Plant control device and method for determining whether calculation quantities can be changed.

Abstract

To enable consumers who use electricity supplied from power plants to make appropriate decisions about whether or not they can change their electricity demand. [Solution] A plant control device 8 according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a TBV information collection unit 81 that collects information on the opening degree of turbine bypass valves in a nuclear power plant 1, a power demand information collection unit 82 that collects information on the power demand of consumers that use the electricity generated by the nuclear power plant 1, and a calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 that determines whether or not it is possible to change the power demand of consumers based on the TBV information and the power demand information, and outputs the determination result to the consumers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant control device and a method for determining whether the calculation amount can be changed.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the demand for nuclear power generation that can supply power stably and does not emit CO2 has been increasing. For example, overseas, there is a trend to use nuclear power generation for data centers. And in the operation for data centers, adjustment of the power generation amount according to the fluctuating demand is required. However, nuclear power generation is usually operated at a rated output with a constant output. This is because the operation period from when the fuel is loaded until it is taken out is predetermined once the fuel is loaded. Therefore, when control is performed to reduce the output from the rated output for output adjustment, it often results in the loss of power sales opportunities.

[0003] For example, in a data center that uses generative AI (Artificial Intelligence), the load (power demand) has characteristics of large fluctuation amount and high fluctuation speed. Therefore, even in the case of nuclear power generation, output adjustment corresponding to the load fluctuation of the data center is required. Here, referring to FIG. 1, the behavior of load fluctuation in the data center will be described. FIG. 1 is a graph showing an example of the behavior of load fluctuation in the data center.

[0004] The vertical axis of FIG. 1 shows the calculation amount of load fluctuation in the data center, and the horizontal axis shows time. The calculation amount in the data center continuously decreases until it receives a change end instruction 102 when it receives a change start instruction 101 which is an instruction in the direction of reducing the calculation amount. Therefore, it is required to adjust the power output amount on the nuclear power generation side to decrease following the fluctuation of this calculation amount.

[0005] In Japan, the adjustment capacity of nuclear power plants is classified into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary adjustment capacity is the capacity to respond within 10 seconds, secondary adjustment capacity is the capacity to respond within 5 minutes, and tertiary adjustment capacity is the capacity to respond within 45 minutes.

[0006] For each of these regulating forces, the generators of a nuclear power plant are required to perform different control measures. For example, the generators implement governor-free control for primary regulating forces, load frequency control for secondary regulating forces, and economic load distribution control for tertiary regulating forces. In the following explanation, governor-free control will be referred to as "GF (Governor Free) control," load frequency control as "LFC (Load Following Control) control," and economic load distribution control as "EDC (Economic load Dispatching Control) control."

[0007] GF control is a control method that controls the output of a power plant by opening and closing a governor within the power plant. In other words, GF control is used to control load fluctuations with a period of a few seconds to a few minutes, as well as supply and demand mismatches. LFC control is a control method in which the central dispatch center changes the output of generators in response to changes in grid frequency and interconnection line power flow. EDC control is a control method that proactively changes the output of a power plant in response to load fluctuations over relatively long periods, such as tens of minutes to several hours, according to demand forecasts.

[0008] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cogeneration high-temperature gas reactor system that employs an operation control method that varies the output of the power plant in response to the demands of the load side. The cogeneration high-temperature gas reactor system described in Patent Document 1 includes a first control means that adjusts the flow rate of gas flowing through the bypass path between the reactor and the heat exchanger so that the temperature of the gas flowing into the turbine power generation system maintains a first control target value, and a second control means that adjusts the gas inventory in the coolant circulation path so that the temperature of the gas flowing out of the reactor maintains a second control target value. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-57986 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] However, when dealing with customers with large and rapid load fluctuations, such as data centers that utilize generational AI, nuclear power plants require control that can adjust the generator output in short cycles of a few seconds to a few minutes. Such short-cycle output adjustments can be achieved by the GF control described above. The opening and closing of the governor in GF control is achieved by opening and closing the turbine bypass valve (hereinafter referred to as "TBV (Turbine Bypass Valve)") of the nuclear power plant.

