Fee calculation system and fee calculation method

Abstract

A calculation device of a charge calculation system selects a constituent device of a compressed gas system on the basis of a quality parameter indicating the quality of gas generated by the compressed gas system, and calculates the charge of the compressed gas system on the basis of the selected constituent device. At least one of an initial cost of the compressed gas system, a maintenance cost for a predetermined period, and an operation cost for the predetermined period is calculated, a reference cost is calculated on the basis of the calculation results of the costs, and the amount of gas that can be supplied by the compressed gas system within the predetermined period is divided by the reference cost. The unit price of the compressed gas generated by the compressed gas system is calculated on the basis of the calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the usage amount of the compressed gas, the usage cost of the compressed gas system is calculated on the basis of the calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the usage amount of the compressed gas, and the unit price of the compressed gas and the usage cost of the compressed gas system are output.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a cost calculation system and a cost calculation method. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a fluid machine evaluation device for evaluating a fluid machine such as a gas compressor purchased by a customer as his / her own asset, including the selection of a model and installation location, and a maintenance plan.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-45744 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] There are fee-for-use services that provide gas compressors to customers by leasing or renting, and charge customers a fee based on the time or operating rate of the gas compressor. In addition, there are fixed-rate usage (subscription) services that lend gas compressors to customers for a certain period of time and pay a fixed amount to the service provider regardless of the operating time and operating rate of the gas compressor. In fee-for-use services and fixed-rate usage services, it is necessary to determine the cost per unit gas volume, i.e., the gas unit price, taking into account the quality of gas such as compressed air required by the customer. The evaluation device described in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that the customer directly bears the electricity cost and maintenance cost of the power consumed by the gas compressor, and therefore cannot be used to determine the gas unit price in fee-for-use services and fixed-rate usage services.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a cost calculation system and a cost calculation method capable of determining a gas unit price in consideration of the quality of the gas.

[0009] Technical solutions to solve problems

[0010] A cost calculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a cost calculation system having a calculation device for calculating the usage cost of a compressed gas system, wherein the calculation device obtains a quality parameter representing the quality of the gas generated by the compressed gas system; selects constituent equipment of the compressed gas system based on the obtained quality parameter; calculates at least one of the initial cost of the compressed gas system, the maintenance cost for a specified period, and the operating cost for the specified period based on the selected constituent equipment; calculates a base cost based on the calculation result of the costs; calculates the unit price of the compressed gas generated by the compressed gas system by dividing the base cost by the amount of gas that the compressed gas system can supply within the specified period; calculates the usage cost of the compressed gas system based on the calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the usage of the compressed gas; and outputs the calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the calculated usage cost of the compressed gas system.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a price calculation system and a price calculation method capable of determining a gas unit price in consideration of the quality of the gas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a system for calculating the usage fee of compressed air.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware configuration of the fee calculation system.

[0015] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a compressed air system.

[0016] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing the functional structure of the fee calculation system.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of input data.

[0018] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an air compressor database.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a filter (air filter) database.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a dryer (dehumidification device) database.

[0021] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an air tank database.

[0022] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of output data.

[0023] Fig.11 It is a flowchart of the fee calculation process executed by the calculation device.

[0024] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a compressed air system according to a second embodiment.

[0025] Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a compressed air system according to a third embodiment.

[0026] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a waste heat recovery device database. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] <First embodiment>

[0028] refer to Figures 1 to 11 , a fee calculation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0029] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of a system for calculating the usage fee of compressed air. The fee calculation system 10 has a function of calculating the usage fee of the compressed air system 20. The fee calculation system 10 and the compressed air system 20 are connected to the network 50 by wire or wireless. The fee calculation system 10 and the compressed air system 20 are configured to be able to perform two-way data communication via the network 50. The network 50 is further connected to a management terminal device 30 and a user terminal device 40. The management terminal device 30 is a terminal device operated by a manager or operator of the fee calculation system 10 and the compressed air system 20, and the user terminal device 40 is a terminal device operated by a user of the fee calculation system 10 and the compressed air system 20. In the following description, the management terminal device 30 and the user terminal device 40 are collectively referred to as terminal devices.

[0030] The terminal device has a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal monitor, etc.) not shown. The manager, operator, and user of the cost calculation system 10 can input (send) input data described later to the cost calculation system 10 or receive output data described later from the cost calculation system 10 and display it on the display device by operating the terminal device. In addition, the manager, etc. can display, for example, the operating status and past operating history of the compressed air system 20 on the display device by operating the terminal device. In addition, a display device can also be provided in the cost calculation system 10, and the display device can display the same information.

[0031] Figure 21 is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware structure of the cost calculation system 10. The cost calculation system 10 has a calculation device 11. The calculation device 11 is composed of a computer having a processing device 12 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (MicroProcessing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a non-volatile memory 13 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a hard disk drive, a volatile memory 14 called a so-called RAM (Random Access Memory), an auxiliary storage device 15 such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive), an input and output interface 16, and other peripheral circuits. These hardwares cooperate to run the software and realize various functions. In addition, the calculation device 11 can be composed of one computer or a plurality of computers. In addition, as the processing device 12, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. can be used.

