Operation management system and operation management method

Abstract

To provide an operation management system capable of efficiently delivering a raw material from a raw material manufacturing base to a plurality of dehydrogenation bases.SOLUTION: In an operation management system 100, an information acquisition part 121 acquires hydrogen station information on a dehydrogenation state in a plurality of hydrogen stations 10. The hydrogen station information is information allowing to grasp which each hydrogen station 10 is in what kind of dehydrogenation state and is thus information at what timing MCH should be delivered to which hydrogen station 10. For the above, a delivery plan preparation part 123 prepares a delivery plan for delivering the MCH to the plurality of hydrogen stations 10 on the basis of at least hydrogen station information. Thus, the delivery plan preparation part 123 can prepare an appropriate delivery plan after comprehensively determining dehydrogenation states of the respective hydrogen stations 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a system using a raw material containing a hydride that can be dehydrogenated to obtain a hydrogen-containing gas is known, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The hydrogen supply system of Patent Document 1 includes a tank for storing a hydride of an aromatic hydrocarbon raw material, a dehydrogenation reaction unit that obtains hydrogen by dehydrogenating the raw material supplied from the tank, a gas-liquid separation unit that separates the hydrogen obtained in the dehydrogenation reaction unit into gas and liquid, and a hydrogen purification unit that purifies the hydrogen separated from the gas and liquid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-232607 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Dehydrogenation sites equipped with the above-described system use raw materials delivered by tank trucks or the like. These raw materials are also delivered from raw material production sites where the raw materials are produced. In some cases, raw materials produced at one raw material production site are delivered to multiple dehydrogenation sites. For example, if multiple dehydrogenation sites are located over a wide area, the raw materials must be delivered efficiently to each dehydrogenation site. This increases the frequency of deliveries by mobile vehicles such as tank trucks, resulting in higher delivery costs and ultimately higher hydrogen costs.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an operation management system that can efficiently deliver raw materials from a raw material production site to multiple dehydrogenation sites. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The operation management system of the present invention is an operation management system that manages the delivery of raw materials from a raw material production base that produces raw materials containing hydrides to multiple dehydrogenation bases that obtain hydrogen-containing gas by dehydrogenating the raw materials, and is equipped with an information acquisition unit that acquires first information regarding the dehydrogenation status at the multiple dehydrogenation bases, and a delivery plan creation unit that creates a delivery plan for delivering raw materials to the multiple dehydrogenation bases based on at least the first information.

[0007] In the operation management system according to the present invention, the information acquisition unit acquires first information relating to the dehydrogenation status at multiple dehydrogenation bases. This first information allows the user to determine the dehydrogenation status at each dehydrogenation base, and therefore the timing at which raw materials should be delivered to which dehydrogenation base. In response, the delivery plan creation unit creates a delivery plan for delivering raw materials to multiple dehydrogenation bases based on at least the first information. Therefore, the delivery plan creation unit can create an appropriate delivery plan after comprehensively assessing the dehydrogenation status at each dehydrogenation base. As a result, raw materials can be efficiently delivered from the raw material production base to multiple dehydrogenation bases.

[0008] The information acquisition unit may acquire second information regarding the production status of the raw materials at the raw material production base, and the delivery plan creation unit may create a delivery plan based on the first information and the second information. In this case, the delivery plan creation unit can create a delivery plan while also taking into consideration the production status of the raw materials at the raw material production base.

[0009] The first information may include raw material information regarding the amount of raw material used at the dehydrogenation site and dehydrogenation product information regarding the amount of dehydrogenation product produced as a result of the dehydrogenation reaction. In this case, the delivery plan creation unit can create a delivery plan taking into account the amount of dehydrogenation product produced at each dehydrogenation site.

[0010] The operation management system may further include a prediction unit that predicts the timing at which the dehydrogenation base will need to be supplied with raw materials based on at least the first information, and the delivery plan creation unit may create a delivery plan based on the prediction result by the prediction unit. In this case, the delivery plan creation unit can create a delivery plan in advance based on the prediction result by the prediction unit, at an earlier stage than the timing at which the dehydrogenation base will actually need to be supplied with raw materials.

[0011] The prediction unit may predict the timing when the supply of raw materials to the dehydrogenation site will be required based on the demand for hydrogen at the dehydrogenation site. In this case, the prediction unit can make long-term predictions based on the trend in the demand for hydrogen, etc.

