Control system and gas supply system

Abstract

The present invention provides a control system that can control a gas separation device to keep the concentration of the gas supplied to the consumer within the specified range. [Solution] The control system 4 includes a response correction unit 11 that takes the measured concentration of the gas to be separated measured by the gas concentration meter 6 and the concentration meter specification information of the hydrogen concentration meter 6 as inputs and outputs time response correction information for correcting the time response of the concentration of the gas to be separated, which includes at least one of a response delay time indicating a delay in the start time of the response of the hydrogen concentration meter 6 and a response curvature indicating a slowdown in the response behavior of the hydrogen concentration meter 6; and a control mechanism 14 that controls the operation of the gas separation device provided by the gas separation device based on the time response correction information and the customer specifications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system and a gas supply system.

Background Art

[0002] In Japan's Ministry of the Environment, in 2019, a "Demonstration Project for the Production of Renewable Energy Electrolytic Hydrogen and the Supply and Utilization of Hydrogen Mixed Gas" was launched ([online], [searched on September 10, 2024], Internet <URL: https: / / www.env.go.jp / press / 106873.html>). In this project, hydrogen is produced by electrolyzing water using the power of wind power generation, and this hydrogen is mixed with a simulated gas equivalent to city gas to produce a hydrogen mixed gas, and the produced mixed gas is supplied to the place of use through a gas pipeline. The mixed gas is used as it is in water heaters, gas stoves, etc.

[0003] When hydrogen is injected into an existing grid (duct network) of natural gas or city gas and a mixed gas of natural gas and hydrogen or a mixed gas of city gas and hydrogen is supplied through the grid, in addition to the conventional natural gas or city gas consumers, consumers who directly use the mixed gas (mixed gas consumers) will be connected to the grid. Also, it is assumed that hydrogen consumers who use hydrogen gas will connect to the grid and use hydrogen gas from the mixed gas.

[0004] An example of an apparatus for separating hydrogen gas from a mixed gas and supplying hydrogen gas is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This Patent Document 1 describes that "based on the data from the hydrogen gas concentration measurement mechanism, predictive calculation and control calculation of the hydrogen gas concentration in the gas duct after a predetermined time are performed, and based on the results of the predictive calculation and control calculation, the hydrogen gas concentration of the mixed gas is increased or decreased within the allowable variation range for the mixed gas adjustment mechanism."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] Incidentally, when injecting hydrogen into an existing grid, the hydrogen concentration at each point changes spatially and temporally depending on the amount and location of hydrogen injection, the conditions within the grid (flow velocity, flow rate, pressure balance, etc.), and the amount of return gas from other consumers. On the other hand, the hydrogen concentration of the gas supplied to consumers (referred to as supplied gas) must be within the specified range without delay.

[0007] In gas separation using membrane modules, the hydrogen concentration of the supplied gas to be controlled is measured by a hydrogen concentration meter. There are several measurement methods based on different principles for hydrogen concentration meters. When a hydrogen concentration meter measures, there are time delays in the time required for sampling to the detector and time delays due to gas filling of the detector, as well as the time delay in the time response due to the time required to reach the detector. If the time response delay is equal to or longer than the control interval, there is a concern that control failure may occur due to the response delay in concentration measurement.

[0008] The hydrogen gas separation mechanism described in Patent Document 1 uses a hydrogen separation membrane to separate gases. Therefore, by changing the pressure balance and flow rate within the hydrogen gas separation mechanism based on the measured values ​​of the gas concentration flowing into the mechanism, the customer's specifications (target concentration), and the concentration of the supplied gas, gas of a concentration that matches the customer's specifications is provided. However, the hydrogen gas separation mechanism described in Patent Document 1 has low prediction accuracy for time response deviations, making it difficult to keep the concentration of the supplied gas within the specified range without delay.

[0009] This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to control a gas separation device so that the concentration of the gas supplied to the consumer is within the specified range. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The control system according to the present invention controls a gas separation device that separates a gas to be separated of any component according to customer request specification information from a mixed gas based on the concentration value of the gas to be separated, and supplies a product gas to the customer with the gas concentration of the gas to be separated adjusted according to the customer request specification information. The control system includes a response correction unit that takes the measured concentration of the gas to be separated measured by a concentration meter of the gas to be separated and the concentration meter specification information of the concentration meter as inputs, and outputs time response correction information for correcting the time response of the concentration of the gas to be separated, which includes at least one of a response delay time indicating a delay in the start time of the response of the concentration meter and a response sloppiness indicating a blunting of the response behavior of the concentration meter, and a control mechanism that controls the operation of the gas separation device equipped with the gas separation device based on the time response correction information and customer specifications. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the gas separation device can be controlled so that the concentration of the gas supplied to the consumer is within the specified range. Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a gas supply system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram of the sampling path according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a gas supply system applied to a hydrogen consumer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a gas supply system applied to a mixed gas consumer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a response correction unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a gas separation device and a control mechanism when the control mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention uses model-based control. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the response delay time and the arrival time to the control point according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a graph showing the relationship between the upstream set concentration and the measured concentration according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a graph for explaining the behavior of response sluggishness according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display of a control screen according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing an example of a control method for a pressure regulating valve of a control system according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function or configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0014] [First Embodiment] First, a control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration example of a gas supply system 10 according to the first embodiment. The gas supply system 10 according to the first embodiment includes a gas separation device 1 and a control system 4.

[0015] Here, an example will be described in which the control system 4 targets the gas separation device 1, corrects the concentration measurement value by the response correction unit 11 of the hydrogen concentration meter, and controls the operation of the gas separation device 1 based on the correction result. In the following drawings, the thick solid arrows in the figure represent the gas path, and the thin solid arrows represent the data (information) path.

[0016] First, a configuration example of the gas separation device 1 will be described. The gas separation device 1 separates a separation target gas of an arbitrary component according to the customer requirement specification information from the mixed gas based on the concentration value of the separation target gas, and supplies a product gas with the gas concentration of the separation target gas adjusted according to the customer requirement specification information to the customer. Specifically, the gas separation device 1 acquires the mixed gas 101 from the gas grid 2 and provides a product gas in which hydrogen is separated from the mixed gas so as to have a hydrogen concentration that meets the customer specification to the customer device 5. As will be described later, hydrogen concentration meters 6a to 6c and pressure regulating valves 7a to 7c are attached to various parts of the gas separation device 1. The hydrogen concentration meters 6a to 6c are an example of a concentration meter for the separation target gas that measures the concentration of hydrogen, which is an example of the separation target gas. In the following description, when the hydrogen concentration meters 6a to 6c are not distinguished, they may be collectively referred to as the hydrogen concentration meter 6. When the pressure regulating valves 7a to 7c are not distinguished, they may be collectively referred to as the pressure regulating valve 7.

