Fuel supply system and fuel supply method

Abstract

To provide a fuel supply system and a fuel supply method that can supply gaseous fuel to a traveling body, even when the traveling body such as a vehicle using gas such as hydrogen gas as fuel cannot travel by itself to a nearest fuel supply facility due to fuel shortage.SOLUTION: A fuel supply system 1 comprises: a movable supply body 4 that can supply gaseous fuel to a traveling body 2 as a fuel supply target by moving in a prescribed suppliable area 30 including a gaseous fuel supply facility 3 in an unmanned manner; and a management server 5. The management server 5 transmits reminder information to prompt the movement of the traveling body 2 toward the suppliable area 30, and gives a movement instruction to move the movable supply body 4 so as to be closer to the traveling body 2, when the traveling body 2 is located outside the suppliable area 30 and cannot travel to the supply facility 3 by residual fuel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel supply system and a fuel supply method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a fuel supply station allocation system has been proposed that allows users to drive their vehicles safely even in a fuel supply environment where infrastructure is limited and each piece of infrastructure is small in scale (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The fuel supply station allocation system described in Patent Document 1 allocates a hydrogen station (supply station) that has the required amount of hydrogen gas stored to a vehicle that requires a supply of hydrogen gas based on vehicle information received from the vehicle and supply station information received from the supply station, and if the number of hydrogen stations allocated to a single vehicle (e.g., 1) is less than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 2), a fuel warning message is sent to the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-146862 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even when using a conventional fuel supply station allocation system, if the user ignores the fuel warning message and continues driving, or if they continue driving despite being aware of the warning, delaying the timing of fuel supply, the vehicle may run out of fuel before reaching any hydrogen station, making it impossible to drive.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuel supply system and a fuel supply method that can supply gaseous fuel to a moving body such as a vehicle that uses gaseous fuel such as hydrogen gas, even when the moving body is unable to drive to the nearest fuel supply facility due to a lack of fuel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a fuel supply system comprising: a mobile supplier that can move unmanned within a predetermined supply area including a gaseous fuel supply facility and supply gaseous fuel to a target vehicle to be supplied with fuel; and a control device that, when the vehicle is located outside the supply area and is unable to travel to the supply facility due to remaining fuel, transmits prompting information to prompt the vehicle to move toward the supply area and issues a movement instruction to move the mobile supplier closer to the vehicle.

[0008] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a fuel supply method in which gaseous fuel is supplied to a vehicle to be supplied with fuel by a mobile supplier that moves unmanned within a predetermined supply area including a gaseous fuel supply facility, and when the vehicle is located outside the supply area and is unable to travel to the supply facility due to remaining fuel, prompting information is transmitted to prompt the vehicle to move toward the supply area, and the mobile supplier is moved closer to the vehicle, and the gaseous fuel is supplied by the mobile supplier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, even when a traveling vehicle that uses gas such as hydrogen gas as fuel is unable to travel to the nearest supply facility due to a lack of fuel, fuel can be supplied to the traveling vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a fuel supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]1A to 1D are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a supply area centered on a fuel supply facility that constitutes a fuel supply system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a moving supply body. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of functions related to fuel management in a traveling object. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a management server of the fuel supply system. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of main steps of a process executed by a control unit of a management server for one traveling object. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Embodiment Mode] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a fuel supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 2(a) to 2(d) are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a supply area centered on a fuel supply facility constituting the fuel supply system. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a mobile supplier. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration related to fuel management in a traveling body. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a management server that is the core of the fuel supply system.

[0012] This fuel supply system 1 supplies fuel to a traveling object 2 that consumes gaseous fuel and travels on a road, and includes a plurality of supply facilities 3 equipped with one or more supply devices 31 that supply gaseous fuel to the traveling object 2, a mobile supply object 4 that can move unmanned within a supply area 30 (see FIG. 2 ) that includes each supply facility 3 and supply gaseous fuel to the traveling object 2, and a management server 5 that manages the supply of gaseous fuel to the traveling object 2. The management server 5 is capable of communicating with the traveling object 2 and with a mobile information terminal 200 operated by a user who uses the traveling object 2.

