JP2021016269A - Power storage system and charging method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a power storage system and a charging method capable of efficiently charging a storage battery according to a type of a power source.SOLUTION: A power storage system 1 includes: an input unit 3 connected to a power source 2; a control mechanism 4 connected to the input unit 3; and a storage battery 5 connected to the control mechanism 4. A type determination unit 8 of the control mechanism 4 determines a type of the power source 2 connected to the power storage system 1. Based on the determination result, a conversion unit 9 of the control mechanism 4 converts at least one of a voltage and a current of electricity supplied from the power source 2. The storage battery 5 is charged by electricity converted by the conversion unit 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a power storage system and a charging method for charging a storage battery by electricity supplied from a power source, and more particularly to a power storage system and a charging method capable of efficiently charging a storage battery according to the type of power source.

Various power storage systems for charging storage batteries have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The power storage system described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration for charging a storage battery with electricity supplied from a solar cell. Since it is composed of circuits specialized for charging from solar cells, the power storage system could not support charging with another type of power source. In the first place, the conventional power storage system did not assume charging by another kind of power source.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-100050

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a power storage system and a charging method capable of efficiently charging a storage battery according to the type of power source.

The power storage system for achieving the above object includes an input unit connected to a power source, a storage battery connected to the input unit and charged with electricity supplied from the power source, and the input unit and the storage battery. In a power storage system including a control mechanism connected between them and controlling electricity supplied to the storage battery, a type determination unit for determining the type of the power supply connected to the input unit and a type determination unit for determining the type of the power supply are The control mechanism is characterized in that the control mechanism includes a conversion unit that converts at least one of the voltage and the current of electricity supplied from the power source based on the determination result.

A charging method for achieving the above object is a charging method in which the voltage and current of electricity supplied from a power source are adjusted and supplied to a storage battery to charge the storage battery, wherein the power source connected to the storage battery is charged. It is characterized in that the type is determined, and at least one of the voltage and the current of electricity supplied from the power source is converted and supplied to the storage battery based on this determination.

According to the present invention, since the type of power source can be determined, it is advantageous to efficiently charge the storage battery according to the type of power source.

It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the outline of the structure of the power storage system. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the modification of the power storage system of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the modification of the power storage system of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the modification of the power storage system of FIG.

Hereinafter, the power storage system and the charging method will be described based on the embodiment shown in the figure.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the power storage system 1 includes an input unit 3 connected to a power supply 2, a control mechanism 4 connected to the input unit 3, a storage battery 5 connected to the control mechanism 4, and the storage battery. It is provided with an output unit 6 connected to 5. The output unit 6 is connected to an external device 7 that receives electricity from the storage battery 5. The above configurations are connected by electric wires or the like. In FIG. 1, the direction in which electricity flows is indicated by an arrow for explanation.

In this embodiment, the control mechanism 4 has a type determination unit 8 connected to the input unit 3 and a conversion unit 9 connected between the type determination unit 8 and the storage battery 5. The type determination unit 8 has a configuration for determining the type of the power supply 2 connected to the input unit 3. The type determination unit 8 has a configuration for determining whether the power supply 2 is an AC power supply or a DC power supply. Further, the type determination unit 8 has a configuration for determining the type of the power supply 2 from the voltage value and the current value of the electricity supplied from the power supply 2.

The conversion unit 9 has a configuration in which the electricity supplied from the power source 2 is converted by an appropriate method based on the determination result of the type determination unit 8 to charge the storage battery 5. Specifically, for example, the conversion unit 9 has a configuration in which if the electricity supplied from the power source 2 is alternating current, it is converted from alternating current to direct current, and if it is direct current, it is converted into a voltage suitable for charging. ..

The storage battery 5 can be composed of, for example, a lithium ion battery. The storage battery 5 may have a configuration capable of storing electricity, and is not limited to the lithium ion battery. For example, the storage battery 5 may be composed of a lead storage battery, an electric double layer, or the like.

