Operation mode switching support device, fuel production system, operation mode switching support method, and operation mode switching support program

Abstract

To provide an operation mode switching assistance device, an economic efficiency simulator, a fuel production system, an operation mode switching assistance method, and an operation mode switching assistance program with which options can be switched in order to increase profit.SOLUTION: An operation mode switching assistance device 50 of a fuel production system 1 produces fuel by combining a biomass-fired power generation facility 10, a water electrolysis device 20, and a fuel production reaction device 30. The operation mode switching assistance device acquires the selling price of electricity generated by the biomass-fired power generation facility 10 and the selling price of the fuel produced by the fuel production system 1, and controls switching between an electricity selling mode in which the electricity is sold and a fuel production mode in which fuel is produced, on the basis of the result of a comparison between the electricity selling price and the fuel selling price.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation mode switching assistance device, an economic simulator, a fuel production system, an operation mode switching assistance method, and an operation mode switching assistance program. [Background technology]

[0002] Toward the realization of a carbon-neutral society, there is an increasing need to produce SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), especially in the aviation industry. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose an SAF production system that uses thermal power generation, a water electrolysis device, and a methanation device (FT synthesis device, a device that synthesizes liquefied hydrocarbons using the FT method (Fischer-Tropsch method)). Patent Document 2 discloses the recovery and utilization of carbon dioxide emitted from a biomass oil refinery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-33284 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2020-525638 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the inventions of Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not consider biomass thermal power generation that utilizes biomass. In recent years, biomass-fired power plants, which use biomass as fuel in addition to coal, have been increasing. On the other hand, recent reforms to the electricity system have increased the volume of transactions in the wholesale electricity market, which has led to an increase in the fluctuation range of wholesale electricity prices. Depending on the season or time of day, there are cases where operators can benefit more from earning revenue from selling electricity generated by biomass-fired power plants than from producing SAF with electricity generated from biomass-fired power plants. In other words, operators have two options to choose from: either sell the electricity generated by biomass-fired power plants or use it to produce SAF.

[0005] However, operators face the challenge of finding it difficult to appropriately select the option (operating mode) that will maximize profits based on information such as the electricity selling price, electricity purchasing price, biomass price, and SAF price.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an operation mode switching support device, an economic simulator, a fuel production system, an operation mode switching support method, and an operation mode switching support program that are capable of switching options (operation modes) to maximize profits. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the operation mode switching support device, the economic efficiency simulator, the fuel production system, the operation mode switching support method, and the operation mode switching support program disclosed herein employ the following means. The operation mode switching support device disclosed herein is an operation mode switching support device for a fuel production system that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, and a fuel production reaction device, and acquires the electricity selling price of electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and the fuel selling price of fuel produced by the fuel production system, and performs control to switch between an electricity selling mode in which the electricity is sold and a fuel production mode in which the fuel is produced, based on the result of comparing the electricity selling price and the fuel selling price.

[0008] The economic simulator disclosed herein is an economic simulator for a fuel production system that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, and a fuel production reactor, and based on input information including the selling price of electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and the selling price of fuel produced by the fuel production system, determines the amount of electricity to be sold in a power selling mode in which the electricity is sold and the amount of fuel produced in a fuel production mode in which the fuel is produced.

[0009] The fuel production system of the present disclosure includes a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, a fuel production reactor, and the above-mentioned operation mode switching support device, and produces fuel.

[0010] The operation mode switching support method disclosed herein is a method for supporting operation mode switching of a fuel production system that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, and a fuel production reaction device, and includes the steps of: acquiring the electricity selling price of electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and the fuel selling price of fuel produced by the fuel production system; and, based on a result of comparing the electricity selling price and the fuel selling price, controlling switching between an electricity selling mode in which the electricity is sold and a fuel production mode in which the fuel is produced, and is executed by a computer.

[0011] The driving mode switching assistance program of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the driving mode switching assistance method described above. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, a power selling mode and a fuel production mode can be appropriately selected by comparing the case where the power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility is sold with the case where fuel is produced by the fuel production system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a fuel production system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a driving mode switching support device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates a business flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a fuel production system in a power sell mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 illustrates a fuel production system in SAF production mode according to some embodiments of the disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control flow of a driving mode switching assistance device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates the operation of an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates a fuel production system having a chimney in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates a fuel production system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a fuel production system in a power sell mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 illustrates a fuel production system in SAF production mode according to some embodiments of the disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 illustrates a business flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 illustrates an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control flow of a driving mode switching assistance device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 illustrates the operation of an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 illustrates a fuel production system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 illustrates a fuel production system in operation mode A according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 illustrates a fuel production system in operation mode B according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 illustrates a fuel production system in operation mode C according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 illustrates a business flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 22] FIG. 1 illustrates an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 23] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control flow of a driving mode switching assistance device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 24] FIG. 1 illustrates the operation of an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 illustrates the correlation between power generation and profit of a fuel production system in some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an operation mode switching support device, an economic simulator, a fuel production system, an operation mode switching support method, and an operation mode switching support program according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a fuel production system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1, the fuel production system 1 includes a biomass thermal power generation facility 10, a water electrolysis device 20, an FT synthesis device (a fuel production reaction device) 30, and an operation mode switching support device 50. The fuel production system 1 produces fuel.

[0016] The biomass thermal power plant 10 is a thermal power plant that uses biomass 40 as fuel. Electricity generated by the biomass thermal power plant 10 is supplied to a water electrolysis device 20 and / or sold as electricity for sale 41. At least a portion of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during power generation by the biomass thermal power plant 10 is captured by a CO2 capture device (not shown) provided in the biomass thermal power plant 10 and sent to the FT synthesis device 30.

[0017] The fuel production system 1 may include a CO2 tank 11 for storing carbon dioxide recovered from the biomass thermal power plant 10. If the fuel production system 1 does not include the CO2 tank 11, the carbon dioxide discharged from the biomass thermal power plant 10 is sent directly to the FT synthesis device 30. The CO2 tank 11 may be a liquefied CO2 tank or a pressurized CO2 gas holder.

[0018] The water electrolysis device 20 performs electrolysis of water and water vapor using electric power from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and / or external electric power 42 supplied from an external source to generate hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). The fuel production system 1 may include an H2 tank (not shown) for storing the hydrogen generated by the water electrolysis device 20.

[0019] It is preferable to use inexpensive electricity such as surplus electricity or late-night electricity as the external electricity 42 supplied to the water electrolysis device 20. Furthermore, a power storage device (not shown) for storing the external electricity 42 and / or a power storage device (not shown) for storing the electricity of the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 may be provided. By providing a power storage device, inexpensive external electricity such as surplus electricity or late-night electricity, or surplus electricity of the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 can be stored during times when the water electrolysis device 20 does not require electricity, etc., and the fuel production system 1 can use inexpensive electricity. The power storage device may be provided in the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 or in the water electrolysis device 20. The power storage device may be provided between the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and the water electrolysis device 20, or between the external electricity 42 and the water electrolysis device 20.

[0020] The FT synthesis device 30 is a device that synthesizes liquefied hydrocarbons using the FT method (Fischer-Tropsch method). The FT method is a series of processes that synthesize liquefied hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and hydrogen using a catalytic reaction, and compounds of iron or cobalt are generally used as the catalyst. The FT method is intended to produce synthetic oils and synthetic fuels that are substitutes for petroleum. In this disclosure, liquefied hydrocarbons (CnH2n+2) are synthesized from hydrogen generated by the water electrolysis device 20 and carbon dioxide discharged by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10. The FT synthesis device 30 in this embodiment includes, for example, a reverse shift reaction catalyst, and in the reverse shift reaction, carbon monoxide and water are produced from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The liquefied hydrocarbons synthesized from carbon dioxide derived from biomass are used as carbon-neutral fuel, for example, SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel).