[0011] However, various pieces of information about nuclear power plants, such as their operating status, TBV (Total Beam Volume) opening, and the speed at which the opening can be changed, cannot be obtained by consumers. Therefore, consumers have the problem of not being able to determine whether or not they should change the load (electricity demand) that requires output adjustment at a nuclear power plant at the desired time. This problem also exists when consumers request electricity from other power plants such as thermal power plants. Furthermore, the aforementioned Patent Document 1 does not disclose any technology that enables consumers to appropriately determine load changes.

[0012] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems. The objective of this invention is to enable consumers who use electricity supplied from power plants to appropriately determine whether or not it is possible to change their electricity demand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A plant control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a turbine bypass valve information collection unit that collects information on the opening degree of turbine bypass valves in a power plant, a power demand information collection unit that collects information on the power demand of consumers that use the electricity generated by the power plant, and a power demand change feasibility determination unit that determines whether or not it is possible for consumers to change their power demand based on the turbine bypass valve information and the power demand information, and outputs the determination result to the consumers. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, consumers who use electricity supplied from a power plant can appropriately determine whether or not they can change their electricity demand. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This graph shows an example of load fluctuation behavior in a conventional data center. [Figure 2] This figure shows a schematic configuration example of a plant control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This diagram schematically illustrates the elements related to this embodiment in a nuclear power plant according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a plant control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for determining whether a computational complexity can be changed by the computational complexity change feasibility determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6A is a graph showing the time evolution of the computational load of the data center, the TBV opening, and the power generation amount of the nuclear power plant when the computational load is changed and output changes are performed by switching the TBV on and off in step S5 of Figure 5 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.Figure 6A is a graph showing the transition of the computational load of the data center, Figure 6B is a graph showing the transition of the TBV opening, and Figure 6C is a graph showing the transition of the power generation amount of the nuclear power plant. [Figure 7]It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a plant control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for a calculation amount change permission determination process by a calculation amount change permission determination unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a plant control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for a calculation amount change permission determination process by a calculation amount change permission determination unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of an output adjustment enable value setting screen according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function or configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0017] 1. First Embodiment <Configuration Example of Plant Control System> First, the configuration of a plant control system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the plant control system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the plant control system 100 includes a nuclear power plant 1 as an example of a plant and an external power grid 4. The nuclear power plant 1 is a power plant that generates electric power by means of nuclear power generation. The external power grid 4 is connected to the nuclear power plant 1 by a transmission line 2 via a transformer 3, and the electric power generated by the nuclear power plant 1 is transmitted to the external power grid 4.

[0018] A power load 5 is installed at an intermediate point between the nuclear power plant 1 and the transformer 3. The power load 5 is equipment that can adjust the amount of electricity consumed from the nuclear power plant 1. In this embodiment, an example is given where the power load 5 is a data center. Furthermore, the data center as the power load 5 is also a consumer that requests and consumes electricity generated by the nuclear power plant 1.

[0019] From the nuclear power plant 1, power with a transmission amount of 6 is transmitted to the external power grid 4, and power with a transmission amount of 7 is transmitted to the power load 5. The total amount of power generated by the nuclear power plant 1 is assumed to be equal to the sum of the transmission amounts 6 and 7. In this embodiment, the data center, as the power load 5, operates on power supplied from the nuclear power plant 1. In other words, the data center is operated in an off-grid configuration, disconnected from the external power grid 4.

[0020] Furthermore, the plant control system 100 includes a plant control device 8. The plant control device 8 includes a TBV information collection unit 81, a power demand information collection unit 82, and a calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83. The TBV information collection unit 81 (an example of a turbine bypass valve information collection unit) collects information such as the opening degree and opening / closing (operation) speed of the TBV 202 (see Figure 4) in the nuclear power plant 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "TBV information").

[0021] The power demand information collection unit 82 collects information on the amount of change in the computational load of the data center's power load and the time of change in the load (power demand) (hereinafter also referred to as "power demand-related information"). The computational load change feasibility determination unit 83 (an example of a power demand change feasibility determination unit) determines whether the customer is allowed to change the computational load based on the TBV information and power-related information (an example of power demand information), and outputs computational load change feasibility determination result information If1 to the data center as the determination result.

[0022] The computational load change feasibility determination result information If1 includes a computational load change signal to change the computational load in the data center if the computational load change is permitted. Based on the computational load change feasibility determination result information If1, the computational load in the data center is automatically changed.