[0012] The prediction unit may predict the timing when the supply of raw material to the dehydrogenation site will be required based on the remaining amount of raw material at the dehydrogenation site. In this case, the prediction unit can make a prediction that is in line with the actual situation based on the actual remaining amount of raw material at the dehydrogenation site. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an operation management system that can efficiently deliver raw materials from a raw material production site to a plurality of dehydrogenation sites. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a hydrogen supply chain including an operation management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the block configuration of a hydrogen station. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the block configuration of the MCH manufacturing base. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the block configuration of an operation management system. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing processing performed by an operation management device of the operation management system. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing the change in the remaining amount of fuel in the MCH tank of a hydrogen station. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing the change in the remaining amount of toluene in a toluene tank at a hydrogen station. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an operation management system according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent parts will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a hydrogen supply chain 1 equipped with an operations management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The hydrogen supply chain 1 is a supply chain for delivering raw materials from a raw material production site that produces raw materials containing hydrides to multiple dehydrogenation sites that obtain hydrogen-containing gas by dehydrogenating the raw materials, and the delivery and operation of the raw materials are managed by the operations management system 100. The hydrogen supply chain 1 includes multiple hydrogen stations 10 (dehydrogenation sites), an MCH production site 30 (raw material production site), and the operations management system 100. The multiple hydrogen stations 10, the MCH production site 30, and the operations management system 100 are connected to a network NW. In the hydrogen supply chain 1, mobile vehicles TR such as tank trucks deliver raw materials and collect dehydrogenated products. In this embodiment, a dehydrogenation device is installed within the hydrogen station, and therefore the hydrogen station is used as an example of a dehydrogenation site. However, there are also cases where the dehydrogenation device is installed adjacent to the hydrogen station (i.e., installed separately from the hydrogen station).

[0017] The hydrogen station 10 uses organic compounds (liquid at room temperature) as raw materials. During the hydrogen refining process, the raw organic compounds (liquid at room temperature) are dehydrogenated, and the dehydrogenation product (organic compound (liquid at room temperature)) is removed. An example of the organic compound raw material is organic hydride. A suitable example of an organic hydride is a hydride obtained by reacting hydrogen, which is produced in large quantities at refineries, with aromatic hydrocarbons. Organic hydrides are not limited to aromatic hydrogenated compounds; 2-propanol (which produces hydrogen and acetone) is also a suitable organic hydride. Organic hydrides can be transported to the hydrogen station 10 as liquid fuels, similar to gasoline, by a mobile vehicle such as a tank truck. In this embodiment, methylcyclohexane (hereinafter referred to as MCH) is used as the organic hydride. Other examples of organic hydrides that can be used include cyclohexane, dimethylcyclohexane, ethylcyclohexane, decalin, methyldecalin, dimethyldecalin, and ethyldecalin (aromatic compounds are particularly suitable examples with high hydrogen content). The hydrogen station 10 can supply hydrogen to fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and hydrogen engine vehicles. It can also be used to produce hydrogen from liquid hydrocarbon feedstocks such as methane-based natural gas, propane-based LPG, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, and diesel.

[0018] In this embodiment, as described above, MCH is used as the raw material, and the dehydrogenation product removed during the hydropurification process is toluene. In reality, not only toluene but also unreacted MCH and small amounts of by-products and impurities are present. However, in this embodiment, these are mixed with toluene and behave in the same way as toluene. Therefore, in the following description, "toluene" includes unreacted MCH and by-products.

[0019] The configuration of the hydrogen station 10 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the block configuration of the hydrogen station 10. As shown in Figure 2, the hydrogen station 10 includes a dehydrogenation device 11, an MCH tank 12, a toluene tank 13, a compressor 14, a high-pressure accumulator 16, an intermediate accumulator 17, a precooler 18, a hydrogen filling device 19, an integrated control unit 20, and a hydrogen station client terminal 21. Note that the intermediate accumulator 17 may be omitted.