[0013] The management server 5, the mobile object 2, and the mobile information terminal 200 are connected via a first communication network 6A realized by a wireless network, allowing two-way communication. The management server 5 and each supply facility 3 are connected via a second communication network 6B realized by a wired or wireless network. The management server 5 is an example of a control device of the present invention. Below, a case where hydrogen is used as the gaseous fuel will be described. However, the gaseous fuel is not necessarily limited to hydrogen, and ammonia, for example, can also be used.

[0014] The traveling object 2 is a hydrogen-fueled vehicle that uses hydrogen as fuel, and includes four-wheeled vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles, etc. Hydrogen-fueled vehicles also include fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) that use hydrogen as fuel for power generation, and hydrogen engine vehicles equipped with a hydrogen engine, which is an internal combustion engine that uses hydrogen as fuel. Two-wheeled vehicles include, for example, fuel cell-assisted bicycles and electric kick scooters.

[0015] The mobile information terminal 200 may be a smart device such as a smartphone or a smartwatch. The mobile information terminal 200 has a display panel 201. An application (hereinafter referred to as a "supply application") for making reservations and payments for the supply of hydrogen to the mobile object 2 is installed in the mobile information terminal 200. The user of the mobile information terminal 200 accesses a webpage provided by the management server 5 via the first communication network 6A and registers in advance on the webpage a vehicle ID that identifies the mobile object 2 together with information such as the model of the mobile object 2.

[0016] The supply facility 3 is a hydrogen station equipped with a supply device 31 capable of supplying hydrogen to the mobile unit 2. The supply facility 3 may be installed, for example, alongside an accommodation facility, tourist facility, golf course, large commercial facility, or convenience store, or may be installed independently. The supply facility 3 supplies hydrogen to the mobile unit 2 that has traveled to the supply facility 3 using the supply device 31. Specifically, hydrogen is supplied to the fuel tank 20 of the mobile unit 2 by inserting the filling nozzle 311 of the supply device 31 into the supply socket of the mobile unit 2. Note that fuel may also be supplied to the mobile unit 2 by replacing the fuel tank 20 installed on the mobile unit 2 with a new one filled with hydrogen.

[0017] The management server 5 transmits and receives information between the mobile object 2 and the mobile information terminal 200 operated by the user of the mobile object 2 via a first communication network 6A, and transmits and receives information between the management server 5 and the supply facility 3 via a second communication network 6B. The management server 5 may have a payment function for the supply of fuel, or another server may have the payment function. Payment for the supply of fuel is made based on, for example, a bank account number or credit card number entered by the user into the mobile information terminal 200, or information on other electronic payment means.

[0018] Each supply facility 3 is equipped with one or more mobile suppliers 4. The mobile suppliers 4 depart from the supply facility 3, travel through the supply area 30, supply hydrogen to the target vehicle 2, and then return to the supply facility 3. The mobile suppliers 4 are capable of wireless communication with the supply facility 3 within the supply area 30. The management server 5 is capable of sending various information and commands to the mobile suppliers 4 via the second communication network 6B and the supply facility 3.

[0019] In this embodiment, the mobile supplier 4 is an aerial vehicle (for example, a so-called drone) that moves unmanned through the air. As shown in FIG. 3 , the mobile supplier 4 includes a main body 41 having a plurality of motors 411 and a battery 412, a plurality of propellers 42 that are respectively driven to rotate by the plurality of motors 411, and a holding mechanism 43 that holds a replacement fuel tank 20 that stores hydrogen. The capacity of the battery 412 is such that the mobile supplier 4 can depart from the supply facility 3, fly to the edge of the supply area 30, land, and then fly back to the supply facility 3. The mobile supplier 4 autonomously flies within the supply area 30 while avoiding no-fly zones, obstacles, and the like, and provides hydrogen as gaseous fuel.

[0020] The fuel tank 20 stores hydrogen and can be manually removed from the holding mechanism 43 by the user of the traveling vehicle 2. The user of the traveling vehicle 2 can replenish hydrogen to the traveling vehicle 2 by replacing the fuel tank 20 carried by the mobile supplier 4 with the one that was installed on the traveling vehicle 2. Hydrogen can generally be stored in the form of high-pressure hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, or adsorbed to a hydrogen storage alloy. In this embodiment, hydrogen is stored in the fuel tank 20 at low pressure (for example, less than 1 MPa) using a storage method that uses a hydrogen storage alloy.