[0017] The mixed gas 101 acquired by the gas separation device 1 from the gas grid 2 flows into the membrane module 3 through the hydrogen concentration meter 6c and the pressure regulating valve 7c as the inlet gas. On the gas inlet side of the gas separation device 1, a hydrogen concentration meter 6c and a pressure regulating valve 7c are provided. The hydrogen concentration meter 6c measures the hydrogen concentration of the inlet gas (referred to as "inlet gas concentration"). Therefore, the hydrogen concentration meter 6c is an example of an inlet concentration meter installed in the inlet path where the mixed gas is input. The pressure regulating valve 7c adjusts the pressure of the inlet gas under the control of a control mechanism 14 described later. The control logic used in the control mechanism 14 uses data obtained by correcting the time response of the hydrogen gas concentration.

[0018] The membrane module 3 is an example of a gas permeation section that allows a portion of the hydrogen gas to permeate from the mixed gas. A separation membrane (not shown) built into the membrane module 3 separates the inlet gas into permeate gas 102 and non-permeate gas 103. In the following description, the path through which permeate gas 102 is separated from the membrane module 3 is called the "permeate side," and the path through which non-permeate gas 103 is separated from the membrane module 3 is called the "non-permeate side." The separation conditions for the separation membrane to separate the inlet gas depend on the pressure difference between the non-permeate side pressure and the permeate side pressure. Therefore, a pressure regulating valve 7b provided in the supply path of permeate gas 102 controls the hydrogen concentration of the product gas (also called the "product gas concentration") by adjusting the pressure on the permeate side.

[0019] A hydrogen concentration meter 6a and a pressure regulating valve 7a are provided in the path of the impermeable gas 103. The hydrogen concentration meter 6a measures the hydrogen concentration of the impermeable gas 103 separated by the membrane module 3. Therefore, the hydrogen concentration meter 6a is an example of an outlet concentration meter installed in the outlet path after hydrogen gas has been separated from the mixed gas. The pressure regulating valve 7a adjusts the pressure of the impermeable gas 103 under the control of the control mechanism 14, which will be described later. The response correction unit 11 (an example of a response correction unit) can calculate time response correction information based on the measured concentrations obtained from the inlet measured concentration measured by the inlet concentration meter and the outlet measured concentration measured by the outlet concentration meter. The time response correction information is information used by the response correction unit 11 to correct the delay and slack in the time response of the hydrogen concentration meter 6 and to control the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve 7.

[0020] A hydrogen concentration meter 6b and a pressure regulating valve 7b are provided in the path of the permeate gas 102. The hydrogen concentration meter 6b measures the hydrogen concentration of the permeate gas 102 separated by the membrane module 3. The pressure regulating valve 7b adjusts the pressure of the permeate gas 102 under the control of the control mechanism 14, which will be described later.

[0021] In the gas supply system 10 shown in Figure 1, the gas separation device 1 supplies the impermeable gas 103, which has a low hydrogen concentration on the non-permeable side, as product gas to the customer equipment 5. The customer equipment 5 is equipment installed in the facilities of a natural gas customer.

[0022] The amount of hydrogen gas permeating through the permeate side of the membrane module 3 depends on the inlet gas flow rate, partial pressure difference, etc. If the concentration of the inlet gas changes, the gas separator 1 adjusts the product gas concentration by changing the conditions to meet the customer's requirements. For example, if the pressure on the permeate side is reduced within a predetermined range of conditions, the partial pressure difference increases, and therefore the amount of hydrogen permeated increases. When the amount of hydrogen permeated increases, the hydrogen concentration of the product gas on the non-permeate side decreases. Conversely, if the pressure on the permeate side is increased, the partial pressure difference decreases, so the amount of hydrogen permeated decreases and the hydrogen concentration of the product gas on the non-permeate side increases.

[0023] If there is a delay in the time response of the hydrogen concentration of the product gas measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6 installed in the gas separation device 1, a control malfunction may occur when supplying the product gas. Specifically, if the hydrogen concentration of the product gas increases due to an increase in the inlet gas concentration, the measured value of the hydrogen concentration will increase with a delay compared to the actual value due to the response lag of the hydrogen concentration meter 6c. For this reason, the time response includes at least one of the following: a response delay time indicating a delay in the start time of the response of the hydrogen concentration meter 6, and a response slack indicating a blunting of the response behavior of the hydrogen concentration meter 6.

[0024] Due to the delay in the measurement values ​​of the hydrogen concentration meter 6, the hydrogen concentration of the product gas is measured lower than the actual concentration when the hydrogen concentration is rising. Therefore, if the gas separation device 1 is controlled based on the hydrogen concentration measurement value (also called the "measured concentration") measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6 at a certain time, the product gas concentration may deviate from the specifications. To address this, the control system 4 according to this embodiment adjusts the product gas concentration by correcting the delay in the measurement values ​​and controlling the operation of the gas separation device 1.

[0025] Next, we will describe an example configuration of the control system 4. The control system 4 has the function of controlling the gas separation device 1. This control system 4 comprises a response correction unit 11 and a control mechanism 14.

[0026] The response correction unit 11 takes the measured hydrogen gas concentration measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6 and the concentration meter specification information of the concentration meter as input and outputs time response correction information to correct the time response of the hydrogen gas concentration. Therefore, the response correction unit 11 corrects the time response of the hydrogen concentration calculated based on the measured hydrogen concentration value obtained from at least one of the multiple hydrogen concentration meters 6.

[0027] The control mechanism 14 is an example of an operation control unit that controls the operation of the gas separation device 1 based on time response correction information and customer request specification information 1002. Furthermore, the control system 4 includes a hydrogen concentration meter specification information database 12 and a customer request specification information database 13.

[0028] The control logic used by the control system 4 to adjust the product gas concentration can include feedback control, model-based control, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) control. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the simplest case of feedback control is described. When the control system 4 uses feedback control, it changes the opening degree of the permeate-side pressure regulating valve 7b according to the hydrogen concentration of the product gas measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6a. If the hydrogen concentration of the product gas is higher than the required specification, the control system 4 increases the opening degree of the permeate-side pressure regulating valve 7b, thereby reducing the permeate-side pressure, increasing the amount of hydrogen permeated, and lowering the hydrogen concentration of the non-permeate-side product gas.

[0029] Furthermore, the response correction unit 11 has the function of correcting the time response of the hydrogen concentration meter 6a. The hydrogen concentration meter 6a continuously measures the hydrogen concentration in the product gas on the impermeable side located at the outlet of the gas separation device 1. In the gas supply system 10 shown in Figure 1, the impermeable gas 103 is supplied to the customer equipment 5, so the measured concentration measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6a is input to the response correction unit 11. The response correction unit 11 then calculates time response correction information based on the measured concentration of hydrogen gas contained in the product gas, which is measured in the path where a mixed gas from which some of the hydrogen gas has been removed is used as the product gas by the hydrogen concentration meter 6a installed downstream of the membrane module 3, and outputs the calculated time response correction information to the control mechanism 14.

