Information processing device, method and program for creating charge / discharge plans for multiple batteries

Abstract

This technology provides efficient charge and discharge planning for multiple battery storage systems. [Solution] An information processing device comprising: a discharge target acquisition unit that acquires a discharge target for a storage battery; a dischargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires the dischargeable amount of a storage battery; and a discharge plan creation unit that determines the discharge amount per unit time within a time period for each of the multiple storage batteries in order to achieve the discharge target based on the discharge target and the dischargeable amount, and creates a discharge plan for the multiple storage batteries, wherein the discharge plan creation unit repeatedly performs a process of selecting a combination of two or more storage batteries from the multiple storage batteries and changing the value of the discharge amount per unit time within a time period for the storage batteries related to the combination in order to increase the score calculated for each storage battery, and when a predetermined termination condition is met, adopts the discharge amount per unit time within a time period for each of the multiple storage batteries that maximizes the sum of the scores of each storage battery as the discharge plan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for creating charge and discharge plans for a plurality of storage batteries.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a technique for balancing power supply and demand by utilizing the surplus capacity of storage batteries without disturbing the usage plan of the storage batteries of consumers (such as Patent Documents 1 and 2). For example, as a method of providing the total charge and discharge amount required for a plurality of storage batteries by these plurality of storage batteries, there are a method of simply distributing according to the charge and discharge possible amounts of each storage battery, and a method of charging and discharging up to the upper and lower limit thresholds of each storage battery in order.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above methods, charge and discharge efficiency and the number of charge and discharge cycles are not considered, and an optimal charge and discharge plan cannot be created. Regarding charge and discharge efficiency, for example, a storage battery capable of discharging 2 kW has better discharge efficiency when discharging at 2 kW for 1 hour than when discharging at 1 kW for 2 hours, and it is better to discharge with the largest possible current with the same remaining capacity. Regarding the number of charge and discharge cycles, since the storage battery deteriorates when charged and discharged repeatedly, it is not desirable to switch between charging and discharging frequently.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology for efficiently creating charge and discharge plans for multiple storage batteries. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One form of disclosure technology to solve the above problems is, A discharge target acquisition unit acquires a discharge target related to the discharge plan of multiple storage batteries under management, which includes information on the time to perform the discharge and the amount of discharge per unit time within that time. A dischargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires the dischargeable amount of each of the plurality of storage batteries within the time period, A discharge planning unit creates a discharge plan for the plurality of storage batteries by determining the amount of discharge per unit time within the time period for each of the plurality of storage batteries in order to achieve the discharge target and the amount of discharge possible, based on the discharge target and the amount of discharge possible. Equipped with, The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, The process of setting initial values ​​for the discharge amount per unit time within the time period for the plurality of batteries, selecting two or more combinations of batteries from the plurality of batteries, and changing the values ​​of the discharge amount per unit time within the time period for the batteries in that combination so that the score calculated for each battery increases, is repeatedly performed. When the predetermined termination conditions are met, the discharge amount per unit time within the time period for each of the plurality of batteries that maximizes the sum of the scores of each battery is determined as the discharge plan. To hire, It is an information processing device.

[0007] With this configuration, even if there are many batteries to manage, it is possible to efficiently create discharge plans for multiple batteries.

[0008] The score may be calculated using a value obtained by multiplying a predetermined efficiency by the amount of discharge from the battery within the given time.

[0009] The "pre-set efficiency" can be determined, for example, based on the ratio of the discharged power value to the rated output of the battery, the temperature of the battery, the years of use of the battery, etc. With such a configuration, it is possible to create a discharge plan that takes into account the discharge efficiency of the battery.

[0010] The score may be calculated using the number of unit times in which the discharge power value per battery within the unit time is neither the rated output value nor 0W for each battery. This makes it possible to create a discharge plan that maximizes the discharge efficiency of each battery.

[0011] The score may be calculated using the number of discharge cycles for each battery within the given time. This allows for the reduction of the number of charge-discharge cycles of the battery and the creation of a discharge plan that takes into account the battery's lifespan.

[0012] Furthermore, if the total dischargeable capacity of the multiple batteries is greater than the discharge amount related to the discharge target, the discharge planning unit may pre-process the batteries that have been most recently charged or discharged from the multiple batteries to be discharged, so that the sum of the discharge amount related to the discharge target and the total dischargeable capacity falls within a predetermined range. This makes it possible to suppress the number of charge and discharge cycles of the batteries and create a discharge plan that takes into account the lifespan of the batteries.

[0013] Furthermore, the discharge planning unit may set the initial value to a value obtained by apportioning the dischargeable amount of each of the multiple storage batteries for each unit time according to the amount of discharged power per unit time of the discharge target.

[0014] A discharge plan simply allocated based on the discharge capacity of each battery can be considered the optimal solution when discharge efficiency is ignored. By using this as an initial value and searching for even more efficient patterns, it is possible to create a discharge plan that is more efficient than conventional methods.