[0021] As an example, the supplyable area 30 is a circle centered on the supply facility 3, and has a radius of, for example, 20 km. Range information indicating the range of the supplyable area 30 is registered in a supply database 522 (see FIG. 5) of the management server 5, which will be described later. The shape of the supplyable area 30 does not have to be circular, and may be a collection of multiple rectangles. Furthermore, the range information of the supplyable area 30 may be different for each mobile supplier 4. Hereinafter, the supplyable area 30 that includes the supply facility 3 within its area may be simply referred to as the supplyable area 30 of the supply facility 3.

[0022] 4, the mobile object 2 has an information processing device 21 that communicates with the management server 5 and processes information on the mobile object 2, and the information processing device 21 is connected to a communication unit 22 that communicates with external devices such as the management server 5, a remaining amount sensor 23 that detects the remaining amount of hydrogen in the fuel tank 20, and a touch panel display 24 that displays various information and accepts user operations. The information processing device 21 may be configured as a single calculation unit, or may be configured as an assembly of multiple calculation units. Hereinafter, the amount of fuel detected by the remaining amount sensor 23 will be referred to as remaining fuel.

[0023] The information processing device 2 has a car navigation function that uses a GPS (Global Positioning System), and when a destination is specified by the user, it determines a travel route to the specified destination and displays the determined travel route and the locations of supply facilities 3 along the travel route on the touch panel display 24. The information processing device 21 also provides guidance for travel to the destination based on the determined travel route and the current position information of the mobile object 2 acquired by the GPS.

[0024] The information processing device 21 includes a location information acquisition unit 211 that acquires the current location information of the vehicle in real time using GPS, and a travelable distance calculation unit 212 that periodically calculates the distance that can be traveled with the remaining fuel. The information processing device 21 transmits the current location information of the vehicle 2, travelable distance information that is information on the distance that can be traveled with the remaining fuel, and information on the tank type and vehicle ID to the management server 5 as vehicle information as needed.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the management server 5 includes a control unit 51, a memory unit 52 composed of a hard disk, semiconductor memory, etc., a first communication unit 53A that communicates with the mobile object 2 and the mobile information terminal 200 via a first communication network 6A, and a second communication unit 53B that communicates with each supply facility 3 via a second communication network 6B.

[0026] The control unit 51 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), various interfaces, etc. The CPU operates according to a program 521 stored in the storage unit 52. Note that some of the functions of the control unit 51 may be realized by hardware such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The storage unit 52 stores the program 521, a supply database 522, a user database 523, and a map database 524.

[0027] The supply database 522 holds supply facility information for each supply facility 3. The supply facility information includes the number of supply machines 31 and mobile supply bodies 4 at each supply facility 3, and information on the supply area 30 of each supply facility 3. The supply facility information is transmitted from each supply facility 3 to the management server 5 via the second communication network 6B and stored in the supply database 522. The user database 523 includes information on the vehicle ID and vehicle type of the mobile vehicle 2 registered by the user of the mobile vehicle 2 via the web page, as well as information for payment. The map database 524 includes map information on the supply area 30 of each supply facility 3 and its surrounding area.

[0028] Next, an example of the processing content of the management server 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the main steps of the processing executed by the control unit 51 of the management server 5 for one mobile object 2. The control unit 51 executes the processing of this flowchart at predetermined intervals (for example, every 1 second to 1 minute). In the following description, the nearest supply facility 3 refers to the supply facility 3 with the shortest travel distance from the mobile object 2 among the multiple supply facilities 3 whose supply facility information is stored in the supply database 522.

[0029] The control unit 51 receives the running object information from the information processing device 21 of the running object 2 via the first communication network 6A (step S1). Next, the control unit 51 determines which of a plurality of fuel states the running object 2 is in at that time based on the running object information received in step S1, the running distance of the running object 2 from its current position to the nearest supply facility 3, and the running distance of the running object 2 from its current position to the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3 when its current position is outside the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3 (step S2). In this embodiment, the control unit 51 determines which of the plurality of fuel states the running object 2 is in, namely, first to fourth fuel shortage states and a non-fuel shortage state.