[0030] The hydrogen concentration meter specification information database 12 stores the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001. Examples of the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 include the sampling path from the gas separation device 1 to the hydrogen concentration meter 6a (sampling path information 1004 shown in Figure 5), the gas filling volume inside the hydrogen concentration meter 6a (cell volume information 1012 shown in Figure 5), and the sampling flow rate to the hydrogen concentration meter 6a (sampling flow rate 1005 shown in Figure 5). The sampling path is the path that branches off from the essential path of the gas separation device 1 and leads to the hydrogen concentration meter 6a.

[0031] Now, let's explain the sampling path. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the sampling path 203. Here, we will focus on the inlet gas and explain the sampling path 203 from the gas inlet of the gas grid 2 to the hydrogen concentration meter 6c.

[0032] In the gas separation apparatus 1, the path from the gas inlet to the membrane module 3 is called the "essential path 205". Of the essential path 205, the path from the sampling branching point 201 to the control point 202 is called the main path 204. The control point 202 is the control point where separation phenomena, reactions, etc., occur from the sampling branching point 201.

[0033] A sampling branch point 201 is provided along the essential route 205. The sampling route 203 is the piping route from the sampling branch point 201, which is the starting point of the inlet gas sampling route 203, to the hydrogen concentration meter 6c.

[0034] Furthermore, the time it takes for the gas to reach the control point 202 from the sampling branching point 201 via the main path 204 is called the "time to reach the control point 202". Specifically, in the case of gas separation device 1, the time required for the gas to move within the main path 204 is the time to reach the control point 202. The main path 204 is the path from the starting point of the inlet gas sampling path 203 (the intersection of the essential path 205 and the sampling path 203) to the inlet of the membrane module 3.

[0035] The sampling flow rate for the hydrogen concentration meter 6c may be controlled to remain constant at all times as per the specifications of the hydrogen concentration meter 6c, or it may be obtained as a fluctuating value through measurement. When obtaining the sampling flow rate through measurement, the sampling flow rate may be calculated using a soft sensor instead of directly obtaining the flow rate.

[0036] Furthermore, for hydrogen concentration meters 6a and 6b other than hydrogen concentration meter 6c, the sampling route 203 for the main route 204 is defined by arbitrarily designating a location corresponding to the control point 202. In the case of hydrogen concentration meter 6a, the essential route 205 is from the pressure regulating valve 7a to the inlet of the consumer equipment 5, and the control point 202 should be the inlet of the consumer equipment 5. In the case of hydrogen concentration meter 6b, the essential route 205 is from the pressure regulating valve 7b to the connection point of the gas grid 2, and the control point 202 should be the connection point of the gas grid 2.

[0037] The response correction unit 11 may pre-measure and store the arrival time of the gas at the control point 202 during steady-state operation of the gas separator 1 as the arrival time to the control point 202. Alternatively, the response correction unit 11 may create a list of arrival times for each inlet gas flow rate and identify the arrival time corresponding to the inlet gas flow rate by referring to the list. Furthermore, the response correction unit 11 may calculate the arrival time to the control point 202 from the inlet gas flow rate each time, based on the piping path information from the sampling branching point 201 to the control point 202, which is the inlet of the membrane module 3.

[0038] Let's return to the explanation of Figure 1. The customer request specification information database 13 stores customer request specification information 1002. Examples of customer request specification information 1002 include the target concentration, concentration range, and flow rate of hydrogen.

[0039] The response correction unit 11 corrects the measured value (measured concentration) measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6a based on the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001, the customer request specification information 1002, and the measured concentration in the product gas. The corrected concentration value (actual concentration 1011 shown in Figure 5, described later) corrected by the response correction unit 11 is output to the control mechanism 14.

[0040] The control mechanism 14 adjusts the gas pressure in each pipe by controlling the opening and closing operation of at least one of the multiple pressure regulating valves 7 provided in the gas separation device 1, based on the calculation results of the response correction unit 11. The control mechanism 14 shown in Figure 1 performs feedback control to the gas separation device 1 based on the corrected concentration value input from the response correction unit 11. Specifically, the control mechanism 14 transmits a control command value to the gas separation device 1 that increases, maintains, or decreases the opening degree of the permeate-side pressure regulating valve 7b, based on the corrected concentration value and the target concentration based on the customer request specification information 1002 read from the customer request specification information database 13. The opening degree of the permeate-side pressure regulating valve 7b is controlled according to the control command value.

[0041] <Example of applying the control system to customer equipment of hydrogen and mixed gas consumers> The embodiment shown in Figure 1 illustrates an example of gas separation control when the customer is a natural gas customer. A natural gas customer is a customer whose specification is to keep the hydrogen concentration below a specified value. Other major customers include those who require a hydrogen concentration above a specified value (hydrogen customers) and those who require a mixed gas with a hydrogen concentration within a specified range for the purpose of heat utilization (mixed gas customers). For these customers as well, the control system 4 equipped with a response correction unit 11 can suppress the occurrence of control failures due to response deviations of the hydrogen concentration meter 6, similar to the natural gas customer. Therefore, an example of the schematic configuration of a gas supply system when the control system 4 shown in Figure 1 is applied to a hydrogen customer and a mixed gas customer will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0042] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the gas supply system 10A. The gas supply system 10A is applied to hydrogen consumers. Hydrogen, which is a permeate gas, is supplied to the customer equipment 5A of the hydrogen consumer.

[0043] In the gas supply system 10A, permeate gas 102 separated from the membrane module 3 is supplied to the customer equipment 5A of the hydrogen consumer. On the other hand, non-permeate gas 103 separated from the membrane module 3 is returned to the gas grid 2. In the gas supply system 10A, the response correction unit 11 acquires the hydrogen concentration value (measured concentration) of the permeate gas 102 from the hydrogen concentration meter 6b installed downstream of the membrane module 3. The response correction unit 11 then calculates time response correction information based on the measured concentration of hydrogen gas contained in the product gas, which is measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6b in the path where the hydrogen gas that has permeated through the membrane module 3 is used as the product gas. The control mechanism 14 adjusts the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve 7b on the permeate side according to the correction value of the response correction unit 11.

[0044] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the gas supply system 10B. The gas supply system 10B is applied to mixed gas consumers. The consumer equipment 5B of the mixed gas consumer is supplied with a mixed gas consisting of an inlet gas concentration and a mixture of impermeable and permeable gases that are mixed according to the consumer's requirements.

