JP7201487B2 - power control unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power control unit for a vehicle using a motor as a propulsion source.

In an electric vehicle using a motor as a propulsion source, an inverter converts DC power from a high-voltage battery into AC power and supplies the AC power to a propulsion motor. A high-voltage battery whose charge capacity has decreased needs to be charged depending on the situation.

A rapid charging system is known as one of the systems for charging a high-voltage battery of an electric vehicle. Rapid charging of a high-voltage battery is performed at a higher voltage (eg, 500 V DC) than normal charging using a commercial power source (eg, 200 V AC). Therefore, fast charging can charge a high voltage battery in a shorter time than normal charging.

When quickly charging a high-voltage battery, the controller of the electric vehicle communicates with the quick charger to determine the current value (charging current value) of the power supplied by the quick charger, the quick charge port and the high voltage. It determines ON/OFF of the QC relay on the power path connecting with the battery.

In parallel with the rapid charging of the high-voltage battery, the low-voltage battery that serves as the power supply for the auxiliary equipment of the electric vehicle (vehicle-mounted instruments, lamps, and other electrical components) can be charged. When charging the low-voltage battery in parallel, part of the high-voltage DC power supplied from the quick charger is converted to low-voltage DC power corresponding to the low-voltage battery by the DCDC converter of the electric vehicle. pressure is lowered.

Therefore, switching noise generated by switching of the semiconductor switching elements of the DCDC converter is superimposed on the high-voltage DC power from the quick charger. Therefore, during rapid charging of the high-voltage battery, the switching noise superimposed on the high-voltage DC power from the rapid charger is smoothed by a smoothing capacitor and used for charging the high-voltage battery. Also, after the rapid charging is finished, the charge accumulated in the smoothing capacitor is discharged using the discharge circuit.

The inverter, controller, and DCDC converter described above are sometimes mounted on an electric vehicle as one unit called a power control unit. This power control unit may be further provided with a smoothing capacitor discharging circuit, a plug-in charger for normal charging, and the like (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-207269 A

By the way, in the quick charging method described above, in order to confirm that the power supply from the quick charger has been stopped when the quick charging ends, the power path connecting the quick charging port of the electric vehicle and the high-voltage battery is turned off. There is a need to monitor the current in the electric vehicle even after the end of charging.

In a power control unit that includes an inverter, a controller, a DCDC converter, etc. as one unit, there is a power path that connects the rapid charging port and the high voltage battery within the unit. Therefore, in an electric vehicle that employs a power control unit, it is required to monitor the current value of the power path within the unit.

Moreover, the power path whose current value is to be monitored is a component of a heavy-current system to which high-voltage DC power is transmitted, even though the current value is measured after the rapid charging is finished. On the other hand, the current value is monitored by a light current system controller, which is one of the accessories of the electric vehicle. Moreover, both the power path and the controller reside within the power control unit.

Therefore, when a sensor that measures the current value of the power path is connected to the controller and newly provided in the unit, at least a sufficient insulation distance must be provided between the sensor, which is a weak current system like the controller, and the power path of the strong current system. must be ensured. In order to do so, the size of the board on which the sensor is mounted must be increased, which inevitably increases the size of the power control unit. This may make it difficult to meet the demands for weight reduction and miniaturization that are widely demanded for automotive parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to realize a configuration capable of measuring a current in a power path within the unit while avoiding an increase in the size of the unit.

In order to achieve the above object, a power control unit according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
a high voltage line through which charge/discharge current of the high voltage battery flows;
an inverter circuit that converts the high-voltage direct-current power supplied from the high-voltage battery to the high-voltage line into alternating current and outputs the power to a propulsion motor;
a current sensor that measures a passing current value of the high voltage line;
an inverter controller that controls output operation of AC power to the propulsion motor by the inverter circuit based on the torque command value for the propulsion motor and the passing current value measured by the current sensor;
After stopping charging of the high voltage battery by the charger connected to the high voltage line, the power for charging the high voltage battery is supplied from the charger based on the passing current value transferred from the inverter controller. a detection unit that detects the supply state to the high voltage line;
Prepare.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the structure which can measure the current of the electric power path in a unit inside a unit can be implement|achieved, avoiding the enlargement of a unit.

1 is a block diagram showing a power control unit of an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of a control procedure for rapid charging of a high-voltage battery by a rapid charger executed by the controller of FIG. 1 according to a program; FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a power control unit of an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention. A power control unit 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV).

The power control unit 1 of this embodiment is a combination of elements related to charging and discharging of the high voltage battery HB mounted on the electric vehicle and elements related to charging of the low voltage battery LB also mounted on the electric vehicle.