[0030] The first fuel shortage state is a state in which the position of the mobile unit 2 is within the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3, and the remaining fuel in the mobile unit 2 is at a value just before the level at which the mobile unit 2 cannot travel to the nearest supply facility 3 (for example, a value greater than 1.0 times and less than 1.1 times the level at which the mobile unit 2 cannot travel to the nearest supply facility 3). FIG. 2(a) shows an example of the positional relationship between the supply facility 3 and the supply area 30 and the mobile unit 2 when the mobile unit 2 is in the first fuel shortage state. In the figure, the range indicated by the two-dot chain line indicates the range in which the mobile unit 2 can travel with the remaining fuel. The same applies to FIGS. 2(b) to 2(d).

[0031] The second fuel shortage state is a state in which the position of the running body 2 is within the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3, and the remaining fuel in the running body 2 is at a level that prevents the running body 2 from traveling to the nearest supply facility 3. FIG. 2(b) shows an example of the positional relationship between the running body 2 and the supply area 30 and the supply facility 3 when the running body 2 is in the second fuel shortage state. Also, FIGS. 2(b) to 2(d) show the mobile supply body 4 departing from the supply facility 3 and moving (flying) so as to approach the running body 2, along with an arrow indicating the direction of movement.

[0032] The third fuel shortage state is a state in which the position of the mobile unit 2 is outside the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3, and the remaining fuel in the mobile unit 2 is at a value just before the level at which the mobile unit 2 cannot travel to the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3 (for example, a value greater than 1.0 times and less than 1.1 times the level at which the mobile unit 2 cannot travel to the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3). Figure 2(c) shows an example of the positional relationship between the supply facility 3, the supply area 30, and the mobile unit 2 when the mobile unit 2 is in the third fuel shortage state.

[0033] The fourth fuel shortage state is a state in which the position of the running body 2 is outside the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3, and the remaining fuel in the running body 2 is at a level that prevents the running body 2 from moving to the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3. Figure 2(d) shows an example of the positional relationship between the running body 2 and the supply area 30 and the supply facility 3 when the running body 2 is in the fourth fuel shortage state.

[0034] The third fuel shortage state is, in other words, a state in which the current position of the mobile unit 2 is outside the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3, and the mobile unit 2 is unable to self-propel to the nearest supply facility 3 due to a lack of remaining fuel, but is able to self-propel to within the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3. The fourth fuel shortage state is, in other words, a state in which the current position of the mobile unit 2 is outside the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3, and is unable to self-propel to within the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3 due to a lack of remaining fuel.

[0035] The non-fuel shortage state is a state that is not one of the first to fourth fuel shortage states. For example, if the vehicle 2 is in a position where the remaining fuel is sufficient to enable it to self-propel to the nearest supply facility 3, the vehicle 2 is in a non-fuel shortage state regardless of whether the vehicle 2 is located within or outside the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3.

[0036] The control unit 51 makes the determination in step S2 based on the travel distance from the current location of the mobile object 2 to the nearest supply facility 3 or supply available area 30, and the fuel consumption per travel distance of the mobile object 2. The fuel consumption per travel distance of the mobile object 2 may be a value preset for each vehicle type, or may be a value calculated based on the relationship between the actual travel distance and the reduction in the remaining fuel obtained from mobile object information sent from the information processing device 21 of the mobile object 2 as needed.

[0037] When the control unit 51 determines that the first fuel shortage state has occurred, it transmits to the mobile object 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 information urging the mobile object 2 to move under its own power to the nearest supply facility 3 to refuel (step S11), and notifies the mobile object 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 that fuel can be supplied by the supply machine 31 at the supply facility 3 or by a mobile supply object 4 departing from the supply facility 3 (step S12). When the information processing device 21 of the mobile object 2 receives the transmission of step S11 or the notification of step S12, the information processing device 21 displays the content on the touch panel display 24. Furthermore, when the mobile information terminal 200 receives the transmission of step S11 or the notification of step S12, the content is displayed on the display panel 201 of the mobile information terminal 200.

[0038] When the control unit 51 determines that the second fuel shortage state has occurred, it causes the mobile supplier 4 to head toward the running body 2 from the supply facility 3 (step S21), and calculates a meeting point and meeting time where the running body 2 and the mobile supplier 4 will meet, taking into account the travel routes and travel speeds of the running body 2 and the mobile supplier 4 (step S22). Then, the control unit 51 notifies the running body 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 of the calculated information on the meeting point and meeting time, as well as the fact that the running body 2 will be able to receive fuel from the mobile supplier 4 on its way to the supply facility 3 (step S23). Note that the control unit 51 continues to grasp the position of the running body 2 even after sending the notification in step S23, and if the expected meeting point and meeting time change, it notifies the running body 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 of information on the new meeting point and meeting time.