[0023] In this embodiment, we assume that the customer (data center) operates in an off-grid configuration, powered solely by electricity supplied from the nuclear power plant 1. Therefore, we provide an example where the data center's computational load is automatically changed based on the computational load change feasibility determination result information If1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If the customer does not operate in an off-grid configuration, the computational load change feasibility determination unit 83 may output computational load change feasibility determination result information If1 to the customer, which includes only information on whether the computational load can be changed.

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the elements related to this embodiment in nuclear power plant 1. As shown in Figure 3, nuclear power plant 1 comprises a reactor 201, a TBV 202, a generator 203, and a condenser 204. The reactor 201 is a device that generates electricity by controlling and sustaining a nuclear fission chain reaction. The steam generated in the reactor 201 in conjunction with the generation of electricity flows to the generator 203 and the condenser 204 via the TBV 202.

[0025] TBV202 is a valve that adjusts the amount of steam exhausted to the condenser 204. As the opening of TBV202 increases, the amount of steam flowing from the reactor 201 to the condenser 204 increases. For example, by controlling the opening of TBV202 to be larger during reactor startup or shutdown, it is possible to prevent a rise in pressure inside the reactor 201.

[0026] Furthermore, since the steam flowing into the condenser 204 does not contribute to power generation, the output of the generator (amount of power generated) can be adjusted by controlling the amount of steam flowing into the condenser 204 by controlling the opening degree of the TBV 202. However, since there is an upper limit to the opening degree of the TBV 202, it may not be possible to flow all the steam output from the reactor 201 into the condenser 204.

[0027] The TBV202 used in existing domestic nuclear power plants 1 is capable of supplying approximately 30% of the main steam from the reactor to the condenser 204. The opening of the TBV202 is adjusted by the TBV adjustment signal Sg1. The TBV adjustment signal Sg1 is transmitted from the control system (not shown) of the nuclear power plant 1 to zero out the deviation between the output of the generator 203 and the power demand of the data center. Alternatively, it is transmitted from the plant control device 8 to the nuclear power plant 1 when the calculation amount change feasibility determination result information If1 is transmitted from the plant control device 8 to the data center.

[0028] <Example of computer hardware configuration> Next, the hardware configuration of the device for realizing the functions of the plant control system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the plant control system 100. The computer 50 shown in Figure 4 is hardware used as a so-called computer.

[0029] The computer 50 comprises a control unit 51 connected to bus B, a non-volatile storage 52, a display unit 53, an operation input unit 54, and a communication interface 55. The control unit 51 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 511, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 512, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 513.

[0030] The CPU 511 reads the program code of the software that implements each function according to this embodiment from the ROM 512, loads it into the RAM 513, and executes it. Variables, parameters, etc. that occur during the calculation process are temporarily written to the RAM 513.

[0031] The control unit 51 may be equipped with a processing unit such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) instead of a CPU 511. Alternatively, the control unit 51 may use both a CPU and an MPU. Examples of non-volatile storage 52 include HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), flexible disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, and non-volatile memory cards. This non-volatile storage 52 stores the OS (Operating System), various parameters, and programs necessary for the computer 50 to function. The programs may also be stored in ROM 512.

[0032] The display unit 53 is a monitor, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), which displays the results of processing performed by the computer 50. The operation input unit 54 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, mouse, touch sensor, etc., and generates operation signals in response to user operations and supplies them to the CPU 511. The display unit 53 and the operation input unit 54 may be integrated as a single touch panel.

[0033] The program is stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and the CPU 511 sequentially executes operations according to the program code. In other words, the ROM 512 or non-volatile storage 52 is used as an example of a computer-readable, non-transient recording medium that stores a program executed by the computer.

[0034] Communication I / F55 can utilize, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), enabling the transmission and reception of various types of data with external devices via a network or communication line.

[0035] <Calculation complexity change feasibility determination process by the calculation complexity change feasibility determination unit> Next, with reference to Figure 5, the calculation quantity change feasibility determination process by the calculation quantity change feasibility determination unit 83 of the plant control device 8 will be explained. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the calculation quantity change feasibility determination process by the calculation quantity change feasibility determination unit 83.

