Method for manufacturing energy storage facility, arrangement determination method for energy storage device, information processing apparatus, and computer program

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing method of a power storage facility, an arrangement determination method of a power storage element, an information processing device, and a computer program.SOLUTION: Acquiring first data indicating a deterioration degree of a plurality of energy storage devices mounted in an energy storage facility and second data indicating a variation in an environment in a case where the plurality of energy storage devices are arranged in the energy storage facility and used, and performing a simulation for estimating a variation in the deterioration degree of the plurality of energy storage devices after a set period has elapsed from a start of use for each arrangement while changing the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage devices in the energy storage facility based on the acquired first data and second data, by a computer; Determining an arrangement of the plurality of energy storage devices in the energy storage facility based on an execution result of the simulation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a power storage facility, a method for determining the placement of power storage elements, an information processing device, and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] Energy storage facilities that store electricity supplied from power generation facilities such as solar power generation facilities and wind power generation facilities and supply the stored electricity to loads such as factories and office buildings as needed are becoming widespread. Energy storage facilities are equipped with a large number of energy storage elements.

[0003] In energy storage facilities, maintenance and management of energy storage elements is important to ensure a stable supply of power. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for rearranging energy storage modules, which involves understanding the characteristics of multiple battery modules installed in an energy storage system and determining the rearrangement positions of the energy storage modules in ascending order of degradation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 151652 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The method of Patent Document 1 allows the relocation position to be determined according to the deterioration state of the storage module after the operation of the energy storage system has begun, but it is not possible to predict the deterioration of the storage module and determine its placement before the storage module is incorporated into the energy storage system.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a method for manufacturing a storage facility, a method for determining the placement of storage elements, an information processing device, and a computer program that can estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of storage elements after use begins before assembling the storage facility and determine the placement of the storage elements in the storage facility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The method for manufacturing a power storage facility according to the present disclosure includes a step in which a computer acquires first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of power storage elements to be mounted in the power storage facility and second data indicating the variation in the environment when the plurality of power storage elements are arranged and used in the power storage facility, performs a simulation for each arrangement of the plurality of power storage elements within the power storage facility while changing the arrangement of the plurality of power storage elements within the power storage facility based on the acquired first data and second data to estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of power storage elements after a set period of time has elapsed since the start of use, and determines the arrangement of the plurality of power storage elements in the power storage facility based on the results of the simulation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above aspect, before assembling the power storage facility, it is possible to estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of the power storage elements after the start of use, and to determine the arrangement of the power storage elements in the power storage facility. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a power storage facility. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the information processing device. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process executed by an information processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of display of arrangement information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (1) A manufacturing method for a storage energy facility according to the present disclosure includes a step in which a computer acquires first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of storage elements to be mounted in the storage energy facility and second data indicating the variation in the environment when the plurality of storage elements are arranged in the storage energy facility and used; based on the acquired first data and second data, a simulation is performed for each arrangement of the plurality of storage elements within the storage energy facility to estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of storage elements after a set period of time has elapsed since the start of use; and based on the results of the execution of the simulation, a determination is made of the arrangement of the plurality of storage elements in the storage energy facility.

[0011] The power storage facility is installed alongside a power generation facility such as a solar power generation facility or a wind power generation facility, stores the power supplied from the power generation facility, and supplies the stored power to a load. An example of the power storage facility is an ESS (Energy Storage System). Alternatively, the power storage facility may be a power conditioner, a backup power supply device, or the like.

[0012] A plurality of energy storage elements are mounted in the energy storage facility. The energy storage elements are, for example, energy storage modules configured by connecting a plurality of energy storage cells. Even if all the energy storage elements mounted in the energy storage facility are new, there are individual differences among the energy storage elements, and therefore there is variation in the initial capacity. If the energy storage elements mounted in the energy storage facility are reused products, there will be a mixture of degraded and undegraded elements, and therefore there will be variation in the capacity and internal resistance at the time of mounting.

[0013] Furthermore, after the energy storage facility begins operation, the energy storage elements deteriorate over time, causing their internal resistance to increase and their internal storage capacity to decrease. Moreover, because there are variations in the environment (temperature distribution) inside the energy storage facility, the deterioration rate of each energy storage element is not uniform.

[0014] As described above, there is variation in capacity at the beginning of operation, and the rate of deterioration after operation starts is not uniform, so the variation in the degree of deterioration of the energy storage elements tends to increase as the time of use passes. In an energy storage facility equipped with multiple energy storage elements, it is difficult to extend the life of the entire energy storage facility unless consideration is given to the variation in the degree of deterioration of the energy storage elements.

