Process proposal device, process proposal method, and process proposal program

Abstract

To perform efficient demand response.SOLUTION: A process proposal device includes a processor and a storage unit, the storage unit holds evaluation information in which each of an adjustable amount of power consumption, a retention time, and a required number of workers is associated with a DR priority score, the processor acquires process information indicating a plurality of processes for producing a product, a past production plan, and sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plan, and calculates an adjustable amount of power consumption in each process included in the process information based on the process information and the past production plan, A stay time in each process is calculated based on a past production plan and sensor data, a required number of workers in each process is calculated based on the past production plan, a DR priority score of each process is calculated based on an adjustable amount of power consumption, the stay time, and the required number of workers in each process, and evaluation information, and the DR priority score of each process is output.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for proposing a method for effectively responding to demand response in a factory. [Background technology]

[0002] With the increasing introduction of variable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, issues related to adjusting power supply and demand have become apparent, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been calling for and promoting efforts to adjust power supply and demand. One of the countermeasures is demand response (hereinafter referred to as DR), in which power consumers respond to requests to adjust their power usage based on the power supply and demand balance. There are two types of demand response: downward DR, which suppresses sudden increases in power demand, and upward DR, which actively utilizes surplus renewable energy.

[0003] The following prior art exists as background art in this technical field: Patent Document 1 (JP 2016-081074 A) discloses a demand response determination means that identifies, from among the various pieces of equipment installed in an industrial facility, always-on equipment that can always respond to power reductions and time-variable equipment that can respond to power reductions by changing the times that it operates, calculates the amount of power that can be reduced by each piece of equipment, determines whether or not a specified amount of power can be reduced based on the amount that can be reduced, and, if it is determined that power can be reduced, outputs instructions to change the operating state of the equipment necessary to satisfy the specified amount of reduction and / or information indicating the result of the determination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-081074 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Currently, demand response in factories is limited to cooperation with large-scale consumers in specific industries whose power demand can be easily predicted in advance during specific time periods when power shortages are expected. However, in the future, demand response will be expected to create greater adjustment capabilities and stabilize power supply and demand by involving not only large-scale consumers in specific industries but also factories in a wide range of fields. Until now, processes for which demand response is implemented have only been selected based on the priority of the work process or output power in the factory, and it has not been possible to quantitatively evaluate whether a process should be prioritized. In addition to power consumption, bottlenecks due to differences in production capacity between processes and required manpower are thought to be parameters necessary for accurate evaluation. However, these are difficult to determine based on past production information alone, and there has been an issue of difficulty in identifying processes whose required time can be adjusted.

[0006] The present invention aims to accurately calculate a demand response priority score and implement efficient demand response by calculating product residence time using sensor data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A representative example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows: That is, a process proposal device includes a processor and a storage unit, wherein the storage unit holds evaluation information that associates a demand-response priority score with each of an adjustable amount of power consumption for producing a product in a factory, a waiting time for the product, and a required number of personnel for producing the product, and the processor acquires process information that indicates a plurality of processes for producing the product, a past production plan, and sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plan, calculates the adjustable amount of power consumption for each process included in the process information based on the process information and the past production plan, calculates the waiting time for each process based on the past production plan and the sensor data, calculates the required number of personnel for each process based on the past production plan, calculates a demand-response priority score for each process based on the adjustable amount of power consumption, the waiting time, and the required number of personnel for each process and the evaluation information, and outputs the demand-response priority score for each process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, by calculating the product residence time using sensor data, it is possible to accurately calculate the demand response priority score and implement efficient demand response. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be made clear by the following description of the examples. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a process proposal device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a physical configuration of a process proposal device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the process proposal device in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a score table created by the process proposal device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a factory configuration and an output result of a priority evaluation in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a process proposal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] The process proposal device 1 of this embodiment has a storage unit 10, an input unit 20, an evaluation unit 30, and an output unit 40, and generates a priority score for a process for implementing demand response in a target factory.

[0012] The storage unit 10 stores an evaluation table that associates the adjustable amount of power consumption, the required time, and the required personnel in the manufacture of a product with the demand response priority score. The input unit 20 receives, as input, process information in the manufacture, past production plans, and sensor data corresponding to the past production plans.