[0015] Further, the predetermined end condition is the elapse of a predetermined limit time, The discharge plan creation unit may adopt, as the discharge plan, the setting of the discharge amount per unit time within the time for each of the plurality of storage batteries when the total score is maximized within the limit time. According to this, an optimal discharge plan can be created according to the time available for creating the discharge plan.

[0016] Further, the process to be repeatedly executed is a process of searching for the maximum value of the total score, The discharge plan creation unit may execute the search a plurality of times until the predetermined end condition is satisfied.

[0017] With such a method, the possibility of reaching a global optimal solution can be increased. Note that the search method is not limited, and heuristic search (for example, hill climbing method, annealing method, etc.), tree search (breadth-first search, depth-first search, best-first search), search according to a desired rule set by the user, etc. can be adopted.

[0018] Further, the discharge plan creation unit may preferentially select a combination of two or more storage batteries in which the amount of time during which the discharge power value within the unit time is neither the rated output value nor 0 W is larger. According to this, it becomes possible to preferentially select a combination with a higher possibility of increasing the score.

[0019] Further, the present invention is A charge target acquisition unit that acquires a charge target related to the charge plan of a plurality of storage batteries to be managed, the charge target including information on the time for executing charging and the charge amount per unit time within the time A chargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires the chargeable amount of each of the plurality of storage batteries at the time, and Based on the charging target and the chargeable amount, a charge plan creation unit that determines the charge amount per unit time within the time for each of the plurality of storage batteries so as to achieve the charging target, and creates the charge plan for the plurality of storage batteries is provided, The charge plan creation unit selects a combination of two or more storage batteries from the plurality of storage batteries, and repeatedly executes a process of changing the value of the charge amount per unit time within the time for the storage batteries related to the combination so that the score calculated for each storage battery increases, When a predetermined end condition is satisfied, the charge amount per unit time within the time for each of the plurality of storage batteries when the sum of the scores of each storage battery is maximized is adopted as the charge plan. It can also be regarded as an information processing device.

[0020] In discharge and charge, the direction of power output and input to the storage battery is only different, and a charge plan can also be created from the same viewpoint as described above.

[0021] Further, the present invention obtains a charge / discharge target related to the charge / discharge plan of a plurality of storage batteries to be managed, the charge / discharge target including information on the time for performing charge or discharge and the amount of electric power related to charge or discharge per unit time within the time, obtains information on the chargeable / dischargeable amount of electric power that can be charged or discharged within the time for each of the plurality of storage batteries, sets an initial value obtained by proportionally dividing the chargeable / dischargeable amount of each of the plurality of storage batteries per unit time according to the charge / discharge electric power amount per unit time of the charge / discharge target, selects a combination of two or more storage batteries from the plurality of storage batteries, and repeatedly executes a process of changing the value of the charge / discharge amount per unit time within the time for the storage batteries related to the combination so that the score calculated for each storage battery increases, When the predetermined termination conditions are met, the charge-discharge plan for the plurality of batteries is created by adopting the charge-discharge amount per unit time within the specified time for each of the plurality of batteries that maximizes the sum of the scores of each battery, including, This can also be seen as a method for creating charge and discharge plans for multiple battery storage systems.

[0022] Furthermore, the present invention can also be considered as a program for causing a computer to execute the above method, or as a computer-readable recording medium that non-temporarily stores such a program.

[0023] Furthermore, the above configurations and processes can be used in combination within a non-contradictory range. ru. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology for efficiently creating charge and discharge plans for multiple storage batteries. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a power management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a power system within a customer's premises that has a battery storage system according to the power management system embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3A is a block diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration of the charge / discharge management device according to the embodiment. Figure 3B is a block diagram showing a partial functional configuration of the charge / discharge management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the charge / discharge management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5A is the first diagram illustrating the discharge target. Figure 5B is the second diagram illustrating the discharge target. Figure 5C is a diagram illustrating the dischargeable amount of the battery according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6A is a first diagram illustrating the initial values ​​according to the embodiment. Figure 6B is a second diagram illustrating the initial values ​​according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is the first diagram illustrating the method for creating a charge / discharge plan performed by the charge / discharge management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a second diagram illustrating the method for creating a charge / discharge plan performed by the charge / discharge management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9A is the third figure illustrating the method of creating a charge / discharge plan performed by the charge / discharge management device in the embodiment. Figure 9B is the fourth figure illustrating the method of creating a charge / discharge plan performed by the charge / discharge management device in the embodiment. Figure 9C is the fifth figure illustrating the method of creating a charge / discharge plan performed by the charge / discharge management device in the embodiment. Figure 9D is the sixth figure illustrating the method of creating a charge / discharge plan performed by the charge / discharge management device in the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] <Examples of application> The following describes examples of applications of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The present invention can be applied, for example, to a power management system 1 as shown in Figure 1. The power management system 1 consists of a charge / discharge management device 10 owned by a battery management service provider, a plurality of batteries 20a, 20b, 20c...20n under the management of the charge / discharge management device 10, a retail business terminal 30 owned by a power retail business, and a network N that connects these to each other. In the following, batteries 20a, 20b, 20c...20n may be simply referred to as battery 20, etc., unless otherwise specified.