The power control unit 1 has a high-voltage battery port HBP, a low-voltage battery port LBP, a signal port SP, a power port PP, a quick charge port QP, and a commercial power port CP as connection ports for external devices. .

A high voltage battery HB is connected via a main relay (M/R) 3 to the high voltage battery port HBP. Therefore, the high-voltage battery port HBP and the high-voltage battery HB are connected and disconnected by turning the main relay 3 on and off. When the main relay 3 is turned on, the high voltage battery HB supplies high voltage power (for example, DC 400 V) to the high voltage battery port HBP. The high-voltage power supplied by the high-voltage battery HB is used to drive the propulsion motor M of the electric vehicle.

The high-voltage battery HB has a sensor (not shown) for measuring terminal voltage. The terminal voltage of the high-voltage battery HB measured by the sensor is input to a vehicle integrated controller (VCM) 5 of the electric vehicle, which will be described later.

A low voltage battery LB is connected to the low voltage battery port LBP. The low-voltage battery LB supplies low-voltage power (for example, DC 12 V) for operation to auxiliary equipment (electrical equipment such as on-vehicle instruments and lamps) ACC of the electric vehicle.

The accessory ACC of the electric vehicle includes the vehicle integrated controller 5 described above and a controller 27 of the power control unit 1 described later. Therefore, the vehicle integrated controller 5 and the controller 27 operate with the low-voltage DC power supplied from the low-voltage battery LB.

The vehicle integrated controller 5 can be composed of, for example, one of a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units or Engine Control Units) mounted on the electric vehicle. For this reason, the vehicle integrated controller 5 uses, for example, the LAN of the electric vehicle used for communication between ECUs to transmit the high-voltage battery HB sensor-measured high-voltage battery HB sensor from another ECU to which the high-voltage battery HB sensor is connected. Terminal voltage can be obtained.

Then, the vehicle integrated controller 5 detects the state of charge (for example, SOC: State of Charge) of the high voltage battery HB based on the acquired terminal voltage of the high voltage battery HB. Furthermore, the vehicle integrated controller 5 can control on/off of the main relay 3 during rapid charging according to the detected state of charge of the high voltage battery HB.

The vehicle integrated controller 5 also acquires the accelerator operation amount of the electric vehicle detected by a sensor (not shown). For example, the vehicle integrated controller 5 can acquire the accelerator operation amount via the LAN of the electric vehicle from another ECU to which a sensor (not shown) that detects the accelerator operation amount is connected. Then, the vehicle integrated controller 5 can determine a torque command value for the propulsion motor M according to the acquired accelerator operation amount.

A vehicle integrated controller 5 is connected to the signal port SP. The vehicle integrated controller 5 outputs the determined torque command value to the signal port SP.

An external power output port (not shown) of the vehicle integrated controller 5 is connected to the power port PP. The vehicle integrated controller 5 outputs to the power supply port PP a power supply voltage VCC generated from low voltage power (for example, DC 12 V) supplied from the low voltage battery LB.

A connector 9 of a charging cable 7 of a quick charger QC (corresponding to a charger in claims) is connected to the quick charge port QP. When the charging cable 7 is connected to the quick charging port QP, DC power (for example, maximum DC 600V) for quick charging of the high voltage battery HB is supplied from the quick charger QC to the quick charging port QP via the charging cable 7. be.

Also, when the charging cable 7 is connected to the quick charge port QP, the communication line of the quick charger QC is connected to the LAN inside the power control unit 1 . The controller 27 is connected to this LAN as described above. Therefore, when charging cable 7 is connected to quick charge port QP, quick charger QC and controller 27 are communicably connected.

A connector 13 of a charging cable 11 for normal charging is connected to the commercial power supply port CP. Charging cable 11 has a plug 15 on the opposite side of connector 13 . The plug 15 of the charging cable 11 is connected to a normal charging outlet (not shown) of a commercial power source. When the charging cable 11 connected to the commercial power supply is connected to the commercial power supply port CP, AC power of the commercial power supply (for example, single-phase AC 200V) is supplied to the commercial power supply port CP via the charging cable 11 .

Also, the charging cable 11 has a control box 17 . A communication line of the charging cable 11 is connected to the control box 17 . When the charging cable 11 is connected to the commercial power supply port CP, the communication line of the charging cable 11 is connected to the LAN inside the power control unit 1 . Therefore, when the charging cable 11 is connected to the commercial power supply port CP, the controller 27 is communicably connected to the control box 17 .

The power control unit 1 to which the above-described external devices are connected has a junction box (J/B) 19, a plug-in charger CHG, a DCDC converter 21, and a high voltage monitoring section 22 inside. Moreover, the power control unit 1 has an inverter unit 23, a discharge circuit 25, and the above-described controller 27 therein.

