Output control device, power management system, method, and program

Abstract

To provide an output control device, a power management system, a method, and a program.SOLUTION: In a power management system that controls output power of a first fuel cell and an additional power source 255, an output control device includes a determination unit that determines an output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source that optimizes at least one of the power generation efficiency or degradation of the first fuel cell in accordance with power demand for the output power, and an adjustment unit that is connected to the first fuel cell and the additional power source and adjusts the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source in accordance with the output distribution.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an output control device, a power management system, a method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a system for receiving inexpensive nighttime power from a commercial power system and switching and operating a self-power generation facility. [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document] Patent Document 1 Patent No. 4636404

Summary of the Invention

[0003] (1) In a first aspect of the present disclosure, according to the power demand for the output power of a power management system that controls the output power of a first fuel cell and an additional power source, at least one of the power generation efficiency or deterioration of the first fuel cell is optimized, and a determination unit that determines the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source is provided, and an adjustment unit that is connected to the first fuel cell and the additional power source and adjusts the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to the output distribution.

[0004] (2) In the device of (1) above, the determination unit may determine target values of a plurality of control parameters for each of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to the output distribution.

[0005] (3) In the device of (1) or (2) above, the determination unit determines a fuel transport instruction for the first fuel cell according to the output distribution, and the output control device may further include a communication unit that outputs the determined transport instruction.

[0006] (4) In any of the devices according to (1) to (3) above, the determination unit determines the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the storage battery connected to the first fuel cell, and the adjustment unit may adjust the output power of the first fuel cell and the storage battery according to the output distribution.

[0007] (5) In any of the devices according to (1) to (4) above, the determination unit inputs, into a degradation model that outputs the degree of degradation of the first fuel cell in response to the input of the control parameter of the first fuel cell, a control parameter within the range of control parameters that satisfies the power demand and for which the power generation efficiency is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, and determines the control parameter for which the degree of degradation output from the degradation model is minimized. The adjustment unit may adjust the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to the determined control parameter.

[0008] (6) In any of the devices according to (1) to (5) above, the determination unit may acquire at least one of the time-series power demand for the output power of the power management system or the predicted value of the power demand.

[0009] (7) In the device according to (6) above, the determination unit may acquire the predicted value of the power demand for the output power of the power management system according to the type of load device to which power is supplied by the power management system.

[0010] (8) In the device according to (6) above, the determination unit may acquire the predicted value of the power demand for the output power of the power management system according to at least one of the operation plan of the load device supplied with power by the first fuel cell, the environmental data related to the load device, or the past power demand for the output power of the power management system.

[0011] (9) In any of the devices according to (1) to (8) above, the additional power source has a second fuel cell, and the determination unit may determine the ratio of the output power of the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell.

[0012] (10) In the apparatus of (9) above, the determination unit may perform frequency analysis on the time-series fluctuations of the power demand, and determine the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell based on the frequency analysis.

[0013] (11) In the apparatus of (9) above, the start-up period of the first fuel cell until it reaches a predetermined output power may be different from the start-up period of the second fuel cell.

[0014] (12) In the apparatus of (11) above, the start-up period of the first fuel cell may be 5 to 50 times as long as the start-up period of the second fuel cell.

[0015] (13) In the apparatus of (9) above, the load capacity of the first fuel cell may be different from the load capacity of the second fuel cell.

[0016] (14) In the apparatus of (13) above, the load capacity of the first fuel cell may be 10 to 20 times the load capacity of the second fuel cell.

[0017] (15) In any of the apparatuses of (1) to (14) above, the determination unit may determine the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source based on the frequency of the time-series fluctuations of the power demand, so that the fluctuations in the output power of the first fuel cell are within a range not exceeding a preset maximum operating frequency with respect to degradation.

[0018] (16) In the apparatus of (15) above, the additional power source has a second fuel cell, and the preset maximum operating frequency for the first fuel cell may be different from the preset maximum operating frequency for the second fuel cell.

[0019] (17) In the apparatus of (16) above, the preset maximum operating frequency for the first fuel cell may be 2 to 20 times the preset maximum operating frequency for the second fuel cell.

[0020] (18) In any of the devices according to (1) to (17) above, the determination unit may determine the output power distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source so as to adjust the output power of the first fuel cell within a range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity of the first fuel cell.

[0021] (19) In a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a power management system including a first fuel cell, an additional power source, and an output control device according to any one of (1) to (18) above that controls the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source.

[0022] (20) In a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method including determining an output power distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source that optimizes at least one of the power generation efficiency or deterioration of the first fuel cell according to the power demand for the output power of a power management system that controls the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source, and adjusting the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source in accordance with the output power distribution, the method being connected to the first fuel cell and the additional power source.

[0023] (21) In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program that causes a processor to determine an output power distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source that optimizes at least one of the power generation efficiency or deterioration of the first fuel cell according to the power demand for the output power of a power management system that controls the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source, and to adjust the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source in accordance with the output power distribution, the program being connected to the first fuel cell and the additional power source.

[0024] (22) In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system for controlling the output power of a first fuel cell and an additional power source, the system comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive information regarding the power demand for the output power; an orchestration controller configured to provide information for optimizing the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source to match the power demand; and an output control device connected to the first fuel cell and the additional power source, and configured to adjust the output power of at least one of the first fuel cell or the additional power source according to the information for optimization.

[0025] (23) In the system of (22) above, the additional power source may include at least one of a storage battery or a second fuel cell.

[0026] (24) In the system of (23) above, the start-up period of the first fuel cell until it reaches a predetermined output power may be different from the start-up period of the second fuel cell.

[0027] (25) In the system of (24) above, the start-up period of the first fuel cell may be 5 to 50 times as long as the start-up period of the second fuel cell.

[0028] (26) In the system of (23) above, the load capacity of the first fuel cell may be different from the load capacity of the second fuel cell.

[0029] (27) In the system of (26) above, the load capacity of the first fuel cell may be 10 to 20 times the load capacity of the second fuel cell.

[0030] (28) In any of the systems of (22) to (27) above, at least one of the orchestration controller or the output control device may optimize the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source such that the output power of the first fuel cell is adjusted within a range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity of the first fuel cell.

[0031] (29) In any of the systems of (22) to (28) above, at least one of the orchestration controller or the output control device may perform a frequency analysis on the time-series variation of the power demand, and generate information for optimizing the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source based on the frequency analysis.

[0032] (30) In any of the systems of (22) to (29) above, at least one of the orchestration controller or the output control device may generate information for optimizing the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source such that the variation in the output power of the first fuel cell is within a range not exceeding a preset maximum operating frequency with respect to degradation, based on the frequency of the time-series variation of the power demand.

[0033] (31) In the system of (30) above, the additional power source has a second fuel cell, and the preset maximum operating frequency for the first fuel cell may be different from the preset maximum operating frequency for the second fuel cell.

[0034] (32) In the system of (31) above, the preset maximum operating frequency for the first fuel cell may be 2 to 20 times the preset maximum operating frequency for the second fuel cell.

[0035] (33) In any of the systems of (22) to (32) above, the orchestration controller may predict the power demand for the output power based on the information received by the receiving unit.

[0036] (34) In the system of (33) above, the output control device may generate a plurality of supply plans that plan the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source for a predetermined period based on a prediction of the power demand for the output power, and the orchestration controller may select an optimal supply plan from the plurality of supply plans that optimizes at least one of power generation efficiency, equipment cost, and degradation for the first fuel cell and the additional power source, and provide the selection result to the output control device.

[0037] (35) In the system of (34) above, the orchestration controller may select the optimal supply plan based on results of simulating control and state changes of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to each of the multiple supply plans.

[0038] (36) In any of the systems (22) to (35) above, the receiving unit may receive information regarding the electricity demand from at least one of a truck roll management system, a ship management system, a pipeline management system, a fuel tank management system, or a carbon credit system.

[0039] (37) In any of the systems (22) to (36) above, the output control device may optimize the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source so as to stop output of the first fuel cell during a startup period preset for the first fuel cell.

[0040] (38) In any of the systems (22) to (37) above, the output control device may optimize the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source using an evaluation function based on a weighted evaluation of power generation efficiency, equipment cost, and deterioration of the first fuel cell and the additional power source.

[0041] (39) In any of the systems from (22) to (38) above, the first fuel cell, the additional power source, and the output control device are installed in a plant, and the orchestration controller may provide information for optimizing the output distribution for each corresponding plant to the output control devices of the plurality of plants.

[0042] (40) In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method executed by a system for controlling the output power of a first fuel cell and an additional power source, the method comprising receiving information regarding power demand for the output power, providing information for optimizing the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source so as to match the power demand, and adjusting the output power of at least one of the first fuel cell or the additional power source in accordance with the information for optimization, the system being connected to the first fuel cell and the additional power source.