[0036] First, the calculation amount changeability determination unit 83 obtains TBV opening degree A(%) information from the TBV information collection unit 81 (step S1). The TBV opening degree A(%) is a value that indicates the magnitude of the opening degree of TBV202 (see Figure 4) at that time, and the value of TBV opening degree A(%) can be, for example, a number between 0 and 100. Note that the unit of the TBV opening degree is not limited to "%", and may be expressed as a number between 0 and 1, etc., indicating the opening degree.

[0037] Next, the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 receives information about the computation amount change from the customer (data center) (step S2). Specifically, the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 receives information about B (MW) from the customer as the changed computation amount (an example of the amount of computation amount change). The changed computation amount B (MW) is the amount of power consumption that fluctuates due to the change in the computation amount at the data center (an example of the predicted power consumption). Note that the conversion from computation amount to predicted power consumption may be performed by the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83. Also, the processing in step S1 and the processing in step S2 may be performed in reverse order in time, or they may be performed approximately simultaneously.

[0038] Next, the calculation amount changeability determination unit 83 calculates the adjustable range of power output by adjusting the opening of the TBV202 (step S3). Since the unit of the TBV opening is "%", and the unit of the changed calculation amount is "MW", it is necessary to unify the units for comparison. Therefore, the calculation amount changeability determination unit 83 converts the calculation amount that can be changed by adjusting the TBV opening into the unit of MW, and uses the converted calculation amount as an index for determining whether the TBV can be opened or closed. Specifically, the calculation amount changeability determination unit 83 calculates the upper limit of the adjustable range of the output of the nuclear power plant 1 by controlling the opening and closing of the TBV202 using the following formula (1).

[0039] Upper limit value of the output adjustment range by TBV = (100 - A) × C (MW) … Formula (1)

[0040] In the above formula (1), "C" represents the rated output (MW) of nuclear power generation. Next, the calculation amount changeability determination unit 83 calculates the lower limit value of the adjustable range of the output of the nuclear power plant 1 by controlling the opening and closing of the TBV202 using the following formula (2).

[0041] Lower limit value of the output adjustment range by TBV = A × C (MW) … Formula (2)

[0042] Next, the calculation amount changeability determination unit 83 compares the upper limit value obtained by the above formula (1), the lower limit value obtained by the above formula (2), and the changed calculation amount B (MW) using the following formula (3). Then, the calculation amount changeability determination unit 83 determines whether the changed calculation amount B satisfies the condition shown in formula (3) (step S4).

[0043] -A × C < B < (100 - A) × C … Formula (3)

[0044] If the calculation amount B is determined to satisfy the conditions shown in equation (3) above (step S3 is YES), the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 determines that adjustment is possible by opening and closing the TBV202 and outputs a determination result indicating that the calculation amount can be changed to the data center (step S5). On the other hand, if the calculation amount B is determined not to satisfy the conditions shown in equation (3) above (step S3 is NO), the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 outputs a determination result indicating that the calculation amount cannot be changed to the data center (step S6). After processing in step S5 or step S6, the calculation amount change feasibility determination processing by the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 is completed. In this embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 outputs a determination result indicating that the calculation amount cannot be changed when it is determined that the calculation amount B is determined not to satisfy the conditions shown in equation (3) above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 may output a determination result to the data center that permits a change in the calculation amount within the range that satisfies the conditions shown in (3) above.

[0045] Figure 6 is a graph showing the time evolution of the data center's computational load 601, the TBV opening degree 602, and the power generation amount 603 of nuclear power plant 1 when the computational load is changed in step S5 of Figure 5, that is, when the output is changed by switching the TBV on and off. Figure 6A is a graph showing the transition of the computational load of the data center (601), Figure 6B is a graph showing the transition of the TBV opening, and Figure 6C is a graph showing the transition of the power generation of the nuclear power plant (1). In Figures 6A to 6C, the vertical axis represents the computational load of the data center, and the horizontal axis represents time.

[0046] If a load change occurs at time t1, the computing power of the data center, 601, decreases, as shown in Figure 6A. Also at the same time t1, the TBV opening decreases, as shown in Figure 6B. This decrease in the TBV opening continues until the TBV opening reaches an opening corresponding to the computing power of the data center. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6C, the power generation of nuclear power plant 1, 603, also decreases along with the decrease in the TBV opening.

