). If the voltage value measured by the voltage detection unit 54 has not returned to the normal voltage value of the output voltage Vr, the determination unit 11 determines that the power has not been restored (step S22; NO). Note that the normal voltage value of the output voltage Vr is preset and stored.

　The output of the rectifier 4 stops when the power supply from the commercial power supply PS stops (during a power failure). However, since the storage battery 7 is connected to bus B, the bus voltage Vbus is not lost. In control device 10 , determination unit 11 detects a power failure by receiving a power failure command from rectifier 4 . In this configuration, the rectifier 4 must have the function of detecting power failure.

On the other hand, the determination unit 11 of the control device 10A determines whether or not a power failure has occurred based on the bus voltage Vbus. Specifically, when a power failure occurs, the output of the rectifier 4 stops and the storage battery 7 starts discharging. The storage battery 7 has a characteristic that the voltage value of the output voltage Vb decreases as the amount of electricity stored in the storage battery 7 decreases. Since the voltage value of the output voltage Vr is 0 V at the time of power failure, the voltage value of the bus voltage Vbus becomes equal to the voltage value of the output voltage Vb. Therefore, when the voltage value of the bus voltage Vbus monotonously decreases by the threshold value ΔVth or more, it can be considered that a power failure has occurred. According to this configuration, a power failure can be detected without the rectifier 4 having a function of detecting power failure. Therefore, the configuration of the rectifier 4 can be simplified.

Similarly, the determination unit 11 of the control device 10A determines whether power has been restored based on the bus voltage Vbus. When the power supply from the commercial power supply PS is restored, the voltage value of the output voltage Vr returns to the normal voltage value (for example, 48V). Since the voltage value of the output voltage Vr is higher than the voltage value of the output voltage Vb, the voltage value of the bus voltage Vbus is equal to the voltage value of the output voltage Vr. Therefore, when the voltage value of the bus voltage Vbus returns to the normal voltage value of the output voltage Vr, it can be considered that the power has been restored. According to this configuration, power recovery can be detected without the rectifier 4 having a function of detecting power recovery. Therefore, the configuration of the rectifier 4 can be simplified.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments.

The control device 10 may be composed of one device that is physically or logically connected, or may be composed of multiple devices that are physically or logically separated from each other. For example, the control device 10 may be implemented by multiple computers distributed over a network like cloud computing. As described above, the configuration of the control device 10 can include any configuration that can realize the functions of the control device 10 . As with control device 10, the configuration of control device 10A may include any configuration capable of implementing the functions of control device 10A.

The HEMS 2 may be provided inside the

converter devices

5, 5A. Control device 10 may be configured as a device separate from converter device 5 . Control device 10A may be configured as a device separate from converter device 5A. Current detection unit 51 may be configured as a device separate from

converter devices

5 and 5A. Voltage detection unit 54 may be configured as a device separate from converter device 5A.

The

control devices

10 and 10A may not include the determination unit 11, and the switching unit 13 may not switch the electric vehicle 6 to the discharge mode when a power failure occurs. The

control devices

10 and 10A may not include the determination unit 12, and the switching unit 13 may not switch the electric vehicle 6 to the discharge mode when a power saving request is made.

The switching unit 13 may switch the electric vehicle 6 from the discharging mode to the charging mode when power is restored or when the power saving request is cancelled. According to this configuration, the electric vehicle 6 is charged with the amount of stored electricity that has decreased due to the discharge.

The adjustment unit 14 increases the voltage value of the output voltage Vc from the lower limit value of the voltage range VR by a predetermined value every predetermined time until the storage battery 7 is no longer discharged. It is not limited to this procedure. For example, the adjustment unit 14 may decrease the voltage value of the output voltage Vc from the upper limit value of the voltage range VR by a predetermined value every predetermined time until the storage battery 7 is no longer charged. After changing the voltage value of the output voltage Vc to the lower limit value of the voltage range VR, the adjusting unit 14 measures the voltage value of the bus voltage Vbus, and changes the voltage value of the output voltage Vc to the measured voltage value. good.