[0015] According to the manufacturing method for the energy storage equipment described in (1) above, in a step before the energy storage equipment is arranged in the energy storage equipment, the variation in the degree of deterioration of the energy storage elements after a predetermined period is estimated by simulation, so that the initial arrangement of the energy storage elements can be determined so as to suppress the variation in the degree of deterioration. As a result, the life of the energy storage equipment as a whole can be extended, and the number of maintenance inspections and maintenance work can be reduced, enabling stable operation of the energy storage equipment.

[0016] (2) In the method for manufacturing an electric storage facility described in (1) above, the plurality of electric storage elements are arranged in the electric storage facility in accordance with an arrangement determined based on a result of the execution of the simulation.

[0017] According to the manufacturing method of the energy storage equipment described above in (2), the energy storage elements are arranged in the energy storage equipment according to an arrangement determined based on the results of the simulation, thereby suppressing the variation in the degree of deterioration of the energy storage elements after the energy storage equipment starts operating.

[0018] (3) In the method for manufacturing an electric storage facility according to (1) or (2) above, the first data is data on the capacitance or internal resistance of the plurality of electric storage elements.

[0019] According to the manufacturing method of the electricity storage facility in (3) above, the variations in the degree of deterioration of the electricity storage elements can be estimated by simulation based on the capacity or internal resistance of the electricity storage elements.

[0020] (4) In the method for manufacturing an electric storage facility according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the second data is data on a temperature distribution according to an arrangement of the plurality of electric storage elements.

[0021] According to the manufacturing method of the energy storage equipment described above in (4), for example, the temperature distribution can be estimated taking into account the temperature conditions in the energy storage equipment and the amount of heat absorption and heat generation of the energy storage elements estimated for the expected usage of the energy storage equipment (power load pattern), and the variation in the degree of deterioration of the energy storage elements can be estimated by simulation.

[0022] (5) In the manufacturing method for a storage battery facility described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the plurality of storage elements include at least one storage element having a different initial capacity, usage history, remaining life, battery type, or temperature characteristics.

[0023] If the multiple storage elements installed in the energy storage facility include at least one storage element with a different initial capacity, usage history, remaining life, battery type, or temperature characteristics, it is thought that the variation in the degree of deterioration will increase after the start of operation. According to the manufacturing method for the energy storage facility described in (5) above, the initial placement of the storage elements is determined by simulation taking into account the variation in the degree of deterioration after the start of operation, so that the variation in the degree of deterioration after the start of operation can be suppressed.

[0024] (6) The method for determining the placement of energy storage elements disclosed herein includes acquiring first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of energy storage elements to be installed in an energy storage facility and second data indicating the variation in the environment when the plurality of energy storage elements are placed in the energy storage facility and used, performing a simulation for each placement of the plurality of energy storage elements within the energy storage facility while changing the placement of the plurality of energy storage elements within the energy storage facility based on the acquired first data and second data to estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of energy storage elements after a set period of time has elapsed since the start of use, and executing a process by a computer to determine the placement of the plurality of energy storage elements in the energy storage facility based on the results of the simulation.

[0025] (7) An information processing device according to the present disclosure includes one or more processors, and the one or more processors acquire first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of storage elements mounted in a power storage facility and second data indicating the variation in the environment when the plurality of storage elements are arranged and used in the power storage facility, and executes a simulation for each arrangement of the plurality of storage elements within the power storage facility while changing the arrangement of the plurality of storage elements within the power storage facility based on the acquired first data and second data to estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of storage elements after a set period has elapsed since the start of use, and determines the arrangement of the plurality of storage elements in the power storage facility based on the results of the execution of the simulation.

[0026] (8) The computer program of the present disclosure acquires first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of storage elements mounted in a power storage facility and second data indicating the variation in the environment when the plurality of storage elements are arranged and used in the power storage facility, and performs a simulation for each arrangement of the plurality of storage elements within the power storage facility while changing the arrangement of the plurality of storage elements within the power storage facility based on the acquired first data and second data to estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of storage elements after a set period has elapsed since the start of use, and causes a computer to execute a process of determining the arrangement of the plurality of storage elements in the power storage facility based on the results of the execution of the simulation.