[0047] The control processes shown in Figures 6A to 6C, which are implemented to bring about each transition, are performed with the aim of matching the amount of power generated with the power load 5 of the data center. This control continues until time t2, when the load change is completed. This type of control makes it possible to implement TBV switching control of the nuclear power plant 1 in response to load fluctuations in the data center.

[0048] According to the first embodiment described above, consumers such as data centers that utilize electricity supplied from the nuclear power plant 1 will be able to appropriately determine whether or not they can change their electricity demand.

[0049] 2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 of the plant control device 8 determined whether the calculation amount could be changed based on the TBV opening information and the data center's change calculation amount information. However, depending on the TBV 202 opening at that time, it is possible that the change calculation amount B may not satisfy the conditions of equation (3) above by adjusting the power generation amount at the nuclear power plant 1 alone. In such a case, the nuclear power plant 1 may not be able to cope with fluctuations in the data center's calculation amount.

[0050] Therefore, in the second embodiment, even if the amount of computation to be changed does not satisfy the conditions of equation (3), the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 is configured to respond to fluctuations in the amount of computation in the data center by receiving some power from the external power system 4.

[0051] <Example of a plant control system configuration> Figure 7 shows a schematic configuration example of the plant control system 100A according to the second embodiment. The difference between the plant control system 100A shown in Figure 7 and the plant control system 100 shown in Figure 2 is that the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 transmits a control signal Sg2 to devices such as the transformer 3 and a switch station (not shown).

[0052] The control signal Sg2 indicates either a signal for procuring a portion of the power from the external power system 4, or a signal for transmitting the power generated by the nuclear power plant 1 to the external power system 4. The control signal Sg2 for procuring a portion of the power from the external power system 4 is, for example, a signal that instructs the switch station to be changed to the open state. The other configurations are the same as those shown in Figure 2, so redundant explanations are omitted.

[0053] <Calculation complexity change feasibility determination process by the calculation complexity change feasibility determination unit> Next, with reference to Figure 8, the calculation quantity change feasibility determination process by the calculation quantity change feasibility determination unit 83 of the plant control device 8 according to the second embodiment will be described. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the calculation quantity change feasibility determination process by the calculation quantity change feasibility determination unit 83.

[0054] Steps S11 to S15 in Figure 8 are identical to steps S1 to S5 in the flowchart shown in Figure 5, so redundant explanations are omitted. This section describes the process that occurs after step S16 when the computation amount changeability determination unit 83 notifies the data center that the computation amount cannot be changed.

[0055] Upon receiving notification that the calculation cannot be changed, the calculation quantity changeability determination unit 83 calculates the upper limit of the adjustable output range (output adjustment range) of the nuclear power plant 1 by switching control of TBV202 when power is procured from the external power system 4, or the lower limit of the adjustable output range by switching control of TBV202 when power is exported (shared) to the external power system 4 (step S17). The calculation quantity changeability determination unit 83 calculates the upper limit of the adjustable output range of the nuclear power plant 1 using the following formula (4), and calculates the lower limit of the adjustable output range using the following formula (5).

[0056] Upper limit of output adjustment range due to TBV switching control and power procurement = (100-A) × C + D(MW) ... Equation (4) Lower limit of output adjustment range due to TBV switching control and power export (exchange) = -A × CE (MW) ... Equation (5)

[0057] In equation (4) above, "D" represents the amount of power procured (MW) to be received from the external power system 4, and in equation (5) above, "E" represents the amount of power exported (MW) to be transmitted to the external power system 4. The amount of power procured D is calculated as the difference between "(100-A)×C", which is the output adjustment range by TBV switching control, and the change calculation amount B. Also, the amount of power exported E is calculated as the difference between "-A×C", which is the output adjustment range by TBV switching control, and the change calculation amount B.

[0058] Then, the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 determines whether to procure the amount of electricity D from the external power system 4, or to export the amount of electricity E to the external power system 4 (step S18). Next, the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 outputs the determination result of whether the computation amount can be changed to the data center (step S19). After the processing in step S19, the computation amount change feasibility determination processing by the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 is completed.

[0059] According to the second embodiment described above, load fluctuations that cannot be handled by TBV switching control can be compensated for by procuring power from the external power system 4, thereby enabling the data center to respond to load fluctuations. Furthermore, surplus power that would otherwise be generated even when TBV opening control is implemented can be exported to the external power system 4, thereby enabling the effective utilization of surplus power.