[0020] The dehydrogenation device 11 is a device that obtains hydrogen by dehydrogenating MCH supplied from the MCH tank 12. The dehydrogenation device 11 extracts hydrogen from MCH through a dehydrogenation reaction using a dehydrogenation catalyst. The dehydrogenation catalyst is not particularly limited and may be selected from, for example, a platinum catalyst, a palladium catalyst, and a nickel catalyst. These catalysts may be supported on a support such as alumina, silica, or titania. The organic hydride reaction is a reversible reaction, and the direction of the reaction changes depending on the reaction conditions (temperature and pressure) (subject to chemical equilibrium constraints). On the other hand, the dehydrogenation reaction is an endothermic reaction that always increases the number of molecules. Therefore, high temperature and low pressure conditions are advantageous. Because the dehydrogenation reaction is an endothermic reaction, the dehydrogenation device 11 is heated by heat obtained by burning fuel stored in the fuel tank 25.

[0021] The dehydrogenation device 11 obtains highly pure hydrogen gas by subjecting the hydrogen-containing gas obtained by the dehydrogenation reaction to gas-liquid separation and purification. The toluene separated from the hydrogen gas is recovered and stored in a toluene tank 13. The hydrogen gas produced in the dehydrogenation device 11 is pumped by a compressor 14 and stored in a high-pressure accumulator 16 and an intermediate accumulator 17. The hydrogen gas stored in the intermediate accumulator 17 is returned to the compressor 14. The MCH tank 12 is replenished with MCH from a mobile TR. The toluene tank 13 recovers toluene from the mobile TR.

[0022] The hydrogen filling device 19 is a device that fills hydrogen into fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and hydrogen engine vehicles. The hydrogen filling device 19 cools the hydrogen gas stored in the high-pressure accumulator 16 in the precooler 18 and then fills the vehicle with the hydrogen.

[0023] The integrated control unit 20 is a device that controls the entire hydrogen station 10 and acquires and integrates information indicating various conditions within the hydrogen station 10. The hydrogen station client terminal 21 is connected to the network NW (see FIG. 1) and communicates with the outside world to send and receive information.

[0024] The integrated control unit 20 acquires the amount of MCH in the MCH tank 12 via a liquid level gauge 22. The integrated control unit 20 acquires the amount of toluene in the toluene tank 13 via a liquid level gauge 23. The integrated control unit 20 acquires the device operating load (%) of the dehydrogenation device 11 via a device operating load acquisition unit 24. The integrated control unit 20 acquires the amount of hydrogen in the line between the dehydrogenation device 11 and the compressor 14, i.e., the hydrogen production amount of the dehydrogenation device 11, via a hydrogen production amount acquisition unit 26. The integrated control unit 20 acquires the pressure storage amounts of the high-pressure accumulator 16 and the intermediate accumulator 17 via pressure gauges 27, 28. The integrated control unit 20 acquires the hydrogen filling amount of the hydrogen filling device 19 via a hydrogen filling amount acquisition unit 29.

[0025] The integrated control unit 20 uses the acquired information to compile hydrogen station information (first information) relating to the dehydrogenation status at the hydrogen station 10, and transmits the hydrogen station information to the network NW (see FIG. 1) via the hydrogen station client terminal 21. The hydrogen station information compiled by the integrated control unit 20 includes data on the remaining amount of MCH in the MCH tank 12 and data on the amount of MCH consumed in the dehydrogenation device 11. In this way, the hydrogen station information includes MCH information (raw material information) relating to the amount of MCH used at the hydrogen station 10. The hydrogen station information also includes data on the remaining amount of toluene in the toluene tank 13 and data on the amount of toluene recovered from the dehydrogenation device 11. In this way, the hydrogen station information includes at least toluene information (dehydrogenation product information) relating to the amount of toluene produced as a result of the dehydrogenation reaction. Furthermore, the hydrogen station information also includes data on the amount of hydrogen supplied by the hydrogen filling device 19 and location information of the hydrogen station 10.

[0026] Next, the configuration of the MCH production site 30 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the block configuration of the MCH production site 30. As shown in Fig. 3, the MCH production site 30 includes an MCH production apparatus 31, a by-product hydrogen supply unit 32, a toluene tank 33, an MCH tank 34, shipping equipment 36, an integrated control unit 40, and an MCH production site client terminal 41.