[0027] Each battery 20 is owned by a power consumer and is used as a distributed power source at the consumer's location. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a distributed power system 2 including the batteries 20 at a consumer's location.

[0028] The distributed power system 2 consists of a battery 20, a BMU (Battery Management Unit) 21, a control device 200, solar panels 220, a power conditioner (PCS:) 230, a general load distribution board 240, multiple general loads 241, a specific load distribution board 250, multiple specific loads 251, a power sales meter 260, and a power meter 261, and is connected to the commercial power grid.

[0029] The control device 200 is connected to the BMU 21, PCS 230, power meter 260, and power meter 261 via communication, and acts as a gateway to control each component. The storage battery 20 is a known secondary battery, such as a lithium-ion battery, and is monitored by the BMU 21 to ensure safe operation.

[0030] In the distributed power system 2 described above, if the battery 20 has surplus power after ensuring use by consumers, it is desirable to make effective use of that surplus power. Therefore, the battery management service provider manages the battery 20 at the consumer as described above, adjusts the power supply and demand in the wide-area power system, and provides services to increase the consumer's profits. Specifically, when there is surplus power in the battery 20 under management, the battery is discharged to the commercial power grid (sold at a high price) when power demand is high, and charged (purchased at a low price) when power demand is low or when electricity rates are low, such as at night, thereby increasing the consumer's profits and balancing the power supply and demand. Alternatively, in the case of a consumer equipped with a solar power generation system as shown in the example in Figure 2, if there is surplus power in the battery 20 under management when power demand is high, the consumer can discharge it (the load consumes it), and the resulting surplus solar power can be sold to the commercial power grid at a high price.

[0031] More specifically, a battery management service provider (charge / discharge management device 10) receives a supply and demand adjustment request (for example, "Please discharge XX kWh between X and Y hours") from a power retailer (retailer terminal 30). The charge / discharge management device 10 then creates a discharge plan to ensure that each battery 20 under its management has enough discharge capacity to meet the request, and instructs each battery 20 to perform the discharge according to the discharge plan. The discharge instruction to each battery 20 is received by the control device 200 and sent to the battery 20 via the PCS 230. Upon receiving the instruction, each battery 20 discharges its allocated amount during the requested time period (between X and Y hours) at the timing specified in the plan.

[0032] The number of batteries 20 managed by the battery management service provider is assumed to be, for example, around 5,000 to 10,000 units. Therefore, when creating a charge / discharge plan using the charge / discharge management device 10, the number of combination patterns (hereinafter also referred to as "discharge patterns") of which battery 20 will discharge how much per unit time (hereinafter also referred to as "time slots") will be enormous. One possible method is to simply apportion the discharge capacity of each battery 20, but in this case, the discharge efficiency of each battery 20 will not be taken into consideration, which could result in an inefficient charge / discharge plan.

[0033] Therefore, the charge / discharge management device 10 in this application example repeatedly performs a process to change the discharge pattern related to the discharge amount and discharge timing of each battery 20 under its management, so as to increase the score calculated based on the discharge efficiency of each battery 20, until a predetermined termination condition is met. Then, the charge / discharge management device 10 adopts the discharge pattern with the best score within the search range as the discharge plan to be actually executed, thereby smoothly creating an efficient charge / discharge plan with a high discharge efficiency for each battery 20.

[0034] <Embodiment> The embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below based on the drawings (including those already described in the application examples). Since the power management system 1 according to this embodiment has the same configuration as described in the application examples, each component will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the application examples, and redundant explanations will be omitted. The charge / discharge management device 10 according to this embodiment corresponds to the information processing device according to the present invention.

[0035] (Charge / discharge management device) The charge / discharge management device 10 and the retail business terminal 30 are, for example, general-purpose computers. Figure 3A is a block diagram showing a schematic of the hardware configuration of the charge / discharge management device 10. As shown in Figure 3A, the charge / discharge management device 10 includes a processor 11, memory 12, input interface (IF) 13, output IF 14, and communication IF 15, which are interconnected by a connection bus 19.

[0036] The processor 11 can be any arithmetic processing unit, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). At least a portion of the processing performed by the processor 11 may be performed by integrated circuits (ICs) or other digital circuits. In addition, at least a portion of the processor 11 may include analog circuits.

[0037] Memory 12 includes main memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), as well as auxiliary storage devices such as SSD (Solid State Drive), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), flash memory, USB memory, and SD (Secure Digital) memory card. Memory 12 stores information such as programs executed by the processor 11, data processed by the processor 11, operation setting information, and various tables. When the programs stored in memory 12 are executed by the processor 11, the various functional units described later are realized.

[0038] Input IF13 is an interface for connecting to various input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, camera, and microphone (none of which are shown). Output IF14 is an interface for connecting to output devices such as a display and speakers (none of which are shown). A touch panel display can also be used as a device that serves both input and output functions. Communication IF15 is an interface for connecting to network N and includes a communication antenna and communication connection terminals that support the desired communication standard.