[0043] (41) In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program for causing one or more processors to receive information regarding power demand for the output power of a first fuel cell and an additional power source, provide information for optimizing the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source so as to match the power demand, and adjust the output power of at least one of the first fuel cell or the additional power source in accordance with the information for optimization, the system being connected to the first fuel cell and the additional power source.

[0044] Note that the above summary of the invention does not list all the necessary features of the present invention. Also, sub-combinations of these feature groups may also be inventions.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0045]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0046] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution means of the invention.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of an orchestration system 10 according to this embodiment. The orchestration system 10 optimizes the power supply to one or more consumers 120 across the entire supply chain. Here, "optimization" means bringing a target value of optimization closer to an optimal value using a predetermined method (optimization method). Therefore, "optimization" is not limited to bringing a target value to an optimal value (e.g., a maximum or minimum value), but also includes bringing a target value to a local optimal value (e.g., a local maximum or minimum value) and changing a target value to a better value than the current value.

[0048] The orchestration system 10 includes one or more tenants 20, an external system 30, and an orchestration controller 40.

[0049] Each of the one or more tenants 20 may be a supply chain from fuel production to power supply to consumers 120. Each tenant 20 includes a fuel production management system 100, a transportation management system 105, a fuel tank management system 110, a power management system 115, and a consumer 120. The multiple tenants 20 may share at least one of the fuel production management system 100, the transportation management system 105, the fuel tank management system 110, the power management system 115, and the consumer 120. The multiple tenants 20 may share the fuel production management system 100, as an example.

[0050] The fuel production management system 100 is connected to the transportation management system 105 and the orchestration controller 40. The fuel production management system 100 manages fuel production of the fuel cell. The fuel production management system 100 may instruct the production of hydrogen, which is fuel for the fuel cell, and ethanol, methane, or ammonia for hydrogen generation. As an example, the fuel production management system 100 manages a fuel production device that produces hydrogen by electrolysis using renewable energy. The fuel production management system 100 may include one or more processors that acquire information about fuel production from the orchestration controller 40 or fuel production equipment, and output the information about fuel production to the orchestration controller 40. The information about fuel production may include at least one of the operation rate of the fuel production device, the amount of fuel produced per unit time, or a fuel production plan. The fuel production management system 100 may adjust the start time of fuel production, the amount of production, etc., according to the production plan from the orchestration controller 40.

[0051] The transportation management system 105 is connected to the fuel tank management system 110 and the orchestration controller 40. The transportation management system 105 manages the transportation of the fuel produced by the fuel production management system 100. The transportation management system 105 may transmit transportation instructions to trucks, ships, pipelines, and the like that transport the fuel. The transportation management system 105 may include one or more processors that acquire information about the transportation of the fuel from the orchestration controller 40, the truck roll management system 130, the ship management system 135, or the pipeline management system 140, and output information about the transportation to the orchestration controller 40. The information about the transportation of the fuel may include at least one of a transportation plan for the fuel, past transportation information, transportation cost, energy consumption for transportation, transportation route, transportation amount, or transportation time. The transportation management system 105 may adjust the transportation start time, transportation route, transportation amount, and the like of the fuel according to the transportation plan from the orchestration controller 40.

[0052] The fuel tank management system 110 is connected to the power management system 115 and the orchestration controller 40. The fuel tank management system 110 manages a fuel tank that stores transported fuel. The fuel tank management system 110 may include one or more processors that obtain information about the fuel tank from the orchestration controller 40 or the tank control device 145 and output the information about the fuel tank to the orchestration controller 40. The information about the fuel tank may include at least one of the current amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank, a change in the past amount of fuel remaining over time, or a maximum storage amount.

[0053] The power management system 115 is connected to the consumer 120 and the orchestration controller 40. The power management system 115 manages the power supplied to the consumer 120. The power management system 115 controls the output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 to supply power to the consumer 120. The power management system 115 may include one or more processors that acquire information on power demand from the orchestration controller 40 or the consumer 120 and output at least one of information on power demand or a power supply plan to the orchestration controller 40. The information on power demand may include at least one of an operation plan of the consumer 120, environmental data, past power consumption, or power demand for a predetermined future period.

[0054] The consumer 120 is connected to the orchestration controller 40. The consumer 120 consumes the power supplied from the power management system 115. The consumer 120 may be a plant. Examples of the plant include, in addition to industrial plants such as chemical plants, plants that manage and control wells and their surroundings in gas fields, oil fields, etc., plants that manage and control power generation such as hydropower, thermal power, and nuclear power, plants that manage and control environmental power generation such as solar power and wind power, plants that manage and control water supply and sewerage, dams, etc. Further, the consumer 120 may be a ship, and the energy for generating the propulsion force for advancing the ship may be supplied by the power management system 115. The consumer 120 may include one or more processors that acquire information regarding the power demand from the orchestration controller 40 or sensors installed in the consumer 120 and output the information regarding the power demand to the orchestration controller 40 or the power management system 115.

[0055] The external system 30 is connected to the tenant 20A. The external system 30 executes operations according to instructions from the tenant 20A. The external system 30 may be arranged at a location separated from the tenant 20A, for example, in a different country from the consumer 120. The external system 30 includes a truck roll management system 130, a ship management system 135, a pipeline management system 140, a tank control device 145, and a carbon credit system 150. The tenants 20B and 20C may be connected to a similar external system 30.

[0056] The truck roll management system 130 is connected to the transportation management system 105. The truck roll management system 130 may manage trucks that transport fuel in response to transportation instructions from the transportation management system 105. The truck roll management system 130 may include one or more processors that acquire information regarding transportation by trucks and output information or instructions regarding transportation by trucks. The information regarding transportation may include at least one of a transportation plan for fuel by trucks, the transportation volume of each truck, or the transportation route.

[0057] The vessel management system 135 is connected to the transportation management system 105. The vessel management system 135 may manage vessels transporting fuel in response to transportation instructions from the transportation management system 105. The vessel management system 135 may include one or more processors that acquire information related to transportation by the vessel and output information or instructions related to transportation by the vessel. The information related to transportation by the vessel may include at least one of a transportation plan, transportation amount, transportation time, or transportation route of the fuel by the vessel.

[0058] The pipeline management system 140 is connected to the transportation management system 105. The pipeline management system 140 may manage a pipeline that transports fuel in response to a transportation instruction from the transportation management system 105. The pipeline management system 140 may include one or more processors that acquire information related to the transportation through the pipeline and output information or instructions related to the transportation through the pipeline. The information related to the transportation through the pipeline may include at least one of a transportation plan, a transportation amount, or a transportation time of the fuel through the pipeline.

[0059] The tank control device 145 is connected to the fuel tank management system 110. The tank control device 145 may manage a fuel tank that stores fuel. The tank control device 145 may include one or more processors that acquire information about the fuel tank from a sensor or the like installed in the fuel tank and output information or instructions about the fuel tank. The information about the fuel tank may include at least one of the current amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank, the maximum storage amount of the fuel tank, or a fluctuation history of the storage amount of the fuel tank.

[0060] The carbon credit system 150 is connected to the power management system 115. The carbon credit system 150 may manage carbon credits related to the greenhouse gas emissions of the power management system 115. The carbon credit system 150 may include one or more processors that obtain information related to carbon credits from the power management system 115 or a carbon credit trading system, etc., and output information or trading instructions related to carbon credits. The information related to carbon credits may indicate the current buying and selling price of carbon credits, etc.

[0061] The cracking management system 155 is connected to the power management system 115. The cracking management system 155 manages a device that extracts hydrogen, which is the fuel of a fuel cell, from ammonia or the like. The cracking management system 155 may include one or more processors that obtain information related to cracking from the power management system 115 or a cracking device, and output information or instructions related to cracking. The information related to cracking may include at least one of the cracking efficiency or the amount of hydrogen generated by cracking.

[0062] More than 50% of these external systems 30 may be remotely distributed from the customer 120 and the power management system 115 to control each process. By controlling each process in a distributed manner, optimization can be achieved without the need for real-time communication, and the orchestration system 10 is useful for optimizing the entire supply chain.

[0063] Each system in the orchestration system 10 may be a computer such as a PC, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a workstation, a server computer, or a general-purpose computer, or may be a computer system to which a plurality of computers are connected. Such a computer system is also a computer in a broad sense. Further, each system may be implemented by one or more executable virtual computer environments within the computer.

[0064] The orchestration controller 40 is connected to a plurality of tenants 20 respectively. The orchestration controller 40 may be connected to a plurality of systems of each tenant 20, and may further be connected to an external system 30. The orchestration controller 40 optimizes the power supply in the orchestration system 10. The orchestration controller 40 provides information for optimizing the output distribution (for example, ratio or output power amount) of the output power of the fuel cell and the additional power source to match the power demand for the output power of the fuel cell and the additional power source to the power management system 115 of each tenant 20.

