阅读说明：本技术 蓄电系统以及车辆 (Power storage system and vehicle ) 是由 土屋庆幸 于 2021-04-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开蓄电系统以及车辆。蓄电系统具备蓄电装置和进行蓄电装置的充放电控制以及温度调整控制的控制装置。蓄电装置构成为能够与电力网电连接。控制装置在依照来自电力网的管理计算机的请求(例如降低DR)以缓和电力网的电力不足的方式进行充放电控制的情况下,限制蓄电装置的温度调整控制的执行。(The invention discloses an electricity storage system and a vehicle. The power storage system includes a power storage device and a control device that performs charge/discharge control and temperature adjustment control of the power storage device. The power storage device is configured to be electrically connectable to a power grid. The control device restricts execution of the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device when performing charge/discharge control to alleviate a shortage of power in the power grid in accordance with a request (for example, decrease DR) from the management computer of the power grid.)

1. An electrical storage system, characterized by comprising:

a power storage device configured to be electrically connectable to a power grid; and

a control device configured to perform charge/discharge control and temperature adjustment control of the power storage device,

wherein the control device is configured to limit execution of the temperature adjustment control when the charge/discharge control is performed in accordance with a request from a management computer of the power grid so as to alleviate a shortage of power in the power grid.

2. The power storage system according to claim 1,

the control device is configured to operate in an operation mode selected from options including an ON mode and an OFF mode,

the ON mode is an operation mode that permits execution of the temperature adjustment control,

the OFF mode is an operation mode in which execution of the temperature adjustment control is prohibited,

the control device is configured to limit execution of the temperature adjustment control in the OFF mode.

3. The electrical storage system according to claim 2, characterized by further comprising:

the management computer; and

a vehicle provided with the power storage device and the control device,

wherein the management computer is provided outside the vehicle and configured to set the operation mode of the control device by wireless communication with the vehicle,

the management computing mechanism becomes:

performing charge/discharge control of the power storage device in a manner to alleviate a shortage of electric power in the power grid in response to a request from a user of the vehicle, and setting the operation mode of the control device to the OFF mode when the request is granted by the user of the vehicle,

the control device is configured to request a user of the vehicle to perform charge/discharge control of the power storage device so as to increase a power demand of the power grid, and to set the operation mode of the control device to the ON mode when the user of the vehicle approves the request.

4. The power storage system according to claim 3,

the control device is configured to perform the charge and discharge control of the power storage device in accordance with a predetermined next charging schedule, and to perform the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device using the power supplied from the power grid at a timing determined in accordance with the predetermined next charging schedule when the vehicle is electrically connected to the power grid and the temperature adjustment control is permitted.

5. The power storage system according to claim 3 or 4,

the management calculation means requests a user of the vehicle to adjust the power demand of the power grid, and when the user of the vehicle approves the request, the management calculation means remotely operates the control device during a period of time in which the request is granted, thereby controlling the charging and discharging of the power storage device.

6. A vehicle, characterized by comprising:

a power storage device configured to be electrically connectable to a power grid; and

a control device configured to perform charge/discharge control and temperature adjustment control of the power storage device,

wherein the temperature adjustment control includes temperature increase control for increasing the temperature of the power storage device and temperature decrease control for decreasing the temperature of the power storage device,

the control device is configured to operate in a 1 st restricted mode or a 2 nd restricted mode while a management computer of the power grid requests the power grid to alleviate the power shortage,

the 1 st restriction mode is an operation mode in which execution of both the temperature increase control and the temperature decrease control is prohibited,

the 2 nd restriction mode is an operation mode in which execution of the temperature increase control is permitted and execution of the temperature decrease control is prohibited.

7. The vehicle of claim 6,

the control device is configured to operate in the 1 st restriction mode when the temperature of the power storage device is higher than a predetermined temperature and operate in the 2 nd restriction mode when the temperature of the power storage device is lower than the predetermined temperature, in the period in which the management computer of the power grid requests the power grid to alleviate the shortage of power.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by further comprising:

an electrically-driven heating device configured to heat the power storage device; and

an electrically-driven cooling device configured to cool the power storage device,

the control device is configured to heat the electric storage device by the electric heating device in the temperature increase control, and to cool the electric storage device by the cooling device in the temperature decrease control.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an electricity storage system and a vehicle.

Background

Japanese patent No. 5668541 discloses a technology for heating a battery (power storage device) using a heater when the temperature of the battery is lower than a predetermined value in a vehicle provided with the battery and the heater.

Disclosure of Invention

In recent years, demand response (hereinafter referred to as "DR") has been attracting attention as a method for adjusting supply and demand of a power grid. In DR, a predetermined request is made to a customer of the power grid using a DR signal. DR is roughly classified into 2 categories, that is, DR (hereinafter, also referred to as "DR reduction") that requests alleviation of a shortage of electric power (for example, suppression of an electric power demand or a backward flow) and DR (hereinafter, also referred to as "DR increase") that requests an increase in an electric power demand.

Customers of the power grid (e.g., users of the vehicle) can receive rewards from the manager of the power grid by complying with the request for DR. On the other hand, a predetermined fine is charged to a customer who does not comply with the request despite the approval of the request for DR.

In the vehicle described in japanese patent No. 5668541, when the temperature of the battery is lower than a predetermined value, temperature adjustment control (more specifically, temperature increase control) of the battery is performed. If the temperature adjustment control of the battery is performed when the battery is not charged, power is consumed to adjust the temperature of the battery, and the amount of power stored in the battery may become insufficient, which may cause the battery to be in an overdischarged state. Therefore, in order to avoid the battery from being in an overdischarged state, it is considered to charge the battery with electric power supplied from the power grid. However, when charging is performed as described above while the DR signal requests the power grid to alleviate the shortage of electric power, a user of the vehicle may be charged a fine against the request to lower DR.

The present disclosure provides a technique for suppressing power consumption against a request during a period in which a power shortage alleviation of a power grid is requested.

An electricity storage system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an electricity storage device and a control device that performs charge/discharge control and temperature adjustment control of the electricity storage device. The power storage device is configured to be electrically connectable to a power grid. The control device is configured to limit execution of the temperature adjustment control when performing the charge/discharge control in a manner to alleviate a shortage of power in the power grid in accordance with a request from the management computer of the power grid.

In the power storage system, when the charge/discharge control is performed in accordance with a request (for example, a request for lowering DR) from the management computer of the power grid so as to alleviate the shortage of the power grid, the execution of the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device is restricted. Thus, during the period in which the power shortage alleviation of the power grid is requested, the power consumption for the temperature adjustment of the power storage device is suppressed. According to the above power storage system, during a period in which the shortage of power in the power grid is requested to be alleviated, the power consumption against the request can be suppressed.

The control device may be configured to operate in an operation mode selected from options including an ON mode and an OFF mode. The ON mode may be an operation mode that permits execution of the temperature adjustment control. The OFF mode may be an operation mode in which execution of the temperature adjustment control is prohibited. The control device may be configured to limit execution of the temperature adjustment control in the OFF mode.

In the above power storage system, execution of the temperature adjustment control can be restricted (more specifically, prohibited) by the OFF mode. In the power storage system described above, permission/prohibition of the temperature adjustment control can be switched by the ON/OFF mode.

The power storage system may include the management computer and a vehicle including the power storage device and a control device. The management computer may be provided outside the vehicle, and configured to set an operation mode of the control device by wireless communication with the vehicle. The management computer may be configured to request a user of the vehicle to perform charge/discharge control of the power storage device so as to alleviate a shortage of power in the power grid, and to set the operation mode of the control device to the OFF mode when the user of the vehicle agrees with the request. The management computer may be configured to request a user of the vehicle to perform charge/discharge control of the power storage device so as to increase the power demand of the power grid, and set the operation mode of the control device to the ON mode when the user of the vehicle approves the request.

In the power storage system, the management computer sets the ON/OFF mode according to the type of the request. When the management computer requests the alleviation of the power shortage, the execution of the temperature adjustment control is prohibited to suppress the power consumption against the request. In the case where the management computer requests an increase in the power demand, the execution of the temperature adjustment control is permitted, so the user of the vehicle can increase the power demand of the power grid by performing the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device.