[0027] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a power storage facility. The power storage facility 1 is, for example, an ESS, which stores power supplied from a power generation facility and supplies the stored power to a load. The power generation facility may be a solar power generation facility, a wind power generation facility, or the like. The load may be a power consumption facility such as a factory, office building, school, hospital, restaurant, or airport.

[0028] The power storage facility 1 includes a battery panel 10. The number of battery panels 10 included in the power storage facility 1 may be one as shown in Fig. 1, or may be two or more. In addition to the battery panel 10, the power storage facility 1 may also include a control panel, and may also include incidental equipment such as an air conditioner and lighting equipment.

[0029] The battery panel 10 is a metal housing. A plurality of shelves 11 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction inside the battery panel 10. Energy storage modules 12 and protection units 14 are arranged on the shelves 11 of the battery panel 10.

[0030] The power storage module 12 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing with a long depth dimension, and includes a plurality of power storage cells inside the housing. The power storage cells are, for example, battery cells based on lithium-ion secondary batteries. Alternatively, the power storage cells may be battery cells based on all-solid-state batteries, lead batteries, redox flow batteries, zinc-air batteries, alkaline manganese batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, sodium-sulfur batteries, silver-zinc oxide batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, molten salt thermal batteries, or the like, or may be capacitors. The shape of the power storage cells may be rectangular, cylindrical, or laminated. The power storage cells inside the housing are electrically connected in series and / or parallel to form the power storage module 12.

[0031] The power storage modules 12 are arranged on the battery panel 10 by being inserted between the shelf plates 11 from the front of the battery panel 10. In the example of FIG. 1, six power storage modules 12 are arranged horizontally and nine power storage modules 12 are arranged in a matrix. The multiple power storage modules 12 arranged on the battery panel 10 are electrically connected in series to form banks 13. In the example of FIG. 1, two vertical columns (18 modules) are electrically connected in series to form a total of three banks 13.

[0032] The protection unit 14 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing and includes switches such as electromagnetic contactors and relays inside the housing. The switches have the function of opening and closing power lines connecting each bank to an external power supply source or load in response to instructions from an external device (e.g., a maintenance technician's terminal). In addition to the switches, the protection unit 14 may also include a battery management unit (BMU) that manages the status of the bank 13, a circuit breaker that is opened and closed by a signal from the BMU, and a communication unit for communicating with a higher-level management unit or external devices. The protection unit 14 is disposed above each bank 13 (e.g., on the top shelf 11).

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a battery panel 10 in which a maximum of 54 storage modules 12 (6 horizontally and 9 vertically) are arranged. The number of storage modules 12 arranged horizontally and vertically in the battery panel 10 is not limited to the example in FIG. 1 and may be designed arbitrarily depending on the type of battery panel 10, etc. FIG. 1 illustrates a bank 13 configured by connecting two vertical rows of storage modules 12 in series (18 modules in total). The number of storage modules 12 that make up the bank 13 is not limited to the example in FIG. 1 and may be designed appropriately.

[0034] After the energy storage modules 12 and protection units 14 are placed on the battery panel 10 and the necessary wiring is installed, operation of the energy storage facility 1 begins. Even if all the energy storage modules 12 placed on the battery panel 10 are new, there are individual differences between the energy storage modules 12, and therefore there is variation in the initial capacity. If the energy storage modules 12 placed on the battery panel 10 are reused products, there will be a mixture of degraded and undegraded modules, and therefore there will be variation in the capacity and internal resistance when they are installed.

[0035] Furthermore, after the operation of the energy storage facility 1 begins, the energy storage modules 12 deteriorate over time, causing an increase in internal resistance and a decrease in the capacity that can be stored internally. Moreover, because there is variation in the environment (temperature distribution) inside the battery panel 10, the deterioration rates of the energy storage modules 12 are not uniform.

[0036] As described above, there is variation in capacity at the beginning of operation, and the rate of deterioration after the start of operation is not uniform, so the variation in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 tends to increase as use time passes.

[0037] If the degree of deterioration of the energy storage modules 12 varies widely after the energy storage facility 1 starts operating, the energy storage module 12 with the most advanced deterioration will pull down the amount of power that can be supplied from the bank 13. This is because the bank 13 is made up of multiple energy storage modules 12 connected in series. An energy storage module 12 with advanced deterioration will not only be unable to generate an amount of power, but will also generate more heat due to increased internal resistance, making it necessary to take measures such as increasing the output of air conditioning equipment.