[0045] In the gas supply system 10B, a mixed gas, consisting of permeate gas 102 separated from the membrane module 3 and impermeable gas 103, is supplied to the customer equipment 5B of the mixed gas consumer. In the gas supply system 10B, the response correction unit 11 acquires the hydrogen concentration value (measured concentration) of the mixed gas from the hydrogen concentration meter 6d. The response correction unit 11 then calculates time response correction information based on the measured concentration of hydrogen gas contained in the product gas, which is measured in the path where the mixed gas from which some of the hydrogen gas has been removed is mixed with the hydrogen gas that has permeated through the membrane module 3 to form the product gas, using the hydrogen concentration meter 6d installed downstream of the membrane module 3. The control mechanism 14 adjusts the opening of the pressure regulating valves 7a to 7e on the permeate side according to the correction value of the response correction unit 11. As a result, some of the permeate gas 102 is returned to the gas grid 2 by the pressure regulating valve 7d. Some of the impermeable gas 103 is released to the outside by the pressure regulating valve 7e.

[0046] In the embodiment described above, the case where only one membrane module 3 is used was schematically explained as an example, but the control system 4 equipped with the response correction unit 11 is applicable regardless of the number of membrane modules.

[0047] [Second Embodiment] <Example configuration of the response correction unit and details of the response delay and response sloppiness correction method> Next, the processing of the control system 4 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, an example of a method for correcting the response delay and response distortion with respect to the measured value, which is performed by the response correction unit 11 according to the first embodiment, will be described.

[0048] Details of response delay and response slack are shown in the graph in Figure 8, which will be described later. Response delay refers to the delay in the start time of the response of the hydrogen concentration meter 6, and represents the response phase shift. In the following explanation, response delay will also be referred to as "response delay time". The response correction unit 11 outputs the result of the response delay time to the control mechanism 14, allowing the control mechanism 14 to correct the response delay time. Response slack refers to a gradual rise or fall of the measured concentration, signifying a slowdown in response behavior, and represents a first-order response lag. The response correction unit 11 can also correct response slack.

[0049] In the second embodiment, the control system 4 can prevent control failures by controlling the operation of the gas separator 1 using data from which the time response delay and response distortion have been corrected by the response correction unit 11.

[0050] Here, we will describe a detailed example of the internal configuration of the response correction unit 11. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the response correction unit 11.

[0051] The response correction unit 11 corrects the time response of the concentration using at least one piece of information from the sampling path information 1004 and the cell volume information 1012 of the hydrogen concentration meter 6. For example, the response correction unit 11 calculates the response delay time using the sampling flow rate 1005 and the sampling path information 1004. The response delay is corrected once the response delay time is calculated. The response correction unit 11 also calculates the response curvature based on the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001. The response curvature is corrected once the response curvature is calculated. This response correction unit 11 includes a response delay time calculation unit 15, a response delay time determination unit 16, and a response curvature correction unit 17.

[0052] The response delay time calculation unit 15 calculates the response delay time 1007 (also expressed as response delay time t) using the sampling path information 1004 of the sampling path 203 through which hydrogen gas flows, the sampling flow velocity 1005 of the hydrogen gas flowing through the sampling path 203, and the measured concentration 1006a measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6 in the sampling path 203 as input.

[0053] Sampling path information 1004 is information such as the length and diameter of the sampling path 203, as explained in Figure 2. Sampling flow velocity 1005 is the flow velocity of the gas flowing through the sampling path 203. Measured concentration 1006a is the hydrogen concentration measured at time t0 by the hydrogen concentration meter 6 installed in the sampling path 203, and is also denoted as measured concentration Cm,t0(1006a). The graph of measured concentration Cm,t0(1006a) is shown in the lower left of Figure 5.

[0054] The response delay time 1007 can be calculated as the time required for the gas to pass through the sampling path 203, based on the sampling flow rate 1005. Specifically, as shown in equation (1) below, the response delay time calculation unit 15 can calculate the response delay time 1007 by dividing the sampling path length (m) shown in the sampling path information 1004 by the sampling flow rate (m / s) shown in the sampling flow rate 1005. Here, the response delay time 1007 is also called the response delay time t.

[0055] (Response delay time) = (Sampling path length) ÷ (Sampling flow rate) ... (1)

[0056] In equation (1), the response delay time calculation unit 15 calculates the response delay time t based on the sampling path length and the sampling flow velocity. However, the sampling flow velocity may be calculated indirectly based on the sampling flow rate measured by a sensor (not shown) installed in the piping and the diameter of the piping at the measurement point. Furthermore, the response delay time calculation unit 15 may use the actual length of the sampling path 203 to calculate the response delay time t, or it may be defined to reflect the equivalent length if there are bends or changes in shape in the piping of the sampling path 203.

[0057] Alternatively, the response delay time calculation unit 15 may calculate the response delay time t using fluid analysis techniques. In this case, the response delay time calculation unit 15 may calculate the sampling flow velocity value based on the piping path information and piping shape information of the sampling path 203, calculate the time required for the gas to move from the sampling branching point 201 to the measurement unit where the hydrogen concentration meter 6 is installed, and use this time as the response delay time t.

[0058] The response delay time calculation unit 15 outputs the response delay time 1007 (seconds) and the measured concentration value, which is shown as the time and concentration information 1008, to the control mechanism 14 as the concentration before time t (seconds). The graph of the response delay time 1007 (seconds) is shown as a dashed line in the lower right of Figure 5. This process can be performed even if the response correction unit 11 is configured without a response delay time determination unit 16.

[0059] However, the response correction unit 11 may also be provided with a response delay time determination unit 16 that determines whether the response delay time t calculated by the response delay time calculation unit 15 is appropriate. The response delay time determination unit 16 determines whether the response delay time t is within an acceptable range by threshold determination. For example, x seconds is defined as the threshold for the control interval 1009 of the feedback control by the control mechanism 14.

[0060] The response delay time determination unit 16 outputs a response delay determination result 1010 to the control mechanism 14 if it determines that the response delay time t exceeds x seconds and is outside the acceptable range. Conversely, if the response delay time determination unit 16 determines that the response delay time t is x seconds or less and outputs a response delay determination result 1010 to the control mechanism 14 and is within the acceptable range. The control mechanism 14 can use the response delay determination result 1010 to control the gas separation device 1 based on the presence or absence of a response delay.

[0061] If the response delay time t exceeds a threshold (control interval x seconds), the control mechanism 14 can correct the response delay time t by increasing the gas sampling flow rate of the gas separator 1. If the response delay time t is below the threshold (control interval x seconds), it is within the acceptable range, and the control mechanism 14 does not correct the response delay time t. If the control mechanism 14 was performing feedback control, it may switch to a control logic that enables feedforward control, such as model-based control or AI control.