The signal requesting the user of the vehicle from the management computer may be transmitted to a communication device mounted on the vehicle in which the user is riding, or may be transmitted to a portable terminal carried by the user. The user may also send a signal indicating an approval request from the communication device or the portable terminal to the management computer.

The control device may be configured to control charging and discharging of the power storage device in accordance with a predetermined next charging schedule. The control device may be configured to execute the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device using the electric power supplied from the power grid at a timing determined according to a predetermined next charging schedule when the vehicle is electrically connected to the power grid and the temperature adjustment control is permitted.

In the above power storage system, the control device may execute the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device at a timing that matches a next charging schedule. In addition, since the electric power supplied from the power grid is used for the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device, the over-discharge of the power storage device can be suppressed.

The management computer may be configured to request a user of the vehicle to adjust the power demand of the power grid, and when the user of the vehicle approves the request, the management computer may remotely operate the control device during a period in which the request is approved, thereby controlling the charging and discharging of the power storage device.

The management computer can control charging and discharging of the power storage device in response to the request by remotely operating the control device during the period of the request. When the remotely operated control device performs charge/discharge control in response to a request for power shortage alleviation, execution of temperature adjustment control is restricted to suppress power consumption for temperature adjustment of the power storage device.

A vehicle according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a power storage device and a control device configured to perform charge/discharge control and temperature adjustment control of the power storage device. The power storage device is configured to be electrically connectable to a power grid. The temperature adjustment control includes temperature increase control for increasing the temperature of the power storage device and temperature decrease control for decreasing the temperature of the power storage device. The control device is configured to operate in a 1 st restricted mode or a 2 nd restricted mode during a period in which a management computer of the power grid requests the power grid to alleviate a shortage of power. The 1 st restricted mode is an operation mode in which execution of both the temperature increase control and the temperature decrease control is prohibited. The 2 nd restriction mode is an operation mode in which the execution of the temperature increase control is permitted and the execution of the temperature decrease control is prohibited.

In the vehicle, the execution of the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device is restricted in the 1 st restriction mode or the 2 nd restriction mode during a period in which the alleviation of the shortage of electric power in the power grid is requested. Therefore, according to the vehicle, it is possible to suppress power consumption against the request while the power shortage alleviation of the power grid is requested.

The control device may be configured to operate in the 1 st restriction mode when the temperature of the power storage device is higher than a predetermined temperature and operate in the 2 nd restriction mode when the temperature of the power storage device is lower than the predetermined temperature, while the power grid management computer requests the power grid to alleviate the shortage of power.

The predetermined temperature may be an icing temperature of the power storage device (i.e., a boundary value between a temperature region in which the power storage device does not ice and a temperature region in which the power storage device is likely to ice). For example, in a cold region, the electrical storage device sometimes freezes. In the vehicle, the execution of the temperature increase control is permitted when the temperature of the power storage device is lower than the predetermined temperature (for example, when the power storage device may be frozen) during the period in which the alleviation of the shortage of power in the power grid is requested, so that the temperature of the power storage device can be suppressed from excessively decreasing (for example, the power storage device is frozen). In addition, the vehicle can more effectively suppress power consumption against the request by prohibiting execution of both the temperature increase control and the temperature decrease control when the temperature of the power storage device is higher than the predetermined temperature during the period in which the shortage of power in the power grid is requested to be alleviated.

The vehicle may further include an electric heating device configured to heat the power storage device, and an electric cooling device configured to cool the power storage device. The control device may be configured to heat the power storage device by an electrically-operated heating device during the temperature increase control. The control device may be configured to cool the power storage device by an electrically-operated cooling device during the temperature decrease control.

In the vehicle, the heating device and the cooling device may be configured to heat the power storage device and cool the power storage device, respectively. With such a configuration, it is easy to individually restrict the temperature increase control and the temperature decrease control.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress power consumption against a request during a period in which a power shortage alleviation of a power grid is requested.

Drawings

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements, and wherein:

fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle included in a power storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an electric storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of a vehicle control device and a server included in the power storage system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation mode of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the management computer of the power grid according to the embodiment of the present disclosure when a PG adjustment request is made.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing details of the processing related to schedule setting and operation mode setting among the processing shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of rewriting of the next charging schedule when the DR schedule requests the charge restriction in the power storage system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the timing of starting the temperature adjustment control of the power storage device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process related to temperature adjustment control of the power storage device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the vehicle in which the charging schedule or the power feeding schedule is set in the power storage system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing a 1 st modification in which the setting of the battery temperature increase flag and the setting of the battery temperature decrease flag are performed on the vehicle side.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing a 2 nd modification in which the setting of the battery temperature increase flag and the setting of the battery temperature decrease flag are performed on the vehicle side.

Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing a modification of the charge/discharge control of the power storage device during the DR period.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

The power storage system according to the embodiment includes a plurality of electrically powered vehicles. The plurality of electrically powered vehicles in the power storage system may have different configurations from each other. However, in this embodiment, each electrically powered vehicle in the power storage system has the configuration shown in fig. 1. Hereinafter, except for the case of the separate description, each of the plurality of electrically powered vehicles included in the power storage system is referred to as "vehicle 50", and each of the plurality of EVSEs included in the power storage system is referred to as "EVSE 40". EVSE means a Vehicle power Supply Equipment (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment).

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle 50 included in the power storage system according to the embodiment. Referring to fig. 1, vehicle 50 includes battery 130 that stores electric power for traveling. Battery 130 is configured to include a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery, for example. In this embodiment, as the secondary battery, a battery pack including a plurality of lithium ion batteries is used. A battery pack is configured by electrically connecting a plurality of unit cells (also referred to as "cells" in general) to each other. Instead of the secondary battery, another power storage device such as an electric double layer capacitor may be used. Battery 130 according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of the "power storage device" according to the present disclosure.

The vehicle 50 includes an electronic Control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ecu (electronic Control unit)") 150. ECU150 is configured to perform charge control and discharge control of battery 130. Further, the ECU150 is configured to control communication with the outside of the vehicle 50. The vehicle 50 may be an Electric Vehicle (EV) that can travel using only the electric power stored in the battery 130, or may be a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) that can travel using both the electric power stored in the battery 130 and the output of an engine (not shown). In the present embodiment, the vehicle 50 is driven by the user, but the vehicle 50 may be configured to be automatically driven. The ECU150 according to the present embodiment corresponds to an example of the "control device" according to the present disclosure.

Vehicle 50 further includes a monitoring module 131 that monitors the state of battery 130. Monitoring module 131 includes various sensors that detect the states (e.g., voltage, current, and temperature) of battery 130, and outputs the detection results to ECU 150. The monitoring module 131 may be a BMS (Battery Management System) having a SOC (State Of Charge) estimation function, an SOH (State Of Health) estimation function, a cell voltage equalization function, a diagnosis function, and a communication function in addition to the sensor function. ECU150 can acquire the state of battery 130 (e.g., temperature, current, voltage, SOC, and internal resistance) from the output of monitoring module 131.

Vehicle 50 further includes an electrically-operated cooling device 132 configured to cool battery 130. In this embodiment, a blower such as a fan or a blower is used as the cooling device 132. Vehicle 50 further includes an electrically-operated heating device 133 configured to heat battery 130. In this embodiment, an electric heater is used as the heating device 133. Each of the cooling device 132 and the heating device 133 is controlled by the ECU 150. During traveling of vehicle 50, cooling device 132 and heating device 133 are driven by electric power supplied from an auxiliary battery, not shown. When the battery 130 is electrically connected to the EVSE40, the cooling device 132 and the heating device 133 are driven by electric power supplied from the EVSE 40. The electric power supplied from the EVSE40 may be transformed by an electric power conversion circuit (not shown) of the vehicle 50 and supplied to each of the cooling device 132 and the heating device 133.

Vehicle 50 includes charging port 110 and charger/discharger 120 corresponding to the power supply system of EVSE 40. Charging port 110 is configured to receive electric power supplied from the outside of vehicle 50. Charging port 110 is configured to output electric power supplied from charger/discharger 120 to the outside of vehicle 50. Although fig. 1 shows only the charging port 110 and the charger and discharger 120, the vehicle 50 may be provided with a plurality of charging ports and chargers and dischargers for each power supply system so as to be able to cope with a plurality of power supply systems (for example, AC system and DC system).