[0038] In a power storage facility 1 equipped with multiple power storage modules 12, unless consideration is given to the variation in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12, it is difficult to extend the life of the entire power storage facility 1 without increasing the output of the air conditioning equipment.

[0039] Therefore, in the embodiment, in the manufacturing process of the energy storage equipment 1 before the energy storage modules 12 are placed on the shelves 11 of the battery panel 10, the variation in the degree of deterioration of the energy storage modules 12 is estimated by simulation, and the initial placement of the energy storage modules 12 is determined so as to suppress the variation in the degree of deterioration.

[0040] The information processing device that executes the simulation will be described below. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 is a dedicated or general-purpose computer, and includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a communication unit 103, an operation unit 104, a display unit 105, and the like.

[0041] The control unit 101 is a processing circuit or an arithmetic circuit including, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The CPU included in the control unit 101 reads and executes various computer programs stored in the ROM or the storage unit 102, thereby controlling each hardware unit and causing the entire device to function as the information processing device 100 of the present disclosure.

[0042] Alternatively, the control unit 101 may be any arithmetic circuit including multiple CPUs, a multi-core CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a microcomputer, a volatile or non-volatile memory, etc. The control unit 101 may also include functions such as a timer that measures the elapsed time from when an instruction to start measurement is given until when an instruction to end measurement is given, a counter that counts numbers, and a clock that outputs date and time information.

[0043] The storage unit 102 includes a storage device such as a hard disk or a flash memory. Various computer programs and data are stored in the storage unit 102. The computer programs stored in the storage unit 102 include an arrangement determination program PG that causes a computer to execute a simulation to estimate variations in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 mounted in the power storage facility 1 and to execute a process to determine the arrangement of the power storage modules 12 in the power storage facility 1 based on the results of the simulation. The data stored in the storage unit 102 includes various data used in the arrangement determination program PG, data generated by the control unit 101, and the like.

[0044] A computer program including the placement determination program PG is provided by a non-transitory recording medium RM on which the computer program is readably recorded. The recording medium RM is a portable memory such as a CD-ROM, a USB memory, or an SD (Secure Digital) card. The control unit 101 reads a desired computer program from the recording medium RM using a reading device (not shown) and stores the read computer program in the storage unit 102. Alternatively, the computer program including the placement determination program PG may be provided via communication.

[0045] The communication unit 103 includes a communication interface for connecting to a communication network. The communication interface included in the communication unit 103 is a wireless communication interface such as WiFi (registered trademark), 3G, 4G, 5G, or LTE (Long Term Evolution), or a wired communication interface such as Ethernet (registered trademark). The communication unit 103 transmits and receives various types of data via the communication network.

[0046] The operation unit 104 includes input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and receives operations from the user. The display unit 105 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, and displays information to be notified to the user. Alternatively, the information processing device 100 may be configured to receive necessary operations via an external computer and transmit information to be notified to the user to the external computer. An example of an external computer is a terminal device such as a smartphone carried by the user. In this case, the information processing device 100 does not need to include the operation unit 104 and the display unit 105.

[0047] In the embodiment, the information processing device 100 may be a single computer, or may be a computer system configured with multiple computers and peripheral devices, etc. Alternatively, the information processing device 100 may be a virtual machine whose entity is virtualized, or may be a cloud.

[0048] The placement determination program PG may be a single computer program or a group of programs consisting of multiple computer programs. Alternatively, the placement determination program PG may partially use an existing library. Furthermore, the placement determination program PG may be executed by a single computer or may be executed by multiple computers working together.

[0049] 3 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure of processing executed by the information processing device 100. In the manufacturing process before the power storage modules 12 are arranged on the battery panel 10, the control unit 101 of the information processing device 100 reads out and executes the arrangement determination program PG from the storage unit 102, thereby performing the following processing.

[0050] The control unit 101 acquires data indicating the degree of deterioration of the plurality of power storage modules 12 mounted on the power storage equipment 1 (step S101). It is assumed that each power storage module 12 is assigned an identifier for identifying it. The control unit 101 acquires data on at least one of the capacity and internal resistance of each power storage module 12 as data indicating the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 arranged on the battery panel 10.

[0051] The capacity of the power storage module 12 represents, for example, the amount of electricity (discharge capacity) that can be extracted from the power storage module 12 when it is discharged from a fully charged state at a predetermined discharge rate. The manufacturer or recycler of the power storage module 12 may publish information such as the capacity and internal resistance value on a communication network. In this case, the control unit 101 may access the information published on the communication network via the communication unit 103 and acquire data such as the capacity and internal resistance value. If no information is published on the communication network, the capacity and internal resistance value of the power storage module 12 may be measured separately.