[0021] The operation mode switching support device 50 controls switching of the operation mode of the fuel production system 1. The operation mode switching support device 50 may include an economic efficiency simulator 55, which will be described later.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a driving mode switching support device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 2, the driving mode switching support device 50 is a computer system, and includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) 1100, a secondary storage device (ROM, Secondary storage: memory) 1200, a main storage device (RAM, Main Memory) 1300, a hard disk drive (HDD) 1400 as a large-capacity storage device, and a communication unit 1500 for connecting to a network or the like. Note that a solid-state drive (SSD) may be used as the large-capacity storage device. These units are connected via a bus 1800.

[0023] The CPU 1100 controls the entire driving mode switching support device 50 by, for example, an operating system (OS) stored in a secondary storage device 1200 connected via a bus 1800, and executes various processes by executing various programs stored in the secondary storage device 1200. One or more CPUs 1100 may be provided, and may cooperate with each other to realize processes.

[0024] The main memory device 1300 is composed of writable memory such as cache memory or RAM (Random Access Memory), and is used as a working area for reading out programs executed by the CPU 1100 and writing data processed by the programs.

[0025] The secondary storage device 1200 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The secondary storage device 1200 is, for example, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like. Examples of the secondary storage device 1200 include a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and a SSD (Solid State Drive) flash memory. The secondary storage device 1200 stores, for example, an OS for controlling the entire information processing device such as Windows (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark), a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System), various device drivers for operating peripheral devices as hardware, various application software, and various data and files. In addition, the secondary storage device 1200 stores programs for implementing various processes and various data required for implementing various processes. A plurality of secondary storage devices 1200 may be provided, and the above-mentioned programs and data may be divided and stored in each secondary storage device 1200.

[0026] The driving mode switching support device 50 may also include an input unit such as a keyboard or a mouse, a display unit such as a liquid crystal display device that displays data, etc. Also, the driving mode switching support device 50 may include a notification unit such as a speaker that includes a display unit and outputs a lamp, sound, and in particular an alarm sound.

[0027] A series of processes for realizing the functions of the driving mode switching support device 50 is stored in the secondary storage device 1200 (see FIG. 2) in the form of a program, for example, and the CPU (processor) 1100 (see FIG. 2) reads this program into the main storage device 1300 (see FIG. 2) and executes information processing and arithmetic processing to realize various functions. The program may be pre-installed in the secondary storage device 1200, provided in a state stored in another non-transient computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. Examples of non-transient computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories.

[0028] The operation mode switching support device 50 performs control to switch the operation mode of the fuel production system 1. The operation mode switching support device 50 acquires the power selling price of the power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and the SAF selling price (fuel selling price) of the SAF (fuel) produced by the fuel production system 1, and performs control to switch between a power selling mode, which is an operation mode in which the power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 is sold, and an SAF production mode (fuel production mode), which is an operation mode in which SAF is produced by the fuel production system 1, based on a result of comparing the power selling price and the SAF selling price.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a fuel production system in a power selling mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. When the operation mode switching support device 50 sets the operation mode of the fuel production system 1 to the power selling mode, the fuel production system 1 is controlled as follows.

[0030] As shown by the solid line in Fig. 3, biomass 40, which serves as fuel, is input into the biomass thermal power plant 10. The biomass thermal power plant 10 generates electricity using the biomass 40, and all of the generated electricity (excluding electricity consumed within the biomass thermal power plant 10) is sold as electricity for sale 41. In addition, carbon dioxide generated during power generation is stored in a CO2 tank 11.

[0031] When the operation mode is the power selling mode, power supply from the biomass thermal power plant 10 to the water electrolysis device 20 and carbon dioxide supply to the FT synthesis device 30, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 3, are not performed. In other words, SAF production using the power of the biomass thermal power plant 10 is not performed.

[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates a fuel production system in SAF production mode according to some embodiments of the disclosure. When the operation mode switching support device 50 sets the operation mode of the fuel production system 1 to the SAF production mode, the fuel production system 1 is controlled as follows.

[0033] As shown by the solid line in Fig. 4, biomass 40, which serves as fuel, is input into the biomass thermal power plant 10. The biomass thermal power plant 10 generates electricity using the biomass 40, and all of the generated electricity (excluding electricity consumed within the biomass thermal power plant 10) is supplied to the water electrolysis device 20. In addition, carbon dioxide generated during power generation is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30 via a CO2 tank 11.

[0034] The water electrolysis device 20 receives power from the biomass thermal power plant 10, performs water electrolysis, and generates hydrogen (H2). When the power supplied from the biomass thermal power plant 10 is insufficient or when the external power 42 is inexpensive, the water electrolysis device 20 also receives power from the external power 42. The generated hydrogen is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30.

[0035] The FT synthesis unit 30 receives hydrogen from the water electrolysis unit 20 and carbon dioxide from the biomass thermal power plant 10 or the CO2 tank 11. In the FT synthesis unit 30, liquefied hydrocarbons (CnH2n+2) are synthesized and SAF43, which is a fuel, is produced. The synthesized liquefied hydrocarbons are used as SAF43.

[0036] When the operation mode is the SAF production mode, no power is supplied to the outside from the biomass thermal power plant 10 as indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 4. In other words, the power of the biomass thermal power plant 10 is not sold.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating information flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the driving mode switching support device 50 acquires input information from an information collecting device 60 and a user terminal 65. The information collection device 60 collects and acquires market information related to the fuel production system 1. The market information is, for example, the electricity selling price, the electricity purchasing price, the biomass price, the SAF price (fuel price), etc., and is various information in the market related to the fuel production system 1. The market information collected by the information collection device 60 is received by the user terminal 65 (S10).

[0038] The user terminal 65 acquires business operator information related to the fuel production system 1. The business operator information is various information related to the business operator using the fuel production system 1, such as the amount of biomass input that can be procured, the upper limit of the cost of purchasing electricity from outside, and the amount of CO2 stored in the tank. The business operator information is input to the user terminal 65 by the business operator. The business operator information acquired by the user terminal 65 is added to the market information received by the user terminal 65 and transmitted to the operation mode switching support device 50 (S20).

[0039] The operation mode switching support device 50 acquires the selling price of electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and the SAF selling price of SAF produced by the fuel production system 1, based on market information and business operator information transmitted from the user terminal 65. The operation mode switching support device 50 compares the selling price of electricity with the SAF selling price, and performs control to switch between an electricity selling mode for selling electricity and an SAF production mode for producing SAF, based on the comparison result, so as to maximize the profit of the business operator, i.e., the fuel production system 1.

[0040] The operation mode switching support device 50 may include an economic simulator 55. The economic simulator 55 performs an economic simulation based on the input information, that is, market information and business operator information, and determines the amount of electricity sold in the electricity selling mode and the amount of SAF produced in the SAF production mode (S30). The economic simulator 55 may perform an economic simulation, calculate a process value of the fuel production system 1, and output an estimated cost value of the fuel production system 1.

