Electric vehicle and vehicle power feeding method

A vehicle power supplying method for charging an energy storage device of an electric vehicle by electrical power from an external power supplying apparatus in a state in which an energizing portion of the electric vehicle is placed in contact with respect to a power supplying portion of the external power supplying apparatus, wherein:

• the electric vehicle travels on a trackless trajectory;
• in the electric vehicle, there are carried out:
• a first charging control to charge the energy storage device by controlling a voltage converter so as to control an input current or an amount of change per unit time of the input current from the power supplying portion to the energy storage device, wherein the first charging control includes calculating a current difference between a present input/output current of the energy storage device and a previous input/output current of the energy storage device and comparing the current difference with a predetermined threshold value of the current difference to control a duty ratio of the voltage converter;
• and
• a second charging control to charge the energy storage device with electrical power from the power supplying portion in which a converting operation of the voltage converter is stopped and voltage conversion is not carried out, or to charge the energy storage device by controlling the voltage converter on a basis of a target electrical power value which is a target value of electrical power supplied to the energy storage device;
• furthermore, in the electric vehicle:
• the first charging control and the second charging control are implemented while a point of contact between the energizing portion and the power supplying portion is moved;
• the first charging control is implemented when the energizing portion comes into contact with the power supplying portion;
• and
• the second charging control is implemented after the first charging control;
• the power supplying portion is capable of initiating contact with the energizing portion and separating away therefrom at arbitrary positions;
• and
• when the energizing portion is placed in contact with the power supplying portion, under a condition in which a remaining capacity of the energy storage device is a predetermined value, and a vehicle speed of the electric vehicle or a movement speed of the power supplying portion is an assumed speed or lies within an assumed speed range, the first charging control and the second charging control are completed within a range that is shorter than half a total length of the power supplying portion, and together therewith, implementation time of the second charging control is longer than that of the first charging control.

An electric vehicle that travels on a trackless trajectory, wherein:

• the electric vehicle comprises:
• a traction motor;
• an energy storage device configured to supply electrical power to the traction motor;
• an energizing portion configured to come into contact with a power supplying portion and to connect electrically between the power supplying portion and the energy storage device;
• a voltage converter configured to adjust supply of electrical power to the energy storage device from the power supplying portion via the energizing portion;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the voltage converter;
• wherein the control unit is configured to carry out:
• a first charging control to charge the energy storage device by controlling the voltage converter so as to control an input current or an amount of change per unit time of the input current from the power supplying portion to the energy storage device, wherein the first charging control includes controlling the voltage converter such that a current difference between a present battery input/output current and a previous battery input/output current matches a predetermined value;
• and
• a second charging control to charge the energy storage device with electrical power from the power supplying portion in which a converting operation of the voltage converter is stopped and voltage conversion is not carried out, or to charge the energy storage device by controlling the voltage converter on a basis of a target electrical power which is a target value of electrical power supplied to the energy storage device;
• and
• furthermore, the control unit is configured to:
• implement the first charging control and the second charging control while a point of contact between the energizing portion and the power supplying portion is moved;
• implement the first charging control when the energizing portion comes into contact with the power supplying portion;
• and
• implement the second charging control after the first charging control, and for a period of time longer than that of the first charging control.