Control device for in-vehicle solar cell

• US 9,733,660 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyoshi, Tatsuya, Maeno, Seigen, Okumura, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US14/435,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22, 701 67, 701 54, 701104, 701112, 701 51, 701 36, 701 41, 701 1, 701 70
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/67 to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A control device which performs at least MPPT control of output of a solar cell mounted in a vehicle includes a determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a travelling state or a stationary state. Different methods are applied when the vehicle is determined to be in the travelling state and in the stationary state respectively.

Claims

1. A control device for a solar cell mounted in a vehicle, the control device comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to;

determine whether the vehicle is in a travelling state or a stationary state;

detect a speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the travelling state; and

set a control cycle of a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control for the solar cell based on the speed of the vehicle,

wherein the ECU is configured to, in the travelling state, perform the MPPT control for the solar cell when the speed of the vehicle is less than a predetermined speed, and

wherein the ECU is configured to, in the travelling state, suspend the MPPT control and perform a fixed voltage control for the solar cell when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or more than the predetermined speed.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is determined to be in the travelling state, the ECU is configured to set the control cycle to be shorter than the control cycle when the vehicle is determined to be in the stationary state.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the ECU is configured to determine whether the vehicle is in the travelling state or the stationary state on the basis of at least one of a state of an ignition switch and the speed of the vehicle.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the ECU is configured to:

determine that the vehicle is in the travelling state when the ignition switch is in an ON state, and

determine that the vehicle is in the stationary state when the ignition switch is in an OFF state.

5. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the ECU is configured to:

determine that the vehicle is in the travelling state when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or more than a stationary state determination speed, and

determine that the vehicle is in the stationary state when the speed of the vehicle is less than the stationary state determination speed.

6. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the ECU is configured to:

determine that the vehicle is in the travelling state when the ignition switch is in an ON state and the speed of the vehicle is equal to or more than a stationary state determination speed, and

determine that the vehicle is in the stationary state when the ignition switch is in an OFF state or when the ignition switch is in the ON state and the speed of the vehicle is less than the stationary state determination speed.

7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the ECU is configured to prohibit determining whether the vehicle is in the travelling state or the stationary state on the basis of the speed of the vehicle when the ignition switch is in the OFF state.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the ECU includes:

a plurality of MPPTs having different control cycles; and

a switch configured to switch to any one of the plurality of MPPTs according to the determination of whether the vehicle is in the travelling state or the stationary state.

9. The control device according to claim 1, comprising:

an MPPT having an alterable control cycle; and

the ECU is configured to switch the control cycle of the MPPT according to the determination of whether the vehicle is in the travelling state or the stationary state.