The EVSE40 is provided with a power supply circuit 41. The charging cable 42 is connected to the EVSE 40. The charging cable 42 may be connected to the EVSE40 at all times, or may be detachable from the EVSE 40. The charging cable 42 has a connector 43 at the front end and includes a power line inside. Connector 43 of charging cable 42 can be connected to charging port 110. The EVSE40 and the vehicle 50 are electrically connected by the connector 43 of the charging cable 42 connected with the EVSE40 being connected to the charging port 110 of the vehicle 50. Thereby, electric power can be supplied from the EVSE40 to the vehicle 50 via the charging cable 42.

Charger and discharger 120 is located between charging port 110 and secondary battery 130. Charger/discharger 120 includes a relay for switching connection/disconnection of a power path from charging port 110 to battery 130, and a power conversion circuit (e.g., a bidirectional converter) (both not shown). Each of the relays and the power conversion circuit included in the charger/discharger 120 is controlled by the ECU 150. The vehicle 50 further includes a monitoring module 121 that monitors the state of the charger and discharger 120. The monitoring module 121 includes various sensors that detect the states (e.g., voltage, current, and temperature) of the charger and discharger 120, and outputs the detection results to the ECU 150. In this embodiment, the monitoring module 121 is configured to detect a voltage and a current input to the power conversion circuit and a voltage and a current output from the power conversion circuit.

When the EVSE40 outside the vehicle 50 and the charging port 110 are connected via the charging cable 42, electric power can be exchanged between the EVSE40 and the vehicle 50. Therefore, external charging of vehicle 50 (i.e., charging of battery 130 of vehicle 50 by receiving supply of electric power from outside of vehicle 50) is possible. For example, electric power for external charging is supplied from the EVSE40 to the charging port 110 via the charging cable 42. Charger/discharger 120 is configured to convert electric power received at charging port 110 into electric power suitable for charging battery 130, and output the converted electric power to battery 130. Further, when EVSE40 and charging port 110 are connected via charging cable 42, external electric power supply to vehicle 50 is enabled (i.e., electric power is supplied from vehicle 50 to EVSE40 via charging cable 42). Electric power for external power supply is supplied from battery 130 to charger/discharger 120. Charger/discharger 120 is configured to convert electric power supplied from battery 130 into electric power suitable for external power supply, and output the converted electric power to charging port 110. When either one of the external charging and the external power feeding is performed, the relay of the charger/discharger 120 is in a closed state (connected state), and when neither the external charging nor the external power feeding is performed, the relay of the charger/discharger 120 is in an open state (disconnected state).

The configuration of the charger and discharger 120 is not limited to the above and may be appropriately changed. The charger and discharger 120 may also include at least 1 of, for example, a rectifier circuit, a PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuit, an isolation circuit (e.g., an isolation transformer), an inverter, and a filter circuit. When vehicle 50 supplies electric power externally to the AC EVSE, electric power discharged from battery 130 may be DC/AC converted by charger/discharger 120, and the converted AC electric power may be supplied from vehicle 50 to the EVSE. When the vehicle 50 supplies power externally to the DC EVSE, DC power may be supplied from the vehicle 50 to the EVSE, and DC/AC conversion may be performed by an inverter incorporated in the EVSE. The EVSE of the DC System may be specified by any of CHAdeMO, CCS (Combined Charging System), and GB/T, Tesla.

The ECU150 includes a processor 151, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 152, a storage device 153, and a timer 154. As the processor 151, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used. The RAM152 functions as a job memory for temporarily storing data processed by the processor 151. The storage device 153 is configured to be able to store stored information. The storage 153 includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a rewritable nonvolatile Memory. The storage device 153 stores information (for example, maps, formulas, and various parameters) used in the programs, in addition to the programs. In this embodiment, various controls in the ECU150 are executed by the processor 151 executing programs stored in the storage device 153. However, various controls in the ECU150 are not limited to being executed by software, and can be executed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit). The number of processors provided in the ECU150 is arbitrary, and a processor may be prepared for each predetermined control.

The timer 154 is configured to notify the processor 151 of the arrival of the set time. When the time set in the timer 154 reaches, a signal for notifying that is sent from the timer 154 to the processor 151. In this embodiment, a timer circuit is used as the timer 154. However, the timer 154 may be implemented not by hardware (timer circuit) but by software. The ECU150 can acquire the current time using a Real Time Clock (RTC) circuit (not shown) built in the ECU 150.

Vehicle 50 further includes travel driving unit 140, input device 160, notification device 170, communication device 180, and drive wheels W. The driving method of the vehicle 50 is not limited to the front-wheel drive shown in fig. 1, and may be a rear-wheel drive or a 4-wheel drive.

The travel driving Unit 140 includes a Power Control Unit (PCU) and a Motor Generator (MG), not shown, and travels the vehicle 50 using the electric Power stored in the battery 130. The PCU is configured to include, for example, a control device configured to include a processor, an inverter, a converter, and a Relay (hereinafter referred to as "System Main Relay") (none of which is shown). The PCU control device is configured to receive an instruction (control signal) from the ECU150 and control the inverter, converter, and SMR of the PCU in accordance with the instruction. The MG is, for example, a three-phase ac motor generator. The MG is configured to rotate the drive wheel W by being driven by the PCU. The MG is configured to perform regenerative power generation and supply the generated electric power to battery 130. The SMR is configured to switch connection/disconnection of a power path from the battery 130 to the PCU. The SMR is in a closed state (connected state) during running of the vehicle 50.

The input device 160 is a device that receives an input from a user. Input device 160 is operated by a user, and outputs a signal corresponding to the user operation to ECU 150. The communication means may be wired or wireless. Examples of the input device 160 include various switches, various pointing devices, a keyboard, and a touch panel. The input device 160 may be an operation unit of a car navigation system. The input device 160 may be a smart speaker that receives audio input.

When requested from ECU150, reporting device 170 is configured to perform a predetermined reporting process to a user (for example, an occupant of vehicle 50). The reporting device 170 may also include at least 1 of a display device (e.g., a touch panel display), a speaker, and a lamp (e.g., MIL (trouble warning lamp)). The reporting device 170 may also be an instrument panel, a heads-up display, or a vehicle navigation system.

The communication device 180 is configured to include various communication I/fs (interfaces). The Communication device 180 may also include a DCM (Data Communication Module). The communication device 180 may also include a communication I/F corresponding to 5G (5 th generation mobile communication system). ECU150 is configured to wirelessly communicate with a communication device outside vehicle 50 via communication device 180.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the power storage system according to the embodiment. Referring to fig. 2, in this embodiment, a VGI (Vehicle Grid Integration) system 1 is constructed from a power system PG, servers 10 and 30, a smart meter 11, EVSEs 40A to 40D, vehicles 50A to 50D, and mobile terminals 80A to 80D. Each of the vehicles 50A to 50D has the structure shown in fig. 1. The VGI system 1 according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of the "power storage system" according to the present disclosure.

In fig. 2, the mobile terminals 80A to 80D correspond to mobile terminals carried by users of the vehicles 50A to 50D, respectively. Hereinafter, each of the mobile terminals 80A to 80D will be referred to as "mobile terminal 80" unless otherwise specified. In this embodiment, a smartphone equipped with a touch panel display is used as each portable terminal 80. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any mobile terminal may be used as each mobile terminal 80, and a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), an electronic key, or the like may be used.

In fig. 2, 4 vehicles, mobile terminals, and EVSEs are shown, but the number of vehicles, mobile terminals, and EVSEs included in the VGI system 1 is arbitrary and independent, and may be 10 or more, or 100 or more. The VGI system 1 may include at least one of a vehicle (POV) owned by an individual and a vehicle (MaaS vehicle) managed by a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) operator. The VGI system 1 may include at least one of a non-common EVSE (e.g., a home-use EVSE) that is usable by only a specific user and a common EVSE that is usable by an unspecified number of users.