Junction box 19 has a QC relay (not shown). The QC relay turns on and off the connection between the quick charge port QP and the high voltage battery port HBP. The ON/OFF of the QC relay permits or prohibits the output of the DC power for quick charging input from the quick charging port QP to the high voltage battery HB from the high voltage battery port HBP.

Plug-in charger CHG operates with power supply voltage VCC supplied from controller 27 . The plug-in charger CHG converts AC power from a commercial power supply input from the commercial power supply port CP into DC power (for example, maximum DC 400 V) for normal charging of the high voltage battery HB. Then, the converted DC power is output from the high voltage battery port HBP to the high voltage battery HB through a power path 28 (corresponding to a high voltage line in claims) connecting the junction box 19 and the high voltage battery port HBP. .

For the plug-in charger CHG, for example, a rectifier circuit (not shown) that converts AC power of a commercial power source into DC power and a DCDC converter (not shown) that boosts the rectified DC power can be used. . The rectifier circuit can be composed of, for example, a diode bridge circuit. Also, the DCDC converter can be composed of, for example, an insulated DCDC converter having an insulating transformer and power semiconductor switching elements.

For example, an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) can be used as the power semiconductor switching element of the plug-in charger CHG. Further, the plug-in charger CHG can be provided with a DC link capacitor (not shown) in the preceding stage of the rectifier circuit (commercial power port CP side).

The DCDC converter 21 converts part of the high-voltage DC power on the power path 28 connecting the junction box 19 and the high-voltage battery port HBP into DC power (for example, DC 12V) for charging the low-voltage battery LB. do.

That is, the DCDC converter 21 converts part of the DC power of the high-voltage battery HB input from the high-voltage battery port HBP into DC power for charging the low-voltage battery LB, and converts a portion of the DC power to the low-voltage battery port LBP into low-voltage Output to battery LB. Further, the DCDC converter 21 converts part of the DC power for normal charging of the high-voltage battery HB output by the plug-in charger CHG into DC power for charging the low-voltage battery LB, and converts it into DC power for charging the low-voltage battery port. Output from LBP to low voltage battery LB.

For the DCDC converter 21, for example, an asymmetrical half-bridge LLC converter can be used. An asymmetric half-bridge LLC converter has an LLC circuit on the primary side of an isolation transformer and a rectifier circuit on the secondary side.

In this asymmetrical half-bridge LLC converter, part of the DC power from the high-voltage battery HB or the plug-in charger CHG is converted to AC by the ON/OFF operation of the power semiconductor switching elements in the LLC circuit on the primary side. Then, the AC power stepped down according to the turns ratio between the primary coil and the secondary coil in the transformer is converted into DC power for charging the low-voltage battery LB in the rectifier circuit.

For example, an IGBT can be used for the power semiconductor switching element of the DCDC converter 21 as well as the plug-in charger CHG.

The high voltage monitoring unit 22 is provided in the power path 28 closer to the high voltage battery port HBP than the connection point of the inverter unit 23 . The high voltage monitoring unit 22 has a voltage monitoring unit 22A (corresponding to a physical quantity acquisition unit in claims) and a current sensor 22B.

The voltage monitoring unit 22A can be composed of, for example, a series circuit (not shown) of voltage dividing resistors connected to the positive (P) line 28P of the electric power path 28 . In this embodiment, the potential at the measurement point (connection point between the resistors) on the series circuit of the voltage dividing resistors is detected by the motor controller 33 of the inverter unit 23, which will be described later.

The current sensor 22B can be configured by, for example, a Hall element type current sensor (not shown) in which a Hall element is arranged in the gap of the core through which the power path 28 penetrates. Current sensor 22</b>B (a Hall element thereof) outputs a detection signal whose signal level corresponds to the current passing through power path 28 . In this embodiment, the current sensor 22B is connected to an analog input port (not shown) of the motor controller 33 of the inverter unit 23.

The inverter unit 23 is connected to a power path 28 connecting the junction box 19 and the high voltage battery port HBP. The inverter unit 23 operates with the power supply voltage VCC supplied from the vehicle integrated controller 5 through the power supply port PP.

The inverter unit 23 includes a smoothing capacitor 29, a power module (PM) 31 (corresponding to an inverter circuit in claims), a motor controller (MC) 33 (corresponding to an inverter controller in claims), and a drive circuit (DR) 35. have.

The smoothing capacitor 29 smoothes the high-voltage DC power current flowing through the power path 28 connecting the junction box 19 and the high-voltage battery port HBP.