[0039] If the traveling vehicle 2 determined to be in the second fuel shortage state can reach the supply facility 3 under its own power, it can receive a supply of fuel from the supply machine 31 at the supply facility 3, and even if it cannot reach the supply facility 3, it can receive a supply of fuel from the mobile supply vehicle 4. The traveling vehicle 2 that has received a supply of fuel from the mobile supply vehicle 4 can use that fuel to travel under its own power to the supply facility 3, and can receive a more sufficient supply of fuel from the supply machine 31 at the supply facility 3.

[0040] When the control unit 51 determines that a third fuel shortage state has occurred, it issues a movement instruction to move the mobile supplier 4 from the supply facility 3 toward the traveling object 2 (step S31). Furthermore, the control unit 51 formulates a recommended route for traveling from the location of the traveling object 2 to the supply area 30 of the nearest supply facility 3 based on the received position information of the traveling object 2 and map information in the map database 524 of the surrounding area of the supply area 30, and transmits prompting information to the traveling object 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 to encourage the traveling object 2 to travel toward the supply area 30 along the formulated recommended route (step S32), and notifies the traveling object 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 that fuel can be supplied by the mobile supplier 4 departing from the nearest supply facility 3 within the supply area 30 (step S33). In FIG. 2(c), this recommended route is indicated by the symbol R.

[0041] When the information processing device 21 of the traveling object 2 receives the prompt information of step S32, the information processing device 21 displays the recommended route R on the touch panel display 24. When the mobile information terminal 200 receives the prompt information of step S32, the recommended route R is displayed on the display panel 201 of the mobile information terminal 200. Furthermore, when the information processing device 21 receives the notification of step S33, the information processing device 21 displays the contents of the notification on the touch panel display 24. When the mobile information terminal 200 receives the notification of step S33, the contents of the notification are displayed on the display panel 201 of the mobile information terminal 200.

[0042] When the running body 2 that has been determined to be in the third fuel shortage state travels along the recommended route R and moves into the supply-available area 30, it becomes possible to receive fuel supply from the mobile supplier 4. After issuing the movement instruction to the mobile supplier 4 in step S31, the control unit 51 receives position information of the running body 2 as needed and transmits it to the mobile supplier 4, causing the mobile supplier 4 to move toward the position of the running body 2.

[0043] When it is determined that a fourth fuel shortage state has occurred, the control unit 51 sets a standby position on the periphery of the supply available area 30 close to the position of the running body 2 based on the received position information of the running body 2 and the map information in the map database 524 (step S41), and issues a movement instruction to move the mobile supplier 4 from the supply facility 3 toward the standby position (step S42). The control unit 51 also formulates a recommended route for the running body 2 to travel from its current position to the standby position, and transmits prompting information to the running body 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 to prompt the running body 2 to travel along the formulated recommended route toward the standby position within the supply available area 30 (step S43), and notifies the running body 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 that fuel can be supplied by the mobile supplier 4 at the standby position (step S44).

[0044] When the information processing device 21 of the traveling object 2 receives the prompt information of step S43, the information processing device 21 displays the recommended route R on the touch panel display 24. When the mobile information terminal 200 receives the prompt information of step S43, the recommended route R is displayed on the display panel 201 of the mobile information terminal 200. In this way, the recommended route formulated by the control unit 51 is presented to the user. Furthermore, when the information processing device 21 receives the notification of step S44, the information processing device 21 displays the content of the notification on the touch panel display 24. When the mobile information terminal 200 receives the notification of step S44, the content of the notification is displayed on the display panel 201 of the mobile information terminal 200.

[0045] The standby position is selected to be a location where the mobile unit 2 can be stopped and wait safely, as close as possible to the mobile unit 2, and easy for the user to find. In FIG. 2(d), the standby position is indicated by the symbol P, and the recommended route is indicated by the symbol R. The recommended route R is the shortest route from the position of the mobile unit 2 to the standby position P.