[0032] In the nonvolatile memory 13, programs capable of executing various operations are stored. That is, the nonvolatile memory 13 is a storage medium (storage device) that can read the program that realizes the functions of this embodiment. The volatile memory 14 is a storage medium (storage device) that temporarily stores the operation results obtained by the processing device 12 and the signals input from the input / output interface 16. The auxiliary storage device 15 is a storage medium (storage device) that stores a plurality of databases described later. The processing device 12 is a device that deploys the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 13 to the volatile memory 14 and executes the operation, and performs the prescribed operation processing on the data imported from the input / output interface 16, the nonvolatile memory 13, the volatile memory 14 and the auxiliary storage device 15 according to the program.

[0033] The input unit of the input / output interface 16 converts a signal input from the network 50 into data that can be operated by the processing device 12. The output unit of the input / output interface 16 generates an output signal according to the operation result of the processing device 12 and outputs the signal to the network 50.

[0034] Figure 32 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a compressed air system 20 according to the first embodiment. The compressed air system 20 includes an air compressor 21, a dryer 22, an air tank 23, and a filter 24. The components are connected to each other via an air pipe 25. A pressure sensor 26 is provided inside the air compressor 21. The pressure sensor 26 is connected to the air pipe 25 via a pressure detection pipe 27. The air pressure detected by the pressure sensor 26 is used to control the operation of the air compressor 21.

[0035] The air compressor 21 sucks in air from the surrounding atmosphere and compresses it. The air compressor 21 separates the oil from the compressed air and then cools it to make it flow out to the air pipe 25. The dryer 22 dries the compressed air flowing out of the air compressor 21. The dryer 22 cools the compressed air, for example, to condense the water vapor contained in the compressed air and separate it from the compressed air, thereby drying the compressed air. The compressed air dried by the dryer 22 is transported to the air tank 23. The air tank 23 temporarily stores the compressed air inside. The compressed air stored in the air tank 23 is transported to the demander after the fine dust remaining therein is removed by the filter 24.

[0036] The compressed air system 20 also includes a communication device 28 for communicating with the fee calculation system 10, the management terminal device 30, and the user terminal device 40 via the network 50. The communication device 28 is connected to the network 50 by wire or wirelessly.

[0037] In this embodiment, there are multiple models of air compressors 21, which will be described in detail later. Depending on which model of air compressor 21 is used in the compressed air system 20, the characteristics of the compressed air system 20, such as quality, air volume, cost, etc., change. The same is true for the dryer 22, the air tank 23, and the filter 24. In the following description, the air compressor 21, the dryer 22, the air tank 23, and the filter 24 are collectively referred to as fluid equipment.

[0038] Figure 4 1 is a schematic diagram showing the functional structure of the cost calculation system 10. The cost calculation system 10 includes an air compressor database 101, a filter database 102, a dryer database 103, an air tank database 104, a parameter acquisition unit 111, an equipment selection unit 112, a cost calculation unit 113, a unit price calculation unit 114, and a usage cost calculation unit 115. The air compressor database 101, the filter database 102, the dryer database 103, and the air tank database 104 are stored in Figure 2 The parameter acquisition unit 111, the device selection unit 112, the fee calculation unit 113, the unit price calculation unit 114 and the usage fee calculation unit 115 are implemented by the processing device 12 reading the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 13 and executing it.

[0039] The parameter acquisition unit 111 acquires a quality parameter indicating the quality of the compressed air from the terminal device. The equipment selection unit 112 selects the component equipment (model) of the air compressor 21 based on the quality parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition unit 111. The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the initial cost of the compressed air system 20 and the maintenance cost and operating cost in a predetermined period based on the component equipment selected by the equipment selection unit 112. The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the reference cost (basic cost) based on the calculation results of the initial cost, maintenance cost and operating cost. The unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of the compressed air generated in the compressed air system 20 by dividing the reference cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 113 by the amount of air that the compressed air system 20 can supply in the predetermined period. The usage cost calculation unit 115 calculates the usage cost of the compressed air system 20 based on the unit price of the compressed air calculated by the unit price calculation unit 114 and the usage amount of the compressed air by the user.

[0040] Figure 5 60 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the input data 60. The input data 60 is input to the fee calculation system 10 from the terminal devices 30 and 40 via the network 50. The input data 60 input to the fee calculation system 10 is stored in Figure 2 The input data 60 includes the conditions required by the user for the compressed air system 20. For example, the input data 60 includes a quality parameter indicating the quality of the compressed air generated by the compressed air system 20.

