APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING POWER SUPPLIED TO ON-VEHICLE ELECTRICAL LOADS

• US 20110278920A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: SAKAMOTO, Akira, OBAYASHI, Kazuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,859,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/50 by future state prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A power control apparatus is applied to a vehicle provided with a receiving port connected with an external power supply device placed outside the vehicle and on-vehicle electrical loads including a second battery which stores power supplied from the external power supply device via the receiving port. The power control apparatus for vehicles has power supply processing means that performs a power supply process for supplying desired power to the loads during a stop of the vehicle. This power supply processing means predicts cost required to supply the desired power, based on future predicted power cost information, in planning a power supply process needed during the stop of the vehicle. This planned power supply process is performed.

Claims

1. A power control apparatus for vehicles, which is applied to a vehicle provided with a receiving port connected to an external power supply device placed outside the vehicle and on-vehicle electric loads including a second battery storing therein power supplied from the external power supply device, comprising:

power supply processing means performing a power supply process while the vehicle is stopped, the power supply process being used for supplying the electric loads with a desired power while the vehicle is stopped,

wherein the power supply process means includes;

planning means for planning the power supply process for the stop of the vehicle through prediction of cost required for supplying the desired power, the prediction being based on future predicted power cost information; and

performance means for performing a process planned by the planning means.

2. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the predicted power cost information includes information indicative of fluctuations in cost of power supplied via the receiving port, the fluctuations being at intervals shorter than one day.

3. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the predicted power cost information includes information indicative of power cost in an overall duration starting from a time instant at which the vehicle next starts to a time instant to be predicted.

4. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the planning means is configured to decide both an amount of power supplied from the receiving port to the electric loads and a time instant at which the power is to be supplied to the electric loads, based on the predicted power cost information.

5. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 4, wherein the on-vehicle electric loads include, besides the secondary battery, on-vehicle electronic devices, and

the planning means includes means for deciding, based on the predicted power cost information, whether or not power to be supplied via the receiving port should be used as the power to be supplied to the on-vehicle electronic devices or power stored in the secondary battery should be used as the power to be supplied to the on-vehicle electronic devices.

6. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle has an internal combustion engine and conversion means for converting rotation energy generated by the engine to electric energy, and

the planning means includes means for deciding, based on the predicted power cost information, whether or not power to be supplied via the receiving port should be used as the power to be supplied to the on-vehicle electric loads or the rotation energy from the engine, which is converted by the conversion means, should be used as the power to be supplied to the on-vehicle electric loads.

7. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the on-vehicle electric loads includes, besides the secondary battery, a temperature reducing device for reducing a temperature in a vehicle interior of the vehicle,

the vehicle is provided with a power conversion circuit driving a rotary machine provided in the temperature reducing device and having an output to which the receiving port is electrically connected, wherein the power conversion circuit is functionally borrowed as means for charging the secondary battery with the power supplied from the receiving port,

the power conversion circuit is positioned such that a temperature of the power conversion circuit is possible to be reduced by driving the temperature reducing device, and

the planning means including means for planning interruption of a process to reduce the temperature of the power conversion circuit, the process being performed by driving the temperature reducing device, the interruption of the process being performed within a duration during which the secondary battery is charged with the power supplied from the receiving port.

8. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 7, wherein the planning means is configured to plan to charge the secondary battery such that energy stored in the secondary battery which is consumed by driving the temperature reducing device is compensated.

9. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 8, wherein the planning means is means for making an amount of energy for the compensation larger with an increase in an amount of energy to be charged into the secondary battery.

10. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 7, wherein the planning means includes means for planning a reduction in interruption intervals at which the process is interrupted in cases where the power supplied from the receiving port is made larger in charging the secondary battery.

11. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 7, wherein the power supply processing means includes means for performing the interruption of the process which is performed by driving the temperature reducing device, regardless of the power supply process planned by the planning means, in cases where the temperature of the power conversion circuit is over a threshold temperature.

12. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the on-vehicle electric loads includes, besides the secondary battery, a temperature adjusting device for adjusting a temperature in a vehicle interior of the vehicle,

the vehicle is provided with a power conversion circuit driving a rotary machine provided in the temperature adjusting device and having an output to which the receiving port is electrically connected, wherein the power conversion circuit is functionally borrowed as means for charging the secondary battery with the power supplied from the receiving port, and

the planning means includes means for, in cases where there is a request for ending adjustment of the temperature of the vehicle interior at a specified time instant, setting a drive period of the temperature adjusting device, the driving period being according to the request, to a charging prohibiting period of the secondary battery.

13. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the on-vehicle electric loads includes, besides the secondary battery, a power conversion circuit for charging the secondary battery and a temperature adjusting device for adjusting a temperature in a vehicle interior of the vehicle,

the temperature adjusting device has a function of cooling down a temperature of the power conversion circuit, and

the planning means includes means for planning both interruption of a process in a duration during which the second battery is charged with power supplied from the receiving port, the process being for reducing the temperature of the power conversion circuit by driving the temperature adjusting device, and charging of the secondary battery such an amount of energy stored in the secondary battery, which is consumed by driving the temperature adjusting device, is compensated.

14. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 3, wherein the planning means includes

supply power dividing means for dividing a duration until the time instant to be predicted into a plurality of time slots and setting an available power amount to each of the time periods,

power cost setting means for dividing the available power amount in each of the divided time slots into unit power amounts and setting cost per unit power amount based on the predicted power cost information,

load consuming power dividing means for dividing, into unit power amount, an amount of power which should be supplied to the on-vehicle electric loads in the duration until the time instant to be predicted, and

allocating means for allocating each of the unit power amounts divided by the load consuming power dividing means, to the unit power amounts whose costs are set by the power cost setting means,

wherein the allocating means includes means for preferentially using, of the unit power amounts whose costs are set, a unit power amount whose power cost is low.

15. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 14, wherein the on-vehicle electric loads includes on-vehicle electronic devices in addition to the secondary battery, and

the allocating means is configured to allocate unit power amounts in corresponding time slots among the time slots divided by the supply power dividing means, regardless of the power cost, to unit power amounts specified among the unit power amounts divided by the load consuming power dividing means, the specified unit power amounts being for the on-vehicle electronic devices.

16. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 15, wherein the allocating means includes

determining means for determining whether or not there is no unit power amount whose cost has not been allocated, among the unit power amounts whose costs are set, after all the unit power amounts divided by the load consuming power dividing means are allocated to the unit power amounts whose costs are set by the power cost setting means,

comparison means for making comparison between a first cost and a second cost when the determining means determines that there is present a unit power amount to which the cost has not been allocated, the first cost being required in a situation where the unit power amount with no allocation is used to charge the secondary battery and power charged in the secondary battery is used to supply power whose supply duration is specified, to a corresponding electronic device among the on-vehicle electronic devices in the specified duration, the second cost being required in a situation where the power is supplied to the corresponding electronic device in the specified duration without using the secondary battery, and

changing means for changing the allocation such that the power charged in the secondary battery is used, when the comparison means shows that the first cost is lower than the second cost.

17. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 3, comprising charge request acquiring means for acquiring a charging request for the secondary battery in a period continuing until a start of an upcoming run of the vehicle,

wherein the power supply processing means is configured to perform the power supply process for the vehicle stop based on the charging request acquired by the charge request acquiring means.

18. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 17, wherein the charge request acquiring means is allowed to receive information indicative of a priority of the charging request from outside the apparatus,

the power supply processing means includes means for deciding an amount of electric energy to be supplied to the secondary battery based on the priority of the charging request, when there is a request for requesting an amount of electric energy exceeding an amount of electric energy available for the on-vehicle electric loads in the period continuing until the start of the upcoming run of the vehicle.

19. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 3, comprising drive request acquiring means for acquiring a drive request for on-vehicle electronic devices in a period continuing until a start of an upcoming run of the vehicle, the on-vehicle electronic devices belonging to the on-vehicle electric loads including the secondary battery,

wherein the power supply processing means is configured to perform the power supply process while the vehicle is stopped, based on the drive request acquired by the drive request acquiring means.

20. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 19, wherein the drive request acquiring means is allowed to receive information indicative of a priority of the drive request,

the power supply processing means includes means for deciding an amount of electric energy to be supplied to the on-vehicle electronic devices based on the priority of the drive request, when there is a request for requesting an amount of electric energy exceeding an amount of electric energy available for the on-vehicle electric loads in the period continuing until the start of the upcoming run of the vehicle.

21. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 3, comprising

inputting means through which a user'"'"'s request is inputted, the user'"'"'s request being at least one. of a request for charging the secondary battery and a request for driving on-vehicle electronic devices included in the on-vehicle electric loads including the secondary battery, the user'"'"'s request being inputted in a period continuing until a start of an upcoming run of the vehicle, and

outputting means for outputting to the user information indicative of a limitation of an amount of electric energy to be supplied to the on-vehicle electric loads until the start of the upcoming run of the vehicle, if there is a request for requesting an amount of electric energy exceeding an amount of electric energy available for the on-vehicle electric loads in the period until the start of the upcoming run of the vehicle.

22. The power control apparatus for vehicles according to claim 3, wherein the on-vehicle electric loads include, besides the secondary battery, a temperature adjusting device adjusting a temperature in a vehicle interior of the vehicle, and

the vehicle is provided with a power conversion circuit driving a rotary machine provided in the temperature adjusting device and having an output to which the receiving port is electrically connected, wherein the power conversion circuit is functionally borrowed as means for charging the secondary battery with the power supplied from the receiving port,

the apparatus comprising

inputting means through which a user'"'"'s request and information indicative of a priority of the user'"'"'s request are inputted, the user'"'"'s request being at least one of a request for charging the secondary battery and a request for driving the temperature adjusting device, the user'"'"'s request being inputted in a period continuing until a start of an upcoming run of the vehicle, and

changing means for changing at least one of the requests for charging the secondary battery and driving the temperature adjusting device from the beginning depending on the priority, if an amount of energy requested for charging the secondary battery and driving the temperature adjusting device exceeds an amount of electric energy available for the on-vehicle electric loads in a period continuing until a start of an upcoming run of the vehicle.