[0046] The traveling object 2 determined to be in the fourth fuel shortage state is likely unable to reach the standby position P by itself, but by traveling toward the standby position P along the recommended route R, the distance from the stopping position when the fuel runs out to the standby position P can be shortened. Then, for example, the user of the traveling object 2 can walk to the standby position P and receive a replacement fuel tank 20 from the mobile supplier 4. Also, if the traveling object 2 is a type that can be moved manually, such as a two-wheeled vehicle, the user may move the traveling object 2 to the standby position P.

[0047] When the control unit 51 determines that the third fuel shortage state has occurred, as when it determines that the fourth fuel shortage state has occurred, it may set a standby position within the supply-available area 30, notify the running body 2 or the mobile information terminal 200 that fuel can be supplied by the mobile supplier 4 at that standby position, and move the mobile supplier 4 toward the standby position. In this case, the standby position is not limited to the periphery of the supply-available area 30, and may be set at a position where the running body 2 and the mobile supplier 4 can meet at the earliest possible time, taking into consideration the movement speeds of the running body 2 and the mobile supplier 4 and the remaining amount of fuel in the running body 2.

[0048] (Effects of this embodiment) According to this embodiment, even if the traveling object 2 is unable to move within the supply facility 3 or the supply area 30 due to a lack of fuel, the traveling object 2 can receive a supply of fuel from the mobile supply object 4. Furthermore, by using an airborne vehicle as the mobile supply object 4, the fuel tank 20 can be delivered quickly.

[0049] (Addendum) Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the invention according to the claims is not limited to these embodiments. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention.

[0050] Furthermore, the present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented by omitting some components or adding or substituting components without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, an aerial vehicle is used as the mobile supplier 4, but the mobile supplier 4 may also be a ground vehicle that travels unmanned on roads and automatically travels to a designated location. In addition, in the above embodiment, a case is described in which the mobile supplier 4 carries a replacement fuel tank 20. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the mobile supplier may incorporate a fuel tank filled with hydrogen, and hydrogen may be supplied to the mobile vehicle 2 by inserting a filler nozzle at the end of a hose extending from the fuel tank into a supply socket on the mobile vehicle 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Fuel supply system 2...Running body 20...Fuel tank 3. Supply facilities 30…supply area 31…Feeding machine 4...Mobile supply body 5...Management server (control device) P…Standby position

Claims

1. a mobile supply vehicle that can move unmanned within a predetermined supply area including a gas fuel supply facility and supply gas fuel to a target traveling vehicle; a control device that, when the position of the traveling body is outside the supply available area and the traveling body is unable to travel to the supply facility due to remaining fuel, transmits prompting information to prompt the traveling body to move toward the supply available area and issues a movement instruction to move the mobile supply body so as to approach the traveling body; A fuel supply system comprising:

2. When the position of the running body is outside the supply available area and the running body is unable to travel to the supply facility due to remaining fuel, the control device presents a recommended route for the running body to head to the supply available area based on position information of the running body and map information of the area surrounding the supply available area.

10. The fuel delivery system of claim 1.

3. After issuing the movement instruction, the control device acquires information on the position of the traveling body as needed, and moves the mobile supply body toward the position of the traveling body.

10. The fuel delivery system of claim 1.

4. When the running body is unable to travel to the supplyable area due to remaining fuel, the control device sets a standby position on the periphery of the supplyable area close to the position of the running body, moves the mobile supplier toward the standby position, and notifies a user of the running body that gas fuel can be supplied at the standby position.

10. The fuel delivery system of claim 1.

5. The mobile supply body is an aerial vehicle that flies while holding a replacement fuel tank that stores the gas fuel. A fuel supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A fuel supply method for supplying gaseous fuel to a target traveling vehicle by an unmanned mobile supply vehicle that moves within a predetermined supply area including a gaseous fuel supply facility, comprising: When the position of the traveling body is outside the supplyable area and the traveling body is unable to travel to the supply facility due to remaining fuel, the system transmits prompting information to prompt the traveling body to move toward the supplyable area, and moves the mobile supplier closer to the traveling body, thereby supplying gaseous fuel by the mobile supplier. Fuel supply method.

7. When the running body is unable to travel to the supplyable area due to remaining fuel, a standby position is set on the periphery of the supplyable area close to the position of the running body, the mobile supplier is moved toward the standby position, and a user of the running body is notified that gas fuel can be supplied at the standby position.

7. The fuel supply method according to claim 6.

Images