That is, switching noise is superimposed on the high-voltage DC power flowing through the power path 28 connecting the junction box 19 and the high-voltage battery port HBP. This switching noise is generated by the ON/OFF operation of the power semiconductor switching element of the plug-in charger CHG or the DCDC converter 21 . The smoothing capacitor 29 smoothes the high-voltage DC power current on which the switching noise of the power semiconductor switching element is superimposed. The smoothing capacitor 29 outputs the smoothed high-voltage DC power to the power module 31 , excluding the part supplied to the DCDC converter 21 , by dividing it into each phase of UVW.

The power module 31 is a three-phase alternating current inverter circuit having power semiconductor switching elements (not shown) in upper and lower arms of each UVW phase. In the power module 31, the DC power of the high-voltage battery HB smoothed by the smoothing capacitor 29 is converted into three-phase AC power by the ON/OFF operation of each power semiconductor switching element. For example, an IGBT can be used as the power semiconductor switching element. The converted three-phase AC power is supplied to the UVW phase coils of the propulsion motor M, respectively.

The propulsion motor M is rotated by AC power supplied from the power module 31 of the inverter unit 23 to the UVW phase coils. The electric vehicle travels as the propulsion motor M rotates.

A contact point on a substrate (not shown) of the power module 31 is connected to a wiring routed from a measurement point of the voltage monitoring section 22A. The contact to which this wiring is connected is electrically connected to an analog input port (not shown) of the motor controller 33 via a conductive pattern (not shown) on the board of the power module 31 .

The motor controller 33 is connected to the signal port SP and the controller 27 via the LAN inside the power control unit 1 . A torque command value from the vehicle integrated controller 5 connected to the signal port SP is input to the motor controller 33 .

Two analog input ports of the motor controller 33 are connected via the power module 31 to the measuring point of the voltage monitoring section 22A and the current sensor 22B. The motor controller 33 converts the potential at the measurement point of the voltage monitoring unit 22A and the detection signal of the current sensor 22B into digital values, and detects the voltage of the power path 28 and the passing current.

The motor controller 33 generates pulses for causing the propulsion motor M to generate torque corresponding to the torque command value input from the vehicle integrated controller 5 based on the detected voltage of the power path 28 (the voltage between the DC inputs of the inverter). Determines the duty ratio of the signal. Then, a pulse signal having the determined duty ratio is output to the drive circuit 35 .

However, if the passing current of the power path 28 detected by the motor controller 33 is in an overcurrent state with respect to the withstand voltage of the power module 31, etc., the duty ratio of the pulse signal is lowered below the duty ratio corresponding to the torque command value. The amount of reduction in the duty ratio of the pulse signal can be, for example, the extent to which the overcurrent state of the current passing through the power path 28 is eliminated.

In addition, the motor controller 33 transfers the detected voltage and passing current of the power path 28 to the controller 27 via the LAN in the power control unit 1 .

The drive circuit 35 generates a control signal (for example, an IGBT gate drive signal) based on the pulse signal input from the motor controller 33 . Then, the generated control signal is output to the control terminal (for example, gate of IGBT) of each power semiconductor switching element of the power module 31 . This control signal causes the drive circuit 35 to turn on/off each power semiconductor switching element of the power module 31 .

Control signals input from the drive circuit 35 to the control terminals cause the power semiconductor switching elements of the power module 31 to turn on and off in a pattern that causes the propulsion motor M to output torque corresponding to the torque command value from the vehicle integrated controller 5. do.

Note that the inverter unit 23 may convert DC power into multiphase AC power of three or more phases (description of the configuration of the inverter in that case is omitted).

The discharge circuit 25 is a circuit for discharging the residual electric charge of the smoothing capacitor 29, and can be configured to include, for example, a series circuit of a discharge resistor 41 and a discharge switch (not shown). This series circuit is provided between inverter unit 23 and junction box 19 on power path 28 connecting junction box 19 and high voltage battery port HBP.

A series circuit of the discharge resistor 41 and the discharge switch is connected across a positive (P pole) line 28P and a negative (N pole) line 28N of the power path 28 . A discharge switch (not shown) is normally turned off (opened). When the residual charge of the smoothing capacitor 29 is discharged by the discharge circuit 25 , a discharge switch (not shown) is turned on (closed) under the control of the controller 27 .

The controller 27 operates on low-voltage DC power supplied from the low-voltage battery LB through the low-voltage battery port LBP. The controller 27 is connected to the signal port SP and the motor controller 33 of the inverter unit 23 as well as to the DCDC converter 21 and the plug-in charger CHG via the LAN within the power control unit 1 .