[0027] The MCH production apparatus 31 is an apparatus that produces MCH by catalytically reacting toluene supplied from a toluene tank 33 with hydrogen supplied from a by-product hydrogen supply unit 32. The by-product hydrogen supply unit 32 supplies by-product hydrogen produced in a factory or the like. The MCH production apparatus 31 supplies the produced MCH to an MCH tank 34 for storage. Shipping equipment 36 ships the MCH stored in the MCH tank 34 to each hydrogen station 10 via each mobile vehicle TR. The MCH production apparatus 31 may produce MCH not only from by-product hydrogen, but also from hydrogen generated in a water electrolysis device using electricity generated from renewable energy.

[0028] The integrated control unit 40 is a device that controls the entire MCH manufacturing base 30 and acquires and integrates information indicating various states within the MCH manufacturing base 30. The MCH manufacturing base client terminal 41 is connected to the network NW (see FIG. 1) and is a terminal that transmits and receives information by communicating with the outside.

[0029] The integrated control unit 40 acquires the amount of toluene in the toluene tank 33 via a level gauge 42. The integrated control unit 40 acquires the amount of MCH in the MCH tank 34 via a level gauge 43. The integrated control unit 40 acquires the equipment operating load (%) of the MCH manufacturing equipment 31 via an equipment operating load acquisition unit 44. The integrated control unit 40 acquires the amount of MCH in the line between the MCH manufacturing equipment 31 and the MCH tank 34, i.e., the MCH production amount of the MCH manufacturing equipment 31, via an MCH production amount acquisition unit 46. The integrated control unit 40 acquires the MCH shipment amount by the shipping facility 36 via an MCH shipment amount acquisition unit 47.

[0030] The integrated control unit 40 compiles MCH manufacturing base information (second information) relating to the manufacturing status of MCH at the MCH manufacturing base 30 from the acquired information, and transmits the MCH manufacturing base information to the network NW (see FIG. 1) via the MCH manufacturing base client terminal 41. The MCH manufacturing base information compiled by the integrated control unit 40 includes data on the remaining amount of MCH in the MCH tank 34, data on the remaining amount of toluene in the toluene tank 33, MCH shipping data by the shipping facility 36, data on the amount of toluene supplied from the toluene tank 33, data on the amount of toluene recovered from each hydrogen station 10, and location information of the MCH manufacturing base 30.

[0031] Furthermore, the integrated control unit 40 receives a delivery plan and an MCH manufacturing plan from the operation management system 100 via the network NW and the MCH manufacturing base client terminal 41 (see FIG. 1). The integrated control unit 40 then controls the MCH manufacturing equipment 31 based on the MCH manufacturing equipment operation plan, and controls the shipping facility 36 based on the delivery plan. The integrated control unit 40 also issues instructions to workers by displaying the delivery plan and the MCH manufacturing plan on a monitor or the like within the MCH manufacturing base 30.

[0032] Next, the detailed configuration of the operation management system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the block configuration of the operation management system 100. As shown in Fig. 4, the operation management system 100 includes an operation management device 101 and a data server 102. The data server 102 is a server that acquires and stores various information about the hydrogen supply chain 1 via the network NW (see Fig. 1). The data server 102 stores hydrogen station information from multiple hydrogen stations 10, and stores MCH production base information from the MCH production base 30. In addition, the data server 102 sends information to the operation management device 101 via the network NW (see Fig. 1).

[0033] The operation management device 101 is a device that manages the delivery of MCH from the MCH production base 30 to multiple hydrogen stations 10, and also manages the operation of MCH throughout the entire hydrogen supply chain 1. The operation management device 101 includes an information acquisition unit 121, a prediction unit 122, a delivery plan creation unit 123, an MCH production plan creation unit 124, and a correction unit 126.

[0034] The information acquisition unit 121 acquires hydrogen station information relating to the dehydrogenation status at multiple hydrogen stations 10. The information acquisition unit 121 also acquires MCH manufacturing base information relating to the MCH manufacturing status at the MCH manufacturing base 30. The information acquisition unit 121 acquires the hydrogen station information of the multiple hydrogen stations 10 and the MCH manufacturing base information of the MCH manufacturing base 30 from the data server 102 via the network NW.