[0041] The input data 60 includes a required air volume 61, a required pressure 62, a required average margin 63, an expected annual operation time 64, a required mass concentration 65, a required water concentration 66, and a required oil concentration 67. The required air volume 61 is a value indicating the amount of compressed air required by the user [m 3 / min]. The required pressure 62 is a value indicating the pressure of the compressed air required by the user [MPaG]. The required average margin 63 is a value [%] used to adjust the amount of compressed air that the compressed air system 20 can supply to the user (i.e., the rated air volume of the compressed air system 20) relative to the required air volume 61. Assuming that the average load rate of a generally used air compressor is R, the required average margin 63 is expressed by the following formula (1).

[0042] Required average margin = (100-R) [%] … (1)

[0043] In addition, the average load factor R is expressed by the following formula (2).

[0044] Average load factor R = (necessary air volume ÷ rated air volume) × 100 [%] … (2)

[0045] The estimated annual operating time 64 is an estimated value (hours / year) of the time each year that the user will operate the compressed air system 20 .

[0046] The required mass concentration 65, the required water concentration 66, and the required oil concentration 67 are values ​​(quality parameters) indicating the quality required by the user for the compressed air. The required mass concentration 65 is a value indicating the mass concentration of foreign matter such as dust allowed for the compressed air required by the user [mg / m 3 The required water concentration 66 is a parameter indicating the amount of water per unit amount of air. In this embodiment, it is a value indicating the allowable water concentration of the compressed air required by the user [mg / m 3 The required oil concentration 67 is a value indicating the total oil concentration allowed for the compressed air required by the user [mg / m 3 ]. In addition, the "total oil concentration" herein refers to the total oil concentration including liquid oil, oil vapor and vapor of organic solvent, for example, including polymers of hydrocarbons such as acetone.

[0047] In addition, as the required air quality, instead of the required mass concentration of 65, the number of particles per 1 m corresponding to the particle size (μm) may be used. 3 The maximum number of particles (i.e., the number of particles of foreign matter per unit air volume) required. Alternatively, instead of requiring a mass concentration of 65, a value selected from the pre-specified levels 0, 1, ..., 7, X (not specified) in JIS B 8392-1: 2012 (ISO 8573-1: 2010) may be used. Here, the smaller the level number, the higher the quality, that is, the smaller the number of particles and mass concentration of dust etc. contained.

[0048] Similarly, as the quality of humidity or moisture concentration (i.e., a parameter indicating the amount of moisture per unit amount of air), the required dew point [°C PDP] may be used instead of the required moisture concentration 66. For example, the dew point at the required pressure or the required dew point at the atmospheric pressure may be used. In addition, instead of the required moisture concentration 66, a value selected from the pre-specified levels 0, 1, ..., 9, X (not specified) in JIS B 8392-1: 2012 (ISO8573-1: 2010) or the like may be used. Here, the smaller the level number, the lower the dew point and the lower the moisture concentration.

[0049] Similarly, as the quality of the total oil concentration, instead of requiring the oil concentration of 67, a value selected from the grades 0, 1, ..., 4, X (not specified) pre-specified in JIS B8392-1: 2012 (ISO 8573-1: 2010) etc. can be used. Here, the smaller the grade number, the smaller the total oil concentration in the compressed air.

[0050] If there is an item of air quality for which no special quality requirement is provided, it can be treated as if a preset initial value of general quality is input. For example, if the user has no special requirement for the quality of humidity or water concentration, a predetermined value can be used as the value of the required water concentration 66 .

[0051] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the air compressor database 101. The air compressor database 101 stores information on the compressor model C1, the corresponding compression mechanism lubrication method C2, the achievable total compressed air oil concentration level C3, the minimum air tank capacity C4, the initial cost C5, the ejected air volume C6, the package specific power C7 and the average maintenance cost C8. The compressor model C1 functions as a fluid equipment model identifier for identifying the model (model) of the air compressor 21. The total compressed air oil concentration level C3 is the total compressed air oil concentration level that can be achieved by the air compressor. The package specific power C7 is to output a specified amount (for example, 1m2) in a specified time (for example, 1 hour). 3 ) The power required for compressed air [kW / (m 3 / hour)], calculated by dividing the rated power by the discharge volume.

[0052] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the filter (air filter) database 102. The filter database 102 stores information on the filter model C9, the corresponding filtration accuracy C10, the total oil concentration level C11 of compressed air, the initial cost C12, the maximum air processing volume C13, the pressure loss at the maximum air processing volume C14, and the average maintenance cost C15. The filter model C9 functions as a fluid equipment model identifier for identifying the model (model) of the filter 24. The filtration accuracy C10 is the filtration accuracy that can be achieved by the filter, and corresponds to the quality of the number of particles such as dust. As the filtration accuracy C10, for example, an indicator such as "90% of particles with a diameter of 5μm or more can be removed" can be used. The total oil concentration level C11 of compressed air is the total oil concentration level of compressed air that can be achieved by the filter. The maximum air processing volume C13 is the value of the maximum amount of compressed air that can be processed per unit time (for example, 1 hour) [m 3 / Hour].