[0013] The evaluation unit 30 calculates the adjustable amount of power for each process in the process information based on past production plans, and calculates the required time for a product to remain in a predetermined state based on the past production plans and sensor data. Furthermore, the evaluation unit 30 calculates the required personnel for each process in the process information based on the adjustable amount of power, the required time, the required personnel, and the evaluation table. The output unit 40 outputs the demand response priority score corresponding to each process.

[0014] The process proposal device 1 also includes process information 101, past production plans 102, and sensor data 103 corresponding to the production plans as data used for processing by each functional unit. These data may be stored in an auxiliary storage device, a memory, or an external storage device.

[0015] The process information 101 includes the number of pieces of equipment involved in the processes in the factory, equipment characteristics, operating status, production capacity, energy consumption, inventory status for each production process of the product, quality information, personnel, and production cost data. The process information 101 is not necessarily limited to information on the target factory, and may include, for example, data on similar processes in other factories. The process information 101 may also include data calculated based on data from other factories.

[0016] The past production plan 102 includes production plans that have been implemented in the factory. The past production plan 102 stores past operation data, but may also include forecast data calculated based on the stored data. The past production plan 102 may also include data from other factories with similar configurations.

[0017] The sensor data 103 corresponding to the production plan indicates data acquired from sensors installed in the factory. Specifically, it includes sensor data acquired from sensors that measure the physical state of a product in each production process, such as a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a camera, a motion sensor, and an RFID reader.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the physical configuration of a process proposal device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] The process proposal device 1 of this embodiment is configured by a computer having a processor (CPU) 201 , a memory 202 , an auxiliary storage device 203 , a communication interface 204 , an input interface 205 and an output interface 208 .

[0020] The processor 201 is an arithmetic device that executes programs stored in the memory 202, and the processor 201 executes various programs to realize various functions of the process proposal device 1. Note that part of the processing performed by the processor 201 by executing the programs may be executed by another arithmetic device.

[0021] The memory 202 includes a ROM, which is a non-volatile storage element, and a RAM, which is a volatile storage element. The ROM stores unchanging programs, etc. The RAM is a high-speed, volatile storage element such as a DRAM, and temporarily stores programs executed by the processor 201 and data used when the programs are executed.

[0022] The auxiliary storage device 203 is a large-capacity, non-volatile storage device such as a magnetic storage device (HDD) or a flash memory (SSD). The auxiliary storage device 203 also stores data used by the processor 201 when executing a program (e.g., process information 101, past production plans 102, and sensor data 103 corresponding to the production plans), and programs executed by the processor 201 (e.g., evaluation programs). That is, the programs are read from the auxiliary storage device 203, loaded into the memory 202, and executed by the processor 201 to realize each function of the process proposal device 1.

[0023] The communication interface 204 is a network interface device that controls communication with other devices according to a predetermined protocol.

[0024] The input interface 205 is an interface to which input devices such as a keyboard 206 and a mouse 207 are connected and which receives input from an operator. The output interface 208 is an interface to which an output device such as a display device 209 is connected and which outputs the results of program execution in a visually recognizable format. Note that a terminal (not shown) connected to the process proposal device 1 via a network may provide the input device and the output device.

[0025] The program executed by the processor 201 is provided to the process proposal device 1 from a removable medium (such as a CD-ROM or flash memory) or via a network, and is stored in a non-volatile auxiliary storage device 203, which is a non-transitory storage medium. For this reason, the process proposal device 1 may have an interface for reading data from removable media.

[0026] The process proposal device 1 is a computer system configured on a single physical computer, or on multiple logically or physically configured computers, and may operate on a virtual computer constructed on multiple physical computer resources.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the process proposal device 1 in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The storage unit 10 has a function of storing an evaluation table (for example, a score table described later) that associates the adjustable amount of power consumption, the required time, and the required manpower in the manufacture of a product with the demand response priority score.

[0029] The input unit 20 receives, as input, process information 101 in the manufacture of a product, a past production plan 102, and sensor data 103 corresponding to the past production plan from the storage unit 10 (S501).

[0030] Thereafter, the evaluation unit 30 calculates the amount of power adjustment possible for each process in the factory (S502). For example, the amount of power adjustment possible is calculated using process information 101 for manufacturing the selected product, past production plans 102, and sensor data 103 corresponding to the past production plans.