[0065] The orchestration controller 40 may be a computer such as a PC (personal computer), a tablet computer, a smartphone, a workstation, a server computer, or a general-purpose computer, or may be a computer system to which a plurality of computers are connected. Such a computer system is also a computer in a broad sense. Also, the orchestration controller 40 may be implemented by one or more executable virtual computer environments in the computer. Instead of this, the orchestration controller 40 may be a dedicated computer designed for optimizing power supply, or may be dedicated hardware realized by a dedicated circuit.

[0066] The orchestration controller 40 includes a first receiver 160A, a second receiver 160B, a third receiver 160C, a first planner 170A, a second planner 170B, a third planner 170C, and an energy demand forecaster 180. The orchestration controller 40 may include one or more processors for executing at least some of the operations of the first receiver 160A, the second receiver 160B, the third receiver 160C, the first planner 170A, the second planner 170B, the third planner 170C, or the energy demand forecaster 180. The number of receivers and planners of the orchestration controller 40 is not limited to three, and may be changed according to the number of tenants 20.

[0067] The first receiving unit 160A is connected to the tenant 20A. The first receiving unit 160A receives information on the power demand for the output power of the fuel cell and the additional power source in the tenant 20A from at least one of the fuel production management system 100, the transportation management system 105, the fuel tank management system 110, the power management system 115, the truck roll management system 130, the ship management system 135, the pipeline management system 140, the carbon credit system 150, the cracking management system 155, or the consumer 120 in the tenant 20A.

[0068] The information on the power demand includes, for example, at least one of the operation plan of the consumer 120, environmental data, past power demand (power consumption), or power demand for a predetermined future period. The operation plan may indicate at least one of a plan of the operation rate or operation period of the load device of the consumer 120 for a future period. The environmental data may indicate at least one of temperature, air pressure, weather, etc. detected by a sensor or the like installed in the consumer 120. The past power consumption may indicate at least one of the total power consumption in the consumer 120 for a predetermined past period or the power consumption in a time series. The power demand for a predetermined future period may indicate the required power amount calculated by the consumer 120 for the future period.

[0069] The second receiving unit 160B is connected to the tenant 20B. The second receiving unit 160B receives information regarding power demand from at least one of a plurality of systems or consumers 120 in the tenant 20B. The third receiving unit 160C is connected to the tenant 20C. The third receiving unit 160C receives information regarding power demand from at least one of a plurality of systems or consumers 120 in the tenant 20C. The information regarding power demand received by the second receiving unit 160B and the third receiving unit 160C may be the same type of information as the information regarding power demand received by the first receiving unit 160A.

[0070] The first planning unit 170A is connected to the first receiving unit 160A. The first planning unit 170A generates a power supply plan from the power management system 115 to the consumer 120 in the tenant 20A according to the information received by the first receiving unit 160A. The second planning unit 170B is connected to the second receiving unit 160B. The second planning unit 170B generates a power supply plan from the power management system 115 to the consumer 120 in the tenant 20B according to the information received by the second receiving unit 160B. The third planning unit 170C is connected to the third receiving unit 160C. The third planning unit 170C generates a power supply plan from the power management system 115 to the consumer 120 in the tenant 20C according to the information received by the third receiving unit 160C.

[0071] The energy demand prediction unit 180 is connected to the first planning unit 170A, the second planning unit 170B, and the third planning unit 170C. The energy demand prediction unit 180 performs energy demand prediction according to the supply plans generated by the first planning unit 170A, the second planning unit 170B, and the third planning unit 170C. The energy demand prediction unit 180 may predict the production amount of fuel required for the power supply amount in a plurality of tenants 20, etc. The orchestration controller 40 may transmit at least one of a power supply plan or an energy supply instruction according to the energy demand prediction to each tenant 20.

[0072] FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of a part of the orchestration system 10. FIG. 2 shows, as an example, the power management system 115 in tenant 20A in more detail. The power management system 115 includes an output control device 200 and a power supply device 210. Note that the power management system 115 in tenant 20B or 20C may have the same configuration as that in FIG. 2.

[0073] The output control device 200 controls the power supplied to the consumer 120 by the power management system 115. The output control device 200 may be installed in the consumer 120 (for example, inside a plant). The output control device 200 may include one or more processors for generating, acquiring, and outputting information for power control. The output control device 200 includes an acquisition unit 220, a communication unit 225, a simulation unit 230, a determination unit 235, and an adjustment unit 240.

[0074] The acquisition unit 220 is connected to the consumer 120. The acquisition unit 220 acquires information about the consumer 120. The acquisition unit 220 may acquire information about the power demand from the consumer 120. As an example, the acquisition unit 220 may acquire at least one of the operation plan of the consumer 120, environmental data, past power consumption, or power demand for a predetermined future period of the consumer 120. The operation plan may indicate at least one of the operation rate, operation time, or operation period of the load device of the consumer 120 in a future period. The environmental data may indicate at least one of the temperature, atmospheric pressure, or weather of the environment where the consumer 120 is installed. The past power consumption may indicate at least one of the total power consumption of a predetermined past period or the time-series power consumption in the consumer 120. The power demand for a predetermined future period may indicate the required power amount determined by the consumer 120 in a future period.

[0075] The communication unit 225 is connected to at least one other system in the orchestration system 10 and transmits and receives data with at least one system. The communication unit 225 is connected to the orchestration controller 40 and transmits and receives data with the orchestration controller 40. The communication unit 225 may receive information from the orchestration controller 40 for optimizing the output distribution of the output power of the fuel cell and the additional power source so as to conform to the power demand.

[0076] The determination unit 235 is connected to the acquisition unit 220 and the communication unit 225. The determination unit 235 determines the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 for optimizing at least one of the power generation efficiency or deterioration of the first fuel cell 250 according to the power demand for the output power by the power management system 115. The determination unit 235 may determine the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 according to the information received by the acquisition unit 220 and the communication unit 225.

[0077] The simulation unit 230 is connected to the determination unit 235. The simulation unit 230 performs a simulation regarding at least one of the consumer 120 or the power supply device 210 using the digital twin. The digital twin may include one or more models for simulating the state change and the like of at least one of the consumer 120 or the power supply device 210. For example, the digital twin for the tenant 20A may be a model generated by machine learning using at least one of the information received from each system in the tenant 20A or the information received from the consumer 120 of the tenant 20A (past power demand, environmental data, etc.). The model may include a model that outputs at least one of the deterioration degree or power generation efficiency of the first fuel cell 250, the predicted value of the power demand of the consumer 120, or the power supply plan according to the input of the power consumption, operation plan, environmental data, etc. received from the consumer 120. The simulation unit 230 may supply the simulation result to the determination unit 235.

[0078] The adjustment unit 240 is connected to the determination unit 235, the first fuel cell 250, and the additional power source 255. The adjustment unit 240 adjusts the output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 according to the output distribution determined by the determination unit 235. The adjustment unit 240 may output data indicating the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 to the power supply device 210. The adjustment unit 240 may control the power supply from the power grid 275.

[0079] The power supply device 210 includes a first fuel cell 250, an additional power source 255, and an output unit 280. The additional power source 255 may output power. Further, the additional power source 255 may generate thermal energy, kinetic energy, or other types of energy other than electrical energy. The additional power source 255 may include at least one of a second fuel cell 260, a power supply device 265, or a storage battery 270. At least a part of the power supply device 210 may be installed within the consumer 120. For example, the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 may be installed in the consumer 120 (e.g., within a plant).

[0080] The first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 are each connected to the adjustment unit 240. The first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 each generate electricity using the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 generate electricity according to an instruction from the adjustment unit 240 using the fuel produced and transported within the orchestration system 10. The first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 may be different types of fuel cells. The load capacity of the first fuel cell 250 may be different from the load capacity of the second fuel cell 260. The load capacity of the first fuel cell 250 may be 10 to 20 times the load capacity of the second fuel cell 260. The first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 may each be a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC), a phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC), a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), or a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC).

[0081] The power supply device 265 is connected to the adjustment unit 240 and at least one of the first fuel cell 250, the second fuel cell 260, or the power supply device 265. The power supply device 265 is not particularly limited as long as it is a device that serves as a power source. As an example, it is a micro gas turbine or a fuel cell. The micro gas turbine may generate electricity using the exhaust heat of at least one of the first fuel cell 250 or the second fuel cell 260.

[0082] The storage battery 270 is connected to the adjustment unit 240 and at least one of the first fuel cell 250, the second fuel cell 260, or the power supply device 265. The storage battery 270 performs charging or discharging in response to an instruction from the adjustment unit 240. The storage battery 270 is charged by the output power of at least one of the first fuel cell 250, the second fuel cell 260, and the power supply device 265.