[0041] The operation mode switching support device 50 proposes either the power selling mode or the SAF production mode. When the economic efficiency simulator 55 is provided, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes the amount of power sold in the power selling mode or the amount of SAF production in the SAF production mode based on the results of the simulation (S40).

[0042] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, input parameters are input to the economic simulator 55 as input information, and output values ​​are output as output information.

[0043] The input parameters include market information and business operator information. The market information includes the electricity selling price, which is the unit price when electricity is sold, the electricity purchasing price, which is the unit price when electricity is purchased, the biomass price, which is the procurement price of biomass 40, and the SAF price, which is the selling price of SAF 43. The business operator information includes the biomass input amount, which indicates the amount of biomass 40 that the business operator can procure, the upper limit of the cost of purchasing electricity from outside based on the business operator's procurement funds, and the CO2 tank storage amount, which is the volume of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank 11.

[0044] The output value includes a proposal of an optimal operation mode (operation mode selection information), a process value of the fuel production system 1, and a cost estimate value. The proposal of the optimal operation mode includes an operation mode of a power selling mode and an SAF production mode. The process value of the fuel production system 1 includes the amount of power sold by the fuel production system 1, the amount of SAF produced by the fuel production system 1, the amount of power received from the outside (amount of power purchased) which is the amount of power received (purchased) from the external power source 42, the amount of power supplied from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 to the water electrolysis device 20, the amount of hydrogen supplied from the water electrolysis device 20 to the FT synthesis device 30, the amount of CO2 discharged from the thermal power generation facility to the CO2 tank which is the amount of carbon dioxide discharged from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 to the CO2 tank 11, and the amount of CO2 supplied from the CO2 tank to the FT synthesis device which is the amount of carbon dioxide supplied from the CO2 tank 11 to the FT synthesis device 30. The cost estimates include (1) projected profits from selling electricity, (2) projected profits from SAF production, (3) external electricity purchasing costs, and (4) net profits from SAF production ((2)-(3)).

[0045] The economic simulator 55 receives each input parameter as input information, performs calculations, and outputs each output value as output information.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control flow of a driving mode switching assistance device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Each step in the flowchart of Fig. 7 corresponds to each step in the information flow of Fig. 5. S30 in the information flow of Fig. 5 corresponds to S31 to S33 in the flowchart of Fig. 7. S40 in the information flow of Fig. 5 corresponds to S41 and S42 in the flowchart of Fig. 7.

[0047] In step S10, when the operation mode switching support device 50 performs control, the information collection device 60 collects and acquires market information (electricity selling price, electricity purchasing price, biomass price, and SAF price). The operation mode switching support device 50 reads the collected market information via the user terminal 65.

[0048] In step S20, when the operation mode switching support device 50 performs control, business operator information (biomass input amount, upper limit of electricity purchase cost from outside, and CO2 tank storage amount) is input to the user terminal 65. The operation mode switching support device 50 reads the business operator information input to the user terminal 65.

[0049] In step S31, the economic simulator 55 of the operation mode switching support device 50 calculates process values ​​(amount of electricity sold, amount of SAF produced, amount of electricity received from outside (amount of electricity purchased), amount of electricity supplied from the thermal power plant to the water electrolysis device, amount of hydrogen supplied from the water electrolysis device to the FT synthesis device, amount of CO2 emitted from the thermal power plant to the CO2 tank, and amount of CO2 supplied from the CO2 tank to the FT synthesis device) through an economic simulation.

[0050] Next, in step S32, the economic simulator 55 performs an economic simulation to estimate costs ((1) profit from selling electricity, (2) profit from SAF production, (3) external electricity receiving costs, and (4) net profit from SAF production ((2)-(3))) and calculates estimated costs.

[0051] In step S33, the operation mode switching support device 50 compares (1) the electricity selling profit with (4) the pure SAF manufacturing profit, and if (1) the electricity selling profit exceeds (4) the pure SAF manufacturing profit (YES in S33), the operation mode switching support device 50 transitions to step S41. On the other hand, if (1) the electricity selling profit is equal to or less than (4) the pure SAF manufacturing profit (NO in S33), the operation mode switching support device 50 transitions to step S42.

[0052] If (1) the profit from selling electricity exceeds (4) the profit from producing pure SAF, it can be said that selling the electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 will result in greater profit. Therefore, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes the electricity selling mode to the fuel production system 1 as the operation mode (S41). In this case, the operation mode switching support device 50 outputs the process value and the estimated cost value to be used in the electricity selling mode.

[0053] On the other hand, if (1) the profit from selling electricity is equal to or less than (4) the profit from producing pure SAF, it can be said that producing SAF will result in greater profits. In addition, since the unit price of selling electricity is low, it is predicted that the unit price of purchasing electricity will also be low, and it is therefore considered that producing SAF will result in greater profits even if cheap external electricity 42 is purchased. Therefore, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes the SAF production mode as the operation mode to the fuel production system 1 (S42). In this case, the operation mode switching support device 50 outputs the process value and the estimated cost value to be used in the SAF production mode.

[0054] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8, the economic simulator 55 performs initial calculations, sets preconditions, and performs optimization.

[0055] <Initial calculation> The economic simulator 55 multiplies the amount of biomass input, which is an input parameter, by the plant efficiency, and sets the product as the amount of power generated by thermal power generation (biomass thermal power generation facility 10). The plant efficiency is the power generation efficiency of the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, and may be either a variable value that changes using parameters such as the outside temperature, or a fixed value. The economic simulator 55 also divides the upper limit of the cost of purchasing electricity from outside, which is an input parameter, by the unit price of electricity purchase, which is also an input parameter, and sets the quotient as the upper limit of the amount of electricity purchased from outside.

[0056] <Prerequisites> As a prerequisite, the amount of electricity generated by thermal power generation is the sum (total) of the amount of electricity generated for sale, which is the amount of electricity sold by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, and the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device, which is the amount of electricity supplied from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 to the water electrolysis device 20.

[0057] As a prerequisite, the amount of electricity purchased by the business operator from outside is equal to or less than the upper limit of the amount of electricity purchased from outside. As a prerequisite, the sum (total) of the amount of power generated for the water electrolysis device and the amount of power purchased from outside is the upper limit of the power that the water electrolysis device 20 can receive, and is equal to or less than the upper limit of the amount of power that the water electrolysis device can receive, which is a fixed value.

[0058] <Optimization> Based on the above-mentioned <initial calculation> and <preconditions>, the economic simulator 55 performs optimization. The economic simulator 55 multiplies the sum of the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device and the amount of electricity purchased from outside by the SAF conversion rate, and determines the product as the amount of SAF produced. The SAF conversion rate is a value indicating the ratio (conversion rate) of the amount of SAF produced to the amount of electricity supplied to the water electrolysis device 20 in the fuel production system 1, and may be a fixed value.

[0059] The economic simulator 55 multiplies the power selling price, which is an input parameter, by the amount of power generated for sale, and sets the product as (1) power selling profit. (1) Power selling profit is the profit on the power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and sold.

[0060] The economic simulator 55 multiplies the input parameters, ie, the unit price of SAF and the amount of SAF produced, and sets the product as (2) SAF production profit. (2) SAF production profit is the profit of SAF produced by the fuel production system 1.

[0061] The economic simulator 55 multiplies the electricity purchase price by the amount of electricity purchased from the outside, and sets the product as the (3) external electricity receiving cost. The (3) external electricity receiving cost is the cost for electricity received (purchased) from the external power source 42.