The vehicle 50A shown in fig. 2 is electrically connected to the EVSE 40A. In this embodiment, the EVSE40A is an AC charging device (e.g., a normal charger) that handles reverse current. However, the VGI system 1 may include a charging device that does not cope with a reverse current, or may include a DC charging device (e.g., a rapid charger). By connecting to the charging port 110 of the vehicle 50A through the connector 43 of the charging cable 42 connected to the EVSE40A, communication can be performed between the vehicle 50A and the EVSE40A, and exchange of electric power can be performed between the EVSE40A and the vehicle 50A. The vehicle 50A electrically connected with the EVSE40A is electrically connected with the power system PG via the EVSE 40A. Thereby, the preparation for external charging and external power supply is completed. The communication device 180 mounted on the vehicle 50A is configured to communicate with the EVSE40A via the charging cable 42. The communication method between the EVSE40A and the vehicle 50A is arbitrary, and may be, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a PLC. The standard relating to communication of EVSE40A and vehicle 50A may be either ISO/IEC15118 or IEC 61851.

When the start condition for external charging is satisfied in a state where preparation for external charging is completed (for example, a state of the vehicle 50A shown in fig. 2), the vehicle 50 starts external charging. In this embodiment, the start condition of external charging is satisfied when the start time of the next charging schedule registered in the storage device 153 (fig. 1) arrives. The user can reserve a schedule (for example, start time and end time) for timer charging to ECU150 via input device 160. In addition, a DR schedule described later may be reserved for the ECU 150. When the schedule of timer charging or the DR schedule is reserved for the ECU150, the reserved schedule is registered as the charging schedule in the storage device 153. The charging schedule that starts earliest among the registered charging schedules corresponds to the next charging schedule. When the next charging schedule is not registered, the immediate charging start condition is satisfied when the connector 43 of the charging cable 42 connected to the EVSE40 is connected to the charging port 110 of the vehicle 50. The immediate charging is external charging that is started immediately when the preparation for external charging in the vehicle 50 is completed. Further, the start condition for external charging may be satisfied when a predetermined charging start operation is performed by the user with respect to the EVSE40 or the vehicle 50. The charge start operation can be arbitrarily set. The charge start operation may be, for example, an operation in which the user presses a predetermined button.

When the start condition of external power supply is satisfied in a state where preparation for external power supply is completed in vehicle 50 (for example, the state of vehicle 50A shown in fig. 2), external power supply is started. When a DR schedule described later is reserved for the ECU150, the reserved DR schedule is registered as a power supply schedule in the storage device 153. The power supply schedule that starts earliest among the registered power supply schedules corresponds to the next power supply schedule. In this embodiment, the start condition of the external power supply is satisfied when the start time of the next power supply schedule comes. Further, the start condition of the external power supply may be established when a predetermined power supply start operation is performed on the EVSE40 or the vehicle 50 by the user. The power supply start operation can be arbitrarily set. The power supply start operation may be, for example, an operation in which the user presses a predetermined button.

The power supply circuit 41 built in the EVSE40A is electrically connected to the power grid PG via the smart meter 11. For example, battery 130 is externally charged by supplying electric power from power system PG to vehicle 50A via power supply circuit 41 and charging cable 42. Further, by the vehicle 50A supplying power to the EVSE40A from the outside, the power can be reversely flowed from the vehicle 50A to the power grid PG via the charging cable 42 and the power supply circuit 41. The power supply circuit 41 converts the electric power supplied from the power system PG into electric power suitable for external charging, and converts the electric power supplied from the vehicle 50A into electric power suitable for a backward flow.

The smart meter 11 is configured to measure the amount of electric power supplied from the EVSE40A to the vehicle 50A. The smart meter 11 is also configured to measure the amount of power flowing backward from the vehicle 50A to the EVSE 40A. The smart meter 11 is configured to measure the power usage every time a predetermined time elapses (for example, every time 30 minutes elapses), store the measured power usage, and transmit it to the server 10. As a communication protocol between the smart meter 11 and the server 10, for example, IEC (DLMS/COSEM) can be adopted. In addition, the server 10 transmits the measurement value of the smart meter 11 to the server 30 at any time. The server 10 may transmit the request periodically or may transmit the request in response to a request from the server 30.

The communication device 180 mounted on each vehicle 50 included in the VGI system 1 is configured to perform wireless communication with the server 30 via, for example, a mobile communication network (telematics). Signals exchanged between communication device 180 and server 30 may also be encrypted. Further, in this embodiment, the communication device 180 mounted on the vehicle 50A and the mobile terminal 80A are configured to perform wireless communication with each other. The ECU150 can control the mobile terminal 80A by wireless communication and make the mobile terminal 80A report to the user. The communication between the communication device 180 and the mobile terminal 80A may be short-range communication (for example, direct communication in a range in the vehicle and in the vicinity of the vehicle) such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

In the mobile terminal 80, predetermined application software (hereinafter, abbreviated as "APP") is installed. The portable terminal 80 is carried by the user of the vehicle 50, and can exchange information with the server 30 via the APP. The user can operate the APP via, for example, a touch panel display (not shown) of the mobile terminal 80. The touch panel display of the portable terminal 80 is configured to be able to give a notification to the user of the vehicle 50.

In this embodiment, the VGI system 1 functions as a VPP (virtual power plant). The VPP is a structure that collects a large amount of Distributed Energy (hereinafter, also referred to as "DER (Distributed Energy Resources)") by using a high-performance Energy management technology using IoT (internet of things) and remotely/uniformly controls the DER so as to function just like 1 power plant. An example of DER is an energy resource (hereinafter also referred to as "DSR (Demand Side Resources)") held by each client. In the VGI system 1, an electrically powered vehicle (i.e., a vehicle 50 shown in fig. 1) provided with a power storage device is used as DSR for realizing VPP.

In the VPP, a power operator that provides an energy management service by concentrating the DER is also called an "aggregator". The utility company can adjust the supply-demand balance of electricity using Demand Response (DR) by cooperating with, for example, an aggregator.

The server 10 is a server belonging to a power transmission and distribution carrier. In this embodiment, the power company serves as both a power generation operator and a power transmission and distribution operator. The electric power company constructs an electric power grid (i.e., an electric power grid PG) by a power plant and a distribution facility (not shown), and maintains and manages the server 10, the smart meters 11, the EVSEs 40A to 40D, and the electric power grid PG. An electric power company can obtain revenue by conducting transactions with, for example, customers (e.g., individuals or companies) that use electric power. In this embodiment, the power company corresponds to a system operator who operates the power system PG. The power system PG according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of the "power grid" according to the present disclosure.

The server 30 is configured to be able to communicate with each of the server 10, the vehicles 50A to 50D, and the portable terminals 80A to 80D. The server 30 is a server belonging to the aggregator. The aggregator performs a business related to management of the power system PG in accordance with an instruction from the electric power company. The server 30 corresponds to a management computer of the power system PG. The server 10 and the server 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via, for example, a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The communication protocol of server 10 and server 30 may also be OpenADR. In this embodiment, the terminal of the aggregator (for example, the server 30) is configured to be able to communicate with each of the terminal of the electric power company (for example, the server 10) and the terminal of the vehicle user (for example, the communication device 180 and the portable terminal 80). However, the VGI system 1 is not limited to this, and may include a server for contacting a power company and a server for contacting a vehicle user, respectively. These servers may also be managed by different power operators (e.g., upper/lower aggregators).

The server 30 includes a control device 31, a storage device 32, and a communication device 33. The control device 31 includes a processor, performs predetermined information processing, and controls the communication device 33. The storage device 32 is configured to be able to store various information. The communication device 33 includes various communication I/fs. The control device 31 is configured to communicate with the outside via the communication device 33.

The server 10 is configured to perform power equalization using DR. When power balancing is performed, the server 10 first transmits a signal requesting DR participation (hereinafter also referred to as "DR participation request") to each of the plurality of aggregator servers (including the server 30). The DR participation request includes a region to be subjected to DR, a type of DR (for example, DR reduction or DR increase), and a DR period. The DR period is information indicating a DR start time and a DR end time. The server 30 is configured to obtain DR available energy (i.e., an amount of power that can be adjusted according to DR) and transmit the DR available energy to the server 10 when receiving a DR participation request from the server 10. The server 30 can determine the DR available energy from the sum of the DR capacities (i.e., power adjustment forces) of the respective clients under the jurisdiction of the aggregator, for example.