[0039] Figure 3B is a functional block diagram showing a partial functional configuration of the charge / discharge management device 10. As shown in Figure 3B, the charge / discharge management device 10 includes the following functional units: a charge / discharge target acquisition unit 111, a battery information acquisition unit 112, and a charge / discharge plan creation unit 113. In this embodiment, the battery information acquisition unit 112 corresponds to the dischargeable amount acquisition unit and the chargeable amount acquisition unit according to the present invention.

[0040] The charge / discharge target acquisition unit 111 acquires a discharge request from the retail business terminal 30, i.e., a discharge target including information on the time to perform the discharge and the amount of discharge within that time, via the network N. Hereinafter, the time during which the discharge requested should be performed will also be referred to as the discharge time period. The battery information acquisition unit 112 acquires information on the dischargeable amount of each battery 20 (at least during the discharge time period). The dischargeable amount is the amount of surplus power that can be discharged without interfering with the planned use by the customer who owns each battery 20.

[0041] The charge / discharge planning unit 113 creates a charge / discharge plan by determining the discharge amount per unit time during the discharge period for each battery 20, so that the discharge target can be achieved and discharge from each battery 20 as efficiently as possible. In other words, the charge / discharge plan includes information on the discharge pattern of each of the multiple batteries 20, specifying how much power each battery 20 will discharge in each unit time during the discharge period. Since the number of possible discharge patterns is enormous depending on the number of batteries 20, the charge / discharge planning unit 113 performs a process to search for an appropriate discharge pattern based on information such as the discharge target and the discharge capacity of each battery 20, along with predetermined rules. This will be explained later.

[0042] (Process flow) Next, an example of the processing flow performed in the charge / discharge management device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the charge / discharge plan creation flow performed in the charge / discharge management device 10. As shown in Figure 4, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) according to this embodiment first obtains information related to the discharge target, that is, information related to the discharge time period and the amount of electricity to be discharged during that time period, from the electricity retailer (S101). Next, the charge / discharge management device 10 (battery information acquisition unit 112) queries each battery 20 and obtains information on the amount of discharge possible during the discharge time period (S102).

[0043] Next, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) determines whether the total dischargeable amount of each battery 20 is greater than the discharge amount related to the discharge target (S103). If it is determined that the total dischargeable amount is greater than the discharge amount related to the discharge target, it executes a process to select the battery 20 to be discharged from the batteries 20 under management (S104). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S103 that the total dischargeable amount is not greater than the discharge amount related to the discharge target, it skips step S104 and proceeds to step S105.

[0044] In step S104, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) performs a process to select the batteries 20 to be discharged so that the total amount of dischargeable capacity equals the discharge amount related to the discharge target. Specifically, for example, to match the discharge amount related to the discharge target with the total amount of dischargeable capacity, the device selects the batteries 20 to be discharged by excluding or reducing the discharge amount of batteries 20 that have been recently charged or discharged from among the batteries 20 under management.

[0045] After step S104, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) sets initial values ​​related to the discharge target as a preliminary step to subsequent search processing (S105). The initial values ​​can be, for example, values ​​obtained by apportioning the discharge amount of each of the multiple storage batteries according to the discharge amount per unit time ("frame," for example 30 minutes) of the discharge target.

[0046] The discharge target and its initial value will be explained in more detail below based on Figures 5A to C and Figures 6A and B. Figures 5A and 5B show examples of discharge targets requested by electricity retailers, respectively. Figure 5C is an explanatory diagram showing the dischargeable amounts of batteries 20a, 20b, and 20c under the management of the charge / discharge management device 10. As illustrated in Figures 5A and 5B, the discharge target is to discharge a total of 12kWh of energy over a 3-hour period from time X to time Y, and the charge / discharge management device 10 selects batteries 20a, 20b, and 20c such that the total dischargeable amount equals the discharge amount of 12kWh related to the discharge target. In addition, the rated output (maximum discharge power) of each battery 20 is 2kW, and as shown in Figure 5C, battery 20a has a dischargeable amount of 5kWh, battery 20b has 3kWh, and battery 20c has 4kWh.

[0047] For example, if the discharge target is as shown in Figure 5A, we assume that the discharge amount per unit is 4kWh and that this is continued for 3 hours (6 units). In this case, if we simply consider the amount of discharge from each of the batteries 20a, 20b, and 20c to achieve the discharge target, as shown in Figure 6A, we can allocate the 4kW discharge power according to the discharge capacity of each of the batteries 20a, 20b, and 20c, so that each battery 20 continues to discharge that power for 3 hours.

[0048] Similarly, even in the case of a discharge target as shown in Figure 5B, the discharge power for each frame required in the discharge target can be apportioned according to the discharge capacity of each battery 20a, battery 20b, and battery 20c, resulting in the initial value shown in Figure 6B. The charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) sets the value determined by this simple method as the initial value.

[0049] Returning to the explanation of Figure 4, following step S105, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) performs a process to search for the optimal discharge pattern (S106). As mentioned above, combinations like the initial values ​​can be considered for the discharge pattern, but as it is, this discharge pattern cannot be said to be efficient. Specifically, for example, a battery capable of discharging 2kW is more efficient when discharged at 2kW for 1 hour than when discharged at 1kW for 2 hours, and it is better to discharge with the largest possible current even with the same remaining capacity, but the discharge pattern like the initial values ​​does not take this into consideration at all. Furthermore, since a battery becomes unusable (so-called lifespan) as the number of charge / discharge cycles increases, it is desirable to minimize the number of times the discharge is started and stopped, but the discharge pattern like the initial values ​​does not take this into consideration either.