[0031] Next, the evaluation unit 30 calculates the residence time of each process in the factory (S503). For example, the evaluation unit 30 calculates the residence time of each process using process information 101 in the manufacture of the selected product, past production plans 102, and sensor data 103 corresponding to the production plans. Note that the past production plans 102 may be actual production results.

[0032] Next, the evaluation unit 30 calculates the number of workers required for each process in the factory (S504). For example, the evaluation unit 30 calculates the number of workers required for each process using process information 101 for manufacturing the selected product, past production plans 102, and sensor data 103 corresponding to the production plans.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a score table created by the process proposal device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The score table 400 shown in FIG. 4 includes evaluation indices such as importance, priority, and risk level for each production process of a product.

[0035] In the example of Figure 4, the ratio of the amount of power requested in the demand response is used as the output score evaluation criterion. The greater the amount of power that can be generated relative to the amount of requested power, the higher the priority for adjusting the output and the higher the score. Here, the amount of power that can be generated is, for example, the difference between the output power when the process in question is operating and the output power when the operation amount is adjusted (for example, completely stopped), and is also referred to as the adjustment margin for output power or the amount of power adjustment possible. Note that the criterion is not limited to the ratio, and may be, for example, the absolute value, expected value, or fluctuation range of the output power.

[0036] In the example of Figure 4, the dwell time of each process is listed as the time score evaluation criterion. If a process that is a bottleneck on the production line executes a demand response, it will have a large impact on the decrease in production volume and will therefore receive a low score. On the other hand, the shorter the dwell time, the higher the priority and the higher the score of the process. This is because if a bottleneck process (i.e., the process with the longest dwell time in a series of processes) is temporarily stopped, the time of the stoppage will directly lead to a delay in production, whereas if a process with a shorter dwell time than the processes before and after it is temporarily stopped, the stoppage of that process may not immediately lead to a delay in production due to the delays of the processes before and after it. Note that the criterion is not limited to dwell time, and can also be, for example, the operating rate.

[0037] In the example of Figure 4, the number of personnel required for operation is listed as the personnel score evaluation criterion. The fewer personnel required for a process, the less impact it has on shift changes, so the higher the priority and the higher the score. On the other hand, the more personnel required, the greater the impact it has on shift changes, which is undesirable, so the lower the priority and the lower the score. Note that the criteria are not limited to the number of personnel required, and could also be, for example, the need for special qualifications or replacement personnel.

[0038] Next, the evaluation unit 30 calculates the demand response priority score for each process in the factory (S505). For example, the demand response priority score for each process is calculated using process information 101 for manufacturing the selected product, past production plans 102, sensor data 103 corresponding to the past production plans, and a score table. The score is calculated, for example, based on the following formula:

[0039] (Evaluation function) = (output power score) × (output power weight) + (time score) × (time weight) + (Personnel score) × (Personnel weight)

[0040] Here, the weight assigned to each term can be set appropriately depending on the circumstances of each factory, etc. For example, if meeting the DR request is given top priority, the output power weight can be increased, if the impact on production needs to be minimized as much as possible, the time weight can be increased, or if it is difficult to change personnel, the personnel weight can be increased.

[0041] When the evaluation unit 30 generates the priority score, it starts the output unit 40 and executes the output process.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the factory configuration and output results of priority evaluation in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 shows the product manufacturing processes in Factory A, which include processing, heat treatment, cleaning, painting, drying, and assembly, and shows the calculated scores for the adjustable amount of output power, residence time, and required personnel for each process, and the total values ​​for each process. As a result, the heat treatment process has the highest score, so it is estimated that by stopping the heat treatment process, adjustments can be made to respond to demand response most efficiently.

[0044] Although this example shows a simple sum (i.e., a sum weighted equally), any weight may be assigned to the scores of each item, i.e., the adjustable amount of output power, residence time, and required personnel, as described above. For example, when focusing on required personnel, the cleaning process has the highest score, so if the weight of required personnel is increased and the scores of each process are calculated, the cleaning process may end up with the highest score.

[0045] In the above example, weights are assigned to the scores of the adjustable amount of output power, residence time, and required personnel, but weights may also be assigned to the scores of each process. For example, if there are processes that are more likely to be stopped due to factory circumstances and processes that should be avoided as much as possible, the weights of the former processes may be set higher.

[0046] The output unit 40 outputs the priority calculation results for each process in the factory (S506).