[0060] It should be noted that the price of electricity (external power source) procured by the nuclear power plant 1 from the external power grid 4 generally varies depending on the time of day. Specifically, the price of the external power source tends to be relatively low during daytime hours such as from 12:00 to 17:00, and then increases as night approaches. Therefore, the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 may also refer to information on the price of the external power source for each time period when determining whether or not to change the calculation amount.

[0061] 3. Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first and second embodiments described above, examples were given in which TBV switching control was performed in response only to information on load fluctuations (change computation amount) in the data center. However, the TBV202 is originally a device for adjusting power output when disturbances such as faults occur in the external power system 4.

[0062] Specifically, the TBV202 has the function of automatically opening and closing in accordance with fluctuations in the voltage and frequency of the external power system 4, thereby matching the rotation frequency of the generators in the nuclear power plant 1 to the system frequency. However, if the TBV opening degree control is performed in accordance with the load fluctuations of the data center, there may be no time to adjust the TBV opening degree in the event of a system failure. The plant control device 8 according to this embodiment performs a determination process to determine whether or not to change the computation amount, taking into account the behavior of the TBV202 in the event of a system failure.

[0063] Figure 9 shows a schematic configuration example of the plant control system 100B according to the third embodiment. The difference between the plant control system 100A shown in Figure 9 and the plant control system 100 shown in Figure 2 is that the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 receives a control signal Sg3 from the central power dispatch station 9 that instructs the TBV opening, and determines whether or not to change the calculation amount based on the control signal Sg3 and the change calculation amount B. The other configurations are the same as those shown in Figure 2, so redundant explanations are omitted.

[0064] <Calculation complexity change feasibility determination process by the calculation complexity change feasibility determination unit> Referring to Figure 10, the calculation quantity change feasibility determination process by the calculation quantity change feasibility determination unit 83 of the plant control device 8 according to the third embodiment will be described. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the calculation quantity change feasibility determination process by the calculation quantity change feasibility determination unit 83.

[0065] Steps S21 to S24, as well as steps S26 and S27 in Figure 10, are identical to steps S1 to S4, as well as steps S5 and S6 in the flowchart shown in Figure 5; therefore, redundant explanations are omitted. Figure 10 illustrates the calculation amount change feasibility determination process performed by the calculation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 when a control signal Sg3, which includes an instruction to increase the TBV opening, is received from the central power dispatch center 9.

[0066] In step S25, the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 determines, based on the calculation result of the following formula (6), whether or not it is possible to respond to changes in the data center's computation amount by TBV switching control.

[0067] C-(A×C+B)>F…Formula (6)

[0068] The first term on the left side of equation (6) above ("C") is the rated output of the nuclear power plant. The value in parentheses in the second term on the left side indicates the output (power generation) from the nuclear power plant when considering the increased load on the data center, i.e., the change computation amount B. Also, "F" on the right side of equation (6) above indicates the output adjustable value by TBV switching control. The computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 determines that it is possible to respond to changes in the data center's computation amount by TBV switching control if the above equation (6) is satisfied, that is, if the output from the nuclear power plant 1, considering the changed computation amount B, is greater than the output adjustment value F by TBV switching control.

[0069] Furthermore, if the central power dispatch center 9 receives a control signal Sg3 instructing a reduction in the TBV opening, the computation amount change feasibility determination unit 83 determines, based on the calculation result of the following formula (7), whether or not it is possible to respond to the change in the data center's computation amount by TBV switching control.

[0070] C×AB>F…Formula (7)

[0071] The left side of the above formula (7) indicates the power generation amount of the nuclear power plant 1 when the output is decreased corresponding to the change calculation amount B. When the calculation amount change allowability determination unit 83 determines that the above formula (7) is satisfied, that is, when the output from the nuclear power plant 1 corresponding to the change calculation amount B is greater than the output adjustment allowable value F by TBV opening / closing control, it determines that it is possible to respond to the change in the calculation amount of the data center by TBV opening / closing control.

[0072] According to the above-described third embodiment, while ensuring the degree of freedom of the TBV opening degree necessary for improving the stability of the power generation amount during a system failure, it is also possible to respond to fluctuations in the load (calculation amount) of the data center during normal times.