[0062] The economic simulator 55 subtracts the (3) external power receiving cost from the (2) SAF manufacturing profit, and calculates the difference as the (4) net SAF manufacturing profit. The (4) net SAF manufacturing profit is the operator's net profit from the SAF, calculated by subtracting the cost of external power 42 required to manufacture the SAF from the profit from the manufactured SAF.

[0063] After performing the above calculations, the economic simulator 55 (4) optimizes the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device and the amount of electricity purchased from outside so as to maximize the profit from the production of pure SAF.

[0064] FIG. 9 illustrates a fuel production system having a chimney in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, the fuel production system 1 includes a chimney 12 that discharges carbon dioxide emitted from a biomass thermal power plant 10 into the atmosphere.

[0065] When the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank 11 that stores the carbon dioxide emitted from the biomass thermal power plant 10 reaches an upper limit, the carbon dioxide may be discharged into the atmosphere from the chimney 12 in addition to being supplied to the FT synthesis device 30. When the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank 11 reaches the upper limit, the carbon dioxide sent from the biomass thermal power plant 10 has nowhere to go, but by providing the chimney 12, the amount of carbon dioxide sent to the CO2 tank 11 can be adjusted, making it possible to continue operating the biomass thermal power plant 10.

[0066] When the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank 11 reaches an upper limit, power generation of the biomass thermal power plant 10 may be stopped. The carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank 11 has nowhere to go, but by stopping power generation of the biomass thermal power plant 10, the generation of new carbon dioxide can be suppressed and the safety of the CO2 tank 11 and the fuel production system 1 can be ensured.

[0067] Second Embodiment In the above-described embodiment, the external power 42 is supplied to the water electrolysis apparatus 20 from an external source, but in this embodiment, the external power 42 is not purchased. Since the other points are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fuel production system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 10, the water electrolysis device 20 receives power only from the biomass thermal power plant 10.

[0069] The FT synthesis unit 30 in this embodiment includes a reverse shift reaction catalyst. In the reverse shift reaction, carbon monoxide and water are produced from carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

[0070] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a fuel production system in a power selling mode according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. When the operation mode switching support device 50 sets the operation mode of the fuel production system 1 to the power selling mode, the fuel production system 1 is controlled as follows.

[0071] As shown by the solid line in Fig. 11, biomass 40, which serves as fuel, is input into the biomass thermal power plant 10. The biomass thermal power plant 10 generates electricity using the biomass 40, and all of the generated electricity (excluding electricity consumed within the biomass thermal power plant 10) is sold as electricity for sale 41. In addition, carbon dioxide generated during power generation is stored in a CO2 tank 11.

[0072] When the operation mode is the power selling mode, power supply from the biomass thermal power plant 10 to the water electrolysis device 20 and carbon dioxide supply from the CO2 tank 11 to the FT synthesis device 30, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 11, are not performed. In other words, SAF production using the power of the biomass thermal power plant 10 is not performed.

[0073] FIG. 12 illustrates a fuel production system in SAF production mode according to some embodiments of the disclosure. When the operation mode switching support device 50 sets the operation mode of the fuel production system 1 to the SAF production mode, the fuel production system 1 is controlled as follows.

[0074] As shown by the solid line in Fig. 12, biomass 40, which serves as fuel, is input into the biomass thermal power plant 10. The biomass thermal power plant 10 generates electricity using the biomass 40, and all of the generated electricity (excluding electricity consumed within the biomass thermal power plant 10) is supplied to the water electrolysis device 20. In addition, carbon dioxide generated during power generation is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30 via a CO2 tank 11.

[0075] The water electrolysis device 20 receives power supply from the biomass thermal power plant 10, performs water electrolysis, and generates hydrogen (H2). The generated hydrogen is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30.

[0076] The FT synthesis unit 30 receives hydrogen from the water electrolysis unit 20 and carbon dioxide from the biomass thermal power plant 10 or the CO2 tank 11, synthesizes liquefied hydrocarbons (CnH2n+2), and produces SAF 43. The synthesized liquefied hydrocarbons are used as SAF 43.

[0077] When the operation mode is the SAF production mode, power is not supplied to the outside from the biomass thermal power plant 10 as indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 12. In other words, the power of the biomass thermal power plant 10 is not sold.

[0078] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating information flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 13, the driving mode switching support device 50 acquires input information from the information collecting device 60 and the user terminal 65. The information collection device 60 collects and acquires market information related to the fuel production system 1. The market information is, for example, the electricity selling price, the biomass price, the SAF price, etc., and is various information in the market related to the fuel production system 1. The market information collected by the information collection device 60 is received by the user terminal 65 (S50).

[0079] The user terminal 65 acquires business operator information related to the fuel production system 1. The business operator information is various information related to the business operator using the fuel production system 1, such as the amount of biomass input and the amount stored in the CO2 tank. The business operator inputs the business operator information into the user terminal 65. The business operator information acquired by the user terminal 65 is added to the market information received by the user terminal 65 and transmitted to the operation mode switching support device 50 (S60).

[0080] The operation mode switching support device 50 acquires the selling price of electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and the SAF selling price of SAF produced by the fuel production system 1, based on market information and business operator information transmitted from the user terminal 65. The operation mode switching support device 50 compares the selling price of electricity with the SAF selling price, and performs control to switch between an electricity selling mode for selling electricity and an SAF production mode for producing SAF, based on the comparison result, so as to maximize the profit of the business operator, i.e., the fuel production system 1.

[0081] The operation mode switching support device 50 may include an economic simulator 55. The economic simulator 55 performs an economic simulation based on the input information, that is, market information and business operator information, and determines the amount of electricity sold in the electricity selling mode and the amount of SAF produced in the SAF production mode (S70). The economic simulator 55 may perform an economic simulation, calculate the process values ​​of the fuel production system 1, and output an estimated cost value of the fuel production system 1.

[0082] The operation mode switching support device 50 proposes either the power selling mode or the SAF production mode. When the economic efficiency simulator 55 is provided, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes the amount of power sold in the power selling mode or the amount of SAF production in the SAF production mode based on the results of the simulation (S80).

[0083] FIG. 14 illustrates an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 14, input parameters are input to the economic simulator 55 as input information, and output values ​​are output as output information.

[0084] The input parameters include market information and business operator information. The market information includes the electricity selling price, which is the unit price when electricity is sold, the biomass price, which is the unit price of the biomass 40, and the SAF price, which is the unit price of the SAF 43. The business operator information includes the biomass input amount, which indicates the amount of biomass 40 used by the business operator, and the CO2 tank storage amount, which is the volume of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank 11.

[0085] The output values ​​include a proposal of an optimal operation mode (operation mode selection information), a process value of the fuel production system 1, and a cost estimate. The proposal of the optimal operation mode includes an operation mode of a power selling mode and an SAF production mode. The process values ​​of the fuel production system 1 include the amount of power sold by the fuel production system 1, the amount of SAF produced by the fuel production system 1, the amount of power supplied from the thermal power generation to the water electrolysis device, which is the amount of power supplied from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 to the water electrolysis device 20, the amount of hydrogen supplied from the water electrolysis device 20 to the FT synthesis device 30, the amount of CO2 discharged from the thermal power generation to the CO2 tank, which is the amount of carbon dioxide discharged from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 to the CO2 tank 11, and the amount of CO2 supplied from the CO2 tank to the FT synthesis device, which is the amount of carbon dioxide supplied from the CO2 tank 11 to the FT synthesis device 30. The cost estimate includes a predicted (1) power selling profit and a predicted (2) SAF production profit.