[0062] The response saturation correction unit 17 evaluates the response saturation using the sampling flow rate 1005, the measured concentrations 1006a and 1006b, and the cell volume information 1012 as inputs, and corrects the response saturation. Response saturation occurs because time is required to replace the gas inside the cell when measuring the target gas by filling the cell inside the hydrogen concentration meter 6. For example, in measuring hydrogen concentration in a two-component system using ultrasound, the mixed gas density is calculated by filling the cell with gas and measuring the sound velocity of the gas, and the mixed gas density is converted to hydrogen concentration. The saturation-corrected concentration is used as the actual concentration Ca(1011) in equation (5) described later.

[0063] The response saturation correction unit 17 receives the measured concentrations 1006a and 1006b, and the sampling flow rate 1005 as input. The measured concentration 1006a is the hydrogen concentration measured at time t0 by the hydrogen concentration meter 6 installed in the sampling path 203, and is also denoted as measured concentration Cm,t0(1006a). Similarly, the measured concentration 1006b is the hydrogen concentration measured at time t-1 by the hydrogen concentration meter 6 installed in the sampling path 203, and is also denoted as measured concentration Cm,t-1(1006b). The graphs of measured concentration Cm,t0(1006a) and measured concentration Cm,t-1(1006b) are shown superimposed as dashed lines in the lower left of Figure 5.

[0064] It is assumed that the gas flowing into the cell is completely mixed after a predetermined time. In this case, the measured concentration Cm,t0(1006a) at time t0 has the relationship shown in equation (2) with the measured concentration Cm,t-1(1006b) at time t-1 and the actual concentration Ca of the gas flowing into the cell.

[0065]

number

[0066] The replacement rate R per unit time is a value determined by the sampling flow rate Q (Nm3 / s) and the cell volume V (Nm3), and represents the proportion of the gas originally present in the cell that is replaced by the volume of incoming gas. The cell is a detection unit (not shown) located inside the hydrogen concentration meter 6. Gas flows continuously into the cell, and the gas flow rate is measured, so the gas value measured several hours ago represents the gas originally present in the cell.

[0067] The replacement rate R per second can be simply calculated using equation (3), assuming that the volume of gas flowing in at the sampling flow rate is replaced. Alternatively, the replacement rate R per second can also be calculated by applying equation (4) to account for its time dependence.

[0068] R = Q / V …(3) R = exp(-(Qt / V)) …(4)

[0069] By rearranging equation (2) above, we obtain equation (5).

[0070]

number

[0071] Equation (5) shows that the actual concentration (concentration of the sampled gas) Ca(10¹¹) is calculated from the substitution rate R, the measured concentration Cm,t0(10¹¹⁰⁶a) at time t0, and the measured concentration Cm,t-1(10¹¹⁰⁶b) at time t-1. Therefore, the response rounding correction unit 17 can output the actual concentration Ca(10¹¹) calculated using the measured hydrogen concentrations Cm,t0(10¹¹⁰⁶a) and Cm,t-1(10¹¹⁰⁶b) as inputs. The graph of the actual concentration Ca(10¹¹) is shown as a solid line in the lower right of Figure 5.

[0072] In this manner, the response correction unit 11 sends the response delay time 1007 output from the response delay time calculation unit 15, the time and concentration information 1008 prior to time t, and the actual concentration 1011 output from the response sloppiness correction unit 17 to the control mechanism 14. When using feedback control, the control mechanism 14 controls the gas separation device 1 based on the actual concentration 1011. If the response correction unit 11 is equipped with a response delay time determination unit 16, the response delay determination result 1010 is also output to the control mechanism 14, and the response delay determination result 1010 is used by the control mechanism 14 to determine how to control the gas separation device 1.

[0073] [Third Embodiment: Model-Based Control] Next, an example of the control system 4 according to the third embodiment performing model-based control will be described. In the third embodiment, as an example of how the control system 4 according to the first embodiment controls the gas separation device 1, the control mechanism 14 uses model-based control. By using model-based control, the control mechanism 14 can control the gas separation device 1 using data that has been corrected for time response delays, thereby preventing control failures.

[0074] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the gas separation device 1 and the control mechanism 14 when the control mechanism 14 uses model-based control.

[0075] When using model-based control, the control mechanism 14 uses the results of measuring the concentrations of the inlet gas and outlet gas of the gas separator 1. The control mechanism 14 using model-based control is equipped with response correction units 11a and 11b for the hydrogen concentration meters of the inlet gas and outlet gas, respectively. The response correction unit 11a for the outlet gas receives the hydrogen concentration of the outlet gas measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6a as input, and the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001a for the hydrogen concentration meter 6a is received from the hydrogen concentration meter specification information database 12a. Based on the input information, the response correction unit 11a corrects the time response of the hydrogen concentration meter 6a.

[0076] The inlet gas response correction unit 11b receives the inlet gas concentration measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6c as input, and the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001b of the hydrogen concentration meter 6c is received from the hydrogen concentration meter specification information database 12b. The response correction unit 11a corrects the time response of the hydrogen concentration meter 6c based on the input information. In this embodiment, two response correction units 11a and 11b are set, but the control system 4 may be equipped with multiple response correction units 11 depending on the number of hydrogen concentration meters 6.

[0077] When performing model-based control, the control mechanism 14 calculates an appropriate setpoint from the inlet gas concentration. For example, the control mechanism 14 obtains in advance the outlet gas concentration when the permeate pressure is changed relative to the inlet gas concentration through simulation or experimentation. Using the obtained outlet gas concentration, the control mechanism 14 calculates an appropriate permeate pressure according to the inlet gas concentration and controls the outlet concentration by adjusting the pressure using the valve opening of the pressure regulating valve 7b. In addition to the inlet gas concentration, conditions such as flow rate and pressure may also be set as input and target values.

[0078] The inlet gas response correction unit 11b takes the inlet gas concentration measurement value obtained from the hydrogen concentration meter 6c, sampling path information, sampling flow rate, and hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001a, 1001b as inputs and outputs a response delay time 1007, time and concentration information 1008 prior to time t, and the actual concentration 1011 relative to the measurement time.

[0079] A control time adjustment unit 18 is provided downstream of the inlet gas response correction unit 11b. The control time adjustment unit 18 outputs control point concentration information 1003 to the control mechanism 14, which is calculated using the response delay time 1007 output from the response correction unit 11b, the time and concentration information 1008 before time t, the actual concentration 1011 relative to the measurement time, and the time to reach the control point 202 as input.

[0080] The control point concentration information 1003 represents the hydrogen concentration at the time obtained by subtracting the time it takes to reach the control point 202 from the response delay time 1007. Specifically, if the response delay time t seconds is shorter than the time it takes to reach the control point 202, the control point concentration information 1003 shows the actual concentration value from (tc-t) seconds prior.