[0073] <Setting screen for output adjustment allowable value by TBV opening / closing control> Next, referring to FIG. 11, the output adjustment allowable value setting screen Sc displayed on the display unit 53 (see FIG. 4) of the central power supply command center 9 will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the output adjustment allowable value setting screen Sc. The output adjustment allowable value setting screen Sc is a screen for setting the value of the TBV opening degree included in the control signal Sg3.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 11, the output adjustment allowable value setting screen Sc includes a system diagram display unit 1101 and a system stability evaluation result display unit 1102 at the time of assumed fault occurrence. In the system diagram display unit 1101, information on the arrangement of synchronous generators (denoted as "synchronous machine power sources" in the figure), renewable energy power sources (denoted as "renewable energy power sources" in the figure), loads, transformers, buses, and lines connecting them regarding the external power system 4 is shown in the figure. FIG. 11 shows an example where there are "system α" and "system β" as the external power system 4.

[0075] In the system stability evaluation result display unit 1102 at the time of system fault occurrence, the evaluation result of the system stability when a system fault occurs in the power system shown in the system diagram display unit 1101 is displayed. Examples of the evaluation result indicators include the phase difference of generators, voltage, frequency, etc.

[0076] In the example shown in Figure 11, the system stability evaluation result display unit 1102 when a system failure occurs includes the following items: "Assumed failure case," "Generator power output," "Generator phase angle," "Voltage," and "Frequency."

[0077] The "Anticipated Failure Cases" section displays information on identifiers (Cs1~Cs5) associated with each anticipated failure case in the power grid. Anticipated failure cases include, for example, derailment of power lines, voltage drops due to contact between the derailed power lines and the ground, and power supply disconnection.

[0078] The "Generator Power Generation" section displays information on the power generation amount of each generator (nuclear power plant) at that time. In the example shown in Figure 11, information on the power generation amounts of two generators, "Generator A" and "Generator B," is shown. The "Generator Phase Angle Stability" section displays information on the stability of the angle indicating the relative position between the generator's rotor shaft and the generated magnetic flux shaft (neither of which are shown in the diagram). The "Voltage Stability" section displays information on the voltage stability before and after TBV switching control is implemented. If a voltage drop occurs due to a system failure, "×" is displayed in the Voltage Stability section; if voltage stability is expected even in the event of a system failure, "〇" is displayed.

[0079] The "Frequency Stability" section displays information about the frequency stability of the power generated by the generator. If a system failure causes a decrease or increase in frequency, "×" will be displayed in the frequency stability section, and if frequency stability is expected even in the event of a system failure, "〇" will be displayed.

[0080] By checking the output adjustment value setting screen Sc shown in Figure 11, the person in charge at the central power dispatch center 9 can determine whether or not it is possible to stabilize the grid by adjusting the TBV opening.

[0081] In the embodiments described above, examples were given where the customer was a data center, but the present invention is not limited to this. The customer of the nuclear power plant 1 may be a customer other than a data center, as long as it is a customer characterized by frequent and rapid load fluctuations.

[0082] Furthermore, while the embodiments described above cited an example where the power source to consumers such as data centers was a nuclear power plant, the present invention is not limited to this. Any facility that handles energy whose output can be adjusted by TBV switching control may be other facilities, such as a thermal power plant.

[0083] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are intended to explain the configuration of the apparatus and system in detail and specifically in order to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those comprising all the configurations described.

[0084] Furthermore, the control lines or information lines shown as solid lines in Figures 2-4, 7, and 9 are those deemed necessary for explanation and do not necessarily represent all control lines or information lines in the actual product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 1...Nuclear power plant, 4...External power grid, 5...Power load, 8...Plant control device, 8B...Plant control device, 9...Central power dispatch center, 81...TBV information collection unit, 82...Power demand information collection unit, 83...Calculation amount change feasibility determination unit, 100...Plant control system, 201...Nuclear reactor, 202...TBV, Sc...Output adjustable value setting screen

Claims

1. A turbine bypass valve information collection unit collects information on the opening degree of turbine bypass valves within the power plant, A power demand information collection unit collects information on the power demand of consumers who use the electricity generated by the aforementioned power plant, The system includes a power demand change feasibility determination unit that determines whether the power demand at the customer can be changed based on the turbine bypass valve information and the power demand information, and outputs the determination result to the customer. Plant control system.