[0083] The output unit 280 is connected to the first fuel cell 250, the second fuel cell 260, the power supply device 265, the storage battery 270, and the power grid 275. The output unit 280 supplies the output power from the first fuel cell 250, the second fuel cell 260, the power supply device 265, the storage battery 270, and the power grid 275 to the customer 120. The output unit 280 may include the output terminal of the power supply device 210 that is electrically connected to the load device of the customer 120.

[0084] Figure 3 shows a first operation example of power supply optimization in the orchestration system 10. In the orchestration system 10, the orchestration controller 40 and the output control device 200 distributively execute the collection of information from multiple layers and the optimization of output power. In the first operation example, the output control device 200 controls the power supply device 210 according to the power supply plan generated by the orchestration controller 40. Note that Figure 3 mainly shows the optimization operation of power supply in the tenant 20A as an example, but the orchestration system 10 may similarly perform optimization for the tenants 20B and 20C.

[0085] In step S300, the orchestration controller 40 acquires the first power demand of the consumer 120 of the tenant 20A. Based on the information received by the first receiving unit 160A, the first planning unit 170A of the orchestration controller 40 predicts the first power demand for the output power of the power management system 115. The first planning unit 170A may acquire the required power amount for the power management system 115 calculated by the consumer 120 of the tenant 20A as the first power demand.

[0086] Also, the first planning unit 170A may predict the first power demand in a predetermined first period in the future by simulation using the digital twin for the tenant 20A. The first planning unit 170A may predict the time-series first power demand or the total of the first power demand for each time zone in the first period.

[0087] The model used by the first planning unit 170A may include one or more models that simulate at least partial state changes of the consumer 120 or the orchestration system 10. For example, the model for the tenant 20A may be generated by machine learning using at least one of the information received from each system related to the tenant 20A or the information received from the consumer 120 of the tenant 20A (past power demand, environmental data, operation plan, etc.). The model may output at least one of the first power demand of the consumer 120 or the supply plan of the power supply in response to the input of the information received from each system and the information received from the consumer 120. The model may simulate the state change of at least one system of the tenant A in response to the information received from each system related to the tenant 20A. As an example, the first planning unit 170A may perform simulation using the information indicating the operation plan and environmental data of the consumer 120 and acquire the simulation result including the first power demand. The model may be generated by a machine learning algorithm including a neural network or the like.

[0088] In step S310, the first planning unit 170A of the orchestration controller 40 determines a first power supply plan for supplying power to the customer 120 of the tenant 20A. The first planning unit 170A may determine a first supply plan that satisfies the first power demand in the future first period. The first planning unit 170A may determine a first supply plan indicating when to output which power source and in what distribution. The first planning unit 170A may generate a first supply plan including at least one target value of the output power ratio or control parameter of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255. The control parameter may include at least one of the output power amount, fuel temperature, fuel pressure, or cooling water temperature of at least one of the first fuel cell 250 or the additional power source 255.

[0089] The first planning unit 170A may determine a first supply plan that optimizes the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 so as to adjust the output power of the first fuel cell 250 within the range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity (the maximum output power of the first fuel cell 250). The first planning unit 170A may determine a first supply plan so as to maintain the output power of the first fuel cell 250 within the range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity over the first period. If it is within the range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity, deterioration of the first fuel cell 250 can be suppressed. The first planning unit 170A may also determine a first supply plan that restricts the output power of the second fuel cell 260, which is the additional power source 255, within the range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity.

[0090] The first planning unit 170A may perform frequency analysis on the time-series fluctuations of the first power demand, and generate information (supply plan) for optimizing the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 based on the frequency analysis. For example, the first planning unit 170A may, based on the frequency of the time-series fluctuations of the power demand, generate information (supply plan) for optimizing the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 such that the fluctuations in the output power of the first fuel cell 250 are within a range not exceeding a preset maximum operating frequency with respect to degradation. Similarly for the second fuel cell 260, the first planning unit 170A may generate a first supply plan for optimizing the ratio of the output powers of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 such that it is within a range not exceeding a preset maximum operating frequency for the second fuel cell 260. The first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 may be of different types, and may each have a preset maximum operating frequency different from each other. The preset maximum operating frequency for the first fuel cell 250 may be 2 to 20 times the preset maximum operating frequency for the second fuel cell 260.

[0091] As an example, the first planning unit 170A may perform frequency analysis by performing Fourier transform on the time-series fluctuations of the first power demand, and may combine the output powers of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 according to each frequency component of the first power demand such that they are within a range not exceeding the preset maximum operating frequency. For the frequency components of the first power demand that are higher than the maximum operating frequency, the first planning unit 170A may determine the first supply plan such that the battery 270 is charged or discharged during time periods exceeding or falling short of the first power demand. The first planning unit 170A may further determine the first supply plan for supplying power from the power grid 275 during time periods when the first power demand is not satisfied. Since the greater the rate of change of the output power of the fuel cell, the greater the degradation, the maximum operating frequency may be the frequency of the fluctuations in the output power for each of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 where the degradation is less than a preset threshold. The maximum operating frequency may be set based on the results of examining the degradation degree of each fuel cell through experiments or simulations in advance.

[0092] The first planning unit 170A may optimize the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 so as to stop the output of the corresponding fuel cell during a preset start-up period for at least one of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260. The start-up period may be a period from the start-up of the fuel cell (generated power = 0) until the deterioration of the fuel cell becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. The start-up period may be a rising period until the fuel cell can output the maximum rated output power during steady operation. The start-up period may be set based on the results of examining the deterioration of each fuel cell through experiments, simulations, etc. in advance. The first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 may have different start-up periods. The start-up period of the first fuel cell 250 may be 5 to 50 times the length of the start-up period of the second fuel cell 260. Since the deterioration of the fuel cell increases when it outputs power during the start-up period, the first planning unit 170A may determine a first supply plan for suppressing the deterioration by stopping the output of the fuel cell during the start-up period. The first planning unit 170A may determine a first supply plan for supplementing the output power with an additional power source 255 other than the first fuel cell 250 during the start-up period.

[0093] The first planning unit 170A may optimize the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 by using an evaluation function based on a weighted evaluation of the power generation efficiency, equipment cost, and degradation of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255. As the power generation efficiency of the first fuel cell 250, the first planning unit 170A may use a value obtained by dividing the fuel cost (the cost from fuel production to power generation using the fuel) by the amount of power of the output power (that is, the unit price of power considering the entire supply chain). The power generation efficiency of the second fuel cell 260 may be the same. As the equipment cost, the first planning unit 170A may use the installation cost of each of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 (for example, the price of the fuel cell). As the degradation of each of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260, the first planning unit 170A may use a degradation degree indicating a reduction rate or change amount with respect to an initial value such as the maximum output power. The first planning unit 170A calculates the sum of multiplying the values indicating the power generation efficiency, equipment cost, and degradation by preset weights, respectively, and determines the ratio of the output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 for which the sum is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value (or is maximized) as the first supply plan.

[0094] The first planning unit 170A may determine the first supply plan according to information of other systems. For example, the first planning unit 170A may calculate the amount of fuel that can be supplied to the fuel cell from information received from at least one of the fuel production management system 100, the transportation management system 105, or the fuel tank management system 110, and optimize the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 according to the amount of fuel that can be supplied. The first planning unit 170A may generate a first supply plan that reduces the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 when the amount of fuel supply is smaller, and increases the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 when the amount of fuel supply is larger. The first planning unit 170A may also determine the first supply plan according to information on carbon credits. The first planning unit 170A may generate a first supply plan that increases the power distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 during periods when the price of carbon credits is higher, and decreases the power distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 during periods when the price of carbon credits is lower.

[0095] The second planning unit 170B and the third planning unit 170C may determine the first supply plan for the tenants 20B and 20C, respectively, in the same manner as in steps S300 and S310. The orchestration controller 40 may provide, to each of the output control devices 200 of the multiple tenants 20, information for optimizing output allocation for the corresponding consumers 120 (e.g., at least one of the first power demand or the first supply plan of the corresponding tenant 20).