The server 10 determines a DR amount for each aggregator (i.e., an amount of power adjustment requested to the aggregator) based on the DR available amount received from each aggregator server, and transmits a signal (hereinafter also referred to as "DR execution instruction") instructing DR execution to each aggregator server (including the server 30). The DR execution instruction includes an area to be subjected to DR, a type of DR (for example, DR reduction or DR increase), a DR amount for an aggregator, and a DR duration. Upon receiving the DR execution instruction, the server 30 allocates the DR amount to each of the plurality of DR-capable vehicles 50 in the jurisdiction of the aggregator, creates a DR signal for each vehicle, and transmits the DR signal to each vehicle 50. The DR signal includes a DR schedule. The DR schedule is information indicating a charging distribution (for example, transition of charging power) or a discharging distribution (for example, transition of discharging power) in the DR period. The server 30 sends a DR signal to the vehicle 50 agreeing to participate in DR. When the vehicle 50 receives the DR signal, the DR schedule indicated by the DR signal is reserved for the ECU 150.

The DR signal may be a price signal urging supply and demand adjustment to the user of the vehicle 50. The price signal may also include the type of DR (e.g., decrease DR or increase DR), the DR schedule for the vehicle 50, and reward information. The price signal may be transmitted to the portable terminal 80 instead of the vehicle 50, or may be transmitted to the portable terminal 80 in addition to the vehicle 50. Further, the DR signal may be a charging command or a power supply command for the server 30 to directly control the vehicle 50. When the vehicle 50 permits the remote operation (for example, scheduling using the server 30), the server 30 transmits a charging command or a power supply command to the vehicle 50 during the DR period to enable direct control of the vehicle 50.

The electric power company (e.g., an electric power company or an aggregator) can request the user of the vehicle 50 to adjust the supply and demand of the electric power system PG by transmitting the DR signal. The DR signal is sometimes transmitted from the server 30 to the vehicle 50 in accordance with the DR execution instruction as described above. In addition, the DR signal is sometimes transmitted from the server 30 to the vehicle 50 according to the electric power market information. The ECU150 is configured to receive a DR signal from outside the vehicle via the communication device 180. In addition, the user of the vehicle 50 may receive the DR signal through the portable terminal 80.

When the ECU150 and/or the portable terminal 80 receive the DR signal, the user of the vehicle 50 can contribute to the supply and demand adjustment of the power system PG requested by the electric power provider by performing external charging or external power feeding in accordance with the DR signal using the EVSE40 and the vehicle 50. In this embodiment, when the user of the vehicle 50 contributes to the supply and demand adjustment of the power system PG requested by the power utility, a reward corresponding to the amount of contribution is paid from the power utility to the user of the vehicle 50 in accordance with the agreement between the user of the vehicle 50 and the power utility. On the other hand, a predetermined fine is charged to a user who does not comply with the request although the request for compliance with the DR is granted.

The above-described contribution amount corresponds to, for example, an amount of electric power adjusted by external charging or external power supply in accordance with the DR signal. In this embodiment, the contribution amount is measured by the smart meter 11. However, the method of measuring the above-described contribution amount by the power utility provider is not limited to the method of measuring with the smart meter 11, and may be any method. The utility provider may also determine the contribution amount using the measurement value of an electricity meter (not shown) built in the EVSE 40. The electric power utility company may also use the measurement values of the sensors mounted on the vehicle 50 to determine the above-described contribution amount. The portable charging cable may have an electricity meter function, and the electric power provider may determine the contribution amount based on the amount of electric power measured by the charging cable.

In this embodiment, communication is not performed between the server 30 and the EVSE40, but the server 30 and the EVSE40 may be configured to be communicable with each other. The server 30 may be configured to communicate with the vehicle 50 via the EVSE 40. The EVSE40 may be configured to be able to communicate with an EVSE management cloud. The communication Protocol between the EVSE40 and the EVSE management cloud may be OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol).

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of ECU150 of vehicle 50 and server 30. Referring to fig. 3 together with fig. 1 and 2, ECU150 includes an information management unit 501 and a control unit 502. In the ECU150 according to the present embodiment, the processor 151 shown in fig. 1 and a program executed by the processor 151 (for example, a program stored in the storage device 153) embody the above-described respective components. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above-described parts may be implemented by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit).

The information management unit 501 updates information (for example, control parameters and flags) in the storage device 153 based on the supplied information. The information management unit 501 is configured to cause the reporting device 170 to report predetermined information. The output signal of input device 160, the detection results of various sensors mounted on vehicle 50, and information received by communication device 180 from outside vehicle 50 are input to information management unit 501.

The information management unit 501 is configured to acquire the state of the vehicle 50 (for example, the state of the charger and discharger 120, the temperature and SOC of the battery 130, and the temperature-controlled state), and transmit the acquired state to the server 30. The information management unit 501 acquires the state of the charger and discharger 120 from the output of the monitoring module 121 (fig. 1), for example. Information management unit 501 acquires the temperature and SOC of battery 130 from the output of monitoring module 131 (fig. 1), for example. As a method of measuring SOC, for example, a method such as a current integration method or an OCV estimation method can be used. The temperature-controlled state is the value (ON/OFF) of each of the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag stored in the storage device 153. Details of the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag will be described later (see fig. 4). The timing at which the information management unit 501 transmits the state of the vehicle 50 can be arbitrarily set. The information management unit 501 may sequentially transmit the information indicating the state of the vehicle 50 to the server 30 in real time. Alternatively, the information management unit 501 may transmit the data stored in the storage device 153 to the server 30 at a predetermined timing (for example, at the end of traveling of the vehicle 50 or at the time of connection of the charging connector).

Control unit 502 is configured to control charging and discharging of battery 130 by controlling charger and discharger 120. When the above-described external charging start condition is satisfied in a state where the preparation for external charging is completed, control unit 502 starts external charging. When the above-described external power supply start condition is satisfied in a state where the preparation for external power supply is completed, the control unit 502 starts external power supply.

Control unit 502 is configured to control cooling device 132 and heating device 133 to adjust and control the temperature of battery 130. The temperature adjustment control includes temperature increase control for increasing the temperature of battery 130 and temperature decrease control for decreasing the temperature of battery 130. In this embodiment, a battery temperature increase flag indicating permission/prohibition of execution of temperature increase control and a battery temperature decrease flag indicating permission/prohibition of execution of temperature decrease control are stored in the storage device 153. The control unit 502 operates in an operation mode corresponding to the temperature-controlled state (i.e., the respective values of the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag).

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation mode of the control unit 502. Referring to fig. 4, when both of the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag are ON, the operation mode of control unit 502 is the ON mode. The ON mode is an operation mode that permits execution of both temperature increase control and temperature decrease control. In the ON mode, execution of the temperature adjustment control by the control section 502 is not limited. When both the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag are OFF, the operation mode of control unit 502 is the 1 st restriction mode (hereinafter also referred to as "OFF mode"). The 1 st restricted mode (OFF mode) is an operation mode in which execution of both the temperature increase control and the temperature decrease control is prohibited. When the battery temperature increase flag is ON and the battery temperature decrease flag is OFF, the operation mode of control unit 502 becomes the 2 nd restriction mode. The 2 nd restriction mode is an operation mode in which the execution of the temperature increase control is permitted and the execution of the temperature decrease control is prohibited. When the battery temperature increase flag is OFF and the battery temperature decrease flag is ON, the operation mode of control unit 502 becomes the 3 rd restriction mode. The 3 rd restricted mode is an operation mode in which the execution of the temperature increase control is prohibited and the execution of the temperature decrease control is permitted.

Referring again to fig. 3 together with fig. 1 and 2, the user can set ON/OFF of each of the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag via the input device 160 or the mobile terminal 80. The ON/OFF settings of the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag are changed in accordance with a setting signal (see S16 in fig. 5) to be described later.

The server 30 includes an information management unit 301, a selection unit 302, a request unit 303, and an exclusion unit 304. In the server 30 according to this embodiment, the above-described components are embodied by a processor of the control device 31 shown in fig. 2 and a program executed by the processor (for example, a program stored in the storage device 32). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above-described parts may be implemented by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit).