The controller 27 turns on the QC relay of the junction box 19 when the charging cable 7 of the quick charger QC is connected to the quick charge port QP and communication with the quick charger QC is established. As a result, the quick charge port QP and the high voltage battery port HBP are connected via the power path 28, and the high voltage battery HB can be rapidly charged.

When the controller 27 receives a connection confirmation signal from the control box 17 of the charging cable 11 when the charging cable 11 for normal charging connected to the commercial power supply is connected to the commercial power supply port CP, the controller 27 performs QC of the junction box 19 . turn off the relay. As a result, the quick charge port QP is disconnected from the power path 28, and the plug-in charger CHG and the high voltage battery port HBP are connected via the power path 28, enabling normal charging of the high voltage battery HB. state.

It should be noted that even in a state in which either rapid charging or normal charging of the high-voltage battery HB is possible, the low-voltage battery LB is charged with the low-voltage DC power converted by the DCDC converter 21 in parallel with the charging of the high-voltage battery HB. becomes possible.

Further, when the electric vehicle runs in which the propulsion motor M is driven by the high voltage DC power of the high voltage battery HB converted into three-phase AC power by the inverter unit 23, the controller 27 operates the QC relay of the junction box 19. turn it off. Then, the controller 27 starts driving the inverter unit 23 and the like.

Further, the controller 27 can determine the target value of the charging current during normal charging according to the terminal voltage of the high-voltage battery HB, and notify the plug-in charger CHG of the target value. The terminal voltage of the high-voltage battery HB can be acquired from the vehicle integrated controller 5, for example, by measuring a voltage sensor provided in the high-voltage battery HB. Alternatively, the voltage of the power path 28 detected from the output of the voltage monitoring unit 22A by the motor controller 33 when the high-voltage battery HB is not rapidly charged and the propulsion motor M is not rotating is used as the terminal voltage of the high-voltage battery HB. can be obtained as

The controller 27 also monitors the voltage across the terminals of the smoothing capacitor 29 of the inverter unit 23 (the voltage across the DC input of the inverter) based on the acquired terminal voltage of the high-voltage battery HB. Then, the operation of the plug-in charger CHG is controlled according to the monitored level of the voltage between the DC inputs. Further, the controller 27 controls the discharge operation of the accumulated electric charge of the smoothing capacitor 29 by turning on/off a discharge switch (not shown) of the discharge circuit 25 .

Further, when the controller 27 detects connection of the charging cables 7, 11 for quick charging or normal charging to the quick charging port QP or the commercial power supply port CP, the controller 27 notifies the vehicle integrated controller 5 connected to the signal port SP to that effect. can be notified to

Note that the LAN in the power control unit 1 can be configured by an in-vehicle network using a communication protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

In the power control unit 1 of this embodiment configured as described above, when the main relay 3 is turned on by the vehicle integrated controller 5, the high-voltage DC power of the high-voltage battery HB is transmitted through the main relay 3. Input to battery port HBP. A portion of the high-voltage DC power input to the high-voltage battery port HBP is supplied to the DCDC converter 21 and the rest is all supplied to the inverter unit 23 .

The high-voltage DC power supplied to the DCDC converter 21 is converted into low-voltage DC power and output to the low-voltage battery port LBP as charging power for the low-voltage battery LB. The high-voltage DC power supplied to the inverter unit 23 is converted into three-phase AC power by the inverter unit 23 and supplied to the UVW phase coils of the propulsion motor M, respectively. The propulsion motor M to which the three-phase AC power is supplied is rotated at a speed corresponding to the torque command value determined by the vehicle integrated controller 5 according to the operation amount of the accelerator.

In the power control unit 1 , when the controller 27 detects connection of the charging cable 7 for quick charging to the quick charging port QP while the electric vehicle is parked, the controller 27 turns on the QC relay of the junction box 19 . Also, the main relay 3 is turned on by the vehicle integrated controller 5 notified from the controller 27 .

When the QC relay is turned on, high voltage DC power from the quick charger QC is input to the quick charge port QP. A portion of the high voltage DC power input to the quick charge port QP is supplied to the DCDC converter 21, and the rest is all supplied to the high voltage battery port HBP.

The high-voltage DC power supplied to the DCDC converter 21 is converted into low-voltage DC power and output to the low-voltage battery port LBP as charging power for the low-voltage battery LB. The high-voltage DC power supplied to the high-voltage battery port HBP is output to the high-voltage battery HB via the main relay 3 as power for rapid charging of the high-voltage battery HB.