The output unit 6 can be configured to include a DC / AC converter that converts direct current electricity output from the storage battery 5 into alternating current. At this time, the output unit 6 has a configuration for supplying, for example, 100 V AC electricity to the external device 7. Further, the output unit 6 may have a configuration in which the direct current electricity output from the storage battery 5 is supplied to the external device 7 as the direct current as it is. When the rated output of the storage battery 5 is 12V, for example, 11V to 14V electricity is supplied to the external device 7 via the output unit 6. When the rated output of the storage battery 5 is 24V, for example, 22V to 28V of electricity is supplied to the external device 7 via the output unit 6. The output unit 6 may have a configuration for supplying at least one of AC and DC electricity to the external device 7.

When the power supply 2 is connected to the power storage system 1, the type determination unit 8 determines the type of the power supply 2. Based on the determination result of the type determination unit 8, the conversion unit 9 converts at least one of the voltage value and the current value to charge the storage battery 5.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, as the type of the power supply 2, for example, an AC power supply 2A, a DC high voltage power supply 2B, and a DC low voltage power supply 2C are assumed. The AC power source 2A corresponds to, for example, a commercial power source or a generator that outputs 100V or 200V AC electricity. The AC power supply 2A may be composed of a generator that outputs AC electricity of 200 V or more. The DC high-voltage power supply 2B corresponds to, for example, a solar panel or a wind power generator that outputs DC electricity of 100V to 400V. The DC low-voltage power supply 2C corresponds to, for example, an alternator for a vehicle that outputs DC electricity of 5 to 64 V, a small solar panel, or the like.

The DC high-voltage power supply 2B and the DC low-voltage power supply 2C can be distinguished from each other with the voltage at which the storage battery 5 can be charged as a boundary. For example, when the storage battery 5 is composed of a lithium ion battery having a rated output of 12 V, the rechargeable voltage is about 15 V, which is higher than the rated output. When the storage battery 5 is composed of a lithium ion battery having a rated output of 24 V, the rechargeable voltage is about 30 V. When the storage battery 5 is composed of a lead storage battery having a rated output of 12 V, the rechargeable voltage is about 14.5 V. A power source that generates electricity having a voltage higher than the rechargeable voltage can be distinguished as a DC high-voltage power supply 2B, and a power source that generates electricity having a voltage smaller than the rechargeable voltage can be distinguished as a DC low-voltage power supply 2C.

The value of the voltage that is the boundary between the DC high-voltage power supply 2B and the DC low-voltage power supply 2C is not limited to the above. It can be appropriately determined according to the rechargeable voltage of the storage battery 5. Further, a value higher than the rechargeable voltage such as 90V may be set in advance, and the DC high-voltage power supply 2B and the DC low-voltage power supply 2C may be distinguished from each other with this value as a boundary. The value of the voltage that is the boundary between the DC high-voltage power supply 2B and the DC low-voltage power supply 2C is set in advance according to the storage battery 5 installed in the power storage system 1.

The input unit 3 has a connection port for connecting each power supply 2. Each connection port is connected to the type determination unit 8 via each route formed independently. The type determination unit 8 can determine which power source 2 is supplying electricity. The input unit 3 or the type determination unit 8 may be provided with a detection sensor 10 that detects whether the power supply is connected to which connection port or the electricity is supplied through which connection port. The connection port for the AC power supply can be composed of, for example, an AC inlet or a terminal block to which a cable extending from the AC power supply is connected. The connection port for the DC power supply can be composed of, for example, a DC power connector or a terminal block to which a cable extending from the DC power supply is connected. The type determination unit 8 may be configured to determine whether the power supply 2 is an AC power supply 2A, a DC high voltage power supply 2B, or a DC low voltage power supply 2C based on a signal from the detection sensor 10 installed in the input unit 3. At this time, the detection sensor 10 and the type determination unit 8 may be connected by the signal line L1. In FIG. 2, this signal line L1 is shown by a alternate long and short dash line for explanation. The signal line L1 may be configured either wired or wireless.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a DC / AC converter 11 that converts electricity supplied from the DC low-voltage power supply 2C into alternating current may be connected between the input unit 3 and the type determination unit 8. The DC / AC converter 11 sends, for example, 100 V AC electricity to the type determination unit 8.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the conversion unit 9 is composed of a plurality of conversion units corresponding to the types of the power supply 2. Supply from the first conversion unit 9A that converts the electricity supplied from the AC power supply 2A from AC to DC, the second conversion unit 9B that steps down the electricity supplied from the DC high-voltage power supply 2B as it is, and the DC low-voltage power supply 2C. The conversion unit 9 includes a third conversion unit 9C that converts the generated electricity into a boosted direct current.