The adjustment unit 14 may receive timing signals from outside the

control devices

10 and 10A. In this case, the

control devices

10 and 10A do not have to include the timer section 15 .

It should be noted that the block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show blocks for each function. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. A method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be implemented using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or directly or indirectly using two or more devices that are physically or logically separated (e.g. , wired, wireless, etc.) and may be implemented using these multiple devices. A functional block may be implemented by combining software in the one device or the plurality of devices.

Functions include judging, determining, determining, calculating, calculating, processing, deriving, investigating, searching, checking, receiving, transmitting, outputting, accessing, resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, assuming, expecting, assuming, Broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assigning, among others. Not limited to functionality. For example, a functional block (component) responsible for transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. In either case, as described above, the implementation method is not particularly limited.

For example, the

control devices

10 and 10A in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as computers that perform the processing of the present disclosure. The hardware configuration of the

control devices

10 and 10A will be described below. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of

control devices

10 and 10A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The

control devices

10 and 10A described above may physically be configured as computer devices including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like.

It should be noted that in the following description, the term "apparatus" can be read as a circuit, device, unit, or the like. The hardware configuration of the

control devices

10 and 10A may be configured to include one or more of each device shown in the figure, or may be configured without some of the devices.

Each function in the

control devices

10 and 10A is performed by the processor 1001 performing calculations by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, controlling communication by the communication device 1004, It is realized by controlling at least one of data reading and writing in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003 .

The processor 1001, for example, operates an operating system and controls the entire computer. The processor 1001 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic device, registers, and the like. For example, each function of the

control devices

10 and 10A described above may be implemented by the processor 1001 .

The processor 1001 reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 to the memory 1002, and executes various processes according to them. As the program, a program that causes a computer to execute at least part of the operations described in the above embodiments is used. For example, each function of

control devices

10 and 10A may be implemented by a control program stored in memory 1002 and running on processor 1001 . Although it has been explained that the above-described various processes are executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. FIG. Processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. Note that the program may be transmitted from a network via an electric communication line.

The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and RAM (Random Access Memory). may be configured. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, cache, or main memory (main storage device). The memory 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc. for implementing a power control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, for example, an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (for example, a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, and a Blu-ray disc). ray disk), smart cards, flash memory (eg, cards, sticks, and key drives), floppy disks, and/or magnetic strips. Storage 1003 may also be called an auxiliary storage device. The storage medium described above may be, for example, a database, server, or other suitable medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003 .

The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmitting/receiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also called a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module, for example. The communication device 1004 includes a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. in order to realize at least one of, for example, frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). may be configured to include For example, the communication device 1004 may implement the function of sending and receiving commands between the

control devices

10 and 10A.

The input device 1005 is an input device (for example, keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (for example, display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured integrally like a touch panel, for example.

Each device such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between devices.

The

control devices

10 and 10A include hardware such as microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), and FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). , and part or all of each functional block may be implemented by the hardware. For example, processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

Notification of information is not limited to the aspects/embodiments described in this disclosure, and may be performed using other methods.

In the processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect/embodiment described in the present disclosure, the processing order may be changed as long as there is no contradiction. For example, methods described in this disclosure present elements of the various steps using a sample order, and are not limited to the specific order presented.

Information and the like may be output from a higher layer to a lower layer, or may be output from a lower layer to a higher layer. Information and the like may be input and output via multiple network nodes.

Input/output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or managed using a management table. Input/output information and the like can be overwritten, updated, or appended. The output information and the like may be deleted. The entered information and the like may be transmitted to another device.

The determination may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a true/false value (Boolean: true or false), or by numerical comparison (for example, a predetermined value).

Each aspect/embodiment described in the present disclosure may be used alone, may be used in combination, or may be used by switching along with execution. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification of "being X") is not limited to explicit notification, and may be performed implicitly (e.g., by not notifying the predetermined information) .