[0050] Therefore, the charge / discharge planning unit 113 calculates a score for each of the storage batteries 20 that takes into account the amount of discharge and the number of discharges within the time period related to the discharge target, and searches for the optimal discharge pattern based on this score. Specifically, it repeatedly performs a process of selecting a combination of two storage batteries 20 from a plurality of storage batteries 20 and changing the value of the amount of discharge for each storage battery 20 related to that combination so that the score calculated for each storage battery 20 increases, and searches for a discharge pattern in which the sum of the scores for each storage battery 20 is maximized.

[0051] The following will provide a more detailed explanation based on Figures 7, 8, and 9A to D. First, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 113 selects two batteries 20 from a plurality of batteries 20. One way to select a combination of two batteries from a plurality of batteries 20 is to select them in descending order of the number of frames in which the discharge power value within a unit time is neither the rated output value (2kW in this embodiment) nor 0W. In this embodiment, the selection of two batteries 20 in this way, and the guidelines for selecting a combination of two batteries 20, can be made into (part of) the rules described above.

[0052] Figure 7 shows an example of a discharge pattern for batteries 20a, 20b, and 20c. In the example shown in Figure 7, battery 20a has 5 discharge frames at the rated output value, battery 20b has 1 discharge frame at the rated output value and 4 discharge frames at a value other than the rated output value or 0W, and battery 20c has 2 discharge frames at the rated output value and 4 discharge frames at a value other than the rated output value or 0W. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 7, batteries 20b and 20c have the same number of frames (4) where the discharge power value is neither the rated output value nor 0W. On the other hand, battery 20a has 0 frames where the discharge power value is neither the rated output value nor 0W. Therefore, according to the above rule, in the example shown in Figure 7, batteries 20b and 20c would be selected.

[0053] Next, the charge / discharge plan creation unit 113 changes the discharge power value, the number of discharge frames, and the number of discharge start (stop) cycles for the two selected storage batteries 20 so that their respective scores increase (hereinafter, these changes are collectively referred to as "reconfiguration"). Here, the score can be calculated, for example, using the value obtained by multiplying the discharge power amount for each frame of each storage battery 20 by a predetermined discharge efficiency (for example, a value set according to the discharge power relative to the rated output), the number of frames in which the discharge power value of each storage battery 20 is neither the rated output value nor 0W, and a value related to the number of discharge start / stop cycles for each storage battery 20. In this embodiment, the score for each storage battery 20 is calculated using the formula: "Score = 100 × (Discharge efficiency × Discharge power amount) - (Number of frames that are neither the rated output value nor 0W) - 0.1 × (Number of charge / discharge start / stop cycles)". In this embodiment, the discharge efficiency is calculated using the formula: "Discharge efficiency = 10 × Discharge power (kW) + 80 (%)". In other words, the discharge efficiency is set between 80% when the discharge power is 0W and 100% when the rated output (2kW in the battery 20 according to this embodiment).

[0054] Based on Figures 8 and 9A to D, the rearrangement process performed by the charge / discharge plan creation unit 113 will be explained in more detail. Figure 8 shows an example where the discharge target is to discharge 4kW of power over 3 hours, and the storage batteries 20a and 20c are selected in their initial state. As shown in the upper part of Figure 8, if the initial values ​​are not maintained, neither storage batteries 20a nor storage batteries 20c are discharging at their rated output (2kW), so the discharge efficiency is not at its maximum. In the example shown in the upper part of Figure 8, the discharge efficiency of storage battery 20a is 96.6%, and the efficiency of storage battery 20c is 93.4%. Therefore, the discharge amount of each storage battery 20 during the 3-hour discharge period is 96.6% × 5kWh = 4.83kWh for storage battery 20a, and 93.4% × 4kWh = 3.74kWh for storage battery 20c, for a total of 8.57kWh.

[0055] By rearranging the batteries 20a and 20c as shown in the lower part of Figure 8 so that the time during which their discharge power is at its maximum (i.e., rated power) is maximized, the total discharge amount can be increased. Specifically, during a 3-hour discharge period, the discharge amounts of each battery 20 are 100% × 4kWh = 4kWh and 90% × 1kWh = 0.9kWh for battery 20a, and 100% × 2kWh = 2kWh and 90% × 2kWh = 1.8kWh for battery 20c, totaling 8.7kWh.

[0056] Furthermore, as a rearrangement method, for example, one battery (battery 20a) may be discharged at its rated power for as long as possible from the beginning to the end of the discharge period, while the discharge pattern of the other battery (battery 20c) may be changed so that it discharges at its rated power for as long as possible from the end to the beginning of the same period. Alternatively, for each battery 20 involved in the combination, the discharge power value, number of discharge segments, and number of discharge starts (stops) may be changed sequentially to maximize their respective scores, and then the discharge time for each battery 20 may be determined based on the changed discharge power value, number of discharge segments, and number of discharge starts (stops) of each battery 20 to fill the segments of the discharge period. These rearrangement methods can also be considered part of the rules described above.