The information management unit 301 is configured to manage information of each registered user (hereinafter also referred to as "user information") and information of each registered vehicle 50 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle information"). Identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "user ID") for identifying a user is given to each user, and the information management unit 301 manages user information by user ID. The user ID also functions as information (terminal ID) for identifying the portable terminal 80 carried by the user. The user information includes the communication address of the portable terminal 80 carried by the user and the vehicle ID of the vehicle 50 belonging to the user. Additionally, the user information may also include a reward acquisition amount. The bonus acquisition amount is a total amount of bonus acquired by the user by participating in the DR for a predetermined period. The vehicle ID is identification information for identifying the vehicle 50. The information management unit 301 assigns a vehicle ID to each vehicle 50, and manages vehicle information by differentiating the vehicle ID. The vehicle information includes a communication address of the communication device 180 mounted on the vehicle 50 and vehicle states (for example, the state of the charger and discharger 120, the temperature and SOC of the battery 130, and the temperature-controlled state) received from each vehicle 50. The user information and the vehicle information are stored in the storage device 32.

The selection unit 302 is configured to select a predetermined target number of vehicles 50 from the vehicle group. The vehicle group is stored in the storage device 32 and updated at any time. The predetermined target number is the number of units that can secure the required DR amount (i.e., the power adjustment amount). In this embodiment, the selection unit 302 selects a DR-capable vehicle 50 (hereinafter also referred to as "DR vehicle"). The vehicle group corresponds to a candidate for the DR vehicle. Initially, all vehicles 50 in the area to be subjected to DR are set as a vehicle group. However, each vehicle 50 included in the vehicle group can be excluded from the vehicle group by the exclusion unit 304. The excluding unit 304 is configured to exclude the vehicle 50 satisfying a predetermined exclusion requirement from the vehicle group. The vehicle 50 that is not suitable for the request (for example, the vehicle 50 for which the user has rejected the request) can be excluded from the vehicle group by the exclusion section 304.

The requesting unit 303 is configured to be able to perform external charging, external power feeding, and charging restriction on the power grid PG with respect to the electric power using the power grid PG during the period in which each DR vehicle selected by the selecting unit 302 requests DR. Examples of the charge restriction include prohibition of execution of charge and restriction of charge power (i.e., prohibition of charge of a predetermined power or more). Hereinafter, the request for execution of the external charging described above by the requesting section 303 will be simply referred to as "charging request". The request for the charge limitation by the request unit 303 is simply referred to as "charge limitation request". The request for execution of the external power supply by the requesting unit 303 is simply referred to as "power supply request".

The request unit 303 is configured to adjust the supply and demand of the power grid PG by making a charging request, a charging restriction request, or a power supply request. Hereinafter, the request for the power demand adjustment of the power system PG (for example, the charging request, the charging restriction request, and the power supply request) is referred to as a "PG adjustment request".

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a process performed by the server 30 when making a PG adjustment request. The process shown in the flowchart starts when the aggregator requests supply and demand adjustment of the power system PG from the power company or the power market. The process shown in fig. 5 is started, for example, by the server 30 receiving the above-described DR execution instruction from the server 10. However, the processing shown in fig. 5 may be started by the aggregator instructing the server 30 to execute processing related to DR (for example, selection of a DR vehicle and transmission of a setting signal) via a predetermined input device (not shown).

Referring to fig. 5 together with fig. 1 to 3, in step (hereinafter abbreviated as "S") 11, the selection unit 302 acquires the content of DR (for example, the content of a DR execution instruction). The DR content includes the type of DR (increase DR/decrease DR), the power adjustment amount, the region to be DR, and the DR period. Hereinafter, the DR period which is a period to be subjected to DR increase is also referred to as "DR increase period", and the DR period which is a period to be subjected to DR decrease is also referred to as "DR decrease period".

In S12, the selection unit 302 selects a DR vehicle from a vehicle group (a candidate for DR vehicles). Selection unit 302 selects a DR vehicle, for example, based on the state of each vehicle included in the vehicle group (for example, SOC of battery 130), and the next charging schedule and the next power feeding schedule. At S13, the requesting unit 303 makes a PG adjustment request (for example, a charging request, a charging restriction request, or a power supply request) to the DR vehicle selected at S12 by wireless communication. More specifically, the requesting part 303 transmits a signal indicating the content of the request (e.g., the type of the request and the DR schedule) to the user of each DR vehicle, and requests the user to answer (reply) whether or not to approve the request. The request from the request unit 303 to the user may be transmitted to the communication device 180 mounted on the DR vehicle, or may be transmitted to the portable terminal 80 carried by the user of the DR vehicle.

At S14, the excluding unit 304 determines whether or not all users of the DR vehicle have answers to the approval request. This determination is performed, for example, at the timing when answers are received from all users or at the timing when a predetermined time has elapsed since the request. In this embodiment, a user who has not transmitted a reply even if a predetermined time has elapsed since a request is treated in the same manner as a user who has replied a meaning that does not agree with the request.

If it is determined as no in S14 (the arbitrary user does not approve the request), the excluding unit 304 excludes the vehicle 50 belonging to the user who does not approve the request from the vehicle group (candidate of DR vehicle) in S15. After that, the process returns to S12. The vehicle 50 excluded in S15 is not selected in S12.

If it is determined as yes in S14 (all users have granted the request), the requesting unit 303 stores the DR vehicle and the DR schedule relating to the granted request in the storage device 32 in S16, and transmits a setting signal to each DR vehicle by wireless communication. The setting signals include a 1 st setting signal for setting the charging schedule and the power feeding schedule, and a 2 nd setting signal for setting the operation mode of the control unit 502.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing details of S16 of fig. 5. Referring to fig. 6, in S21, the charging schedule and the power feeding schedule of the DR vehicle are set by the 1 st setting signal transmitted from the server 30 to the DR vehicle. The 1 st setting signal may also rewrite a next charging schedule and a next power feeding schedule registered to the DR vehicle to a schedule corresponding to the agreed DR schedule. For example, in the case where the DR schedule requests external charging, the charging schedule is rewritten so that the power demand of the power system PG increases during the DR increase. In addition, when the DR schedule requests external power supply, the power supply schedule is set so that the DR vehicle supplies power to the power grid PG externally during the DR reduction period. In this case, the charging schedule may be rewritten so as to cancel the scheduled charging. In addition, when the DR schedule requests the charging restriction, the charging schedule is rewritten so as to alleviate the shortage of the power grid PG during the DR reduction period. In this way, in the DR vehicle, the charge and discharge of battery 130 are controlled in accordance with the request.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of rewriting of the next charging schedule when the DR schedule makes a charging restriction request. Referring to fig. 7, in the next charging schedule before rewriting, indicated by a line L1, the charging power is Px. In contrast, in the next charging schedule after rewriting, which is indicated by the line L2, the charging power during the period of decreasing DR is limited to Py smaller than Px in response to the charging limitation request.

Referring again to fig. 6, after the process of S21, the requesting part 303 determines whether the type of DR agreed upon is a reduced DR in S22. If yes (DR reduction) is determined in S22, request unit 303 refers to the temperature-controlled state of the DR vehicle in S23 and determines whether or not the operation mode of control unit 502 is the OFF mode (fig. 4). If the operation mode of control unit 502 is not the OFF mode (no in S23), then in S24, after the operation mode of control unit 502 is set to the OFF mode by the 2 nd setting signal transmitted from server 30 to the DR vehicle, the process of fig. 6 ends. If the operation mode of controller 502 is the OFF mode (yes in S23), the process of fig. 6 ends without going through S24.

ON the other hand, if no in S22 (increase DR), request unit 303 refers to the temperature-controlled state of the DR vehicle in S25 and determines whether or not the operation mode of control unit 502 is the ON mode (fig. 4). If the operation mode of the control unit 502 is not the ON mode (no in S25), the process of fig. 6 ends after the operation mode of the control unit 502 is set to the ON mode by the 2 nd setting signal transmitted from the server 30 to the DR vehicle in S26. If the operation mode of control unit 502 is the ON mode (yes in S25), the process of fig. 6 ends without going through S26.