[0035] The prediction unit 122 predicts the timing when MCH will need to be supplied to the hydrogen station 10 based on the hydrogen station information and the MCH production base information. The prediction unit 122 also predicts the timing when toluene will need to be collected from the hydrogen station 10 based on the hydrogen station information and the MCH production base information. The prediction unit 122 may predict the timing when MCH will need to be supplied to the hydrogen station 10 and the timing when toluene will need to be collected based on the amount of hydrogen demanded at the hydrogen station 10. The prediction unit 122 may also predict the timing when MCH will need to be supplied to the hydrogen station 10 based on the remaining amount of MCH at the hydrogen station 10. The prediction unit 122 may also predict the timing when toluene will need to be collected from the hydrogen station 10 based on the remaining amount of toluene at the hydrogen station 10 (the amount of toluene stored in the tank). The prediction method used by the prediction unit 122 will be described in detail below.

[0036] The delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan for delivering MCH to multiple hydrogen stations 10 based on hydrogen station information and MCH production base information. The delivery plan also includes a plan for recovering toluene from multiple hydrogen stations 10. The delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan based on the prediction results of the prediction unit 122, which is based on the hydrogen station information and MCH production base information. The delivery plan includes information such as the timing to deliver MCH to which hydrogen station 10, and the timing from which toluene will be recovered. The delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan taking into account the number of mobile vehicles TR used for delivery, the distance to each hydrogen station 10 (i.e., the time required for delivery), and the like. The delivery plan creation unit 123 transmits the created delivery plan to the MCH production base 30 via the network NW. As a result, at the MCH production base 30, MCH is distributed by mobile vehicles TR based on the delivery plan.

[0037] The MCH manufacturing plan creation unit 124 creates an MCH manufacturing plan for the MCH manufacturing base 30. The MCH manufacturing plan creation unit 124 creates the MCH manufacturing plan based on hydrogen station information, MCH manufacturing base information, and a delivery plan. The MCH manufacturing plan creation unit 124 creates the MCH manufacturing plan taking into consideration the timing and amount of MCH to be delivered. The MCH manufacturing plan creation unit 124 transmits the created MCH manufacturing plan to the MCH manufacturing base 30 via the network NW. As a result, MCH is manufactured at the MCH manufacturing base 30 based on the MCH manufacturing plan.

[0038] The correction unit 126 corrects the delivery plan and the MCH production plan in consideration of the actual operating conditions at multiple hydrogen stations 10. For example, the correction unit 126 corrects the delivery plan and the MCH production plan when the actual remaining amount of MCH in the MCH tank 12 or the actual remaining amount of toluene in the toluene tank 13 at a certain hydrogen station 10 differs from the prediction. The correction unit 126 transmits the corrected delivery plan and the MCH production plan to the MCH production base 30 via the network NW.

[0039] Next, a management method by the operation management system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing contents by the operation management device 101 of the operation management system 100. First, as an example of the operation management method, a method of creating a delivery plan from a hydrogen demand forecast will be described.

[0040] First, the information acquisition unit 121 of the operation management device 101 acquires the MCH production base information of the MCH production base 30 and the hydrogen station information of multiple hydrogen stations 10 from the data server 102 (step S10). Next, the prediction unit 122 predicts the timing when MCH will need to be supplied to the hydrogen station 10 and the timing when toluene will be recovered from the hydrogen station 10, based on the hydrogen station information and the MCH production base information (step S20).

[0041] Specifically, the prediction unit 122 creates a hydrogen demand prediction for each hydrogen station 10 based on the change in the amount of hydrogen filled at the hydrogen station 10 over a predetermined time range. The predetermined time range is preferably long enough to include enough information to create a prediction. The predetermined time range is also preferably not too long, so as to ensure real-time performance. The predetermined time range may be set to, for example, the most recent week. Alternatively, the predetermined time range may be set to a range of several days to several weeks. The prediction unit 122 is not limited to using the most recent time range as data for predicting hydrogen demand; if hydrogen demand fluctuates depending on the season, it may also take into account, for example, hydrogen demand during the same season in the past.

[0042] The prediction unit 122 also calculates the dehydrogenation conversion rate and hydrogen recovery rate from the hydrogen production volume data, MCH supply volume, and toluene recovery volume for each hydrogen station 10, and calculates the factors between the MCH supply volume and the hydrogen production volume. Note that the factors change due to factors such as catalyst degradation, and the prediction unit 122 updates the factors each time, taking these changes into account. The prediction unit 122 creates one-week's worth of predicted data for MCH consumption and toluene recovery volume (or, if another time range is set, prediction data of a length corresponding to that time range) based on the predicted hydrogen demand for each hydrogen station 10 and the factors. The one-week's predicted data for MCH consumption and toluene recovery volume is prediction data that makes it possible to determine the timing during the week when MCH needs to be supplied and when toluene should be recovered.