[0047] In the embodiment, the data is output in a table, but it is not limited to a table and may be output in a bar graph or the like.

[0048] The process proposal device 1 may output based on past priority score calculation results. For example, it may also output calculation results based on machine learning or pattern matching based on past calculation results.

[0049] For example, the process proposal device 1 may further store past process information and previously calculated demand response priority scores for each process, and may generate a model that calculates the demand response priority score for each process from the process information by learning the past process information, past production plans, sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plans, and the previously calculated demand response priority scores for each process.The process proposal device 1 may then calculate the demand response priority score for each process based on the generated model.

[0050] In this way, sensors capable of capturing detailed factory information are used as input data, a score is evaluated, and by considering not only output but also time and personnel as parameters, it is possible to quantitatively output the process for implementing demand response.By easily achieving effective supply and demand adjustment, it is expected that factories will be more willing to participate and generate more negawatts.

[0051] Furthermore, the system according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured as follows.

[0052] (1) A process proposal device (e.g., the process proposal device 1) includes a processor (e.g., the processor 201) and a storage unit (e.g., the storage unit 10 or the memory 202 and auxiliary storage device 203 that realize the storage unit 10), wherein the storage unit holds evaluation information (e.g., the score table 400) that associates an adjustable amount of power consumption for the production of a product in a factory, a residence time of the product, and a required number of personnel for the production of the product with a demand response priority score, and the processor acquires process information indicating a plurality of processes for producing the product, a past production plan, and sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plan (e.g., S501), The adjustable amount of power consumption for each process included in the process information is calculated based on the process information and the past production plan (e.g., S502), the waiting time for each process is calculated based on the past production plan and the sensor data (e.g., S503), the required personnel for each process is calculated based on the past production plan (e.g., S504), a demand response priority score for each process is calculated based on the adjustable amount of power consumption, the waiting time, and the required personnel for each process and the evaluation information (e.g., S505), and the demand response priority score for each process is output (e.g., S506).

[0053] This allows for efficient demand response to be implemented by taking into consideration not only the adjustable amount of power consumption but also the product residence time and the required number of personnel.

[0054] (2) In the process proposal device described in (1) above, the demand response priority score is set so that, in the evaluation information, the larger the adjustable amount of power consumption, the shorter the residence time, and the fewer the required personnel, the higher the demand response priority score.

[0055] This makes it easier for processes with a large amount of adjustable power consumption, short residence time, and small number of required personnel to be selected as targets for demand response, enabling efficient demand response to be implemented with a small impact on production activities and a large amount of power adjustment.

[0056] (3) In the process proposal device described in (2) above, the processor identifies, based on the evaluation information, the demand response priority score corresponding to the adjustable amount of power consumption in each of the processes, the demand response priority score corresponding to the residence time in each of the processes, and the demand response priority score corresponding to the required personnel in each of the processes, and calculates the demand response priority score for each of the processes by performing a weighted calculation on the identified demand response priority scores.

[0057] This makes it easier for processes with large amounts of power adjustment, short residence times, and processes requiring few personnel to be selected as targets for demand response, and also makes it possible to weight processes according to the circumstances of the factory, thereby enabling efficient demand response to be implemented.

[0058] (4) A process proposal device as described in (1) above, wherein the process information includes information identifying the plurality of processes, and further includes at least one of the number of pieces of equipment, equipment characteristics, operating status, production capacity, energy consumption, inventory status, quality information, and production cost for each of the plurality of processes.

[0059] This allows the demand response priority score to be calculated with high accuracy.

[0060] (5) A process proposal device as described in (1) above, wherein the sensor data includes data indicating the physical state of each process measured by at least one of a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a camera, a motion sensor, and an RFID reader.

[0061] This allows the demand response priority score to be calculated with high accuracy.

[0062] (6) In the process proposal device described in (1) above, the memory unit further stores past process information and a demand response priority score for each of the processes that was calculated in the past, and the processor learns the past process information, the past production plan, sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plan, and the demand response priority score for each of the processes that was calculated in the past, to generate a model that calculates the demand response priority score for each of the processes from the process information, and calculates the demand response priority score for each of the processes based on the model.

[0063] This allows the demand response priority score to be calculated with high accuracy.