Further, in the power control unit 1, when the controller 27 detects connection of the charging cable 11 for normal charging connected to the commercial power supply to the commercial power supply port CP while the electric vehicle is parked, the AC power of the commercial power supply is switched to the commercial power supply. Input to port CP. The AC power of the commercial power supply input to the commercial power supply port CP is converted into high-voltage DC power by the plug-in charger CHG. The converted high voltage DC power is supplied to the high voltage battery port HBP. The high-voltage DC power supplied to the high-voltage battery port HBP is output to the high-voltage battery HB via the main relay 3 as power for normal charging of the high-voltage battery HB.

Incidentally, quick charging of the high voltage battery HB by the quick charger QC and normal charging of the high voltage battery HB by the plug-in charger CHG are performed while the electric vehicle is parked. The voltage and passing current of the power path 28 that the controller 27 acquires from the motor controller 33 while the electric vehicle is parked can be regarded as the terminal voltage and charging/discharging current of the high-voltage battery HB. That is, the propulsion motor M is stopped while the electric vehicle is parked, and the propulsion motor M does not consume the electric power of the high-voltage battery HB. Further, since the parked electric vehicle does not move, the regenerated current of the propulsion motor M does not flow through the electric power path 28 .

Therefore, the controller 27 acquires the voltage and passing current of the power path 28 transferred from the motor controller 33 while the electric vehicle is parked as the terminal voltage and charging/discharging current of the high-voltage battery HB. Then, the controller 27 can use the obtained terminal voltage and charging/discharging current of the high-voltage battery HB to determine charging conditions for rapid charging and normal charging, to grasp the state of the high-voltage battery HB during charging, and the like. .

Next, the controller 27 acquires the terminal voltage and charging/discharging current of the high-voltage battery HB, and uses the voltage and passing current of the power path 28 transferred from the motor controller 33 while the electric vehicle is parked, and uses the rapid charger A case of controlling the quick charging operation by QC will be described.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of a control procedure for rapid charging of the high-voltage battery HB by the rapid charger QC, which is executed by the controller 27 according to a program. The controller 27 periodically and repeatedly executes the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG.

First, the controller 27 checks whether or not the charging cable 7 for quick charging is connected to the quick charging port QP while the electric vehicle is parked (step S1). The fact that the electric vehicle is parked can be determined, for example, by turning off the ignition switch of the electric vehicle, the shift position, the state of the parking brake, and the like.

If the charging cable 7 is not connected to the quick charging port QP (NO in step S1), the series of processes is terminated. When the charging cable 7 is connected to the quick charging port QP (YES in step S1), the controller 27 acquires the voltage of the power path 28 transferred from the motor controller 33 as the terminal voltage of the high voltage battery HB. (Step S3). Then, the controller 27 determines charging conditions for rapid charging of the high-voltage battery HB based on the obtained terminal voltage, and notifies the rapid charger QC of the charging conditions (step S5).

Next, the controller 27 waits for notification from the quick charger QC of start of supply of power for quick charging (step S7). Then, when the notification of the supply start is received (YES in step S7), the controller 27 turns on the QC relay of the junction box 19 (step S9). As a result, the quick charging power from the quick charger QC is input from the quick charge port QP to the power path 28, and supplied from the high voltage battery port HBP to the high voltage battery HB, thereby starting the quick charging of the high voltage battery HB. be done.

Subsequently, the controller 27 acquires the terminal voltage of the high voltage battery HB from the motor controller 33 (step S10). Then, the charging voltage in the notification of the start of supply of power for quick charging from the quick charger QC (the voltage value in the notification) is the terminal voltage (actual voltage value) of the high-voltage battery HB acquired from the motor controller 33. It is checked whether they match (step S11).

If they do not match (NO in step S11), the controller 27 notifies the quick charger QC that there is an abnormality in which the charging voltage indicated in the notification of the start of supply does not match the terminal voltage of the high-voltage battery HB ( step S13). Then, the process proceeds to step S15, which will be described later. If they match (YES in step S11), the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S<b>15 , the controller 27 acquires the terminal voltage of the high voltage battery HB from the motor controller 33 . Then, the controller 27 confirms whether or not the acquired terminal voltage has reached a value for terminating rapid charging of the high-voltage battery HB (step S17). If the rapid charging end value has not been reached (NO in step S17), the process returns to step S15. Further, when the quick charge end value is reached (YES in step S17), the controller 27 notifies the quick charger QC to stop charging (step S19).

Subsequently, the controller 27 waits for a charging stop notification from the quick charger QC that has stopped supplying the quick charging power from the charging cable 7 (step S21). Then, when receiving the notification of charging stop (YES in step S21), the controller 27 turns off the QC relay of the junction box 19 (step S23), and discharges the accumulated charge of the smoothing capacitor 29 in the discharging circuit 25 (step S25). ).