[0057] Figures 9A to 9D are explanatory diagrams showing the changes in the combination of discharge rates (how much is discharged per unit time) for each of the three batteries 20a, 20b, and 20c. The combination shown in Figure 9A is the initial value, and the discharge rates for each battery 20 are 96.6% × 5 = 4.83 kWh for battery 20a, 90% × 3 = 2.7 kWh for battery 20b, and 93.4% × 4 = 3.74 kWh for battery 20c, for a total discharge rate of 11.27 kWh.

[0058] At this initial stage, the scores of each battery 20 calculated using the above formula are 476.9 for battery 20a, 263.9 for battery 20b, and 367.5 for battery 20c. From here, a combination of two batteries 20 is selected according to the rules described above. Note that at the initial stage, batteries 20a, 20b, and 20c all have the same number of frames where the discharge power value is neither the rated output value nor 0W, so they have the same priority in selection. Therefore, two batteries are selected according to other methods (for example, random, in descending order of discharge capacity, in order of management number, etc.). Here, we will explain assuming that batteries 20a and 20c were selected first.

[0059] For the selected batteries 20a and 20c, the discharge amounts in each step are rearranged according to the rules described above, and the scores are calculated. In the case of the discharge pattern shown in Figure 9B, the score for battery 20a becomes 487.9 and the score for battery 20c becomes 375.9. Since the scores of both batteries increase from their initial values, the discharge patterns of batteries 20a and 20c are changed to reflect this rearrangement. Note that in the discharge pattern of Figure 9B, the score of battery 20b does not change from its initial value.

[0060] After the discharge pattern shown in Figure 9B is reached, battery 20b and battery 20 follow the rules described above. Select c and rearrange the discharge amounts in each of these frames to change the discharge pattern to that shown in Figure 9C. Then, following the rules described above, select and rearrange batteries 20a and 20b to change the discharge pattern to that shown in Figure 9D. In the combination shown in Figure 9D, the score of battery 20a is 499.9, the score of battery 20b is 299.8, and the score of battery 20c is 399.9. In other words, the sum of the scores of each battery 20 in the discharge pattern shown in Figure 9D (1199.6) is higher than in the case of the initial discharge pattern shown in Figure 9A (1108.3). Furthermore, the total discharge amount from each battery 20 is 11.26kWh in the initial value in Figure 9A, while it is 12kWh in the discharge pattern shown in Figure 9D, demonstrating a significant improvement in discharge efficiency due to the change in the discharge pattern.

[0061] The charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) performs the process of searching for the value that maximizes the sum of the scores of each battery 20 while changing the selected battery 20 until a predetermined termination condition is met, as described above. As a search method, for example, hill climbing can be used. However, heuristic search other than hill climbing (for example, simulated annealing) may also be used, or tree search (breadth-first search, depth-first search, best-first search) may be used.

[0062] Returning to the explanation of Figure 3, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) proceeds from step S106 to determine whether a predetermined termination condition is met (S107). Specifically, the predetermined termination condition can be, for example, the elapsed of a predetermined time (e.g., 2 minutes). In addition, it can also be, if the number of rearrangement attempts exceeds a predetermined number, or if the score increase value or increase rate falls below a threshold. Furthermore, all of these can be used as termination conditions (the one that is met first). If the predetermined termination condition is not met in step S107, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) returns to step S106 and continues the search. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that the termination condition has been met, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) creates a charge / discharge plan with the discharge pattern that yielded the highest score within the search range (S108), and terminates the series of processes. Based on the created charge / discharge plan, each storage battery 20 is instructed to charge or discharge.

[0063] According to the charge / discharge management device 10 and charge / discharge plan creation method of this embodiment described above, it is possible to create a charge / discharge plan with excellent discharge efficiency, taking into account the discharge efficiency and the number of discharge start / stop cycles of the storage battery 20. Furthermore, by setting a time limit for the search, even if the number of combination patterns becomes enormous, it is possible to create an optimal discharge plan according to the time that can be spent creating the charge / discharge plan.

[0064] <Example 1> In the above embodiment, the hill-climbing method was used as an example of the search method, but in this case, there is a risk of getting stuck in a local optimal solution and failing to reach the global optimal solution. For this reason, for example, the charge / discharge management device 10 (charge / discharge plan creation unit 113) may perform multiple searches to find the extreme value of the score within the time limit, and adopt the discharge pattern that yields the largest score among the multiple extreme values ​​obtained as the charge / discharge plan.

[0065] <Modification 2> Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case in which each battery 20 is discharged, the present invention can also be applied to cases in which a predetermined amount of power is distributed to multiple batteries 20 for charging. Specifically, when charging each battery 20, only the direction of power input and output is reversed compared to the discharge case, and the charge / discharge management device 10 uses the method described in the above example to select a combination of batteries 20, rearranges them so that the score of each battery 20 increases, searches for the charging pattern that yields the largest sum of scores, and then charges the battery 20. A charging plan can be created based on the electrical pattern.