[0053] Figure 81 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a dryer (dehumidifier) ​​database 103. The dryer database 103 stores information on a dryer model C16, a dew point performance C17 corresponding thereto, an initial cost C18, a maximum air handling volume C19, a pressure loss C20 at the maximum air handling volume, an average maintenance cost C21, an average power consumption C22, and an air consumption ratio C23. The dryer model C16 functions as a fluid device model identifier for identifying the model (machine type) of the dryer 22. The dew point performance C17 corresponds to the quality of humidity or water concentration achieved by the dryer. The maximum air handling volume C19 indicates the inlet air volume of the dryer. The average power consumption C22 is used to indicate the average power consumption in the adsorption, regeneration, and cooling processes of a heating regeneration dryer, specifically, the power consumption of a heater or a blower, or both, mounted in the heating regeneration dryer. The air consumption ratio C23 is information that exists because a part of the inflowing compressed air is consumed depending on the type of the dryer. For example, in a heatless dryer, when the internal adsorbent is regenerated, about 15% of the dryer inlet air volume is consumed, and in a heating regeneration dryer, about 8% is consumed. Therefore, the amount of dry compressed air supplied to the demand side can be reduced by an amount equivalent to the consumed part, which affects the operating cost of the system. On the other hand, in the case of a refrigerated dryer, the air consumption ratio C23 is 0. For example Figure 8 Among them, the dryer model C16 is "RD-1", and the dryer of "RD-2" is a refrigeration dryer, and the corresponding air consumption ratio C23 is 0.

[0054] Fig. 9 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the air tank database 104. The air tank database 104 stores information on the air tank model C24 and the corresponding air tank internal volume C25, material C26, and initial cost C27. The air tank model C24 functions as a fluid device model identifier for identifying the model (model) of the air tank 23.

[0055] Figure 4 The device selection unit 112 shown searches for a combination of fluid devices that satisfies the required input values ​​(quality parameters) from the databases 101 to 104 based on each input value (quality parameter) in the input data, and temporarily stores the search result in the volatile memory 14. In addition, when there are multiple combinations of fluid devices that satisfy the required input values ​​(quality parameters), one of them may be selected and stored, or all of them may be stored.

[0056] The device selection unit 112 is configured to temporarily store different search results obtained based on a plurality of different input values ​​in the volatile memory 14. In this way, search results corresponding to different input values ​​can be compared.

[0057] The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the initial cost, the maintenance cost for a predetermined period, the operation cost for a predetermined period, and the like of the compressed air system 20 based on the constituent equipment selected by the equipment selection unit 112 (the search result temporarily stored in the volatile memory 14). The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the base cost based on these calculation results. The unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of the compressed air generated by the compressed air system 20 by dividing the base cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 113 by the amount of air that can be supplied by the compressed air system 20 within the predetermined period.

[0058] The usage fee calculation unit 115 calculates the usage fee of the compressed air system 20 based on the unit price of the compressed air calculated by the unit price calculation unit 114 and the usage amount of the compressed air by the user. The calculated result is temporarily stored as output data in the volatile memory 14. The output data is output to the terminal device via the network 50. The terminal device displays the output data output from the cost calculation system 10 and input to the terminal device on a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor, outputs it to an output device such as a printer, or stores it in a storage device such as an HDD.

[0059] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of output data. Fig.10 The output data 70 shown includes, for example, calculation results of the usage fees of the system 1 and the system 2 corresponding to different input data. The output data 70 includes information on the system identifier C28 corresponding to each input data, the corresponding monthly basic fee C29, the air unit price C30 excluding the running cost, the air unit price C31 including the running cost, the monthly fixed fee C32, the break-even point C33, the air usage volume C34, and the required payment amount C35. The monthly basic fee C29 is the monthly basic fee in the charge-by-volume service. In addition, it may be a basic fee for each year or each specified period other than the monthly basic fee. The air unit price C30 excluding the running cost is, for example, the air unit price when the electricity consumption fee is not included (the user bears the electricity consumption fee). The air unit price C31 including the running cost is, for example, the air unit price when the electricity consumption fee is included (the user does not bear the electricity consumption fee).

[0060] Figure 4 The fee calculation unit 113 shown calculates the reference fee using the following formula (3).

[0061] Base cost = ∑In+∑Mn+∑Fn+∑On …(3)

[0062] Here, ∑In is the sum of the initial costs of each fluid device selected by the device selection unit 112, ∑Mn is the sum of the average maintenance costs, ∑On is the sum of the running costs, and ∑Fn is the sum of other management costs and fixed costs such as taxes. In addition, as the running cost, for example, when the air compressor 21 is driven by an electric motor, the power consumption cost can be cited. In addition, when the air compressor 21 is driven by an internal combustion engine, the fuel cost of diesel or gasoline can be cited as the running cost.