[0086] The economic simulator 55 receives each input parameter as input information, performs calculations, and outputs each output value as output information.

[0087] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a control flow of a driving mode switching assistance device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Each step in the flowchart of Fig. 15 corresponds to each step in the information flow of Fig. 13. S70 in the information flow of Fig. 13 corresponds to S71 to S73 in the flowchart of Fig. 15. S80 in the information flow of Fig. 13 corresponds to S81 and S82 in the flowchart of Fig. 15.

[0088] In step S50, when the operation mode switching support device 50 performs control, the information collection device 60 collects and acquires market information (electricity selling price, biomass price, and SAF price). The operation mode switching support device 50 reads the collected market information via the user terminal 65.

[0089] In step S60, when the operation mode switching support device 50 performs control, business operator information (biomass input amount and CO2 tank storage amount) is input to the user terminal 65. The operation mode switching support device 50 reads the business operator information input to the user terminal 65.

[0090] In step S71, the economic simulator 55 of the operation mode switching support device 50 calculates process values ​​(amount of electricity sold, amount of SAF produced, amount of electricity supplied from the thermal power plant to the water electrolysis device, amount of hydrogen supplied from the water electrolysis device to the FT synthesis device, amount of CO2 emitted from the thermal power plant to the CO2 tank, and amount of CO2 supplied from the CO2 tank to the FT synthesis device) through an economic simulation.

[0091] Next, in step S72, the economic simulator 55 performs cost estimation ((1) profit from selling electricity, and (2) profit from manufacturing SAF) through an economic simulation to calculate estimated costs.

[0092] In step S73, the operation mode switching support device 50 compares (1) the electricity selling profit with (2) the SAF manufacturing profit, and if (1) the electricity selling profit exceeds (2) the SAF manufacturing profit (YES in S73), the process proceeds to step S81. On the other hand, if (1) the electricity selling profit is equal to or less than (2) the SAF manufacturing profit (NO in S73), the process proceeds to step S82.

[0093] If (1) the profit from selling electricity exceeds (2) the profit from producing SAF, it can be said that selling the electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 will result in greater profit. Therefore, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes the electricity selling mode to the fuel production system 1 as the operation mode (S81). In this case, the operation mode switching support device 50 outputs the process value and the estimated cost value to be used in the electricity selling mode.

[0094] On the other hand, if (1) the profit from selling electricity is equal to or less than (2) the profit from producing SAF, it can be said that producing SAF will result in greater profit. Therefore, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes the SAF production mode as the operation mode to the fuel production system 1 (S82). In this case, the operation mode switching support device 50 outputs the process value and the estimated cost value to be used in the SAF production mode.

[0095] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 16, the economic simulator 55 performs initial calculations and performs optimization.

[0096] <Initial calculation> The economic simulator 55 multiplies the input amount of biomass, which is an input parameter, by the plant efficiency, and sets the product as the power generation amount of thermal power generation (biomass thermal power generation facility 10). The plant efficiency is the efficiency of the entire plant of the fuel production system 1, and may be either a variable value that changes using parameters such as the outside air temperature, or a fixed value.

[0097] <Optimization> The economics simulator 55 multiplies the amount of power generated by thermal power generation by the SAF conversion rate, and sets the product as the amount of SAF produced. The SAF conversion rate is a value indicating the ratio (conversion rate) of the amount of SAF produced to the amount of power supplied to the water electrolysis device 20 in the fuel production system 1, and may be a fixed value.

[0098] Based on the above-mentioned "initial calculation", the economic simulator 55 performs optimization. The economic simulator 55 multiplies the power selling price, which is an input parameter, by the amount of power generated for sale, and sets the product as (1) power selling profit. (1) Power selling profit is the profit on the power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and sold.

[0099] The economic simulator 55 multiplies the input parameters, ie, the unit price of SAF and the amount of SAF produced, and sets the product as (2) SAF production profit. (2) SAF production profit is the profit of SAF produced by the fuel production system 1.

[0100] After performing the above calculations, the economic simulator 55 compares (1) the profit from selling electricity with (2) the profit from manufacturing the SAF, and performs optimization.

[0101] Third Embodiment In the above-described embodiment, the power used in the water electrolysis device 20 is the power of the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and the external power 42 from the outside, but in the present embodiment, in addition to a mode using the power of the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and the external power 42, a mode using only the power of the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and a mode using only the external power 42 are prepared, and one of these modes is selected to maximize profits. Since other points are similar to those in the above-described embodiment, similar configurations are assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0102] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a fuel production system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 17, the water electrolysis device 20 receives a supply of electric power from the biomass thermal power plant 10. The water electrolysis device 20 also receives a supply of electric power from an external power source 42.

[0103] The FT synthesis unit 30 in this embodiment includes a reverse shift reaction catalyst. In the reverse shift reaction, carbon monoxide and water are produced from carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

[0104] In this embodiment, the operation mode is selected from three operation modes, namely, operation mode A, operation mode B, and operation mode C, by the operation mode switching support device 50. Operation mode A is a mode in which the water electrolysis device 20 uses only the electric power of the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, operation mode B is a mode in which the water electrolysis device 20 uses only the external electric power 42, and operation mode C is a mode in which the water electrolysis device 20 uses both the electric power of the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and the external electric power 42.

[0105] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a fuel production system in operation mode A according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. When the operation mode switching support device 50 sets the operation mode of the fuel production system 1 to the operation mode A, the fuel production system 1 is controlled as follows.

[0106] As shown by the solid line in Fig. 18, biomass 40, which serves as fuel, is input into the biomass thermal power plant 10. The biomass thermal power plant 10 generates electricity using the biomass 40, and the generated electricity is sold as electricity for sale 41 and is also supplied to the water electrolysis device 20. In addition, carbon dioxide generated during power generation is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30 via a CO2 tank 11.

[0107] The water electrolysis device 20 receives power supply from the biomass thermal power plant 10, performs water electrolysis, and generates hydrogen (H2). The generated hydrogen is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30.

[0108] The FT synthesis unit 30 receives hydrogen from the water electrolysis unit 20 and carbon dioxide from the biomass thermal power plant 10 via the CO2 tank 11, synthesizes liquefied hydrocarbons (CnH2n+2), and produces SAF 43. The synthesized liquefied hydrocarbons are used as SAF 43.

[0109] When the operation mode is the operation mode A, the portion indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 18, that is, external power 42 is not purchased from the outside, and external power 42 is not supplied to the water electrolysis apparatus 20.

[0110] FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a fuel production system in operation mode B according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. When the operation mode switching support device 50 sets the operation mode of the fuel production system 1 to the operation mode B, the fuel production system 1 is controlled as follows.

[0111] As shown by the solid line in Fig. 19, biomass 40, which serves as fuel, is input into the biomass thermal power plant 10. The biomass thermal power plant 10 generates electricity using the biomass 40, and all of the generated electricity is sold as electricity for sale 41. In addition, carbon dioxide generated during power generation is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30 via the CO2 tank 11.

[0112] The water electrolysis device 20 purchases external power 42 from the outside, receives power supply, performs water electrolysis, and generates hydrogen (H2). The generated hydrogen is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30.