[0052] The control unit 101 acquires data indicating variations in the environment when a plurality of power storage modules 12 are arranged and used in the power storage facility 1 (step S102). The control unit 101 acquires data on the temperature distribution within the power storage facility 1 (data on the temperature at each position where the power storage modules 12 are arranged). The temperature distribution data may be data on the temperature distribution assumed by the user (artificially determined data) or data on the temperature distribution estimated by a temperature simulator. In the latter case, the temperature distribution may be estimated by the simulator in consideration of the temperature conditions of the power storage facility 1 (air conditioning function, solar radiation conditions, etc.) and the amount of heat absorption and heat generation of the power storage elements estimated for the assumed usage of the power storage facility 1 (power load pattern). Alternatively, the control unit 101 may use data on actual measurements of other power storage facilities whose installation environments are similar to that of the power storage facility 1.

[0053] As described below, the control unit 101 performs a simulation for each arrangement of the storage modules 12 on the battery panel 10, based on the data acquired in steps S101 and S102, to estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of the storage modules 12 after a set period has elapsed since the start of use.

[0054] The control unit 101 sets an initial arrangement of the power storage modules 12 on the battery panel 10 (step S103). For example, the control unit 101 may set the initial arrangement so that the power storage modules 12 are arranged in descending order of the degree of deterioration from the left end to the right end of the bottom row of the battery panel 10, from the left end to the right end of the second row from the bottom, ..., and from the left end to the right end of the top row. Alternatively, the control unit 101 may refer to data on the degree of deterioration and data on temperature distribution and set the initial arrangement so that the power storage modules 12 are arranged in descending order of the degree of deterioration from the location with the lowest temperature to the location with the highest temperature on the battery panel 10. The control unit 101 may also set the initial arrangement of the power storage modules 12 randomly, regardless of the degree of deterioration and the temperature distribution.

[0055] The control unit 101 executes a simulation using the set arrangement and estimates the variation in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 after a set period (e.g., 10 years) has elapsed since the start of use (step S104). An existing method is used for the deterioration simulation. The control unit 101 estimates the degree of deterioration of each power storage module 12 after the set period has elapsed, for example, by utilizing the fact that capacity decreases in proportion to the cumulative usage period (linear law) and that the rate at which capacity decreases increases as the temperature increases. Alternatively, the control unit 101 may estimate the degree of deterioration of each power storage module 12 after the set period has elapsed, by utilizing the fact that capacity decreases gradually with the cumulative usage period (root law) and that the rate at which capacity decreases increases as the temperature increases. The control unit 101 calculates a standard deviation from the estimated degree of deterioration of each power storage module 12 to determine the variation in the degree of deterioration.

[0056] The control unit 101 may also execute a temperature simulation that takes into account the temperature of the environment in which the power storage equipment 1 is installed and the heat (Joule heat) emitted from each power storage module 12, and estimate the degree of deterioration of each power storage module 12 by reflecting the temperature of the location where each power storage module 12 is located. Parameters required for the temperature simulation (such as the heat capacity of the shelves 11 and power storage modules 12, and the set temperatures of the air conditioners) may be stored in advance in the storage unit 102.

[0057] The control unit 101 stores in the storage unit 102 information about the placement where the simulation was performed (information about the identifiers of the power storage modules 12 placed at each location) and the simulation results in association with each other.

[0058] When the simulation for one arrangement is completed, the control unit 101 determines whether or not to execute a simulation for another arrangement (step S105).

[0059] When the control unit 101 determines that a simulation should be performed for a different arrangement (S105: YES), it changes the arrangement of the power storage modules 12 for which the simulation is to be performed (step S106). The control unit 101 changes the arrangement of the power storage modules 12 for which the simulation is to be performed by swapping at least two of the multiple power storage modules 12 arranged on the battery panel 10. At this time, the control unit 101 may select at least two power storage modules 12 for which the arrangements are to be swapped using an appropriate optimization algorithm such as a genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, or differential evolution.