[0063] The unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the air unit price using the following formula (4).

[0064] Air unit price = base cost / (Q×He) … (4)

[0065] Here, Q is the system air volume, and He is the expected operation time. That is, (Q×He) represents the air volume that the compressed air system 20 can supply within a predetermined period. In this way, the unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of the compressed air generated by the compressed air system 20 by dividing the base price calculated by the cost calculation unit 113 by the air volume (Q×He) that the compressed air system 20 can supply within a predetermined period.

[0066] Generally speaking, the more air volume is required, the greater the compressor output (the amount of compressed air output per unit time by the compressed air system), and the higher the required air quality. The smaller the number or mass concentration of foreign matter such as dust, the lower the humidity or water concentration, and the lower the total oil concentration containing liquid oil and oil vapor (the concentration level 0 is the highest quality), the higher the air quality can be considered. The higher the required air quality, the more expensive the suitable fluid equipment is, and the higher the air unit price is.

[0067] In the fee-for-use service, when the user bears the electricity fee generated when using the compressed air system 20, it is preferable to deduct the electricity fee from the amount required to pay the compressed air usage fee from the user. The fee calculation unit 113 calculates the base fee in this case using the following formula (5).

[0068] Base cost = α1 × (∑In + ∑Mn + ∑Fn) … (5)

[0069] Here, α1 is a weight coefficient that can be arbitrarily set for adjusting the amount of money.

[0070] The unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the air unit price C30 using the following equation (6).

[0071] Air unit price = base cost / (Qe×He) … (6)

[0072] Here, Qe is the air volume per unit time determined when the user signs up for this pay-per-use service. That is, (Qe×He) refers to the air volume predicted to be consumed in a predetermined period (predicted system air volume Ae).

[0073] The unit price calculation unit 114 sets a predetermined threshold value Ae0 for the predicted system air volume Ae. When the air volume actually used by the user (the used system air volume Qc) exceeds the threshold value Ae0 of the predicted system air volume Ae, the unit price calculation unit 114 sets a value greater than the predicted system air volume Ae at the time of contract signing as the new predicted system air volume Ae'. The unit price calculation unit 114 recalculates the air unit price based on the newly set predicted system air volume Ae'. In this way, it is possible to realize a proper payment request for the compressed air usage fee.

[0074] The system air volume Qc used is calculated using the following formula (7).

[0075] Qc=Qe×Ra …(7)

[0076] Here, Ra is the actual average load factor in a predetermined period.

[0077] Specifically, the actual average load factor Ra is the actual average load factor of the compressed air system 20 during the period for which the compressed air usage fee is required to be paid, and is calculated by, for example, the following formula (8).

[0078] Ra=(∑R) / Ha …(8)

[0079] Here, Ha is the actual operation time. The actual operation time Ha is the actual operation time of the compressed air system 20 during the period of payment of the compressed air usage fee. R is the average load factor per unit time.

[0080] The average load factor R is calculated using the following formula (9).

[0081] R={αp×αf×(T1 / (T1+T2))}…(9)

[0082] Here, αp is the pressure coefficient, αf is the output frequency coefficient, T1 is the load operation time, and T2 is the no-load operation time.

[0083] The pressure coefficient αp represents the ratio of the power consumption when the user sets the pressure to the power consumption at the rated pressure of the selected air compressor 21. For example, if an air compressor 21 with a specification of 0.7 MPaG is selected and the operating pressure set by the user is also 0.7 MPaG, the pressure coefficient αp is 1.0 (100%). The output frequency coefficient αf represents the ratio of the average output frequency per unit time of the operation of the air compressor 21 to the maximum output frequency of the motor of the selected air compressor 21. For example, if the maximum speed of the selected air compressor 21 is 60 Hz and the average output frequency per unit time of the operation of the air compressor 21 is also 60 Hz, the output frequency coefficient αf is 1.0 (100%). The load operation time T1, the no-load operation time T2, the user-set pressure Pd for calculating the pressure coefficient αp, and the average output frequency fa per unit time for calculating the output frequency coefficient αf are sent from the compressed air system 20 to the cost calculation system 10 via the network 50.

[0084] On the other hand, in the case of a charge-by-volume service, if the user does not bear the electricity cost incurred when using the compressed air system, that is, if the service provider or a third party bears the electricity cost, the electricity cost portion may be included in the amount required to pay the compressed air usage fee from the user. In this case, the air unit price C31 can be calculated using the following formula (10).

[0085] Air unit price = α2×(∑In+∑Mn+∑Fn+∑On) / (Qc×Ha) …(10)

[0086] The denominator of this calculation formula is expressed as the product of the amount of system air Qc actually used by the user and the actual operating time Ha. At this time, the payment amount Cb required of the user is the product of the amount of system air Qc used and the air unit price 31. The weight coefficient α2 is a coefficient that can be arbitrarily set to adjust the amount. In this case, the user only needs to make a payment request corresponding to the amount of compressed air used, so the payment amount can be suppressed when the amount of system air used during the specified period is small.