[0096] Further, the energy demand prediction unit 180 of the orchestration controller 40 may create at least one of a fuel supply plan, a transportation plan, and a production plan from a plurality of first supply plans determined by the first planning unit 170A, the second planning unit 170B, and the third planning unit 170C. The energy demand prediction unit 180 may calculate the total amount of fuel (hydrogen, etc.) required for the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 when the first supply plan is executed and the supply timing of the required fuel as a fuel supply plan. The energy demand prediction unit 180 may calculate the storage amount and storage timing for storing the fuel in the fuel tank from the total amount of fuel required and the supply timing of the required fuel. The energy demand prediction unit 180 may calculate the transportation amount and transportation timing for transporting the fuel as a transportation plan from the storage amount and storage timing. The energy demand prediction unit 180 may calculate the production amount and production timing of the fuel as a production plan from the transportation amount and transportation timing. The energy demand prediction unit 180 may simulate state changes of the fuel production management system 100, the transportation management system 105, or the fuel tank management system 110 using a digital twin, and perform the above calculation operation using the simulation results. In addition, the fuel supply plan, transportation plan, and production plan may be optimized using their respective objective functions. In this way, the energy demand prediction unit 180 can calculate the energy demand prediction according to the constraint conditions from the downstream side to the upstream side, and determine each plan.

[0097] The orchestration controller 40 may transmit instructions to each system according to a fuel supply plan, a transportation plan, or a production plan. For example, the orchestration controller 40 may transmit an instruction to the fuel production management system 100 of the corresponding tenant 20 to produce the calculated amount of fuel by the production timing. When the tenants 20A, 20B, and 20C have a common fuel production management system 100, the orchestration controller 40 can efficiently perform fuel production by instructing the tenants 20A, 20B, and 20C to produce the total amount of fuel.

[0098] The orchestration controller 40 may also transmit an instruction to the transportation management system 105 of the corresponding tenant 20 to transport the calculated transportation amount of fuel to the fuel tank by the transportation timing. In response to an instruction from the orchestration controller 40, the transportation management system 105 may transmit an instruction to the truck roll management system 130, the ship management system 135, and the pipeline management system 140 to transport fuel at the transportation amount and transportation timing corresponding to each. The orchestration controller 40 may transmit an instruction to the fuel tank management system 110 of the corresponding tenant 20 to store the calculated storage amount of fuel in the fuel tank by the storage timing. In response to an instruction from the orchestration controller 40, the fuel tank management system 110 may transmit an instruction to the tank control device 145 to store the calculated storage amount of fuel in the fuel tank by the storage timing.

[0099] In step S320, the output control device 200 acquires a second power demand for the output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 in a predetermined future second period. The determination unit 235 of the output control device 200 may acquire at least one of a time-series power demand or a predicted value of the power demand for the output power of the power management system 115. The determination unit 235 may predict the time-series second power demand in the second period or the total of the second power demand for each time slot. The determination unit 235 may acquire the amount of power requested of the power management system 115, calculated by the consumer 120, as the second power demand.

[0100] Further, the determination unit 235 may predict the second power demand in a future second period according to the simulation result by the digital twin. The digital twin used by the simulation unit 230 may include one or more models that simulate at least one of the state change of the consumer 120 or the state change of the power supply device 210 (for example, the first fuel cell 250). The digital twin may include a model generated by machine learning using information on the power supply device 210 (type and characteristics of the power source, etc.) and information received from the consumer 120 (past power consumption, environmental data, operation plan, etc.). The determination unit 235 may obtain a predicted value of the second power demand output from the model according to at least one input of the current state (power consumption, temperature, operation rate, etc.) of the consumer 120 or the future operation plan. The model may be generated by a machine learning algorithm including a neural network or the like.

[0101] The determination unit 235 may obtain a predicted value of the power demand for the output power of the power management system 115 according to the type of the load device of the consumer 120 supplied with power by the power management system 115. The determination unit 235 may calculate the power demand pattern for each type of load device from the past power demand and obtain the predicted value using the power demand pattern. As an example, when the load device is an air conditioner, the determination unit 235 may use a power demand pattern in which the power demand is higher during a period when the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value.

[0102] Further, the determination unit 235 may obtain a predicted value of the power demand for the output power of the power management system 115 according to at least one of the operation plan of the load device of the consumer 120 supplied with power by the first fuel cell 250, the environmental data related to the load device, or the past power demand for the output power of the power management system 115. The determination unit 235 may obtain the operation plan (time-series operation rate or operation rate in each of a plurality of periods) of each of the plurality of load devices from the consumer 120, and calculate the total power required according to the operation plan as the second power demand. The determination unit 235 may obtain the second power demand from the result of simulation according to at least one of the operation plan or environmental data of the consumer 120 using the digital twin. The determination unit 235 may use the past power demand as the predicted value of the future power demand. The determination unit 235 may use the past power demand in the corresponding period as the predicted value of the future power demand. As an example, the determination unit 235 may use the past power demand in February of last year as the predicted value of the power demand in February of this year. The determination unit 235 may also change the past power demand according to the operation plan of the consumer 120 or the load device and use it as the predicted value of the future power demand. The determination unit 235 may change the past power demand so as to increase it in a period when the operation rate of the operation plan is higher than the past and decrease it in a period when the operation rate is lower than the past, and use it as the second power demand.

[0103] The determination unit 235 may predict the power demand in the same manner as the first planning unit 170A of the orchestration controller 40, but the second period may be shorter than the first period. Therefore, the determination unit 235 may predict the power demand at a shorter cycle than the first planning unit 170A of the orchestration controller 40. Further, the determination unit 235 may predict the second power demand using only the information obtained from the consumer 120. Further, the determination unit 235 may predict the second power demand using the information obtained after the prediction of the first power demand by the first planning unit 170A. Thus, the determination unit 235 can perform a demand prediction with higher accuracy than the orchestration controller 40.

[0104] In step S330, the output control device 200 determines a second power supply plan for supplying power to the consumer 120. The determination unit 235 may determine a second supply plan that satisfies the second power demand in a future second period. The determination unit 235 may determine a second supply plan indicating which power source to output and in what distribution at what time. The determination unit 235 may determine the second supply plan by changing the first supply plan according to the second power demand. For the output power planned in the first supply plan, the determination unit 235 may supply power from the storage battery 270 or the power grid 275 to the consumer 120 during a period when the second power demand is insufficient, and generate a second supply plan so as to charge the storage battery 270 or sell power through the power grid 275 during a period when the second power demand is exceeded.

[0105] Further, the determination unit 235 may determine, in the same manner as the first planning unit 170A in step S310, the ratio or control parameter of the output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 as the second supply plan. The determination unit 235 may determine a second supply plan that satisfies the second power demand, and may determine either the first supply plan or the second supply plan as the optimal supply plan.

[0106] For example, the determination unit 235 may perform frequency analysis on the time-series variation of the second power demand, in the same manner as the first planning unit 170A in step S310, and determine the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 as the second supply plan based on the frequency analysis. Further, the determination unit 235 may determine a second supply plan including target values of a plurality of control parameters for each of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 according to the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255. The determination unit 235 may determine the target value of the output power of the first fuel cell 250, the target value of the output power of the second fuel cell 260, the target value of the output power of the power supply device 265, and the target value of the output power of the storage battery 270 so as to satisfy the second power demand according to the determined output distribution.

[0107] Further, the determination unit 235 inputs, into a degradation model that outputs the degree of degradation of the first fuel cell 250 in response to the input of the control parameter of the first fuel cell 250, a control parameter within the range of the control parameter that satisfies the second power demand and has a power generation efficiency equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, and determines a second supply plan including the control parameter for which the degree of degradation output from the degradation model becomes the smallest. The determination unit 235 may previously store a function indicating the correlation between the control parameter regarding the first fuel cell 250 and the power generation efficiency, and determine a set of control parameters having a power generation efficiency equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value using the function. Further, the determination unit 235 may receive the simulation result of the digital twin obtained by inputting the parameter regarding the first fuel cell 250 and the information regarding the consumer, and determine a set of control parameters having a power generation efficiency equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value using the simulation result. The determination unit 235 may input a plurality of sets of control parameters having a power generation efficiency equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value into the degradation model respectively, and determine the set of control parameters having the smallest degree of degradation output as the second supply plan. The determination unit 235 may similarly determine a second supply plan that minimizes the degree of degradation for the second fuel cell 260 as well.

[0108] Here, the degradation model may be a function showing the correlation between the control parameters and the degree of degradation of the first fuel cell 250, and may be a machine learning model. The degradation model may be a model generated by various machine learning algorithms including random forest, gradient boosting, logistic regression, neural network, and support vector machine (SVM). The degradation model is a model generated using, as learning data, at least one control parameter among the output power amount, fuel temperature, fuel pressure, environmental data (temperature, humidity, etc.), output power fluctuation (frequency), startup period, or cooling water temperature regarding the first fuel cell 250, which is obtained in advance through experiments or the like, and the degree of degradation of the first fuel cell 250 at the time of the control parameter. The degradation model may be a model that is theoretically correct regarding the degree of degradation of the fuel cell, and may also be a function of the local degree of degradation obtained by changing the control parameter in a range where the degree of degradation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Note that the degree of degradation may indicate a change from the initial value of the maximum output power, current-voltage characteristics, or electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) of the fuel cell.