Furthermore, after the discharge circuit 25 finishes discharging, the controller 27 acquires the passing current of the power path 28 from the motor controller 33 (step S27). Then, the controller 27 confirms whether or not the supply of power for quick charging from the quick charger QC has stopped, based on the acquired passing current (step S29).

If the supply of quick charging power is not stopped (NO in step S29), the controller 27 notifies the quick charger QC of a supply stop error (step S31), and returns to step S19. If the supply of power for quick charging is stopped (YES in step S29), the controller 27 outputs a supply stop confirmation signal to the quick charger QC (step S33), and ends the series of processes.

As is clear from the above description, in this embodiment, steps S10, S11, S27, and S29 in the flowchart of FIG. 2 correspond to the detection section in the claims. Further, in this embodiment, step S13 in FIG. 2 is a process corresponding to the notification unit in the claims. Furthermore, in this embodiment, step S33 in FIG. 2 is a process corresponding to the confirmation part in the claims.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the current passing through the power path 28 used by the motor controller 33 to determine the control details of the power module 31 that converts the DC power of the high voltage battery HB into the AC power is used by the high voltage battery HB. It was made to be used after stopping the fast charging of the.

That is, the motor controller 33 converts the DC power of the high-voltage battery HB into AC power and supplies it to the propulsion motor M. When the propulsion motor M is rotated, the current passing through the power path 28 measured by the current sensor 22B is take advantage of In other words, it is used when the electric vehicle is running. Conversely, the motor controller 33 does not use the current passing through the power path 28 measured by the current sensor 22B because the propulsion motor M is not rotated while the electric vehicle that rapidly charges the high-voltage battery HB is parked.

Therefore, the controller 27 uses the passing current of the power path 28 measured by the current sensor 22B to confirm the stoppage of charging power supply from the quick charger QC after the quick charging of the high-voltage battery HB is stopped. However, the operation of the motor controller 33 is not affected. Therefore, the existing current sensor 22B can be used by the motor controller without providing a new current sensor for measuring the passing current of the power path 28 in order to make the controller 27 confirm that the charging power supply from the quick charger QC is stopped. 33 can be shared.

If a new current sensor were to be used to measure the current passing through the power path 28 , the power path 28 would exist inside the power control unit 1 , so the new current sensor would also need to be placed inside the power control unit 1 . Moreover, the power path 28 is a component of a heavy current system used to transmit the DC power of the high voltage battery HB. On the other hand, it is the light current system controller 27 that uses the measured value of the current sensor and is arranged in the same power control unit 1 as the power path 28 .

Therefore, when connecting a new current sensor to the controller 27 of the weak current system and measuring the passing current of the power path 28, the current sensor, which is the weak current system like the controller 27, and the power path 28 of the strong current system In addition, it is necessary to secure sufficient insulation distance. As a result, the mounting substrate for the new current sensor becomes large, and the power control unit 1 becomes large.

On the other hand, in the power controller 1 of the present embodiment, the controller 27 uses the current sensor 22B of the existing high voltage monitoring unit 22 while the electric vehicle is parked, which the conventional motor controller 33 does not use. For this reason, the power control unit 1 is kept at its current size to avoid an increase in size, and a current sensor 22B in the power control unit 1 measures the current passing through the power path 28 in the power control unit 1. can be realized.

In this embodiment, the power control unit 1 detects the voltage of the electric power path 28 necessary for determining the duty ratio of the pulse signal output by the motor controller 33 to the drive circuit 35 in order to run the electric vehicle. used the voltage monitoring unit 22A. When the motor controller 33 does not use the electric vehicle while the vehicle is parked, the voltage of the electric power path 28 detected by the motor controller 33 from the output of the voltage monitoring unit 22A is used by the controller 27 to determine the conditions for charging the high-voltage battery HB. It was configured to be used by However, the arrangement of the voltage monitoring unit 22A and the configuration used by the controller 27 while the electric vehicle is parked may be omitted.

Further, the configuration for outputting a confirmation signal to the quick charger QC when the controller 27 confirms that the supply of charging power from the quick charger QC has stopped after the quick charge is stopped may be omitted.

Furthermore, while the electric vehicle is parked, the voltage of the power path 28 detected by the motor controller 33 from the output of the voltage monitoring unit 22A (the actual voltage value of the high-voltage battery HB) and the charging voltage notified from the quick charger QC ( The configuration for confirming agreement with the notified voltage value) may also be omitted. Alternatively, only the configuration for notifying the quick charger QC by a notification signal that the charging voltage notified from the quick charger QC is abnormal may be omitted, leaving the configuration for confirmation.