[0081] The control time adjustment unit 18 outputs the actual concentration value from (tc-t) seconds ago as control point concentration information 1003 and inputs the control point concentration information 1003 to the control mechanism 14. The actual concentration from (tc-t) seconds ago is equal to the hydrogen concentration at the control point at the current time. Therefore, the control system 4 can use the control point concentration information 1003 as a substitute for the inlet gas concentration, thereby controlling the gas separation device 1 based on the hydrogen concentration after removing the response delay and response sloppiness of the hydrogen concentration meter 6.

[0082] [Fourth Embodiment: AI Control] Next, an example of the control system 4 according to the fourth embodiment performing AI control will be described. In the fourth embodiment, as an example of how the control system 4 according to the first embodiment controls the gas separation device 1, the control mechanism 14 uses AI control. When the control mechanism 14 uses AI control, a control model is constructed through learning. By using AI control, the control mechanism 14 can control the gas separation device 1 using data corrected for time response delays, thereby preventing control failures.

[0083] The control mechanism 14, which performs AI control, constructs a control model (an example of a trained model) by learning from experimental data and simulation data in advance. This control model is stored, for example, in the customer request specification information database 13 and retrieved as needed by the control mechanism 14.

[0084] Experimental and simulation data are used as pairs of input information (inlet gas concentration and inlet fluid information) and results (outlet gas concentration). When experimental data is used for training, control point concentration information 1003 (see Figure 6) is used as the inlet gas concentration, and the control model is learned by the control mechanism 14.

[0085] The control mechanism 14 can treat experimental data and simulation data on equal footing by correcting response discrepancies that occur during experiments. In addition, since the control mechanism 14 learns by correcting for time delays caused by physical factors that are difficult to consider in AI learning, an improvement in the accuracy of hydrogen concentration measurement can be expected.

[0086] [Fifth Embodiment: Design of the Sampling Path] Next, as a fifth embodiment, a method for designing the sampling path of the controlled device (gas separation device 1) by the control system 4 according to the third embodiment will be described. According to the fifth embodiment, the sampling path 203 provided in the inlet path into which the mixed gas is input is designed such that the response delay time t seconds is shorter than the time tc seconds it takes to reach the control point 202 where control of the hydrogen gas is performed. This design prevents control delays due to the response delay time. The sampling path 203 is designed using CAD (Computer Aided Design), etc.

[0087] Figure 7 shows the relationship between the response delay time and the time tc to reach the control point 202. Diagram (1) in Figure 7 shows an example where the response delay time t is shorter than the arrival time tc to control point 202. In Diagram (1), the time axis at time T shows the arrival time at sampling branch point 201 (referred to as the arrival time at branch point 201), the arrival time at the hydrogen concentration meter at measurement time tc, and the arrival time at control point 202. Here, the period from the arrival time at branch point 201 to the arrival time at the hydrogen concentration meter at measurement time tc represents the response delay time t. Also, the period from the arrival time at branch point 201 to the arrival time at control point 202 represents the arrival time tc to control point 202.

[0088] The concentration at control point 202 is equal to the measured concentration at (tc-t) time. By making the response delay time t shorter than the arrival time tc to control point 202, (tc-t) becomes a positive value. Since the response delay time t is shorter than the arrival time tc to control point 202, the control mechanism 14 can compensate for the response delay time t caused by the movement of gas within the sampling path 203. That is, the hydrogen concentration at control point 202 can be converted using the measured concentration at (tc-t) time.

[0089] Diagram (2) in Figure 7 shows an example where the response delay time t is longer than the time tc to reach the control point 202. In this case, (tc-t) is a negative value. That is, by the time the gas measurement is obtained by the hydrogen concentration meter 6, the gas has already passed the control point 202, and the concentration at the measurement point cannot be estimated at the time the measurement is obtained. Therefore, the control mechanism 14 cannot correct the hydrogen concentration. For this reason, in order for the control mechanism 14 to correct the response delay time t, it is necessary to design the sampling path so that the response delay time t is shorter than the time tc to reach the control point 202.

[0090] [Sixth Embodiment: Reverse Calculation of Hydrogen Concentration Meter Specifications] Next, as a sixth embodiment, a configuration in which the control system 4 according to the first embodiment calculates the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 in reverse will be described. Here, a method will be described in which, when the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 is unknown to the control system 4, the response correction unit 11 calculates the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 (sampling path information 1004 and cell volume information 1012) in reverse based on experimental results. According to this embodiment, even when using a hydrogen concentration meter 6 whose specification information is not publicly available, the control system 4 can calculate the specification information from experimental results in advance, thereby correcting the response distortion.

[0091] As shown in equation (1) above and Figure 5, the response delay time 1007 for hydrogen concentration is calculated using the sampling path information 1004 and the sampling flow rate 1005. If the sampling path information 1004 is unknown, the control system 4 can set an arbitrary sampling flow rate 1005 and measure the response delay time 1007 of the hydrogen concentration meter 6 to obtain the path length of the sampling path.

[0092] Figure 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the upstream set concentration 1014 and the measured concentration 1006. The horizontal axis of this graph represents time (seconds), and the vertical axis represents the hydrogen concentration C (vol%). The solid line graph represents the upstream set concentration 1014, and the dashed line graph represents the measured concentration 1006.

[0093] The control system 4 changes the hydrogen concentration upstream of the hydrogen concentration meter 6 and measures the time response of the hydrogen concentration C. In Figure 8, the measurement result of the hydrogen concentration C is shown as a dashed line representing the measured concentration 1006. In addition, the rise time of the measured value 1015 is shown as a solid line, based on the upstream set concentration 1014. In Figure 8, a graph is shown in which the initial value of the upstream set concentration 1014 is converted to 0, and the measured value shown at the rise time 1015 is converted to 1.

[0094] The control system 4 calculates the response delay time 1007 from the difference between the time of change in the hydrogen concentration upstream and the rise time 1015 of the measured value shown in the measured concentration 1006. However, if it is difficult to calculate the rise time of the measured value due to response saturation, the control system 4 obtains the time derivative of the change in hydrogen concentration and uses the time when the time derivative is maximum as the rise time.

[0095] Next, the control system 4 calculates the path length of the sampling path by setting the calculated response delay time 1007 and the sampling flow rate 1005 in equation (1) above. When obtaining sampling path information from experimental results, it is preferable to change the sampling flow rate 1005 to obtain data at multiple points and average them.

[0096] As described above, the response margin correction unit 17 can calculate the response margin based on the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 and the sampling flow rate 1005. If the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 is unknown, the response margin can be estimated by measuring the margin of the hydrogen concentration meter 6 by setting an arbitrary sampling flow rate 1005, thereby estimating the cell volume information 1012. For this reason, the hydrogen concentration is changed upstream of the hydrogen concentration meter 6, and the hydrogen concentration measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6 is input to the response margin correction unit 17.