[0066] <Other> The above embodiments are merely examples, and the disclosure of these embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. Furthermore, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. For example, in the above embodiments, the score was calculated taking into account the element of "reducing the number of times the battery discharge is started and stopped as much as possible," but the score may be calculated without this condition. Alternatively, other conditions may be added in place of or in addition to the said condition.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the "discharge efficiency" used to calculate the score was exemplified as being set according to the discharge power relative to the rated output, but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be determined according to the temperature of the storage battery, the number of years the storage battery has been used, or a combination of these.

[0068] <Note 1> A discharge target acquisition unit (111) acquires a discharge target related to the discharge plan of multiple storage batteries (20a, 20b, 20c, 20n) that are under management, which includes information on the time to perform the discharge and the amount of discharge per unit time within that time, A dischargeable amount acquisition unit (112) acquires the dischargeable amount of each of the plurality of storage batteries within the aforementioned time, A discharge planning unit (113) creates a discharge plan for the plurality of batteries by determining the amount of discharge per unit time within the given time for each of the plurality of batteries in order to achieve the discharge target and the amount of discharge possible, Equipped with, The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, The process of setting initial values ​​for the discharge amount per unit time within the time period for the plurality of batteries, selecting two or more combinations of batteries from the plurality of batteries, and changing the values ​​of the discharge amount per unit time within the time period for the batteries in that combination so that the score calculated for each battery increases, is repeatedly performed. When the predetermined termination conditions are met, the discharge amount per unit time within the specified time for each of the plurality of batteries that maximizes the sum of the scores of each battery is adopted as the discharge plan. Information processing device (10).

[0069] <Note 2> The score is calculated using a value obtained by multiplying a preset efficiency by the amount of discharge from the battery within the given time. The information processing device described in Appendix 1.

[0070] <Note 3> The score is calculated using the number of units of time in which the discharge power value per battery within the unit time is neither the rated output value nor 0W for each battery. The information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0071] <Note 4> The score is calculated using the number of discharges per battery within the given time. An information processing device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0072] <Note 5> The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, If the total dischargeable capacity of the multiple batteries is greater than the discharge amount related to the discharge target, a process is performed in advance to exclude the battery that has been most recently charged or discharged from the multiple batteries so that the sum of the discharge amount related to the discharge target and the total dischargeable capacity falls within a predetermined range. An information processing device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0073] <Note 6> The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, As the initial value, the dischargeable amount of each of the multiple storage batteries is set to a value obtained by apportioning the dischargeable amount of each unit time according to the discharge amount of the discharge target per unit time. An information processing device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0074] <Note 7> The aforementioned predetermined termination condition is the elapsed time limit, The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, The discharge plan is adopted as the setting for the discharge amount per unit time within the time limit for each of the multiple storage batteries when the sum of the scores is maximized within the time limit. An information processing device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 6.

[0075] <Note 8> The process that is repeatedly executed is a process that searches for the maximum value of the sum of the scores. The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, The search is performed multiple times until the predetermined termination condition is met. An information processing device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 7.

[0076] <Note 9> The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, Prioritizing the selection of a combination of two or more batteries, the system selects a battery in which the number of unit times in which the discharge power value within the unit time is neither the rated output value nor 0W is greater. An information processing device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 8.

[0077] <Note 10> A charging target acquisition unit (111) acquires a charging target related to the charging plan of multiple storage batteries (20a, 20b, 20c, 20n) that are under management, which includes information on the time to perform charging and the amount of charge per unit time within that time. A chargeable amount acquisition unit (112) acquires the chargeable amount of each of the plurality of storage batteries at the aforementioned time, A charging plan creation unit (113) creates a charging plan for the plurality of storage batteries by determining the amount of charge per unit time within the time period for each of the plurality of storage batteries in order to achieve the charging target and the amount of charge that can be charged based on the charging target and the amount of charge that can be charged, Equipped with, The aforementioned charging plan creation unit, The process of selecting two or more combinations of batteries from the aforementioned plurality of batteries and changing the value of the amount of charge per unit time within the time period for the batteries related to that combination so that the score calculated for each battery increases, is repeatedly performed. When the predetermined termination conditions are met, the sum of the scores of each battery is maximized. The amount of charge per unit time within the aforementioned time for each of the number of storage batteries is adopted as the charging plan. Information processing device (10).

[0078] <Note 11> (S101) To obtain charge / discharge targets relating to the charge / discharge plans of multiple storage batteries under management, which include information on the time to perform charging or discharging, and the amount of energy charged or discharged per unit time within that time, (S102) Obtain information on the charge / discharge amount, which is the amount of electrical energy that can be charged or discharged at the aforementioned time for each of the plurality of storage batteries. (S105) The initial value is set by apportioning the chargeable / dischargeable amount of each of the multiple storage batteries according to the charge / discharge power amount per unit time of the charge / discharge target (S105), The process of selecting two or more combinations of batteries from the aforementioned plurality of batteries and changing the value of the charge / discharge amount per unit time within the time period for the batteries related to the combination so that the score calculated for each battery increases is repeatedly performed (S106), When the predetermined termination conditions are met, the charge-discharge plan for the plurality of batteries is created by adopting the charge-discharge amount per unit time within the time period for each of the plurality of batteries that maximizes the sum of the scores of each battery (S108), including, Method for creating charge and discharge plans for multiple battery storage systems.