The first conversion unit 9A can be configured by an AC / DC converter. The first conversion unit 9A has a voltage in a range in which the AC supplied from the AC power supply 2A is equal to or higher than the rechargeable voltage of the storage battery 5 and equal to or lower than the upper limit of the voltage capable of safely charging the storage battery 5 (hereinafter, appropriate charging voltage). It is converted into a direct current having (may be said to be) and supplied to the storage battery 5.

The second conversion unit 9B can be configured by a DC / DC converter. The second conversion unit 9B supplies the storage battery 5 with a direct current having a voltage equal to or higher than a voltage that can safely charge the storage battery 5 by stepping down the direct current to an appropriate charging voltage.

The third conversion unit 9C can be configured by an AC / DC converter. The third conversion unit 9C converts the electricity supplied from the DC low-voltage power supply 2C and converted into alternating current by the DC / AC converter 11 into direct current having an appropriate charging voltage and supplies it to the storage battery 5. When the DC / AC converter 11 is not connected, the third conversion unit 9C is composed of a DC / AC converter and an AC / DC converter. The third conversion unit 9C converts the DC supplied from the DC low-voltage power supply 2C into an alternating current and then reconverts it into a direct current to boost the voltage to an appropriate charging voltage. The third conversion unit 9 may be configured by a DC / DC converter that boosts the DC supplied from the DC low-voltage power supply 2C as it is.

When the DC / AC converter 11 is provided, the current value can be reduced by converting electricity having a relatively small voltage such as 13V into alternating current of 100V. Along with this, the thickness of the electric wires and the like constituting the power storage system 1 can be significantly reduced. It is advantageous for miniaturizing the power storage system 1.

The power storage system 1 includes a type determination unit 8 for determining the type of the power supply 2, and a plurality of conversion units 9 for performing different processing according to the type of the power supply 2. Since the corresponding conversion unit 9 converts the voltage and the like according to the determination result of the type determination unit 8, it is advantageous to efficiently charge the storage battery 5.

In the case of a power source 2 having a relatively large power supply such as an AC power source 2A or a DC high voltage power source 2B, the storage battery 5 can be charged efficiently in a relatively short time. In the case of a power source 2 having a relatively small voltage such as a DC low voltage power source 2C, the storage battery 5 can be charged by boosting the voltage. Even when the storage battery 5 is composed of a lithium-ion battery having a relatively high appropriate charging voltage, the third conversion unit 9C can boost the voltage for charging, so that up to 100% of the capacity of the storage battery 5 can be charged. It becomes possible to charge. Therefore, even when the DC low-voltage power supply 2C is composed of, for example, an alternator for a vehicle and the vehicle is running, it can be charged up to 100% of the capacity of the storage battery 5.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control mechanism 4 may include a charge control unit 12 connected between the type determination unit 8 and the conversion unit 9. The charge control unit 12 is not an essential requirement of the power storage system 1. The charge control unit 12 may have a configuration that controls charging of the storage battery 5 based on the determination result of the type determination unit 8.

For example, the charge control unit 12 determines whether or not the electricity supplied from the power source 2 satisfies the rechargeability condition, charges the storage battery 5 if this condition is satisfied, and if this condition is not satisfied, the storage battery 5 is charged. The storage battery 5 can be configured to be controlled to stop charging. At this time, the chargeable condition is preset for each power source 2. The charge control unit 12 and the type determination unit 8 may be connected by a signal line L2. In FIG. 2, the signal line L2 is shown by a alternate long and short dash line for explanation.

The chargeable condition of the AC power supply 2A is set, for example, to have a voltage of AC85V or more and 265V or less. The chargeable condition of the DC high-voltage power supply 2B is set, for example, to have a voltage of 120 V or more and 350 V or less. The rechargeable condition of the DC low-voltage power supply 2C is set within a range that satisfies the amount of rechargeable power to the storage battery 5. The chargeable condition for each power source 2 can be stored in, for example, the charge control unit 12. The rechargeable condition may be stored in the memory of the control mechanism 4 or the like.