[0087] The monthly fixed fee C32 is a monthly fee for using a fixed-fee (subscription) service that has a fixed fee regardless of actual usage. In addition, it is also possible to use a fixed fee for each year or each specified period instead of a monthly fixed fee. The break-even point C33 is the shortest period (number of months or years) for which the fixed-fee service is more advantageous (the payment amount is less) than the volume-based service. By including the break-even point C33 in the output data 70, the user can be easily prompted with a quote for each combination of fluid devices. In addition, the user can easily determine where there is an advantage for each of the multiple input values.

[0088] The amount of air used C34 and the amount required to be paid C35 are information for users who are already using the pay-per-use service, and represent actual values ​​in the recent past. Here, the amount of system air used Qc uses the value actually measured by a flow sensor, etc., or the product of the air volume per unit time Qe determined when signing the contract and the actual average load rate Ra during the specified period (= Qe×Ra). That is, the amount of compressed air used can be calculated based on the measured value of the flow sensor set in the flow path of the compressed air, or it can be calculated based on the load rate of the air compressor 21 included in the compressed air system 20. By estimating the amount of system air used Qc using the actual average load rate Ra during the specified period sent from the air compressor 21, costs such as the cost of the flow sensor body and the installation and construction costs are not required, and pay-per-use services can be provided at a lower cost.

[0089] In the charge-by-volume service, whether or not to include the average maintenance cost ∑Mn in the payment request for the compressed air usage fee can be arbitrarily determined according to the customer's requirements. In the case where the customer wishes to be responsible for the management and bear the maintenance costs themselves, the average maintenance cost ∑Mn can be removed from the air unit price C30 and the air unit price C31. On the other hand, in the case where the customer wishes to ensure the stable operation of the compressed air system by entrusting the service provider to perform regular maintenance, the maintenance cost can be included in the charge-by-volume amount. That is, as described above, as shown in the calculation formulas of the air unit price C30 and the air unit price C31, the average maintenance cost ∑Mn can be added to the calculation of the air unit price. By arbitrarily adding or removing each cost in the calculation formula of the air unit price, it is possible to suggest service content that flexibly responds to customer requirements.

[0090] Fig.111 is a flowchart of the cost calculation process performed by the calculation device 11. In step S100, the parameter acquisition unit 111 acquires a quality parameter indicating the quality of the compressed air generated by the compressed air system 20. In step S110, the equipment selection unit 112 selects the components of the compressed air system 20 based on the quality parameter acquired in step S100. In step S120, the cost calculation unit 113 calculates the initial cost of the compressed air system, the maintenance cost for a specified period, and the operating cost for a specified period based on the components selected in step S110. In step S130, the cost calculation unit 113 calculates the base cost based on the calculation result of step S120. In step S140, the unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of the compressed air generated by the compressed air system 20 by dividing the base cost calculated in step S130 by the amount of compressed air that the compressed air system 20 can supply within the specified period. In step S150, the usage fee calculation unit 115 calculates the usage fee of the compressed air system 20 based on the unit price of the compressed air calculated in step S140 and the amount of compressed air used by the user. In step S160, the usage fee calculation unit 115 outputs (transmits) output data 70 including the unit price of the compressed air calculated in step S140 and the usage fee of the compressed air system 20 calculated in step S150 to the terminal device.

[0091] According to the first embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0092] (1) The calculation device 11 acquires quality parameters (e.g., required mass concentration 65, required water concentration 66, required oil concentration 67) indicating the quality of the gas generated by the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system). The calculation device 11 selects the components of the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) based on the acquired quality parameters, calculates the initial cost, the maintenance cost for a predetermined period, and the operating cost for a predetermined period of the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) based on the selected components, and calculates the base cost based on the cost calculation results. The calculation device 11 calculates the unit price of the compressed air (compressed gas) generated by the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) by dividing the base cost by the amount of air (gas) that the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) can supply within the predetermined period. The calculation device 11 calculates the usage cost of the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) based on the calculated unit price of the compressed air (compressed gas) and the amount of compressed air (compressed gas) used. The calculation device 11 outputs the calculated unit price of compressed air (compressed gas) and the calculated usage fee of the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system). This provides a fee calculation system that can determine the unit price of gas in consideration of the quality of the gas.

[0093] (2) The calculation device 11 acquires the required mass concentration 65 (mass concentration of foreign matter), the required water concentration 66 (a parameter indicating the amount of water per unit gas amount), and the required oil concentration 67 (total oil concentration) as quality parameters. This makes it possible to provide a cost calculation system that can determine the air unit price (gas unit price) in consideration of the quality of compressed air from various viewpoints.