[0060] If it is known in advance based on the temperature distribution data acquired in step S102 that there is a temperature distribution in the vertical direction of the battery panel 10 but no temperature distribution in the horizontal direction, the control unit 101 may change the arrangement of the power storage modules 12 for executing the simulation by interchanging all of the power storage modules 12 arranged in the i-th row with all of the power storage modules 12 arranged in the j (≠i)-th row. Similarly, if it is known in advance that there is a temperature distribution in the horizontal direction of the battery panel 10 but no temperature distribution in the vertical direction, the control unit 101 may change the arrangement of the power storage modules 12 for executing the simulation by interchanging all of the power storage modules 12 arranged in the m-th column with the power storage modules 12 arranged in the n (≠m)-th column. The arrangement of the power storage modules 12 for executing the simulation may be set in advance.

[0061] After changing the arrangement of the power storage modules 12 in step S106, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S104. After changing the arrangement, the control unit 101 executes a simulation and estimates the variation in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 for that arrangement when a set period has elapsed since the start of use.

[0062] If the control unit 101 determines in step S105 that a simulation will not be performed for another layout (S105: NO), it determines the layout of the power storage modules 12 to be actually mounted on the battery panel 10 based on the simulation results for each layout stored in the storage unit 102 (step S107). The control unit 101 determines the layout of the power storage modules 12 so that the variation (standard deviation) in the degree of deterioration after a set period of time has elapsed since the start of use is minimized.

[0063] The control unit 101 outputs information about the placement of the power storage modules 12 determined in step S107 (step S108). The control unit 101 displays the information about the placement of the power storage modules 12 determined on the display unit 105. Alternatively, the control unit 101 may notify the user's terminal of the information about the placement of the power storage modules 12 determined via the communication unit 103.

[0064] In the battery panel 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 , the power storage modules 12 are connected in series. Therefore, an initial placement is determined that reduces variations in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 so as to maximize the power storage capacity after the series connection of the power storage modules 12. Alternatively, the power storage modules 12 may be connected in series / parallel within the battery panel 10. For example, in the example of FIG. 1 , two power storage modules 12 may be connected in parallel horizontally, and nine pairs of these two may be connected in series vertically. The information processing device 100 may determine the initial placement of the power storage modules 12 so as to maximize the power storage capacity after the series / parallel connection. The control unit 101 of the information processing device 100 calculates the capacity of each module after a set period under certain module placement conditions, calculates the capacity of the series module based on the calculated capacity, and then confirms the power storage capacity after the series / parallel connection, which is calculated by adding the series module capacities. The control unit 101 can determine the optimal placement by changing the placement conditions and repeatedly calculating the power storage capacity after the series / parallel connection. Similarly, when maximizing the capacity of the storage equipment 1 in which multiple battery panels 10 are connected in series and parallel, the control unit 101 can obtain the optimal arrangement by calculating the capacity of the storage equipment 1 after the series and parallel connection according to each initial arrangement.

[0065] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of display of placement information. The control unit 101 of the information processing device 100 executes a simulation according to the procedure shown in FIG. 3 to derive a placement that minimizes the variation in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 after a set period has elapsed since the start of use. The control unit 101 displays the derived placement information on the display unit 105. Because each power storage module 12 is assigned an identifier, the control unit 101 can indicate the placement location of each power storage module 12 on the battery panel 10 using the identifier of each power storage module 12. In the example of FIG. 4, it can be seen that the power storage modules 12 with identifiers 05, 03, 01, 02, 04, and 06 should be placed in order from the left end of the bottom row of the battery panel 10. The same applies to the second row from the bottom and subsequent rows. Because the control unit 101 estimates the degree of deterioration when determining the placement of the power storage modules 12, it may display the capacity of the bank 13 after the set period has elapsed or the degree of improvement compared to when variation in the degree of deterioration is not taken into account.

[0066] Each power storage module 12 is placed on the battery panel 10 according to the placement determined by the above simulation. By determining the placement using the above simulation, it is possible to reduce variations in the degree of deterioration after a set period of time has elapsed (for example, after 10 years), and to prevent a decrease in the amount of power supplied from the bank 13. Since deterioration of a particular power storage module 12 does not progress to an extreme degree, it is possible to reduce an increase in heat generation, and it is possible to expect a longer life for the power storage facility 1 without increasing the output of the air conditioning equipment.