[0109] The determination unit 235 may perform a simulation on at least one of the power generation efficiency or degradation of the first fuel cell 250 when controlled by each of the determined second supply plan and the first supply plan. The determination unit 235 may determine, according to the simulation result, the supply plan in which at least one of the power generation efficiency or degradation is optimal (for example, the power generation efficiency is maximum and the degree of degradation is minimum) among the first supply plan and the second supply plan as the optimal supply plan.

[0110] The determination unit 235 may determine a fuel transportation instruction for the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 according to the output distribution of the optimal supply plan. For example, when the determination unit 235 determines an optimal supply plan different from the first supply plan, it may determine a transportation instruction to supplement the insufficient fuel or a transportation instruction to reduce the excessive fuel. The transportation instruction may include at least one of the transportation timing to the fuel tank, the transportation route, the transportation means, or the transportation volume. The communication unit 225 may output the transportation instruction to the transportation management system 105. Also, the determination unit 235 may determine the cracking amount and the cracking timing of the fuel required according to the optimal supply plan. The communication unit 225 may send an instruction to the cracking management system 155 to perform cracking with the determined cracking amount at the determined timing. Further, the determination unit 235 may calculate the predicted amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduced for each of a plurality of periods according to the optimal supply plan. The determination unit 235 may instruct the carbon credit system 150 to conduct the buying and selling of carbon credits according to the predicted amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduced and the period.

[0111] In step S340, the adjustment unit 240 controls the output power of the power supply device 210. The adjustment unit 240 adjusts the output powers of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 according to the control parameters determined by the determination unit 235. The adjustment unit 240 may supply data indicating the time-series output power determined by the determination unit 235 to the power supply device 210 and set the output power. The first fuel cell 250, the second fuel cell 260, the power supply device 265, and the storage battery 270 may output power according to the data supplied from the adjustment unit 240 and supply the power to the consumer 120 via the output unit 280.

[0112] After step S340, the orchestration system 10 may execute the optimization of power supply to the customer 120 while repeating steps S300 to S340. The orchestration controller 40 or the output control device 200 may perform additional learning on a model or the like used for predicting power demand from the difference between the predicted value of power demand and the actual power demand. Further, the orchestration controller 40 or the output control device 200 may optimize the model that outputs the power supply plan so as to reduce the error between the actually performed power supply (output distribution) and the optimal power supply for the actual power demand calculated afterwards.

[0113] The orchestration system 10 of the present embodiment can optimize the entire supply chain from fuel production to power supply to the customer 120 by the orchestration controller 40, so that costs can be efficiently reduced for a plurality of tenants 20. Further, the orchestration system 10 can reduce the possibility of fuel supply interruption in the supply chain that performs fuel production and transportation that takes a period of several weeks to several months by performing highly accurate simulation using a digital twin for power demand prediction and supply plan generation.

[0114] FIG. 4 shows a second operation example of the optimization of power supply in the orchestration system 10. In the second operation example, the orchestration system 10 may operate in the same manner as in the first operation example, except that one of the plurality of supply plans generated by the output control device 200 is selected by the orchestration controller 40, and power supply is performed according to the selected supply plan.

[0115] In step S400, the orchestration controller 40 acquires the predicted value of the first power demand of the customer 120 of the tenant 20A. The first planning unit 170A may predict the first power demand in the same manner as in step S300. The orchestration controller 40 transmits data indicating the first power demand to the output control device 200.

[0116] In step S410, the output control device 200 generates a plurality of second supply plans that plan the output distribution (such as ratio) of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 in a predetermined second period based on the prediction of the first power demand for the output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255. The determination unit 235 may generate a plurality of second supply plans while changing the constraint conditions. For example, the determination unit 235 may generate a second supply plan that is optimal for the power generation efficiency of the first fuel cell 250, a second supply plan that is optimal for the deterioration of the first fuel cell 250, a second supply plan that is optimal for the power generation efficiency and deterioration of the first fuel cell 250, a second supply plan that is optimal for the power generation efficiency of each of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260, and a second supply plan that is optimal for the deterioration of each of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260. The determination unit 235 may generate a second supply plan in the same manner as in step S330 using the first power demand. The communication unit 225 transmits data indicating a plurality of second supply plans to the orchestration controller 40.

[0117] In step S420, the orchestration controller 40 may select an optimal supply plan that optimizes at least one of the power generation efficiency, equipment cost, and deterioration of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 from among the plurality of second supply plans and provide the selection result to the output control device 200. The first planning unit 170A may select, as the optimal supply plan, a supply plan in which the power generation efficiency of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 is maximized. Further, the first planning unit 170A may select, as the optimal supply plan, a supply plan in which the ratio of the total output power amount to the equipment cost of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 is maximized. Further, the first planning unit 170A may select, as the optimal supply plan, a supply plan in which the deterioration of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 is minimized.

[0118] The first planning unit 170A may select an optimal supply plan based on a result of simulating the control and state change of the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 according to each of the multiple second supply plans. The first planning unit 170A may simulate, in a digital twin, state changes (for example, at least one change in the output power amount, the fuel consumption amount, or the deterioration degree) regarding the first fuel cell 250 and the additional power source 255 due to the control according to each of the second supply plans, and calculate at least one of the power generation efficiency, the equipment cost, and the deterioration from the simulation result. The first planning unit 170A may select the second supply plan for which the calculation result is optimal as the optimal supply plan. The orchestration controller 40 transmits data indicating the selected optimal supply plan to the output control device 200.

[0119] The first planning unit 170A may select the optimal supply plan according to information of other systems. For example, the first planning unit 170A may calculate the amount of fuel that can be supplied to the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 from information received from at least one of the fuel production management system 100, the transportation management system 105, and the fuel tank management system 110, and select a second supply plan according to the amount of fuel that can be supplied. The first planning unit 170A may calculate the amount of power that can be output with the amount of fuel that can be supplied, and select a second supply plan in which the output power amount of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 is equal to or less than the amount of power that can be output and the output power amount is maximum as the optimal supply plan. Furthermore, the first planning unit 170A may select a second supply plan in which the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 is smaller when the amount of fuel that can be supplied is smaller, and in which the output distribution of the first fuel cell 250 and the second fuel cell 260 is larger when the amount of fuel that can be supplied is larger, as the optimal supply plan.

[0120] In step S430, the adjustment unit 240 controls the power supply device 210 in accordance with the optimal supply plan, similar to step S340.

[0121] According to this embodiment, power demand prediction and generation of supply plans can be executed distributively between the orchestration controller 40 and the output control device 200, and the efficiency of power supply can be improved.

[0122] Note that the output control device 200 of this embodiment may be arranged separately from the orchestration controller 40, or at least a part of the configuration of the orchestration controller 40 may be included in the output control device 200.

[0123] FIG. 5 shows power consumption data for three different plants over the same period. FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c) respectively show the time evolution of power consumption of different plants. In FIG. 5, the vertical axis represents the power consumption, and the horizontal axis represents time. FIG. 5(d) shows a partially enlarged view of the power consumption data of FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c). The power consumption data in FIG. 5 shows repeated major trends such as three "gaps" that appear at approximately the same timing and at similar intervals. Also, as shown in FIG. 5(d), there is an overall similarity in that each plant exhibits the behavior of a high-frequency demand component (f1 in FIG. 5) and a low-frequency demand component (f2 in FIG. 5) over the entire period.

[0124] Optimization of power supply for plants, residential areas, industrial zones, etc. is much more complex than that for electric vehicles (EVs), etc. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the power consumption on a large scale such as in plants and residential areas is much higher, by a factor of about 100 to 10,000 times the power required for an EV in terms of capacity. To supply power to plants, residential areas, etc., a plurality of fuel cells with different capacities and frequency characteristics are preferred. By using a combination of fuel cells with various capacities and frequency characteristics, the power supply using fuel cells becomes efficient.

[0125] For the use of fuel cells, it is desirable to consider (1) excellent cost efficiency of power generation, (2) start-up time requirements (able to operate without loss of efficiency), (3) the possibility of a sudden increase in power demand in a short period, (4) a power generation efficiency of 90% or more due to cost and other issues, and (5) the life of the electrodes, etc. It is preferable to optimize each fuel cell in the range of 20% to 80% of the output capacity level by an advanced optimization system such as a digital twin to meet the power demand and ensure cost and power conversion efficiency. Therefore, when selecting a combination of multiple fuel cells to conform to the power demand while optimizing both cost and power generation efficiency, it is preferable to satisfy the following conditions.