In this embodiment, the controller 27 uses the voltage and passing current of the power path 28 detected by the motor controller 33 while the electric vehicle is parked for rapid charging of the high-voltage battery HB. However, the configuration may be such that the controller 27 uses it for normal charging of the high-voltage battery HB.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the power control unit 1 includes a junction box 19, a DCDC converter 21, a high voltage monitoring unit 22, an inverter unit 23, a discharge circuit 25, a controller 27, a power path 28, and a plug-in charger CHG. bottom. However, the present invention can be applied even if the power control unit 1 is not provided with all of these.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in a power control unit of a vehicle using a motor as a propulsion source.

1 power control unit 3 main relay (M/R)
5 vehicle integrated controller 7 charging cable for quick charger 9 connector 11 charging cable for normal charging 13 connector 15 plug 17 control box 19 junction box (J/B)
21 DCDC converter 22 high voltage monitoring unit 22A voltage monitoring unit 22B current sensor 23 inverter unit 25 discharge circuit 27 controller (detection unit, confirmation unit, notification unit)
28 power path (high voltage line)
28N Negative pole (N pole) line of electric power path 28P Positive pole (P pole) line of electric power path 29 Smoothing capacitor 31 Power module (inverter circuit)
33 motor controller (inverter controller)
35 Drive circuit 41 Discharge resistor ACC Auxiliary device CHG Plug-in charger CP Commercial power port HB High voltage battery HBP High voltage battery port LB Low voltage battery LBP Low voltage battery port M Propulsion motor PP Power port QC Quick charger (charging vessel)
QP Quick charge port SP Signal port VCC Power supply voltage

Claims (4)

a high voltage line (28) through which the charging and discharging current of the high voltage battery (HB) flows;
an inverter circuit (31) that converts high-voltage DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery (HB) to the high-voltage line (28) into AC power and outputs the power to the propulsion motor (M);
a current sensor (22B) for measuring the passing current value of the high voltage line (28);
AC power output operation to the propulsion motor (M) by the inverter circuit (31) based on the torque command value for the propulsion motor (M) and the passing current value measured by the current sensor (22B) an inverter controller (33) that controls
After stopping charging of the high voltage battery (HB) by the charger (QC) connected to the high voltage line (28) based on the passing current value transferred from the inverter controller (33), the high voltage a detection unit (27) for detecting a supply state of charging power for a voltage battery (HB) from the charger (QC) to the high voltage line (28);
After the charging of the high voltage battery (HB) is stopped, when the detection unit (27) detects that the charging power supply to the high voltage line (28) is stopped, a confirmation signal for stopping the charging power supply is sent to the A confirmation unit (27) that outputs to the charger (QC);
A power control unit (1) comprising a. It further comprises a physical quantity acquisition unit (22A) that acquires a physical quantity corresponding to the DC input voltage of the inverter circuit (31) on the high voltage line (28), and the inverter controller (33) obtains from the physical quantity obtained Detecting the DC input voltage, the detection unit (27) detects the charging voltage based on the DC input voltage during charging of the high voltage battery (HB) transferred from the inverter controller (33). 2. The power control unit (1) according to claim 1 , which detects a match or mismatch between a reported voltage value notified from the charger (QC) of power and an actual voltage value on the high voltage line (28 ). a high voltage line (28) through which the charging and discharging current of the high voltage battery (HB) flows;
an inverter circuit (31) that converts high-voltage DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery (HB) to the high-voltage line (28) into AC power and outputs the power to the propulsion motor (M);
a current sensor (22B) for measuring the passing current value of the high voltage line (28);
AC power output operation to the propulsion motor (M) by the inverter circuit (31) based on the torque command value for the propulsion motor (M) and the passing current value measured by the current sensor (22B) an inverter controller (33) that controls
After stopping charging of the high voltage battery (HB) by the charger (QC) connected to the high voltage line (28) based on the passing current value transferred from the inverter controller (33), the high voltage a detection unit (27) for detecting a supply state of charging power for a voltage battery (HB) from the charger (QC) to the high voltage line (28);
a physical quantity acquisition unit (22A) for acquiring a physical quantity corresponding to the DC input voltage of the inverter circuit (31) on the high voltage line (28);
The inverter controller (33) detects the DC input voltage from the obtained physical quantity, and the detector (27) is charging the high voltage battery (HB) transferred from the inverter controller (33). Based on the DC input voltage of the charging power, detect a match or mismatch between the reported voltage value notified from the charger (QC) of the charging power and the actual voltage value on the high voltage line (28) do
A power control unit (1). When the detection unit (27) detects a discrepancy between the reported voltage value and the actual voltage value, the reporting unit (27) outputs an annunciation signal indicating an abnormality in the reported voltage value to the charger (QC). 4. A power control unit (1) according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising:

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