[0113] The FT synthesis unit 30 receives hydrogen from the water electrolysis unit 20 and carbon dioxide from the biomass thermal power plant 10 via the CO2 tank 11, synthesizes liquefied hydrocarbons (CnH2n+2), and produces SAF 43. The synthesized liquefied hydrocarbons are used as SAF 43.

[0114] When the operation mode is operation mode B, the portion indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 19, that is, power supply from the biomass thermal power plant 10 to the water electrolysis device 20 is not performed.

[0115] FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a fuel production system in operation mode C according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. When the operation mode switching support device 50 sets the operation mode of the fuel production system 1 to the operation mode C, the fuel production system 1 is controlled as follows.

[0116] As shown by the solid line in Fig. 20, biomass 40, which serves as fuel, is input into the biomass thermal power plant 10. The biomass thermal power plant 10 generates electricity using the biomass 40, and the generated electricity is sold as electricity for sale 41 and is also supplied to the water electrolysis device 20. In addition, carbon dioxide generated during power generation is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30 via the CO2 tank 11.

[0117] The water electrolysis device 20 purchases external power 42 from the outside and receives power supply from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, performs water electrolysis, and generates hydrogen (H2). The generated hydrogen is supplied to the FT synthesis device 30.

[0118] The FT synthesis unit 30 receives hydrogen from the water electrolysis unit 20 and carbon dioxide from the biomass thermal power plant 10 via the CO2 tank 11, synthesizes liquefied hydrocarbons (CnH2n+2), and produces SAF 43. The synthesized liquefied hydrocarbons are used as SAF 43.

[0119] FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating information flow in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 21, the driving mode switching support device 50 acquires input information from the information collecting device 60 and the user terminal 65. The information collecting device 60 collects and acquires market information related to the fuel production system 1. The market information is, for example, the electricity selling price, the electricity purchasing price, the biomass price, the SAF price, etc., and is various information in the market related to the fuel production system 1. The market information collected by the information collecting device 60 is received by the user terminal 65 (S90).

[0120] The user terminal 65 acquires business operator information related to the fuel production system 1. The business operator information is various information related to the business operator using the fuel production system 1, such as the amount of biomass input, the upper limit of the cost of purchasing electricity from outside, and the amount stored in the CO2 tank. The business operator information is input to the user terminal 65 by the business operator. The business operator information acquired by the user terminal 65 is added to the market information received by the user terminal 65 and transmitted to the operation mode switching support device 50 (S100).

[0121] The operation mode switching support device 50 acquires the electricity selling price of the electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, the SAF selling price of the SAF produced by the fuel production system 1, and the external electricity receiving cost based on the market information and business operator information transmitted from the user terminal 65. The operation mode switching support device 50 compares the electricity selling price, the SAF selling price, and the external electricity receiving cost, and performs control to switch the operation mode to one of operation mode A, operation mode B, and operation mode C based on the comparison result so as to maximize the profit of the business operator, i.e., the fuel production system 1.

[0122] The operation mode switching support device 50 may include an economic simulator 55. The economic simulator 55 performs an economic simulation based on the input information, that is, market information and business operator information, and extracts a process value in an optimal solution (S110). The economic simulator 55 may perform an economic simulation and determine the amount of electricity sold and / or the amount of SAF produced by any one of the operation mode A, the operation mode B, and the operation mode C. The economic simulator 55 may perform an economic simulation and output a calculation of the process value of the fuel production system 1 and an estimated cost value of the fuel production system 1.

[0123] The operation mode switching support device 50 proposes one of the operation modes, operation mode A, operation mode B, and operation mode C. When the economic efficiency simulator 55 is provided, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes the amount of electricity sold and / or the amount of SAF production in either operation mode A, operation mode B, or operation mode C based on the results of the simulation (S120).

[0124] FIG. 22 illustrates an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 22, input parameters are input to the economic simulator 55 as input information, and output values ​​are output as output information.

[0125] The input parameters include market information and business operator information. The market information includes the electricity selling price, which is the unit price when electricity is sold, the electricity purchase price, which is the unit price when electricity is purchased, the biomass price, which is the unit price of the biomass 40, and the SAF price, which is the unit price of the SAF 43. The business operator information includes the biomass input amount, which indicates the amount of biomass 40 used by the business operator, the upper limit of the cost of purchasing electricity from outside based on the business operator's budget, and the CO2 tank storage amount, which is the volume of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank 11.

[0126] The output value includes a proposal of an optimal operation mode (operation mode selection information), a process value of the fuel production system 1, and a cost estimate value. The proposal of the optimal operation mode includes operation modes A, B, and C. The process value of the fuel production system 1 includes the amount of power sold by the fuel production system 1, the amount of SAF production by the fuel production system 1, the amount of power received from the outside (amount of power purchased) which is the amount of power received (purchased) from the external power source 42, the amount of power supplied from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 to the water electrolysis device 20, the amount of hydrogen supplied from the water electrolysis device 20 to the FT synthesis device 30, the amount of CO2 discharged from the thermal power generation facility to the CO2 tank which is the amount of carbon dioxide discharged from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 to the CO2 tank 11, and the amount of CO2 supplied from the CO2 tank to the FT synthesis device which is the amount of carbon dioxide supplied from the CO2 tank 11 to the FT synthesis device 30. The cost estimates include (1) the predicted profit from selling electricity, (2) the predicted profit from manufacturing SAF, (3) the cost of receiving external electricity, and (4) the optimal value of ((1) + (2) - (3)).

[0127] The economic simulator 55 receives each input parameter as input information, performs calculations, and outputs each output value as output information.

[0128] FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a control flow of a driving mode switching assistance device in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Each step in the flowchart of Fig. 23 corresponds to each step in the information flow of Fig. 21. S110 of the information flow of Fig. 21 corresponds to S111 to S114 of the flowchart of Fig. 23. S120 of the information flow of Fig. 21 corresponds to S121 to S123 of the flowchart of Fig. 23.

[0129] In step S90, when the operation mode switching support device 50 performs control, the information collection device 60 collects and acquires market information (electricity selling price, electricity purchasing price, biomass price, and SAF price). The operation mode switching support device 50 reads the collected market information via the user terminal 65.

[0130] In step S100, when the operation mode switching support device 50 performs control, business operator information (biomass input amount, upper limit of electricity purchase cost from outside, and CO2 tank storage amount) is input to the user terminal 65. The operation mode switching support device 50 reads the business operator information input to the user terminal 65.

[0131] In step S111, the economic simulator 55 of the operation mode switching support device 50 calculates process values ​​(amount of electricity sold, amount of SAF produced, amount of electricity received from outside (amount of electricity purchased), amount of electricity supplied from the thermal power plant to the water electrolysis device, amount of hydrogen supplied from the water electrolysis device to the FT synthesis device, amount of CO2 emitted from the thermal power plant to the CO2 tank, and amount of CO2 supplied from the CO2 tank to the FT synthesis device) through an economic simulation.

[0132] Next, in step S112, economic simulator 55 performs cost estimation ((1) profit from selling electricity, (2) profit from manufacturing SAF, (3) external electricity receiving cost, and (4) optimal solution of ((1)+(2)-(3))) through economic simulation to calculate estimated costs.

[0133] In step S113, in the case of the optimal solution of (4) ((1)+(2)-(3)), the operation mode switching support device 50 determines whether the water electrolysis device 20 is receiving (purchasing) electricity from the external electricity 42. If the water electrolysis device 20 is receiving electricity from the external electricity 42 (YES in S113), the process proceeds to step S114. On the other hand, if the water electrolysis device 20 is not receiving electricity from the external electricity 42 (NO in S113), the process proceeds to step S121.