[0094] (3) When the calculation device 11 calculates the usage amount of the compressed air (compressed gas) based on the measurement value of the flow rate sensor provided in the flow path of the compressed air (compressed gas), the usage fee can be calculated based on the accurate usage amount.

[0095] (4) When the calculation device 11 calculates the usage of compressed air (compressed gas) based on the load rate of the air compressor 21 (gas compressor) included in the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system), costs such as the cost of the flow sensor body and the installation and construction costs are not required, and a charge-by-volume service can be provided at a lower cost.

[0096] (5) The calculation device 11 outputs the unit price of the compressed air (compressed gas) and the usage fee of the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) to the display device or the terminal device (terminal) having the display device, and displays the unit price of the compressed air (compressed gas) and the usage fee of the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) on the display device. In this way, the user can easily confirm the unit price and the usage fee.

[0097] <Second embodiment>

[0098] refer to Fig.12 , a fee calculation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, the same reference numerals are attached to the same or corresponding structures as those described in the first embodiment, and mainly the differences will be described.

[0099] Fig.12 is with Figure 3 The same figure is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the compressed air system 220 of the second embodiment. The compressed air system 220 of this embodiment is provided with a flow sensor 29 downstream of the filter 24, that is, before the air demand side of the user (not shown). By configuring in this way, the amount of system air Qc actually used by the user can be measured.

[0100] According to the second embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0101] (1) A flow rate sensor 29 is provided downstream of the filter 24, that is, before the air demand of a user (not shown). This allows a more accurate air volume to be used in calculating the required payment amount, taking into account the volume change of the compressed air caused by the temperature change and atmospheric pressure change of the surrounding air.

[0102] <Third Embodiment>

[0103] refer to Fig.13 and Fig.14 , a fee calculation system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, the same reference numerals are attached to the same or corresponding structures as those described in the first embodiment, and mainly the differences will be described.

[0104] Fig.13 is with Figure 3 The same figure is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the compressed air system 320 of the third embodiment. In the compressed air system 320 of this embodiment, an air compressor 321 is provided instead of the air compressor 21, a dryer 322 is provided instead of the dryer 22, and a filter 324 is provided instead of the filter 24. Furthermore, in the compressed air system 320, a water separator 333, a waste heat recovery device 329, a blown air pipe 331, and a water supply pipe 332 are additionally provided.

[0105] The compressed air system 320 of the third embodiment is an example of a system that is selected when the user's required air quality is to minimize the total oil concentration in the compressed air (equivalent to the highest level, i.e., level 0), and the required dew point is also required to be below -40°C PDP (equivalent to level 2), and further requires a waste heat recovery device to utilize the waste heat of the compressor to achieve energy consumption reduction in the user's factory.

[0106] The air compressor 321 is an oil-free compressor to correspond to the total oil concentration level 0. In addition, the dryer 322 is an adsorption dryer (e.g., a heatless dryer) that can generate compressed air with a lower dew point than a general refrigeration dryer to correspond to -40°C PDP or less (equivalent to level 2). On the upstream side of the dryer 322, a water separator 333 is newly installed to remove excess water such as condensed water. The water separator 333 prevents water droplets from flowing into the dryer 322 and deteriorating the dew point (dew point increase). In addition, on the downstream side of the dryer 322, a filter 324 is installed to remove a small amount of adsorbent particles mixed in the compressed air after passing through the dryer 322.

[0107] In the compressed air system 320, the air compressor 321 is connected to a waste heat recovery device 329. The waste heat recovery device 329 performs heat exchange between a high-temperature fluid such as high-temperature compressed air and a low-temperature fluid such as water on the user side, and heats the low-temperature fluid, i.e., water. That is, the waste heat recovery device 329 recovers the waste heat of the air compressor 321 and heats the low-temperature fluid. Thus, hot water that can be used in other production equipment and air conditioning equipment on the user side is provided.

[0108] The waste heat recovery device 329 can reduce the electricity and fossil fuels used for boilers that were previously used to generate hot water. When the air compressor 321 is air-cooled, the high-temperature compressed air ejected from the air compressor 321 flows into the heat recovery heat exchanger 330 in the waste heat recovery device 329 via the ejection air piping 331. The high-temperature compressed air is cooled by heat exchange with the water supplied by the user and flows back to the air compressor 321 again. The returned compressed air is cooled to a specified air temperature by an air-cooled cooler (not shown) in the air compressor 321, and then ejected from the air piping 25 to the air tank 23. The water heated by the heat exchange with the heat recovery heat exchanger 330 is supplied to the user's hot water demand side through the water supply piping 332.

[0109] Fig.14 1 is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the waste heat recovery device database 105. The waste heat recovery device database 105 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 in the computing device 11, similarly to other databases. The waste heat recovery device database 105 stores information on the waste heat recovery device model C36, the corresponding compression mechanism lubrication method C37 of the corresponding compressor, the applicable compressor output power range C38, the initial cost C39, the rated waste heat recovery rate C40, the rated power consumption C41, and the average maintenance cost C42. The waste heat recovery device model C36 functions as a fluid equipment model identifier for identifying the model (machine type) of the waste heat recovery device 329.