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in this disclosure. The present disclosure can be practiced with modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Accordingly, the description of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be limiting in any way.

Software, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language or otherwise, includes instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, and software modules. , applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, and the like.

Software, instructions, information, etc. may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, the software uses at least one of wired technology (coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), etc.) and wireless technology (infrared, microwave, etc.) Wired and/or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission medium when transmitted from a site, server, or other remote source.

The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc., that may be referred to throughout the above description may refer to voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or photons, or any of these. It may be represented by any combination.

The terms explained in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

The terms "system" and "network" used in this disclosure are used interchangeably.

Information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, may be expressed using values relative to a given value, or may be expressed using other corresponding information. may be represented.

The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive names in any respect. Further, the equations, etc., using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure.

The terms "determining" and "determining" as used in this disclosure may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Judgement" and "determination" are, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (eg, looking up in a table, database, or another data structure) and may be considered ascertaining. “Determining” and “determining” refer to receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., transmitting information), input, output, and access ( accessing (eg, accessing data in memory). "Judgement" and "determination" may be considered resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, and the like. That is, "judgment" and "decision" may be considered as any action related to "judgment" and "decision." "Judgment (decision)" may be read as "assuming", "expecting", or "considering".

The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof mean any direct or indirect connection or connection between two or more elements, It can include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements being "connected" or "coupled." Couplings or connections between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connection" may be read as "access". When "connected" or "coupled" is used in this disclosure, two elements are "connected" or "coupled" together using at least one of one or more wires, cables and printed electrical connections. using, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency, microwave and light (both visible and invisible) regions, may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other.

The term "based on" as used in this disclosure does not mean "based only on," unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

Any reference to elements using designations such as "first" and "second" used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, references to first and second elements neither imply that only two elements may be employed, nor that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

The "parts" in the configuration of each device described above may be replaced with "circuits", "devices", or the like.

Where "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are inclusive, as is the term "comprising." is intended. Furthermore, the term "or" as used in this disclosure is not intended to be an exclusive OR.

In this disclosure, when articles are added by translation, e.g., "a", "an" and "the" in English, this disclosure recognizes that the nouns following these articles are plural. may include

In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean that "A and B are different from C". Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Power supply system 2... HEMS 4...

Rectifier

5, 5A... Converter apparatus 6... Electric vehicle 7...

Storage battery

10, 10A... Control apparatus 11... Determination part (1st determination part) 12... Determination Section (second determination section) 13 Switching section 14 Adjusting section 15 Clocking section 51 Current detecting section 52 Operation mode switching section 53 Voltage converter 54 Voltage detecting section B... bus, L... load.

Claims

A rectifier that converts AC power supplied from a commercial power source into DC power and supplies the DC power to a load via a bus; an electric vehicle that is connected to the bus via a voltage converter; A control device for controlling power in a power supply system including a storage battery,
a switching unit that switches the electric vehicle to a discharge mode when a power failure or power saving request occurs;
an adjustment unit that adjusts the output voltage value of the voltage converter so that the storage battery is not charged or discharged when the electric vehicle is switched to the discharge mode;
A controller.
The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a first determination unit that determines whether or not a power failure has occurred.
The control device according to claim 2, wherein the first determination unit determines whether or not a power failure has occurred based on the bus voltage of the bus.
4. The adjusting unit increases the output voltage value from a lower limit value of a voltage range allowable by the load, and maintains the voltage value at which the storage battery no longer discharges. Control device as described.
The control device according to claim 4, wherein the adjusting unit increases the output voltage value by a predetermined value each time a predetermined time elapses.
Further comprising a second determination unit that determines whether or not a power saving request has occurred,
6. The control device according to claim 4, wherein said adjustment unit changes the output voltage value of said rectifier to said lower limit value when it is determined that a power saving request has occurred.
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the switching unit switches the electric vehicle from the discharge mode to the standby mode when power is restored or a power saving request is cancelled.