The charge control unit 12 has a configuration for monitoring the voltage and current of electricity supplied from the power supply 2, and satisfies a preset chargeable condition from the voltage and the determination result of the type determination unit 8. Judge whether or not. With this configuration, when the DC low-voltage power supply 2C is configured in a device having a relatively small power generation amount such as an alternator and the power generation amount is not sufficient, the charge control unit 12 can stop charging because the chargeability condition is not satisfied. It is advantageous to avoid a problem that the alternator or the like becomes excessive output and causes a failure or the like.

The charge control unit 12 can be configured to control the amount of electricity sent to the conversion unit 9 from, for example, an appropriate charge amount predetermined for each type of the power supply 2 and a determination result of the type determination unit 8. The appropriate charge amount is defined for each type of power source 2, for example, in the range of electric power amount. The charge control unit 12 controls the amount of charge to the storage battery 5 within the range of this amount of electric power. The appropriate charge amount can be stored in, for example, the memory of the control mechanism 4 or the charge control unit 12. With the configuration of the charge control unit 12, the storage battery 5 can be charged with an appropriate charge amount according to the type of the power supply 2. Specifically, when the electric power supplied from the power source 2 is relatively small, the charge control unit 12 controls the amount of charge to the storage battery 5. When the electric power supplied from the power source 2 is relatively large, the charge control unit 12 controls to increase the charge amount to the storage battery 5.

For example, when electricity is supplied from a DC low-voltage power supply 2C composed of a 300 W alternator having a relatively small amount of power generation, the charge control unit 12 sends electricity to the third conversion unit 9C within a range of charging amount of 300 W or less. .. On the other hand, when electricity is supplied from an AC power source 2A composed of a commercial power source having a power amount of 1500 W or a generator of 3000 W, the charge control unit 12 sets the charge amount to about 500 W to 1500 W and the first conversion unit 9A. Send electricity to.

When the power source 2 is a DC low-voltage power source 2C having a small amount of power generation, the amount of charge can be suppressed, which is advantageous in avoiding a problem that the DC low-voltage power source 2C has an excessive output. It is possible to avoid a problem that the alternator or the like constituting the DC low-voltage power supply 2C becomes excessively output and fails. When the power source 2 is configured by the AC power source 2A having a large amount of power to be supplied, the amount of charge can be increased, so that the power storage system 1 can efficiently charge the storage battery 5 in a relatively short time.

The charge control unit 12 may control to stop charging the storage battery 5 when electricity cannot be supplied to the storage battery 5 within the range specified by the appropriate charge amount. Further, the charge control unit 12 may have a configuration in which charging is stopped when the charging of the storage battery 5 is completed. That is, the charge control unit 12 can include a configuration that controls charging according to the electricity supplied from the power source 2, and a configuration that controls charging according to the remaining amount of the storage battery 5.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the power storage system 1 may be configured to include a state acquisition unit 13 connected between the type determination unit 8 and the charge control unit 12. The state acquisition unit 13 is not an essential requirement of the power storage system 1. In FIG. 3, the state acquisition unit 13 is shown by a broken line for explanation. When the state acquisition unit 13 is incorporated in the power storage system 1, the charge control unit 12 is incorporated at the same time. The state acquisition unit 13 has a configuration for acquiring the state of the power supply 2. Further, the state acquisition unit 13 is connected to the charge control unit 12 by a signal line L3.

The state of the power source 2 acquired by the state acquisition unit 13 means information including an operation or stop state of the power source 2 composed of a generator, an alternator, and the like, an amount of electric power supplied by the power source 2, and the like. The state acquisition unit 13 may have a configuration in which the state of the power supply 2 is estimated from the voltage value and the current value of the electricity supplied from the power supply 2. Further, the state acquisition unit 13 and the power supply 2 may be connected by a signal line L4 so that the state acquisition unit 13 directly acquires the state from the power supply 2.

When the DC low-voltage power supply 2C is composed of an alternator for a vehicle, the alternator and the state acquisition unit 13 may be connected by a signal line L4 to directly acquire the power generation state of the alternator. Further, the control computer of the vehicle and the state acquisition unit 13 may be connected by a signal line to acquire the state of the alternator from the control computer. The state acquisition unit 13 acquires information such as the amount of power generation and the number of rotations of the alternator as the state of the power supply 2.