[0126] (a) It is desirable that the optimal frequencies (maximum operating frequencies) of the selected fuel cells be significantly different. For example, the maximum operating frequency of the first fuel cell 250 is preferably 2 to 20 times the maximum operating frequency of the second fuel cell 260. (b) It is desirable that the start-up periods of the fuel cells be significantly different from each other. For example, the start-up period of the first fuel cell 250 is preferably 5 to 50 times the start-up period of the second fuel cell 260. (c) It is desirable that the load capacities (maximum output powers) of the fuel cells be significantly different. For example, the load capacity of the first fuel cell 250 is preferably 10 to 20 times the load capacity of the second fuel cell 260.

[0127] Figure 6 shows the characteristics of multiple power sources. In Figure 6, "Type" indicates the type of power source, "Variation Characteristics" indicates the time-series variation of the output that becomes less than a predetermined threshold of deterioration, "Efficiency" indicates the power generation efficiency, "Maximum Power" indicates the maximum output power, "Start-up Time" indicates the period from start-up until the deterioration becomes less than a predetermined threshold, and "Frequency" indicates the maximum frequency of the output variation where the deterioration is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0128] The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has a low maximum frequency related to degradation of 2 Hz and a long start-up period of 24 hours, but a large maximum output power of 200 kW and a high power generation efficiency of 75%. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) has a relatively low maximum frequency related to degradation of 5 Hz, a start-up period of 3 hours, a relatively large maximum output power of 100 kW, and a relatively low power generation efficiency of 45%. The micro gas turbine (MGT) has a maximum frequency related to degradation of 50 Hz, a start-up period of 15 minutes, a small maximum output power of 10 kW, and a relatively low power generation efficiency of 40%. The storage battery has a large maximum frequency related to degradation of 1 kHz, a start-up period of 0 minutes and can be started instantaneously, a maximum output power of 50 kW, and a relatively high power generation efficiency of 85%.

[0129] For example, in the case of power demand fluctuations, the orchestration system 10 may apply the output power of the SOFC and PEMFC to the power demand portion of the frequency component less than 2 Hz, apply the output power of the PEMFC to the power demand portion of the frequency component of 2 to 5 Hz, apply the output power of the MGT to the power demand portion of the frequency component of 5 to 50 Hz, and apply the output power of the storage battery to the remaining power demand portion. In this case, most of the power demand can be satisfied by the fuel cell with a large maximum power. By combining power sources with different characteristics as shown in FIG. 6, power can be efficiently supplied to a large power demand.

[0130] FIG. 7 shows the transition of the degradation rate of the fuel cell from start-up. In FIG. 7, the vertical axis represents the degradation rate and the horizontal axis represents time. Since the fuel cell A has a large degradation rate until 15 minutes have elapsed from start-up (time = 0), it is preferable not to output power. Since the fuel cell B has a large degradation rate until 3 hours have elapsed from start-up (time = 0), it is preferable not to output power. Thus, since the fuel cell has a long start-up period and the start-up period varies depending on the type, the orchestration system 10 preferably uses a combination of fuel cells with different start-up periods.

[0131] FIG. 8 shows an example of the characteristics of a fuel cell. In FIG. 8(a), the vertical axis represents the degradation rate (degree of degradation) of the fuel cell, and the horizontal axis represents the frequency of fluctuations in the output power of the fuel cell. In FIG. 8(b), the vertical axis represents the degradation rate of the fuel cell, and the horizontal axis represents the load factor (the ratio of the output power to the maximum output power) of the fuel cell. In FIG. 8(c), the vertical axis represents the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell, and the horizontal axis represents the load factor (the ratio of the output power to the load capacity) of the fuel cell. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the degradation of the fuel cell increases when the frequency of fluctuations in the output power exceeds a specific frequency f0. Therefore, it is preferable to calculate the frequency f0 in advance through experiments or the like and set it in advance as the maximum operating frequency for each fuel cell. Further, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the degradation of the fuel cell increases when it operates outside the range of 20% to 80% of the load factor, and as shown in FIG. 8(c), the power generation efficiency also decreases. Therefore, it is preferable that the fuel cell maintains the output power within the range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity.

[0132] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the combination of output power with respect to the time-series variation of power demand. (a) of FIG. 9 shows the time-series variation of power demand, (b) shows the time-series variation of the output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the time-series variation of the output power of the storage battery 270 (negative indicates charging, and positive indicates discharging), and (c) shows the time-series variation of the total output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the storage battery 270. The orchestration controller 40 or the output control device 200 decomposes the time-series variation of the power demand in (a) into components in a plurality of frequency bands by Fourier transform or the like. The orchestration controller 40 or the output control device 200 may generate a supply plan such that, among the plurality of frequency bands, components below the maximum operating frequency of the first fuel cell 250 are supplied by the output power of the first fuel cell 250, and components exceeding the maximum operating frequency are supplied by the output power of the storage battery 270. The orchestration controller 40 or the output control device 200 may generate a supply plan to supply the power demand in the frequency band where a peak occurs among the decomposed plurality of frequency bands within the range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity by the output power of the first fuel cell 250 within the range below the maximum operating frequency. In this case, the power demand in other frequency bands may be supplied by the output power of the storage battery 270. By combining the output power of the first fuel cell 250 and the output power of the storage battery 270, it is possible to supply output power having a waveform that matches the power demand as shown in (c).

[0133] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the power generation efficiency of the first fuel cell 250 at a certain moment. FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the parameter a on the x-axis, the parameter b on the y-axis, and the power generation efficiency E on the z-axis. The parameters a and b may be different from each other, and for example, may be observable and controllable parameters such as the amount of output power, fuel temperature, fuel pressure, and cooling water temperature, or observable but uncontrollable parameters such as power demand, degree of degradation, elapsed time since startup, and purity of fuel. The following formula 1 shows the power generation efficiency E calculated from the output power W (kWh) of the first fuel cell 250 and the input hydrogen amount V (Kg) to the first fuel cell 250.

[0134]

Equation

[0135] The first fuel cell 250 has its power generation efficiency E changing dynamically depending on a plurality of parameters a, b, c, d, e, ···. FIG. 10 shows an efficiency surface (Eop surface) simplified two-dimensionally with respect to parameters a and b. In this case, the Eop surface at a certain moment shown in FIG. 10 becomes the control target space. Each of the parameters a, b, c, d, e, ··· has appropriate physical and logical constraints for various reasons. Considering these, if the first fuel cell 250 can be controlled in the peak region that exceeds the Econ plane with the Econ plane set as a target value with a predetermined threshold for the Eop surface, it is called optimal control. The orchestration controller 40 or the determination unit 235 can generate a supply plan using the parameters in the peak region of the Eop surface (that is, the range where the power generation efficiency is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold) as control parameters. By such optimal control of the orchestration system 10, the operating point can be kept within the peak region of the Eop surface, and high-efficiency operation can be achieved. As a result, the cost of the generated power (that is, the required input hydrogen amount) can be minimized.

[0136] The following Equation 2 is a degradation model showing the degradation degree dE of the power generation efficiency calculated from a plurality of parameters a, b, c, d, e, ···. The degradation degree dE of the first fuel cell 250 shown in Equation 2 is dynamically determined as a function -g("p," "q," "r," "s," "t," ···) of a plurality of parameters p, q, r, s, t, ···, and the attenuation of the power generation efficiency progresses moment by moment. Note that the parameters p, q, r, s, t, ··· used for calculating the degradation degree dE may include at least one of the frequency or the change amount of the output fluctuation of the fuel cell. In this case, the parameter may be the amplitude of one or more predetermined frequencies in the output fluctuation frequency spectrum, or the ratio of the output power at each timing of 1 second ago, 0.9 second ago, ···, 0 second ago to the current output power.

[0137]

Equation

[0138] The orchestration controller 40 or the determination unit 235 calculates E op ' in Equation 3 in consideration of the cumulative deterioration from the initial value E0 of the power generation efficiency, thereby obtaining an optimal solution that conforms to the actual behavior considering deterioration. The orchestration controller 40 or the determination unit 235 may optimize the output power, etc. of the first fuel cell 250 within the peak region where it is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value for E op ' and generate a supply plan. The orchestration controller 40 or the determination unit 235 may similarly determine control parameters such as output power for the second fuel cell 260. Note that a predetermined threshold value for the power generation efficiency for determining the control parameters may be set to a value corresponding to the cumulative deterioration.

[0139] FIG. 11 shows the time-series variation of the output power of the fuel cell. In FIG. 11, the vertical axis represents the ratio of the output power to the load capacity, and the horizontal axis represents time. Since the optimization system 10 of the present embodiment combines and optimizes a plurality of power sources, after optimization, the fuel cell can be operated within a range with less deterioration (for example, the upper limit is 80% of the load capacity, and the lower limit is 20% of the load capacity) to meet the power demand. On the other hand, before optimization, since it is necessary to change the output power of the fuel cell according to the power demand, it is necessary to operate the fuel cell even in a range with large deterioration.