2. The electricity demand information collected by the electricity demand information collection unit includes at least information on the amount of change in electricity demand when the electricity demand is changed. The plant control device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned electricity demand fluctuates depending on the computational complexity of the calculations performed by the consumer. The amount of change in the aforementioned power demand is indicated by the amount of change in the calculation amount, or by the predicted amount of power consumption at the consumer that fluctuates as a result of the change in the calculation amount. The plant control device according to claim 1.

4. The power demand change feasibility determination unit determines that the calculation amount can be changed if it determines that the predicted power consumption is within the range of adjustment of the power generation amount of the power plant by controlling the opening degree of the turbine bypass valve. The plant control device according to claim 3.

5. The power demand change feasibility determination unit, when the computation amount is changed in a direction that increases, calculates an upper limit for the adjustment range of the power generation amount of the power plant by controlling the opening of the turbine bypass valve, by multiplying the difference between the opening of the turbine bypass valve at that time and the upper limit of the opening of the turbine bypass valve by the rated output of the power plant, and determines that the increase in computation amount is possible if the predicted power consumption is smaller than the calculated upper limit of the adjustment range. The plant control device according to claim 4.

6. The power demand change feasibility determination unit, when the amount of calculation is changed in a direction that decreases, calculates a lower limit of the adjustment range of the amount of power generated by the power plant by controlling the opening of the turbine bypass valve, by multiplying the value obtained by the negative polarity of the opening of the turbine bypass valve at that time by the rated output of the power plant, and determines that the amount of calculation can be reduced if the predicted amount of power consumed is greater than the calculated lower limit of the adjustment range. The plant control device according to claim 4.

7. The power demand change feasibility determination unit, when the computation amount is changed in a direction that increases, and the predicted power consumption amount becomes greater than the upper limit of the calculated adjustment range, calculates the sum of the difference between the opening degree of the turbine bypass valve at that time and the upper limit of the opening degree of the turbine bypass valve multiplied by the rated output of the power plant, and the amount of power that can be procured from the external power grid, and determines that the increase in computation amount is possible if the predicted power consumption amount is smaller than the sum. The plant control device according to claim 4.

8. The power demand change feasibility determination unit determines, when the calculation amount is changed in a direction that decreases, and the predicted power consumption amount becomes smaller than the lower limit of the calculated adjustment range, that it calculates a value by multiplying the value obtained by the negative polarity of the turbine bypass valve opening at that time by the rated output of the power plant, and subtracting the amount of power that can be supplied from the external power grid. If the predicted power consumption amount is larger than the subtracted value, it determines that the reduction in the calculation amount is possible. The plant control device according to claim 4.

9. In cases where it is expected that the power generation of the power plant will be increased by increasing the opening of the turbine bypass valve in order to respond to disturbances affecting the external power grid, and the calculation amount is changed in a direction that increases, the power demand change feasibility determination unit calculates a value by subtracting from the power plant's rated output a value obtained by adding the predicted power consumption to the value obtained by multiplying the opening of the turbine bypass valve at that time by the power plant's rated output, and if the calculated value is greater than the expected increase in power generation, the unit determines that the increase in the calculation amount is permissible. The plant control device according to claim 4.

10. In cases where it is expected that the power generation of the power plant will decrease by reducing the opening of the turbine bypass valve in order to respond to disturbances affecting the external power grid, and the calculation amount is changed in a direction that decreases, the power demand change feasibility determination unit calculates a value by subtracting the predicted power consumption from the value obtained by multiplying the opening of the turbine bypass valve at that time by the rated output of the power plant, and if the calculated value is greater than the amount of power generation that is expected to decrease, the unit determines that the reduction in the calculation amount is possible. The plant control device according to claim 4.

11. The aforementioned power plant is a nuclear power plant, and the aforementioned customer is a data center that performs calculations requiring a large amount of power consumption. The plant control device according to any one of claims 3 to 9.

12. The procedure for the turbine bypass valve information collection unit to collect information on the opening degree of the turbine bypass valves within the power plant, A procedure for the electricity demand information collection unit to collect information on electricity demand from consumers who use the electricity generated by the aforementioned power plant, The power demand change feasibility determination unit determines, based on the turbine bypass valve information and the power demand information, whether or not the power demand at the customer can be changed, and outputs the determination result to the customer. Method for determining whether the computational complexity can be changed.

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