[0097] Figure 9 is a graph illustrating the behavior of response saturation. The explanatory diagram (1) shown at the top of Figure 9 is a graph illustrating an example of how the response blunting correction unit 17 extracts the behavior of the response blunting. The horizontal axis of this graph represents time (seconds), and the vertical axis represents the normalized hydrogen concentration as the hydrogen measurement value C (au). The response blunting correction unit 17 can extract the behavior of the response blunting by normalizing the measurement value of the hydrogen concentration meter 6 to the hydrogen concentration set upstream, and further correcting the horizontal axis so that the rise time of the measurement value becomes 0 from the response delay time 1007(t).

[0098] The explanatory diagram (2) shown at the bottom of Figure 9 is a graph illustrating an example of how the response saturation correction unit 17 calculates cell volume information 1012 from the response saturation. The horizontal axis of this graph represents time (seconds), and the vertical axis represents the logarithm of 1-C (where C is the normalized hydrogen measurement value) (-ln(1-C)). As explained with reference to Figure 8, the hydrogen measurement value C takes a value between 0 and 1, so 1-C takes a value between 0 and 1.

[0099] The response saturation correction unit 17 calculates cell volume information 1012 from the response saturation using the above equation (4). Here, the response saturation correction unit 17 may directly calculate the cell volume information 1012 by parameter fitting, or it may expand equation (4) and calculate Q / V from the slope. In the graph of explanatory figure (2), the slope of the graph is expressed as Q / V by taking the logarithm with the replacement rate R in equation (4) replaced by 1-C. When obtaining cell volume information 1012 from experimental results, it is preferable to change the sampling flow rate 1005 to obtain data at multiple points and average them.

[0100] [Seventh Embodiment: Example of Control Screen Display] Next, as a seventh embodiment, an example of a control screen 1100 displayed on the display device 55 (see Figure 12, described later) in the control system 4 according to the first embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 10. This control screen 1100 displays control information of the control system 4.

[0101] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display of the control screen 1100. The control screen 1100 includes a concentration measurement value display area 1110 that displays the measured concentration 1006, an actual concentration display area 1120 that displays the actual concentration 1011 after response sloppiness correction, and a system configuration display area 1130 that displays an equipment configuration diagram including the controlled object of the control system 4.

[0102] The actual concentration display area 1120 displays the actual concentration 1011 with response sloppiness correction applied, as well as the response delay time 1007. The response delay time 1007 may be shown as a period on the graph in the figure, or it may be shown as a message such as "5-second delay". In this way, the control screen 1100 displays at least the measured concentration 1006, the actual concentration 1011 with response sloppiness correction applied, and the response delay time 1007.

[0103] In addition to numerical values, the concentration measurement value and actual concentration displayed in the actual concentration display area 1120 may also include a trend graph representing the upstream setting concentration 1014 shown in Figure 8, and the rise time of the measurement value 1015.

[0104] [Eighth Embodiment: Example of a Control Method for a Pressure Regulating Valve] Next, a control method for the pressure regulating valve of the control system 4 according to the eighth embodiment will be described. In the eighth embodiment, the process will be described focusing on the control system 4 according to the first embodiment. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method for the pressure regulating valve of control system 4. Refer to Figures 1, 5, etc., as appropriate.

[0105] First, the response correction unit 11 acquires the measured concentration 1006a of the non-permeable gas 103 measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6a at time t, and the measured concentration 1006b of the non-permeable gas 103 measured by the hydrogen concentration meter 6a at time t-1 (S1). Next, the response correction unit 11 acquires the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 from the hydrogen concentration meter specification information database 12 (S2). As described above, the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 includes sampling path information 1004, sampling flow rate 1005 to the hydrogen concentration meter 6a, etc.

[0106] Next, the response delay time calculation unit 15 calculates the response delay time 1007 based on the sampling path information 1004, the sampling flow rate 1005, and the measured concentration 1006a (S3), and outputs the response delay time 1007 (S4). If the response correction unit 11 does not have a response delay time determination unit 16, the response delay time 1007, along with the time and concentration information 1008, is output to the control mechanism 14.

[0107] If the response correction unit 11 is configured to include a response delay time determination unit 16, the response delay time determination unit 16 determines the response delay time based on the response delay time 1007 (S5) and outputs the response delay determination result 1010 to the control mechanism 14.

[0108] Furthermore, the response saturation correction unit 17 corrects the response saturation based on the measured concentrations 1006a and 1006b acquired by the response correction unit 11 in step S1, the sampling flow rate 1005 of the hydrogen concentration meter specification information 1001 acquired in step S2, and the cell volume information 1012 (S6). The corrected response saturation is output to the control mechanism 14 as the actual concentration 1011 (S7).

[0109] If the response correction unit 11 does not have a response delay time determination unit 16, the control mechanism 14 controls the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve 7a based on the response delay time 1007 input from the response correction unit 11, the time and concentration information 1008, and the actual concentration 1011 (S8), and then terminates this process.

[0110] If the response correction unit 11 is configured to include a response delay time determination unit 16, the control mechanism 14 controls the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve 7a based on the response delay determination result 1010 in addition to the above information (S8), and then terminates this process.

[0111] [Ninth Embodiment: Example of Computer Hardware Configuration] Next, the hardware configuration of the computer 50 constituting the control system 4 according to the ninth embodiment will be described. This computer 50 is applicable to the computers 50 according to the first to eighth embodiments.

[0112] Figure 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 50. The computer 50 is an example of hardware used as a computer capable of operating as the control system 4 according to this embodiment. In the control system 4 according to this embodiment, each functional block is configured by the computer 50 executing a program, and each functional block works in cooperation to realize the control method of the pressure regulating valve shown in Figure 11.

[0113] The computer 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53, each connected to a bus 54. Furthermore, the computer 50 includes a display device 55, an input device 56, non-volatile storage 57, and a network interface 58.

[0114] The CPU 51 reads the program code of the software that implements each function according to this embodiment from the ROM 52, loads it into the RAM 53, and executes it. Variables and parameters that occur during the calculation process of the CPU 51 are temporarily written to the RAM 53, and these variables and parameters are read out by the CPU 51 as appropriate. The functions of the response delay time calculation unit 15, the response delay time determination unit 16, and the response sloppiness correction unit 17 in the control system 4 are implemented by the CPU 51, ROM 52, and RAM 53.

[0115] The display device 55 is, for example, a liquid crystal display monitor, which displays the results of processing performed by the computer 50 to the operator. The input device 56 uses, for example, a keyboard, mouse, etc., allowing the operator to perform predetermined operations and give instructions. The screen shown in Figure 10 (control screen 1100) is displayed on the display device 55. The display device 55 displays at least one of the following: the measured concentration value, the actual concentration of hydrogen gas after correction of response error, and the response delay time. Furthermore, in addition to numerical values, the display device 55 can display at least one of the following: a trend graph, sampling path information 1004, sampling flow rate 1005, cell volume information 1012, intracell replacement rate, the result of the response delay time determination, the applicable control logic, and an equipment configuration diagram including the control system 4 and the gas separation device 1.