[0067] The inventors conducted a simulation to compare the results of arranging the energy storage modules 12 in a manner that takes into account variations in the degree of deterioration with the results of arranging the modules in order of capacity, from the highest temperature in the upper row to the lowest temperature in the lower row, without taking variations in the degree of deterioration into account. The results showed that the series capacity after 10 years was 29.6 Ah in the former case, while it was 27.5 Ah in the latter case. Taking variations in the degree of deterioration into account, this represents an improvement of 2.1 Ah (4.2%). In this example, the upper part of the battery panel 10 is hotter, but the battery temperature distribution varies depending on the battery equipment 1 and the air-conditioning environment, so it is not necessarily the case that the temperature increases toward the top.

[0068] The arrangement method of the energy storage modules 12 described in the embodiment is suitable for energy storage modules 12 using energy storage cells with a large capacity distribution and for energy storage modules 12 using reused products with different usage histories and remaining life spans. It is also suitable for energy storage modules 12 containing a mixture of battery types or temperature characteristics. This is because it is believed that by balancing deterioration over time with deterioration due to temperature distribution, it is possible to suppress variations in the degree of deterioration after a set period of time has elapsed.

[0069] The disclosed embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0070] In the embodiment, in the manufacturing process of the power storage equipment 1 before the power storage modules 12 are arranged on the battery panel 10, the variation in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 is estimated by simulation, and the initial arrangement of the power storage modules 12 is determined based on the estimation result. Alternatively, at any time after the power storage modules 12 are arranged on the battery panel 10 and operation of the power storage equipment 1 has begun, the information processing device 100 may estimate the variation in the degree of deterioration of the power storage modules 12 in the future by simulation, and determine whether or not to relocate the power storage modules 12 during operation. If it is determined that relocation is preferable, the user may rearrange the power storage modules 12 during maintenance or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1. Energy storage facilities 10 Battery panel 11 Shelf 12 Energy storage module 13 Bank 100 Information processing device 101 Control section 102 Storage section 103 Communications Department 104 Operation section 105 Display section PG Placement Decision Program RM recording medium

Claims

1. The computer acquire first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of energy storage elements mounted in an energy storage facility and second data indicating variations in the environment when the plurality of energy storage elements are arranged and used in the energy storage facility, and perform a simulation for each arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements within the energy storage facility while changing the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements based on the acquired first data and second data to estimate variations in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of energy storage elements after a set period has elapsed since the start of use; Determining the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements in the energy storage facility based on the results of the simulation. A method for manufacturing an electricity storage facility, comprising the steps of:

2. The method for manufacturing an electric storage facility according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electric storage elements are arranged in the electric storage facility in accordance with an arrangement determined based on a result of the execution of the simulation.

3. The method for manufacturing an electric storage facility according to claim 1 , wherein the first data is data on capacitance or internal resistance of the plurality of electric storage elements.

4. The method for manufacturing an electric storage facility according to claim 1 , wherein the second data is data on a temperature distribution according to an arrangement of the plurality of electric storage elements.

5. The method for manufacturing an electric storage facility according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electric storage elements include at least one electric storage element having a different initial capacity, a different usage history, a different remaining life, a different battery type, or a different temperature characteristic.

6. acquire first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of energy storage elements mounted in an energy storage facility and second data indicating variations in the environment when the plurality of energy storage elements are arranged and used in the energy storage facility, and perform a simulation for each arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements within the energy storage facility while changing the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements based on the acquired first data and second data to estimate variations in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of energy storage elements after a set period has elapsed since the start of use; Determining the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements in the energy storage facility based on the results of the simulation. A method for determining the placement of storage elements, the processing of which is executed by a computer.

7. one or more processors; the one or more processors: acquire first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of energy storage elements mounted in an energy storage facility and second data indicating variations in the environment when the plurality of energy storage elements are arranged and used in the energy storage facility, and perform a simulation for each arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements within the energy storage facility while changing the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements based on the acquired first data and second data to estimate variations in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of energy storage elements after a set period has elapsed since the start of use; Determining the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements in the energy storage facility based on the results of the simulation. Information processing device.

8. acquire first data indicating the degree of deterioration of a plurality of energy storage elements mounted in an energy storage facility and second data indicating variations in the environment when the plurality of energy storage elements are arranged and used in the energy storage facility, and perform a simulation for each arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements within the energy storage facility while changing the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements based on the acquired first data and second data to estimate variations in the degree of deterioration of the plurality of energy storage elements after a set period has elapsed since the start of use; Determining the arrangement of the plurality of energy storage elements in the energy storage facility based on the results of the simulation. A computer program that causes a computer to execute a process.

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