[0140] Various embodiments of the present invention may be described with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams, where the blocks may represent (1) stages of a process in which operations are performed or (2) sections of an apparatus having a role of performing operations. Specific stages and sections may be implemented by dedicated circuits, programmable circuits supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, and / or processors supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. The dedicated circuits may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuits may include reconfigurable hardware circuits including memory elements such as logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc.

[0141] A computer-readable medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions executable by a suitable device, such that a computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein will comprise a product including instructions executable to create means for performing the operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable media may include floppy (registered trademark) disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0142] Computer-readable instructions may include source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or object-oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk®, JAVA®, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0143] Computer-readable instructions may be executed to create means for causing a processor or programmable circuit of a programmable data processing apparatus, such as a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other computer, to perform operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram, provided locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN), the Internet, etc. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0144] FIG. 12 shows an example of a computer 2200 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be embodied, in whole or in part. Programs installed on the computer 2200 may cause the computer 2200 to function as operations associated with the apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention or as one or more sections of the apparatus, or to execute such operations or such one or more sections, and / or to cause the computer 2200 to execute a process according to embodiments of the present invention or a stage of such process. Such programs may be executed by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to perform certain operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0145] The computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2212, a RAM 2214, a graphic controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are mutually connected by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 also includes an input / output unit such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input / output controller 2220. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

[0146] The CPU 2212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 2230 and the RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphic controller 2216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 2212 in a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 2214 or in itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 2218.

[0147] The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads a program or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides the program or data to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

[0148] ROM 2230 stores therein a boot program or the like executed by the computer 2200 at activation and / or a program dependent on the hardware of the computer 2200. The input / output chip 2240 may also be connected to the input / output controller 2220 via various input / output units through a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

[0149] The program is provided by a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable medium, installed in a hard disk drive 2224, a RAM 2214, or a ROM 2230 which is also an example of a computer-readable medium, and executed by the CPU 2212. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 2200, bringing about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured by realizing the operation or processing of information according to the use of the computer 2200.

[0150] For example, when communication is executed between the computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded in the RAM 2214 and instruct the communication interface 2222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. The communication interface 2222 reads the transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as the RAM 2214, the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM 2201, or the IC card under the control of the CPU 2212, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes the received data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0151] In addition, the CPU 2212 may cause all or necessary parts of files or databases stored in external recording media such as a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), and an IC card to be read into the RAM 2214, and may perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 then writes back the processed data to the external recording media.

[0152] Various types of information such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases may be stored in a recording medium and may undergo information processing. The CPU 2212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branches, unconditional branches, information search / replacement, etc., described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequence of the program, and write back the results to the RAM 2214. In addition, the CPU 2212 may search for information in files, databases, etc. within the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 2212 searches for an entry that matches the condition where the attribute value of the first attribute is specified from among the plurality of entries, reads the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby may obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0153] The programs or software modules described above may be stored in a computer-readable medium on or near the computer 2200. Also, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 2200 via the network.

[0154] As described above, the present invention has been described using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that forms with such changes or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0155] In the claims, the specification, and the drawings, the execution order of each process such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, system, program, and method shown is not explicitly stated as "earlier" or "preceding" etc., and it should be noted that it can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, the specification, and the drawings, even if it is described for convenience using "first," "next," etc., it does not mean that it must be implemented in this order.

[0156] As described above, the present invention has been described using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that forms with such changes or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0157] In the claims, the specification, and the drawings, the execution order of each process such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, system, program, and method shown is not explicitly stated as "earlier" or "preceding" etc., and it should be noted that it can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, the specification, and the drawings, even if it is described for convenience using "first," "next," etc., it does not mean that it must be implemented in this order.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0158] 10 Orchestration System 20 Tenants 30 External Systems 40 Orchestration Controller 100 Fuel Production Management System 105 Transport Management System 110 Fuel Tank Management System 115 Power Management System 120 Consumer 130 Truck Roll Management System 135 Ship Management System 140 Pipeline Management System 145 Tank Control Device 150 Carbon Credit System 155 Cracking Management System 160 First Receiving Unit 170 1st Planning Department 180 Energy Demand Forecasting Department 200 Output control device 210 Power supply equipment 220 Acquisition Department 225 Communications Department 230 Simulation Department 235 Decision Section 240 Adjustment section 250 1st fuel cell 255 Additional power sources 260 2nd fuel cell 265 Power Supply 270 Battery 275 Power grid 280 Output section 2200 Computer 2201 DVD-ROM 2210 Host Controller 2212 CPU 2214 RAM 2216 Graphics Controller 2218 Display Device 2220 Input / Output Controller 2222 Communication Interface 2224 Hard Disk Drive 2226 DVD-ROM drive 2230 ROM 2240 Input / output chip 2242 Keyboard

Claims

1. A determination unit that optimizes at least one of the power generation efficiency or degradation of the first fuel cell according to the power demand for the output power of a power management system that controls the output power of the first fuel cell and an additional power source, and determines the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source; An adjustment unit that is connected to the first fuel cell and the additional power source and adjusts the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to the output distribution An output control device comprising:

2. The determination unit determines target values of a plurality of control parameters for each of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to the output distribution The output control device according to claim 1.

3. The determination unit determines a fuel transport instruction for the first fuel cell according to the output distribution, The output control device further comprises a communication unit that outputs the determined transport instruction The output control device according to claim 1.

4. The determination unit determines the output distribution of the first fuel cell and a storage battery connected to the first fuel cell, The adjustment unit adjusts the output power of the first fuel cell and the storage battery according to the output distribution The output control device according to claim 1.

5. The determination unit inputs, into a degradation model that outputs the degradation degree of the first fuel cell according to the input of the control parameter of the first fuel cell, a control parameter within a range of control parameters that satisfies the power demand and for which the power generation efficiency is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, and determines the control parameter for which the degradation degree output from the degradation model becomes the smallest; The adjustment unit adjusts the output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to the determined control parameter The output control device according to claim 1.

6. The determination unit acquires at least one of the time-series power demand for the output power of the power management system or a predicted value of the power demand The output control device according to claim 1.

7. The determination unit acquires a predicted value of the power demand for the output power of the power management system according to the type of load device supplied with power by the power management system The output control device according to claim 6.

8. The determination unit acquires a predicted value of power demand for the output power of the power management system according to at least one of an operation plan of a load device supplied with power by the first fuel cell, environmental data related to the load device, or past power demand for the output power of the power management system. The output control device according to claim 6.

9. The additional power source has a second fuel cell. The determination unit determines a ratio of the output power of the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell. The output control device according to claim 1.

10. The determination unit performs frequency analysis on the time-series variation of the power demand, and determines the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the second fuel cell based on the frequency analysis. The output control device according to claim 9.

11. The start-up period of the first fuel cell until it reaches a predetermined output power is different from the start-up period of the second fuel cell. The output control device according to claim 9.

12. The start-up period of the first fuel cell is 5 to 50 times as long as the start-up period of the second fuel cell. The output control device according to claim 11.

13. The load capacity of the first fuel cell is different from the load capacity of the second fuel cell. The output control device according to claim 9.

14. The load capacity of the first fuel cell is 10 to 20 times the load capacity of the second fuel cell. The output control device according to claim 13.

15. The determination unit determines the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source based on the frequency of the time-series variation of the power demand, such that the variation of the output power of the first fuel cell is within a range not exceeding a preset maximum operating frequency with respect to deterioration. The output control device according to claim 1.

16. The additional power source has a second fuel cell. The preset maximum operating frequency for the first fuel cell is different from the preset maximum operating frequency for the second fuel cell. The output control device according to claim 15.

17. The preset maximum operating frequency for the first fuel cell is 2 to 20 times the preset maximum operating frequency for the second fuel cell. The output control device according to claim 16.

18. The determination unit determines the output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source such that the output power of the first fuel cell is adjusted within a range of 20% to 80% of the load capacity of the first fuel cell. The output control device according to claim 1.

19. a first fuel cell, an additional power source, and an output control device according to claim 1 for controlling output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source. A power management system.

20. determining an output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source that optimizes at least one of power generation efficiency or degradation of the first fuel cell according to a power demand for the output power of a power management system that controls output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source; connecting to the first fuel cell and the additional power source and adjusting output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to the output distribution. A method comprising the steps of.

21. A processor determining an output distribution of the first fuel cell and the additional power source that optimizes at least one of power generation efficiency or degradation of the first fuel cell according to a power demand for the output power of a power management system that controls output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source; executing to connect to the first fuel cell and the additional power source and adjust output power of the first fuel cell and the additional power source according to the output distribution. A program.

Images