[0079] <Note 12> A program to cause an information processing device to execute the method for creating charge and discharge plans for multiple storage batteries as described in Appendix 11. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 1. Power Management System 2. Distributed power systems 10...Charge / discharge management device 20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20n...storage battery 30. Retail business terminals N... Network

Claims

1. A discharge target acquisition unit acquires a discharge target related to the discharge plan of multiple storage batteries under management, which includes information on the time to perform the discharge and the amount of discharge per unit time within that time. A dischargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires the dischargeable amount of each of the plurality of storage batteries within the time period, A discharge planning unit creates a discharge plan for the plurality of storage batteries by determining the amount of discharge per unit time within the time period for each of the plurality of storage batteries in order to achieve the discharge target and the amount of discharge possible, based on the discharge target and the amount of discharge possible. Equipped with, The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, The process of setting initial values ​​for the discharge amount per unit time within the time period for the plurality of batteries, selecting two or more combinations of batteries from the plurality of batteries, and repeatedly changing the discharge amount values ​​per unit time within the time period for the batteries in that combination so that the score calculated for each battery increases, is performed. When the predetermined termination conditions are met, the discharge amount per unit time within the specified time for each of the plurality of batteries that maximizes the sum of the scores of each battery is adopted as the discharge plan. Information processing device.

2. The score is calculated using a value obtained by multiplying a preset efficiency by the amount of discharge from the battery within the given time. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The score is calculated using the number of units of time in which the discharge power value per battery within that unit of time is neither the rated output value nor 0W for each battery. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The score is calculated using the number of discharges per battery within the given time. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, If the total dischargeable capacity of the multiple batteries is greater than the discharge amount related to the discharge target, a process is performed in advance to exclude the battery that has been most recently charged or discharged from the multiple batteries so that the sum of the discharge amount related to the discharge target and the total dischargeable capacity falls within a predetermined range. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, As the initial value, the dischargeable amount of each of the multiple storage batteries is set to a value obtained by apportioning the dischargeable amount of each unit time according to the discharge amount of the discharge target per unit time. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned predetermined termination condition is the elapsed time limit, The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, The discharge plan is adopted as the setting for the discharge amount per unit time within the time limit for each of the multiple storage batteries when the sum of the scores is maximized within the time limit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The process that is repeatedly executed is a process that searches for the maximum value of the sum of the scores. The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, The search is performed multiple times until the predetermined termination condition is met. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

9. The aforementioned discharge plan creation unit, Prioritizing the selection of a combination of two or more batteries, the system selects a battery in which the number of unit times in which the discharge power value within the unit time is neither the rated output value nor 0W is greater. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

10. A charging target acquisition unit acquires a charging target related to the charging plan of multiple storage batteries under management, which includes information on the time to perform charging and the amount of charge per unit time within that time. A chargeable amount acquisition unit that acquires the chargeable amount of each of the plurality of storage batteries at the aforementioned time, A charging plan creation unit creates a charging plan for the plurality of storage batteries by determining the amount of charge per unit time within the time period for each of the plurality of storage batteries in order to achieve the charging target and the amount of charge that can be charged, based on the charging target and the amount of charge that can be charged. Equipped with, The aforementioned charging plan creation unit, The process of selecting two or more combinations of batteries from the aforementioned plurality of batteries and changing the value of the amount of charge per unit time within the time period for the batteries related to that combination so that the score calculated for each battery increases, is repeatedly performed. When the predetermined termination conditions are met, the charge amount per unit time within the specified time for each of the plurality of batteries that maximizes the sum of the scores of each battery is adopted as the charging plan. Information processing device.

11. To obtain charge / discharge targets related to the charge / discharge plans of multiple storage batteries under management, which include information on the time to perform charging or discharging, and the amount of energy charged or discharged per unit time within that time, To obtain information on the charge / dischargeable amount, which is the amount of electrical energy that can be charged or discharged at the aforementioned time for each of the plurality of storage batteries, The initial value is set by apportioning the charge / discharge capacity of each of the multiple storage batteries according to the charge / discharge power amount per unit time of the charge / discharge target, The process of repeatedly selecting two or more combinations of batteries from the aforementioned plurality of batteries and changing the value of the charge / discharge amount per unit time within the time period for the batteries related to that combination so as to increase the score calculated for each battery, When the predetermined termination conditions are met, the charge-discharge plan for the plurality of batteries is created by adopting the charge-discharge amount per unit time within the specified time for each of the plurality of batteries that maximizes the sum of the scores of each battery, including, Method for creating charge and discharge plans for multiple battery storage systems.

12. A program for causing an information processing device to execute the method for creating charge and discharge plans for multiple storage batteries as described in claim 11.

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