[0110] In this embodiment, the initial cost and average maintenance cost of the waste heat recovery device 329 are added, and reflected in the air unit price C30 and the air unit price C31. The air unit price increases in accordance with the additional cost, but generally, the hot water generation cost that can be reduced by waste heat recovery is sufficiently large compared to the increase in the air unit price, so the total cost advantage when the waste heat recovery device 329 is introduced can be ensured.

[0111] According to the third embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0112] (1) The compressed air system 320 (compressed gas system) can be connected to the waste heat recovery device 329, and the waste heat recovery device 329 recovers at least a portion of the waste heat of the air compressor 321 (gas compressor) included in the compressed air system 320 (compressed gas system) to heat the low-temperature fluid. This can reduce the hot water generation cost required by the user's demand side.

[0113] The following modified examples are also within the scope of the present invention, and it is also possible to combine the structure shown in the modified examples with the structure described in the above embodiment, or to combine the structures described in the above different embodiments with each other, or to combine the structures described in the following different modified examples with each other.

[0114] <Variation 1>

[0115] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention is applied to a cost calculation system for a compressed air system, but the present invention can be applied to systems other than a compressed air system that provides compressed air as compressed gas. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a cost calculation system that performs cost calculation on a compressed nitrogen system that provides compressed nitrogen as compressed gas.

[0116] <Variation 2>

[0117] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the amount (concentration) of foreign matter, the amount of water (water concentration), the total oil concentration, etc. are used as quality parameters indicating the required quality of compressed air, but the present invention can of course also be applied to other quality parameters. For example, the number of microorganisms contained in the compressed air, etc., as long as it is a parameter related to the quality of the compressed air, any quality parameter can be used. In addition, only a part of the quality parameters described in the above-mentioned embodiments may be used.

[0118] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the above embodiments are merely a part of application examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific structures of the above embodiments.

[0119] Description of Reference Numerals

[0120] 10…cost calculation system, 11…calculation device, 20, 220, 320…compressed air system (compressed gas system), 21, 321…air compressor (gas compressor), 22…dryer, 23…air tank, 24, 324…filter, 30…management terminal device, 40…user terminal device, 50…network, 101…air compressor database, 102…filter database, 103…dryer database, 104…air tank database.

Claims

1. A cost calculation system having a calculation device for calculating the cost of using a compressed gas system, wherein the cost calculation system is characterized by: the computing device, obtaining a quality parameter indicative of the quality of gas generated by the compressed gas system, selecting components of the compressed gas system based on the obtained quality parameters, calculating at least one of an initial cost of the compressed gas system, a maintenance cost for a predetermined period, and an operating cost for the predetermined period based on the selected constituent equipment, Calculate a base fee based on the fee calculation result, The unit price of the compressed gas generated by the compressed gas system is calculated by dividing the base price by the amount of gas that can be supplied by the compressed gas system within a predetermined period. calculating the usage fee of the compressed gas system based on the calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the usage amount of the compressed gas, The calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the calculated usage fee of the compressed gas system are output.

2. The cost calculation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The calculation device obtains at least one of the number of particles of foreign matter per unit gas volume, the mass concentration of foreign matter, a parameter indicating the amount of water per unit gas volume, and the total oil concentration as the quality parameter.

3. The cost calculation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The calculation device calculates the usage amount of the compressed gas based on a measurement value of a flow rate sensor provided in a flow path of the compressed gas.

4. The cost calculation system according to claim 1, wherein: The calculation device calculates the usage amount of the compressed gas based on a load rate of a gas compressor included in the compressed gas system.

5. The cost calculation system according to claim 1, wherein: The compressed gas system can be connected to a waste heat recovery device, which recovers at least a portion of waste heat of a gas compressor included in the compressed gas system to heat the cryogenic fluid.

6. The cost calculation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The calculation device outputs the unit price of the compressed gas and the usage fee of the compressed gas system to a display device or a terminal having the display device, and the unit price of the compressed gas and the usage fee of the compressed gas system are displayed on the display device.

7. A method for calculating costs, characterized in that: obtaining a quality parameter indicative of the quality of gas generated by the compressed gas system, selecting components of the compressed gas system based on the obtained quality parameters, calculating at least one of an initial cost of the compressed gas system, a maintenance cost for a predetermined period, and an operating cost for the predetermined period based on the selected constituent equipment, Calculate a base fee based on the fee calculation result, The unit price of the compressed gas generated by the compressed gas system is calculated by dividing the base price by the amount of gas that can be supplied by the compressed gas system within a predetermined period. calculating the usage fee of the compressed gas system based on the calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the usage amount of the compressed gas, The calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the calculated usage fee of the compressed gas system are output.

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