When the process of fig. 6 ends as described above, S16 of fig. 5 ends. This also ends the series of processing shown in fig. 5. After the process of S16 in fig. 5, the user may be prohibited from setting the charging schedule, the power feeding schedule, the battery temperature increase flag, and the battery temperature decrease flag until the DR period ends. When the agreed-upon DR period passes, the DR vehicle becomes a non-DR vehicle (i.e., the vehicle 50 that is not the DR vehicle). The server 30 (management computer of the power system PG) according to this embodiment is provided outside the vehicle 50, and is configured to set the operation mode of the ECU150 (particularly, the control unit 502) by wireless communication with the vehicle 50. The server 30 is configured to request the user of the vehicle 50 to perform charge/discharge control of the battery 130 so as to alleviate the power shortage of the power grid PG (power grid) (S13 in fig. 5), and when the user of the vehicle 50 approves the request (yes in both S14 in fig. 5 and S22 in fig. 6), the operation mode of the ECU150 is set to the OFF mode (S24 in fig. 6). The server 30 is configured to perform charge/discharge control of the battery 130 so as to increase the power demand of the power grid PG in response to a request from the user of the vehicle 50, and set the operation mode of the ECU150 to the ON mode (S26 in fig. 6) when the request is granted by the user of the vehicle 50 (yes in S14 in fig. 5 and no in S22 in fig. 6).

Control unit 502 of each vehicle 50 performs temperature adjustment control of battery 130 according to the type of the operation mode shown in fig. 4. In the vehicle 50 not participating in DR, the control unit 502 operates in an operation mode (any mode of the ON mode and the 1 st to 3 rd restriction modes) set by the user. In the DR vehicle, the control unit 502 operates in the operation mode (ON mode/OFF mode) set as described above. Hereinafter, temperature adjustment control of battery 130 performed in each vehicle 50 will be described with reference to fig. 8 and 9.

Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the timing of starting the temperature adjustment control of battery 130. Referring to fig. 8 together with fig. 1 to 3, when the next charging schedule is registered in vehicle 50, the start timing of temperature adjustment control of battery 130 (hereinafter also referred to as "temperature adjustment timing") is set in accordance with the registered next charging schedule. For example, the temperature adjustment timing is set so that the temperature of battery 130 is within a predetermined range (for example, the range of T11 to T12) by the temperature adjustment control before the next charging schedule is started. Each of T11 and T12 may be arbitrarily set as long as a condition that T12 is higher than T11 is satisfied. Information management unit 501 may determine the temperature adjustment timing based on the temperature of battery 130 and the start timing of the next charging schedule.

The user connects the connector 43 of the charging cable 42 to the charging port 110 of the vehicle 50 in order to perform external charging according to the next charging schedule. Thereby, the preparation for external charging is completed. The vehicle 50 is electrically connected with the power system PG via the EVSE 40. When vehicle 50 is electrically connected to power grid PG and temperature adjustment control is permitted (that is, when the operation mode of control unit 502 is not the OFF mode), control unit 502 executes temperature adjustment control of battery 130 at the temperature adjustment timing determined as described above.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process related to temperature adjustment control of battery 130. The processing shown in this flowchart starts when the temperature adjustment timing is reached.

In S31, control unit 502 determines whether or not the operation mode of control unit 502 is either the ON mode or the 2 nd restriction mode. When the operation mode of control unit 502 is the ON mode or the 2 nd restricted mode (yes in S31), execution of the temperature increase control is permitted. Therefore, when it is determined in S32 that the temperature of battery 130 is lower than T11 (yes in S32), temperature increase control is executed in S33. Control unit 502 drives heating device 133 using the electric power supplied from power system PG, thereby raising the temperature of battery 130. Until the temperature of battery 130 becomes T11 or higher, the determination in S32 is yes, and S32 and S33 are repeated. When the temperature of battery 130 becomes T11 or higher (no in S32), the process proceeds to S34. If the operation mode of controller 502 does not correspond to either of the ON mode and the 2 nd restriction mode (no in S31), the process also proceeds to S34.

In S34, control unit 502 determines whether or not the operation mode of control unit 502 is either the ON mode or the 3 rd restriction mode. If the operation mode of the control unit 502 is the ON mode or the 3 rd restricted mode (yes in S34), execution of the temperature lowering control is permitted. Therefore, when it is determined in S35 that the temperature of battery 130 is higher than T12 (yes in S35), the temperature decrease control is executed in S36. Control unit 502 drives cooling device 132 using the electric power supplied from power system PG, thereby cooling battery 130. Until the temperature of battery 130 becomes T12 or less, the determination in S35 is yes, and S35 and S36 are repeated. When the temperature of battery 130 becomes T12 or less (no in S35), the series of processing shown in fig. 9 is ended. If the operation mode of the control unit 502 does not correspond to either of the ON mode and the 3 rd restriction mode (no in S34), the series of processing shown in fig. 9 also ends.

In this embodiment, immediately before the start of the charging schedule, temperature adjustment control of battery 130 is executed (see fig. 8). However, the temperature adjustment timing is not limited to the above, and may be set arbitrarily. For example, the temperature control timing may be matched with the start time of the charging schedule, and the temperature adjustment control of battery 130 may be executed during the charging of battery 130. Further, the temperature adjustment timing may be set every time a predetermined time (for example, about 30 minutes) elapses while the vehicle 50 is electrically connected to the power grid PG and the temperature adjustment control is permitted. The temperature adjustment control of battery 130 may be performed only before charging, only during charging, or both before and during charging.

Control unit 502 of each vehicle 50 controls charging and discharging of battery 130 in accordance with the charging schedule and the power feeding schedule in storage device 153. In the vehicle 50 not participating in DR, the schedule of timer charging is set as the charging schedule by the user. In the DR vehicle, a charging schedule or a power feeding schedule is set in S21 of fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed by vehicle 50 to which the charging schedule or the power feeding schedule is set. The processing shown in this flowchart is repeatedly executed when the vehicle 50 is electrically connected to the power system PG and an unexecuted schedule (charging schedule or power supply schedule) exists within the storage device 153. Each of the registered charging schedule and the power supply schedule is deleted after being executed. When there is no unexecuted schedule, the processing shown in fig. 10 ends.

Referring to fig. 10 together with fig. 1 to 3, in S41, control unit 502 waits for the start timing of the registered schedule for the next charge/discharge (next charge schedule or next power feeding schedule) to arrive. When the start timing of the schedule of the next charge/discharge comes (yes in S41), control unit 502 performs charge/discharge control of battery 130 in accordance with the start schedule in S42. If the started schedule is a charging schedule (see, for example, fig. 7), control unit 502 performs external charging. If the started schedule is the power supply schedule, the control section 502 performs external power supply.

In S43, the control unit 502 determines whether or not the timing is the end timing of the start schedule. Until the end timing is reached, the determination at S43 is no, and S42 and S43 are repeated. When the end timing is reached (yes in S43), the processing returns to the first step (S41), and in S41, the arrival of the start timing of the next schedule is waited for.

As described above, the VGI system 1 (power storage system) according to this embodiment includes the battery 130 and the ECU150 that performs charge/discharge control and temperature adjustment control of the battery 130. Battery 130 is configured to be electrically connectable to power system PG (power grid). When ECU150 performs charge/discharge control to alleviate the shortage of power in power grid PG in accordance with the PG adjustment request from server 30 (i.e., the management computer of power grid PG) (yes in S22 of fig. 6), the operation mode of control unit 502 is set to the OFF mode, and execution of temperature adjustment control of battery 130 by ECU150 is restricted (see fig. 4). This suppresses power consumption for adjusting the temperature of battery 130. As described above, according to the VGI system 1, it is possible to suppress power consumption against a request during a period in which the power shortage alleviation of the power grid PG is requested.

In the above embodiment, the server 30 sets the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag according to the type of DR (increase DR/decrease DR) (S24 and S26 in fig. 6). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the setting of each of the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag may be performed on the vehicle side.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing a 1 st modification in which the setting of the battery temperature increase flag and the setting of the battery temperature decrease flag are performed on the vehicle side. In this modification, the server 30 sets only the schedule in S16 of fig. 5 (S21 of fig. 6). The respective DR vehicles set the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag.