When the vehicle engine is idling, the alternator generates a relatively small amount of electricity. When the state acquisition unit 13 acquires the state of the power supply 2, the charge control unit 12 suppresses the charge amount or stops charging based on the information acquired by the state acquisition unit 13. It is advantageous to suppress a problem that the amount of charge to the storage battery 5 exceeds the amount of power generated by the alternator and the alternator becomes excessively output. It is advantageous to avoid the problem that the alternator breaks down due to excessive output.

The state acquisition unit 13 may be configured to acquire the on / off of the vehicle accessory power supply (ACC power supply). When the ACC power supply is off, the charge control unit 12 can be configured to stop charging based on this signal. When the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to prevent electricity from flowing from the lead battery mounted on the vehicle and connected to the alternator to the storage battery 5 of the power storage system 1. It is advantageous to avoid the problem that the remaining amount of the lead battery becomes too low and the vehicle cannot be started.

When the AC power source 2A is composed of a generator, the generator and the state acquisition unit 13 may be connected by a signal line L4 to directly acquire the power generation state of the generator. The state acquisition unit 13 acquires information such as the start or stop state of the generator and the amount of power generation as the state of the power source 2. When the amount of power generation is large, the amount of charge is increased, and when the amount of power generation is small or the generator is stopped, the amount of charge is decreased or the charge is stopped based on the information of the state acquisition unit 13. The control unit 12 performs this.

Since the power storage system 1 includes a plurality of conversion units 9A to 9C corresponding to the respective power supplies 2, the storage battery 5 is charged even when the plurality of power supplies 2 are connected and electricity is supplied at the same time. Is possible. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a generator can be connected as an AC power source 2A, and a solar cell can be connected as a DC high voltage power source 2B. The charge control unit 12 of the control mechanism 4 sends electricity supplied from the power source 2 to the storage battery 5 via the corresponding conversion units 9. In FIG. 4, the type determination unit 8 and the like included in the control mechanism 4 are omitted for the sake of explanation.

At this time, the control mechanism 4 may have a configuration in which, for example, electricity supplied from two or more power sources 2 is combined and sent to the storage battery 5. For example, when electricity is supplied from the AC power supply 2A and the DC high-voltage power supply 2B at the same time, each electricity can be converted into an appropriate charging voltage and then combined and sent to the storage battery 5. For example, when electricity is supplied from the AC power supply 2A and the DC low-voltage power supply 2C at the same time, they can be combined in phase and then converted into DC and sent to the storage battery 5. Further, the control mechanism 4 has a configuration in which when electricity is supplied from two or more power sources 2, the storage battery 5 is preferentially charged only by electricity supplied from a part of the plurality of power sources 2. You may.

The control mechanism 4 may include a monitoring unit 14 that monitors the remaining amount of the storage battery 5. The monitoring unit 14 has a configuration for estimating the remaining amount from the voltage of the storage battery 5. The configuration of the monitoring unit 14 is not limited to this, and may be any configuration that can acquire the remaining amount of the storage battery 5. For example, the remaining amount of the storage battery 5 may be estimated from the difference between the power input from the conversion unit 9 to the storage battery 5 and the power output from the storage battery 5 to the external device 7.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the state acquisition unit 13 of the control mechanism 4 has a configuration in which a control signal for controlling the start and stop of the generator is sent to the AC power supply 2A via the signal line L4.

The control mechanism 4 determines whether or not the amount of charge to the storage battery 5 is sufficient from the amount of change in the remaining amount. When the remaining amount of the storage battery 5 is equal to or more than a predetermined amount or the remaining amount tends to increase, the generator can be stopped by the control signal from the state acquisition unit 13. Further, when the remaining amount of the storage battery 5 is less than a predetermined amount or when the remaining amount tends to decrease, the state acquisition unit 13 can start the generator. At this time, the storage battery 5 is charged by the AC power supply 2A in parallel with the charging of the storage battery 5 by the DC high-voltage power supply 2B.

When charging the storage battery 5, priority is given to charging from the solar cell, and the power storage system 1 can control the start and stop of the generator according to the situation. Therefore, the storage battery 5 can be efficiently used while suppressing the fuel consumption of the generator. Can be charged. Since the power storage system 1 can control the generator, the capacity of the storage battery 5 can be automatically kept constant.