[0134] When the water electrolysis device 20 does not receive power from the external power source 42, it can be said that the power supplied to the water electrolysis device 20 is only supplied from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10. Therefore, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes operation mode A as the operation mode to the fuel production system 1 (S121). In this case, the operation mode switching support device 50 outputs the process value and the estimated cost value to be used in operation mode A.

[0135] On the other hand, if the water electrolysis device 20 receives power from the external power 42, the operation mode switching support device 50 determines whether or not the water electrolysis device 20 is supplied with power from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 in the case of the optimal solution of (4)((1)+(2)-(3)) (S114). If the water electrolysis device 20 receives power from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 (YES in S114), the process proceeds to step S123. On the other hand, if the water electrolysis device 20 does not receive power from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 (NO in S114), the process proceeds to step S122.

[0136] When the water electrolysis device 20 does not receive power from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, it can be said that power supplied to the water electrolysis device 20 is supplied only from the external power source 42. Therefore, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes operation mode B to the fuel production system 1 as the operation mode (S122). In this case, the operation mode switching support device 50 outputs the process value and the estimated cost value to be used in operation mode B.

[0137] When the water electrolysis device 20 receives power from the biomass thermal power plant 10, it can be said that power is supplied to the water electrolysis device 20 from both the biomass thermal power plant 10 and the external power 42. Therefore, the operation mode switching support device 50 proposes operation mode C as the operation mode to the fuel production system 1 (S123). In this case, the operation mode switching support device 50 outputs the process value and the estimated cost value to be used in operation mode C.

[0138] FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an economic simulator in some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 24, the economic simulator 55 performs initial calculations, sets preconditions, and performs optimization.

[0139] <Initial calculation> The economic simulator 55 multiplies the amount of biomass input, which is an input parameter, by the plant efficiency, and sets the product as the amount of power generated by thermal power generation (biomass thermal power generation facility 10). The plant efficiency is the efficiency of the entire plant of the fuel production system 1, and may be either a variable value that changes using parameters such as the outside temperature, or a fixed value. The economic simulator 55 also divides the upper limit of the cost of purchasing electricity from outside, which is an input parameter, by the unit price of electricity purchase, which is also an input parameter, and sets the quotient as the upper limit of the amount of electricity purchased from outside.

[0140] <Prerequisites> As a prerequisite, the amount of electricity generated by thermal power generation is the sum (total) of the amount of electricity generated for sale, which is the amount of electricity sold by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, and the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device, which is the amount of electricity supplied from the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 to the water electrolysis device 20.

[0141] As a prerequisite, the amount of electricity purchased by the business operator from outside is equal to or less than the upper limit of the amount of electricity purchased from outside. As a prerequisite, the sum (total) of the amount of power generated for the water electrolysis device and the amount of power purchased from outside is equal to or less than the upper limit of the amount of power that can be received by the water electrolysis device, which is a fixed value and is the upper limit of the power that can be received by the water electrolysis device.

[0142] <Optimization> Based on the above-mentioned <initial calculation> and <preconditions>, the economic simulator 55 performs optimization. The economic simulator 55 multiplies the sum of the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device and the amount of electricity purchased from outside by the SAF conversion rate, and determines the product as the amount of SAF produced. The SAF conversion rate is a value indicating the ratio (conversion rate) of the amount of SAF produced to the amount of electricity supplied to the water electrolysis device 20 in the fuel production system 1, and may be a fixed value.

[0143] The economic simulator 55 multiplies the power selling price, which is an input parameter, by the amount of power generated for sale, and sets the product as (1) power selling profit. (1) Power selling profit is the profit on the power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and sold.

[0144] The economic simulator 55 multiplies the input parameters, ie, the unit price of SAF and the amount of SAF produced, and sets the product as (2) SAF production profit. (2) SAF production profit is the profit of SAF produced by the fuel production system 1.

[0145] The economic simulator 55 multiplies the electricity purchase price by the amount of electricity purchased from the outside, and sets the product as the (3) external electricity receiving cost. The (3) external electricity receiving cost is the cost for electricity received (purchased) from the external power source 42.

[0146] The economic simulator 55 determines (4) total profit by subtracting (3) the cost of external electricity purchase from the sum of (1) the profit from selling electricity and (2) the profit from manufacturing SAF. (4) Total profit is the total profit of the operator, calculated by subtracting the cost of external electricity 42 required to manufacture the SAF from the profit from selling electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10 and the profit from the manufactured SAF.

[0147] After performing the above calculations, the economic simulator 55 (4) performs optimization so as to maximize the total profit.

[0148] FIG. 25 illustrates a correlation between power generation and profit of a fuel production system in some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the left diagram of FIG. 25, the vertical axis shows the amount of electricity generated for power sale by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, and the horizontal axis shows the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10. In the right diagram of FIG. 25, the vertical axis shows the electricity selling profit of the fuel production system 1, and the horizontal axis shows the value (difference) obtained by subtracting the external electricity receiving cost from the SAF production profit. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 25, the relationship between the amount of electricity generated for power sale and the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device is a right-sloping graph in which the amount of electricity generated for power sale increases as the amount of electricity generated for power sale decreases. As shown in the right diagram of FIG. 25, the relationship between the electricity selling profit and the difference between the SAF production profit and the external electricity receiving cost is a right-sloping graph in which the difference between the SAF production profit and the external electricity receiving cost decreases as the electricity selling profit increases.

[0149] 25, of the electric power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility 10, the amount of electric power for sale and the amount of electric power for use in the water electrolysis device will be any value on the solid line when the total is set to 100. For example, when the amount of electric power for sale is 100, the amount of electric power for use in the water electrolysis device will be 0, and when the amount of electric power for sale is 50, the amount of electric power for use in the water electrolysis device will be 50.

[0150] Also, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 25, the electricity selling profit of the fuel production system 1 and the difference between the SAF production profit and the external electricity receiving cost will be any value on the solid line when the total is set to 100. Furthermore, for example, if the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device is increased, hydrogen production by the water electrolysis device 20 will increase, and the amount of SAF produced will increase, resulting in an increase in SAF production profit. However, as the SAF production profit increases, the electricity selling profit decreases, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 25. As the amount of electricity generated for the water electrolysis device increases, the amount of electricity generated for electricity sale decreases, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 25, and as a result, the electricity selling profit decreases.

[0151] <Additional Notes> The operation mode switching support device, the economic simulator, the fuel production system, the operation mode switching support method, and the operation mode switching support program described in the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0152] An operation mode switching support device (50) of a first aspect of the present disclosure is an operation mode switching support device for a fuel production system (1) that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility (10), a water electrolysis device (20), and a fuel production reaction device (30), and acquires the electricity selling price of electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and the fuel selling price of fuel produced by the fuel production system, and performs control for switching between an electricity selling mode in which the electricity is sold and a fuel production mode in which the fuel is produced, based on a result of comparing the electricity selling price and the fuel selling price.

[0153] For a fuel production system that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, and a fuel production reactor, a comparison can be made between selling the electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and producing fuel by the fuel production system, and the system can switch between an electricity selling mode and a fuel production mode to implement the one that produces the most profit. Depending on fluctuations in the electricity selling price and the fuel selling price, it can be determined whether to give priority to electricity generation or fuel production.

[0154] The operation mode switching assistance device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure may, in the first aspect, compare the power selling price with the fuel selling price, and switch to the power selling mode if the power selling price is higher.