[0116] Examples of non-volatile storage 57 include HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), flexible disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, or non-volatile memory. This non-volatile storage 57 stores the OS (Operating System), various parameters, and programs necessary for the computer 50 to function. The ROM 52 and non-volatile storage 57 store programs and data necessary for the CPU 51 to operate. In other words, the ROM 52 and non-volatile storage 57 are used as examples of computer-readable, non-transient storage media that store programs executed by the computer 50. For example, the hydrogen concentration meter specification information database 12 and the customer request specification information database 13 are constructed in the non-volatile storage 57.

[0117] The network interface 58 can be, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card). The network interface 58 can send and receive various types of data between devices via a LAN (Local Area Network), dedicated line, etc., connected to the terminals of the NIC. In addition, the process of acquiring the measured concentration from the hydrogen concentration meter 6 and outputting a control command value to the pressure regulating valve 7 is performed through the network interface 58.

[0118] In the gas supply system 10 according to the embodiment described above, the control system 4 is configured to include a response correction unit 11 and a control mechanism 14. The control system 4 can prevent control failures caused by time response deviations in the concentration meter by using data corrected for the time response deviation of the hydrogen concentration measurement for constructing and controlling the control logic.

[0119] Specifically, the control system 4 controls the gas separator 1 to correct the response delay and response sloppiness of the control mechanism 14 based on the response delay time calculated by the response correction unit 11. Therefore, the control system 4 can perform appropriate control of the gas separator 1, taking into account the response delay and response sloppiness of the gas separator 1.

[0120] The control system 4 can be configured using feedback control, model-based control, or AI control. In any of these control methods, the control mechanism 14 can adjust the hydrogen concentration of the product gas with an appropriate valve opening.

[0121] Furthermore, the gas supply system 10 according to each embodiment described above can also be applied to a management system for managing a gas grid.

[0122] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and of course, various other applications and modifications can be taken as long as they do not depart from the gist of the invention as described in the claims. For example, the embodiments described above are detailed and specific explanations of the configuration of the apparatus and system in order to clearly illustrate the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those comprising all the configurations described. Furthermore, the gas to be separated described above may be any gas other than hydrogen gas (single gas, mixed gas), and the gas separation apparatus may be an apparatus that separates gases other than hydrogen gas from a mixed gas. In addition, it is possible to replace some of the configurations of the embodiments described here with the configurations of other embodiments, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace some of the configurations of each embodiment with other configurations. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In reality, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 1...Gas separation device, 2...Gas grid, 3...Membrane module, 4...Control system, 5...Customer equipment, 6a-6c...Hydrogen concentration meter, 7a-7c...Pressure regulating valve, 10...Gas supply system, 11...Response correction unit, 12...Hydrogen concentration meter specification information database, 13...Customer request specification information database, 14...Control mechanism, 15...Response delay time calculation unit, 16...Response delay time determination unit, 17...Response sloppiness correction unit, 101...Response correction unit, 101...Mixed gas, 102...Permeate gas, 103...Non-permeable gas

Claims

1. A control system for a gas separation device that separates a gas to be separated of any component according to customer request specifications from a mixed gas based on the concentration value of the gas to be separated, and supplies a product gas to a customer with the gas concentration of the gas to be separated adjusted according to the customer request specifications, The control system is A response correction unit takes the measured concentration of the gas to be separated measured by the concentration meter of the gas to be separated and the concentration meter specification information of the concentration meter as inputs and outputs a time response correction information for correcting the time response of the concentration of the gas to be separated, which includes at least one of a response delay time indicating a delay in the start time of the response of the concentration meter and a response curvature indicating a slowdown in the response behavior of the concentration meter. The gas separation device is provided with an operation control unit that controls the operation of the gas separation device based on the aforementioned time response correction information and the aforementioned customer request specification information. Control system.

2. The response correction unit outputs time response correction information calculated based on the measured concentration of the gas to be separated contained in the product gas, which is measured in a path where the mixed gas from which a portion of the gas to be separated has been removed is used as the product gas by a concentration meter installed downstream of the gas permeation unit that allows a portion of the gas to be separated to pass through the mixed gas. The control system according to claim 1.

3. The response correction unit is, A response delay time calculation unit calculates the response delay time using the sampling path information of the sampling path through which the gas to be separated flows, the sampling flow velocity of the gas to be separated flowing through the sampling path, and the measured concentration measured by the concentration meter in the sampling path as inputs. The system includes a response distortion correction unit that corrects the response distortion using the sampling flow rate, the measured concentration, and the cell volume information of the concentration meter as inputs. The control system according to claim 2.

4. The control logic used in the aforementioned operation control unit uses data that has been corrected for the time response of the concentration of the gas to be separated. The control system according to claim 3.

5. The response correction unit corrects the time response of the concentration using at least one of the sampling path information and the cell volume information calculated based on the experimental results, when the sampling path information and the cell volume information are paths. The control system according to claim 4.

6. The sampling path provided in the inlet path into which the mixed gas is input is designed such that the response delay time is shorter than the time it takes to reach the control point where control is performed on the gas to be separated. The control system according to claim 5.

7. The concentration meter includes an inlet concentration meter installed in the inlet path into which the mixed gas is input, and an outlet concentration meter installed in the outlet path after the gas to be separated has been separated from the mixed gas. The response correction unit calculates the time response correction information based on the inlet concentration measured by the inlet concentration meter and the outlet concentration measured by the outlet concentration meter. The control system according to claim 3.

8. The system includes a display device that displays at least one of the following: the measured concentration value, the actual concentration of the gas to be separated after the response margin has been corrected, and the response delay time. Furthermore, in addition to numerical values, at least one of the following can be displayed on the display device: a trend graph, the sampling path information, the sampling flow rate, the cell volume information, the intracell replacement rate, the result of the response delay time determination, the applicable control logic, and a diagram of the equipment configuration including the control system and the gas separation device. The control system according to claim 5.

9. It comprises a gas separation device and a control system, The gas separation device separates a gas to be separated of any component according to the customer's requested specifications from the mixed gas based on the concentration value of the gas to be separated, and supplies the product gas to the customer with the gas concentration of the gas to be separated adjusted according to the customer's requested specifications. The control system is A response correction unit takes the measured concentration of the gas to be separated measured by the concentration meter of the gas to be separated and the concentration meter specification information of the concentration meter as inputs and outputs a time response correction information for correcting the time response of the concentration of the gas to be separated, which includes at least one of a response delay time indicating a delay in the start time of the response of the concentration meter and a response curvature indicating a slowdown in the response behavior of the concentration meter. The gas separation device is provided with an operation control unit that controls the operation of the gas separation device based on the aforementioned time response correction information and the aforementioned customer request specification information. Gas supply system.

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