The electricity supplied from the power source 2 may be configured to bypass the storage battery 5 and be directly supplied from the output unit 6 to the external device 7. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the configuration may include a bypass cable 15 that directly connects the control mechanism 4 and the output unit 6. In this embodiment, the output unit 6 has a relay 17 composed of a solid state relay and a mechanical relay in addition to the DC / AC converter 16. By configuring the relay 17 with a solid state relay, the electricity supplied from the AC power supply 2A via the bypass cable 15 and the electricity supplied from the storage battery 5 can be switched and supplied to the external device 7 without interruption. Can be done. The relay 17 can also supply electricity supplied via the bypass cable 15 and electricity supplied from the storage battery 5 to the external device 7 at the same time.

The charge control unit 12 of the control mechanism 4 supplies the necessary power to the external device 7 via the bypass cable 15 and the output unit 6, and the surplus power that the external device 7 does not use to the storage battery 5 via the conversion unit 9. May be configured to send. For example, the electricity supplied from the solar cell can be preferentially supplied to the external device 7. When the power required by the external device 7 is large, the insufficient power can be supplied from the storage battery 5, and when the power required is small, the surplus power can be charged to the storage battery 5.

The signal lines L1 to L4 described in the present specification may be configured by wire or wirelessly. Although the power storage system 1 that can be connected to the power supply 2 composed of the AC power supply 2A, the DC high voltage power supply 2B, and the DC low voltage power supply 2C has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto. The power storage system 1 may have a configuration that can be connected to at least two power sources 2 of the AC power source 2A, the DC high voltage power source 2B, and the DC low voltage power source 2C.

1 Power storage system 2 Power supply 2A AC power supply 2B DC high voltage power supply 2C DC low voltage power supply 3 Input unit 4 Control mechanism 5 Storage battery 6 Output unit 7 External device 8 Type determination unit 9 Conversion unit 9A 1st conversion unit 9B 2nd conversion unit 9C 3rd Conversion unit 10 Detection sensor 11 DC / AC inverter 12 Charge control unit 13 Status acquisition unit 14 Monitoring unit 15 Bypass cable 16 DC / AC inverter 17 Relay L1 to L4 Signal line

Claims (7)

An input unit connected to a power source, a storage battery connected to the input unit and charged by electricity supplied from the power source, and electricity connected between the input unit and the storage battery and supplied to the storage battery. In a power storage system equipped with a control mechanism that controls
A type determination unit that determines the type of the power supply connected to the input unit, and a conversion unit that converts at least one of the voltage and current of electricity supplied from the power supply based on the determination result of the type determination unit. A power storage system characterized by the above-mentioned control mechanism. The control mechanism has a charge control unit that controls charging of the storage battery based on the determination result of the type determination unit.
The charge control unit has a configuration in which it is determined whether or not the electricity supplied from the power source satisfies the chargeable condition predetermined for each type of the power source, and the charge to the storage battery is controlled based on the determination result. The power storage system according to claim 1. The control mechanism has a charge control unit that controls charging of the storage battery based on the determination result of the type determination unit.
The power storage system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the charge control unit includes a configuration for controlling the charge amount charged to the storage battery based on an appropriate charge amount predetermined for each type of power source. The power source is an AC power source that generates AC electricity, a DC high-voltage power source that is DC and generates electricity with a voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined value, or a DC that is DC and generates electricity with a voltage smaller than the predetermined value. The power storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the type determination unit includes a configuration for determining which of the low-voltage power sources is used. In a charging method in which at least one of the voltage and current of electricity supplied from a power source is controlled and supplied to a storage battery to charge the storage battery.
The type of the power source connected to the storage battery is determined, and the charging of the storage battery is controlled based on the determination result to convert at least one of the voltage and the current of the electricity supplied from the power source. A charging method characterized by supplying to the storage battery. The fifth aspect of claim 5, wherein it is determined whether or not the electricity supplied from the power source satisfies the rechargeable condition predetermined for each type of the power source, and the charging of the storage battery is controlled based on the determination result. Charging method. The charging method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the charge amount to be charged to the storage battery is controlled based on an appropriate charge amount predetermined for each type of power source.

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