[0155] When the electricity selling price is higher than the fuel selling price, the system switches to electricity selling mode because it is more profitable to sell electricity, and this allows the system to make greater profits by taking price fluctuations into account.

[0156] The operation mode switching support device of the third aspect of the present disclosure may, in the first or second aspect, compare the electricity selling price with the fuel selling price, and switch to the fuel production mode if the fuel selling price is higher.

[0157] When the fuel selling price is higher than the electricity selling price, the fuel production mode is selected since it is more profitable to produce fuel, and thus it is possible to make a greater profit by taking price fluctuations into account.

[0158] The operation mode switching support device of a fourth aspect of the present disclosure may be configured in the third aspect to supply power from an external power (42) to the water electrolysis device when power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility used by the water electrolysis device is insufficient in the fuel production mode.

[0159] When the fuel selling price is higher than the electricity selling price, it can be said that the electricity purchase price is also cheap. Also, since it is more profitable to produce fuel than to purchase electricity, if there is a shortage of electricity used by the water electrolysis device, it is possible to make a profit by purchasing external electricity and producing fuel.

[0160] An economic simulator (55) of a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is an economic simulator of a fuel production system that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, and a fuel production reaction device, and determines the amount of electricity to be sold in a power selling mode for selling the electricity and the amount of fuel produced in a fuel production mode for producing the fuel, based on input information including the selling price of electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and the selling price of fuel produced by the fuel production system.

[0161] A simulation is performed based on input information to determine the amount of electricity sold and the amount of fuel produced, so that profits from electricity sales and fuel production can be optimized and maximized.

[0162] In the economic simulator of the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the fifth aspect, the input information may include market information including a power selling price for calculating the power selling price and a fuel unit price for calculating the fuel selling price, and business operator information.

[0163] The economic simulator of the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in the fifth or sixth aspect, may output operating mode selection information of the power sales mode or the fuel production mode, process values ​​of the fuel production system including the amount of power sales and the amount of fuel production, and an estimated cost value of the fuel production system.

[0164] A fuel production system according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure includes a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, a fuel production reaction device, and an operation mode switching support device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, and produces fuel.

[0165] The fuel production system of a ninth aspect of the present disclosure may be the eighth aspect, further comprising a CO2 tank (11) for storing carbon dioxide generated by power generation in the biomass thermal power generation facility.

[0166] Even if the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from a biomass-fired power plant is so large that it exceeds the capacity of the fuel production reactor, it can be stored in a tank and reused.

[0167] A fuel production system according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure may be configured in such a way that, in the ninth aspect, the fuel production reaction device is supplied with carbon dioxide from the CO2 tank.

[0168] The carbon dioxide stored in the tank is supplied to the fuel production reactor, so that the carbon dioxide can be used when the fuel production reactor needs it. Since the carbon dioxide is not supplied directly from the biomass-fired power plant, it is easy to adjust the supply amount.

[0169] The fuel production system of an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure may be configured in the ninth or tenth aspect to include a chimney (12) that discharges excess carbon dioxide from the CO2 tank into the atmosphere when the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank reaches an upper limit.

[0170] When the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the tank reaches its upper limit, the carbon dioxide sent from the biomass-fired power plant will have nowhere to go, but by installing a chimney, the volume of carbon dioxide can be adjusted, ensuring the safety of the tank and fuel production system.

[0171] The fuel production system of a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the ninth to eleventh aspects, may be configured to stop power generation at the biomass thermal power generation facility when the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank reaches an upper limit.

[0172] When the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the tank reaches its upper limit, the carbon dioxide sent from the biomass thermal power plant will have nowhere to go. However, by stopping power generation at the biomass thermal power plant, the generation of new carbon dioxide can be reduced and the safety of the tank and fuel production system can be ensured.

[0173] A fuel production system according to a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the eighth to twelfth aspects, may further include a power storage device that stores power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and / or power from an external power source that supplies power to the water electrolysis device.

[0174] Since the electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and electricity from external sources can be stored in the storage device, surplus electricity can be stored, and cheap electricity such as late-night electricity can be stored and used later.

[0175] An operation mode switching support method of a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for supporting operation mode switching of a fuel production system that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, and a fuel production reaction device, and includes the steps of: acquiring the electricity selling price of electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and the fuel selling price of fuel produced by the fuel production system; and, based on a result of comparing the electricity selling price and the fuel selling price, controlling switching between an electricity selling mode in which the electricity is sold and a fuel production mode in which the fuel is produced, and is executed by a computer.

[0176] A driving mode switching support program according to a fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the driving mode switching support method according to the fourteenth aspect. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 1: Fuel production system 10: Biomass thermal power generation facilities 11: CO2 tank 12: Chimney 20: Water electrolysis device 30: FT synthesis device (fuel production reactor) 40:Biomass 41: Electricity for sale 42: External power 50: Driving mode switching support device 55: Economic Simulator 60: Information gathering device 65: User terminal 1100: CPU 1200: Secondary storage device 1300: Main memory 1500: Communications Department 1800: Bus

Claims

1. An operation mode switching support device for a fuel production system that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, and a fuel production reactor, comprising: Acquire the selling price of the electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and the selling price of the fuel produced by the fuel production system; An operation mode switching support device that controls switching between a power selling mode in which the power is sold and a fuel production mode in which the fuel is produced, based on a result of comparing the power selling price with the fuel selling price.

2. The driving mode switching support device according to claim 1 , wherein the electric power selling price is compared with the fuel selling price, and if the electric power selling price is higher, the driving mode switching support device switches to the electric power selling mode.

3. The operation mode switching support device according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity selling price and the fuel selling price are compared, and if the fuel selling price is higher, the operation mode is switched to the fuel production mode.

4. 4. The operation mode switching support device according to claim 3, wherein, in the fuel production mode, when the electric power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility used by the water electrolysis device is insufficient, electric power is supplied to the water electrolysis device from an external electric power source.

5. Biomass thermal power generation facilities, a water electrolysis device; a fuel production reactor; A fuel production system comprising the operation mode switching support device according to claim 1, for producing fuel.

6. The fuel production system according to claim 5, further comprising a CO2 tank for storing carbon dioxide generated by power generation in the biomass thermal power generation facility.

7. The fuel production system according to claim 6 , wherein the carbon dioxide is supplied to the fuel production reactor from the CO 2 tank.

8. 7. The fuel production system according to claim 6, further comprising a chimney for discharging excess carbon dioxide from the CO2 tank into the atmosphere when the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank reaches an upper limit.

9. 7. The fuel production system according to claim 6, wherein power generation by the biomass thermal power generation facility is stopped when the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the CO2 tank reaches an upper limit.

10. The fuel production system according to claim 5 , further comprising a power storage device that stores the power generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and / or the power from an external power source that supplies the power to the water electrolysis device.

11. 1. An operation mode switching support method for a fuel production system that produces fuel by combining a biomass thermal power generation facility, a water electrolysis device, and a fuel production reactor, comprising: A step of acquiring a selling price of the electricity generated by the biomass thermal power generation facility and a selling price of the fuel produced by the fuel production system; and a step of controlling switching between a power selling mode in which the power is sold and a fuel production mode in which the fuel is produced based on a result of comparing the power selling price and the fuel selling price.

12. A driving mode switching support program that causes a computer to execute the driving mode switching support method according to claim 11.

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