Referring to fig. 11 together with fig. 1 to 3, the process shown in the flowchart starts when the user agrees to reduce DR. Specifically, in S13 of fig. 5, the request unit 303 transmits a signal indicating the content of the PG adjustment request (for example, the type of request and the DR schedule) to the user of each DR vehicle. The user of each DR vehicle can respond (reply) to the PG adjustment request by operating the input device 160 or the portable terminal 80. When the user answers, a signal indicating the content of the request (for example, the type of the request and the DR schedule) and a signal corresponding to the user operation (i.e., a signal indicating approval/disapproval) are input to the ECU150 via the communication device 180. Then, in the case where the DR is agreed to be lowered (e.g., the charge restriction request or the power supply request) by the user, the ECU150 executes the process of S50 shown in fig. 11. At S50, ECU150 sets each of the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag in storage device 153 to OFF. Thereby, the operation mode of the control unit 502 becomes the OFF mode.

In the modification described above, the ECU150 (see fig. 1 to 3) of the vehicle 50 is configured to execute the processing shown in fig. 11. In the processing shown in fig. 11, the operation mode of the control unit 502 is the OFF mode when the DR reduction is approved. Therefore, during the period in which the power shortage alleviation of the power grid PG is requested, the power consumption against the request is suppressed.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing a 2 nd modification in which the setting of the battery temperature increase flag and the setting of the battery temperature decrease flag are performed on the vehicle side. In this modification, the server 30 sets only the schedule in S16 of fig. 5 (S21 of fig. 6). The respective DR vehicles set the battery temperature increase flag and the battery temperature decrease flag.

Referring to fig. 12 together with fig. 1 to 3, the processing shown in this flowchart is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. In S51, ECU150 determines whether or not the current time is within the period of decreasing DR. ECU150 refers to information in storage device 153, for example, and determines yes in S51 if a charging schedule or a power feeding schedule for reducing DR (a charging limitation request or a power feeding request) is set. If yes in S51, the process proceeds to S52. On the other hand, if the current time is not within the period of decreasing DR (no in S51), the processing from S52 onward is not executed.

At S52, ECU150 determines whether the temperature of battery 130 is lower than a predetermined temperature (hereinafter referred to as "T2") based on the output of monitoring module 131 (fig. 1). In this modification, a boundary value between a temperature region in which battery 130 does not freeze and a temperature region in which battery 130 may freeze is T2. T2 is a lower temperature than T11 used in S32 of fig. 9.

When the temperature of battery 130 is lower than T2 (yes in S52), ECU150 sets the battery temperature increase flag to ON and the battery temperature decrease flag to OFF in S53. Thereby, the operation mode of the control unit 502 becomes the 2 nd restriction mode. The temperature of battery 130 being lower than T2 means that battery 130 may freeze. In the 2 nd restricted mode, the execution of the temperature decrease control is prohibited, but the execution of the temperature increase control is permitted. Therefore, by executing the temperature raising control of battery 130 (e.g., S32, S33 of fig. 9), the temperature of battery 130 is raised to a temperature region (e.g., T11) in which battery 130 does not ice. This suppresses freezing of battery 130 in, for example, a cold district.

On the other hand, when the temperature of battery 130 is equal to or higher than T2 (no in S52), ECU150 sets the battery temperature increase flag to OFF and the battery temperature decrease flag to OFF in S54. Thereby, the operation mode of the control unit 502 becomes the 1 st restriction mode (OFF mode).

In the modification described above, the ECU150 (see fig. 1 to 3) of the vehicle 50 is configured to execute the processing shown in fig. 12. In the processing shown in fig. 12, during the period in which the power shortage alleviation of the power grid PG (power grid) is requested (yes in S51), the execution of the temperature adjustment control of battery 130 is restricted by the 1 st restriction mode or the 2 nd restriction mode. Therefore, according to the above configuration, during the period in which the power shortage alleviation of the power grid PG is requested, the power consumption against the request can be suppressed. If the temperature of battery 130 is lower than T2 while the power shortage alleviation of power grid PG is requested (yes in S52), the execution of the temperature increase control is permitted, and an excessive decrease in the temperature of battery 130 can be suppressed.

In the above-described embodiment and each modification, the ECU150 is configured to execute the processing shown in fig. 10. Specifically, when vehicle 50 is electrically connected to power grid PG (power grid), ECU150 controls charging and discharging of battery 130 in accordance with the next charging schedule and the next power feeding schedule in storage device 153. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the charging/discharging control of battery 130 during the DR period may be performed by server 30. The server 30 may be configured to request the user of the DR vehicle to adjust the power demand of the power system PG, and when the user of the DR vehicle approves the request (PG adjustment request), the ECU150 may be remotely operated during the approved DR period (i.e., the period to be requested), thereby controlling the charging and discharging of the battery 130. The ECU150 may be configured to execute the processing shown in fig. 13 described below in place of the processing shown in fig. 10 during the DR period.

Fig. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a modification of charge and discharge control of battery 130 during the DR period. The ECU150 executes the processing shown in fig. 10 when it is not the DR period, and executes the processing shown in fig. 13 instead of the processing shown in fig. 10 during the DR period. In this modification, during the DR period, the control unit 502 (fig. 3) of the ECU150 is remotely operated by the server 30. The remote operation of the control unit 502 is basically prohibited, but when the user of the vehicle 50 approves the PG adjustment request from the server 30, the remote operation of the control unit 502 is permitted. In the DR period, a charging instruction or a power supply instruction is transmitted from the server 30 to the communication device 180 of the DR vehicle (more specifically, the vehicle 50 belonging to the user who agrees with the PG adjustment request).

Referring to fig. 13 together with fig. 1 to 3, at S61, control unit 502 of ECU150 waits for a command (a charging command or a power supply command) for charge/discharge control from server 30. When receiving the command from the server 30 (yes in S61), the control unit 502 controls the charging and discharging of the battery 130 in accordance with the command in S62. While ECU150 continues to receive the command from server 30, the processing of S61 and S62 is repeated. When the DR period ends, the series of processing shown in fig. 13 ends.

The server 30 according to the modification executes the processing shown in fig. 13 in the DR period (the requested period). The server 30 remotely operates the ECU150 during the DR period. Server 30 can control charging and discharging of battery 130 in response to the request by such remote operation. Server 30 may perform temperature adjustment control of battery 130 by remote operation of ECU150 instead of charge/discharge control of battery 130 or in addition to charge/discharge control of battery 130.

In the above-described embodiment and the modifications, the vehicle 50 has the structure shown in fig. 1. Such a vehicle 50 includes an electric heating device 133 configured to heat the battery 130 and an electric cooling device 132 configured to cool the battery 130. ECU150 mounted in vehicle 50 is configured to heat battery 130 by heating device 133 during the temperature increase control. ECU150 is configured to cool battery 130 by cooling device 132 during the temperature decrease control. In vehicle 50, battery 130 can be heated and battery 130 can be cooled by heating device 133 and cooling device 132, respectively. With such a configuration, it is easy to individually restrict the temperature increase control and the temperature decrease control.

The method of cooling battery 130 is not limited to the blower. For example, battery 130 may be cooled by circulating a refrigerant around battery 130. The cooling method may be water cooling or air cooling.

The method of raising the temperature of battery 130 is not limited to the electric heater. For example, battery 130 may be heated by energization (e.g., repetition of charging and discharging) of battery 130.

The structure of the vehicle is not limited to the structure shown in fig. 1. For example, in the configuration shown in fig. 1, a charging device that can be charged only externally or a power feeding device that can be fed only externally may be used instead of the charger and discharger 120. The vehicle may be configured to be capable of non-contact charging. The vehicle is not limited to a passenger car, but may be a bus or a truck.

The power storage system may be a power storage system mounted on a vehicle (a ship, an airplane, or the like) other than a vehicle, may be a power storage system mounted on an unmanned moving body (an unmanned transport vehicle (AGV), an agricultural machine, a mobile robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or the like), or may be a power storage system installed in a building (a house, a factory, or the like).

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.