[0064] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0065] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in storage devices such as nonvolatile semiconductor memory, hard disk drives, and solid-state drives (SSDs), or in computer-readable, non-transitory data storage media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

[0066] Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines necessary for implementation. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1 Process proposal device 10 Storage section 20 Input section 30 Evaluation Department 40 Output section 101 Process information 102 Past production plans 103 Sensor data corresponding to production planning 201 CPU 202 memory 203 Auxiliary storage device 204 Communication I / F 205 Input I / F 206 keyboard 207 Mouse 208 Output I / F 209 Display

Claims

1. A process suggestion device, A processor and a storage unit are included, the storage unit holds evaluation information that associates an adjustable amount of power consumption for the production of products in a factory, a residence time of the products, and a required number of personnel for the production of the products with a demand response priority score; The processor: acquiring process information indicating a plurality of processes for producing the product, a past production plan, and sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plan; calculating an adjustable amount of the power consumption for each process included in the process information based on the process information and the past production plan; calculating the residence time in each process based on the past production plan and the sensor data; Calculating the required number of personnel for each process based on the past production plan; calculating a demand response priority score for each of the processes based on the adjustable amount of power consumption, the residence time, the required number of personnel, and the evaluation information; A process proposal device that outputs a demand response priority score for each process.

2. The process proposal device according to claim 1, the demand response priority score is set so that, in the evaluation information, the demand response priority score is higher the greater the adjustable amount of power consumption, the shorter the residence time, and the fewer the required personnel.

3. The process proposal device according to claim 2, The processor identifies, based on the evaluation information, the demand response priority score corresponding to the adjustable amount of power consumption in each of the processes, the demand response priority score corresponding to the residence time in each of the processes, and the demand response priority score corresponding to the required personnel in each of the processes; The process proposal device is characterized in that it calculates a demand response priority score for each process by performing a weighted calculation on the identified demand response priority score.

4. The process proposal device according to claim 1, The process proposal device is characterized in that the process information includes information that identifies the plurality of processes, and further includes at least one of the number of pieces of equipment, equipment characteristics, operating status, production capacity, energy consumption, inventory status, quality information, and production cost for each of the plurality of processes.

5. The process proposal device according to claim 1, The process proposal device is characterized in that the sensor data includes data indicating the physical state of each process measured by at least one of a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a camera, a motion sensor, and an RFID reader.

6. The process proposal device according to claim 1, the storage unit further stores past process information and a demand response priority score calculated in the past for each of the processes; the processor generates a model that calculates the demand response priority score of each of the processes from the process information by learning the past process information, the past production plans, sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plans, and the demand response priority score of each of the processes that was calculated in the past, and calculates the demand response priority score of each of the processes based on the model.

7. A process proposal method executed by a process proposal device, The process proposal device includes a processor and a storage unit, the storage unit holds evaluation information that associates an adjustable amount of power consumption for the production of products in a factory, a residence time of the products, and a required number of personnel for the production of the products with a demand response priority score; The process proposal method includes: a step in which the processor acquires process information indicating a plurality of processes for producing the product, a past production plan, and sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plan; a step of the processor calculating an adjustable amount of the power consumption for each process included in the process information based on the process information and the past production plan; a step in which the processor calculates the residence time in each process based on the past production plan and the sensor data; a step of the processor calculating the required number of workers in each process based on the past production plan; a step in which the processor calculates a demand response priority score for each of the processes based on the adjustable amount of power consumption, the residence time, the required number of personnel, and the evaluation information; and a step in which the processor outputs a demand response priority score for each of the processes.

8. A process proposal program for controlling a process proposal device, The process proposal device includes a processor and a storage unit, the storage unit holds evaluation information that associates an adjustable amount of power consumption for the production of products in a factory, a residence time of the products, and a required number of personnel for the production of the products with a demand response priority score; The process proposal program a procedure for acquiring process information indicating a plurality of processes for producing the product, a past production plan, and sensor data acquired corresponding to the past production plan; a step of calculating an adjustable amount of the power consumption for each process included in the process information based on the process information and the past production plan; a step of calculating the residence time in each process based on the past production plan and the sensor data; a procedure for calculating the required number of personnel in each process based on the past production plan; calculating a demand response priority score for each of the processes based on the adjustable amount of power consumption, the residence time, the required number of personnel, and the evaluation information; and a step of outputting a demand response priority score for each of the processes.

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