[0043] The prediction unit 122 integrates the prediction data created for each hydrogen station 10 in step S20 (step S30). For example, there may be days in a week when many hydrogen stations 10 require a supply of MCH, and there may be days when few. Therefore, by integrating the prediction data, the prediction unit 122 can comprehensively consider the status of multiple hydrogen stations 10 in the hydrogen supply chain 1 and create prediction data that enables the timing of when MCH will be required to be supplied and when toluene will be recovered in a week to be determined.

[0044] The delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan for delivering MCH to multiple hydrogen stations 10 based on the prediction data integrated in step S30 (step S40). The delivery plan creation unit 123 creates an efficient delivery plan by comprehensively considering the timing when MCH is required at each hydrogen station 10 and the location information of the hydrogen stations 10. For example, since MCH cannot be delivered immediately to a hydrogen station 10 located far away, the mobile TR departs ahead of the timing when MCH will be in short supply. Furthermore, since frequent travel by the mobile TR to a hydrogen station 10 located far away increases transportation costs, the mobile TR is scheduled to visit the hydrogen station 10 as infrequently as possible. On the other hand, since a hydrogen station 10 located close by can deliver MCH immediately even if there is a shortage, MCH may be supplied, for example, while en route to the hydrogen station 10 located far away. Furthermore, when the mobile TR supplies MCH to the hydrogen station 10 and its tank becomes empty, it fills the empty tank with toluene and transports the toluene to the MCH production site 30. Therefore, the delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan that allows the mobile object TR to efficiently recover toluene after delivering MCH to a specific hydrogen station 10, by recovering the toluene directly from that hydrogen station 10, or by stopping at another hydrogen station 10 on the way home and recovering the toluene at the same time. In this way, the delivery plan creation unit 123 creates an efficient delivery plan that also takes into account the recovery of toluene.

[0045] The MCH manufacturing plan creation unit 124 creates an MCH manufacturing plan for the MCH manufacturing base 30 (step S50). The MCH manufacturing plan creation unit 124 creates an MCH manufacturing plan based on the forecast data integrated in step S30 and the delivery plan created in step S40. Next, the operations management device 101 transmits the created delivery plan and MCH manufacturing plan to the MCH manufacturing base 30, and executes operations based on these plans (step S60).

[0046] After operation is started, the operation management device 101 monitors each hydrogen station 10 in the hydrogen supply chain 1 and corrects the delivery plan and MCH production plan using the correction unit 126 as necessary. For example, a threshold value may be set for the remaining amount of MCH in the MCH tank 12 and the toluene tank 13 of each hydrogen station 10, and an alarm may be issued when the threshold value is reached. For example, the hydrogen station 10 determines that MCH replenishment is necessary when the remaining amount of MCH in the MCH tank 12 falls to a replenishment threshold value (e.g., 30%) and issues an alarm when the remaining amount falls to an alarm threshold value (e.g., 50%). The hydrogen station 10 determines that toluene recovery is necessary when the remaining amount of toluene in the toluene tank 13 rises to a recovery threshold value (e.g., 70%) and issues an alarm when the remaining amount rises to the alarm threshold value (e.g., 50%). The operation management device 101 receives alarms from each hydrogen station 10, and if the rate of decrease in MCH or the rate of increase in toluene is faster than predicted, the correction unit 126 corrects the delivery plan and MCH production plan.

[0047] Next, as another example of an operation management method, a method for creating a delivery plan based on the remaining amount in each of the MCH tanks 12 and the toluene tank 13 will be described. Note that a description of the same content as the method for creating a delivery plan from the hydrogen demand forecast described above will be omitted.

[0048] First, in step S10, the information acquisition unit 121 of the operation management device 101 continuously acquires remaining amount data for the MCH tanks 12 and toluene tanks 13 of each hydrogen station 10 in the hydrogen supply chain 1 via the data server 102. Note that "continuously acquiring remaining amount data" here means, from the perspective of MCH operation, that remaining amount data can be grasped substantially in real time. Therefore, "continuous acquisition" does not only mean that the operation management device 101 acquires remaining amount data at time intervals such as once every few seconds or minutes, but also that the operation management device 101 acquires remaining amount data at time intervals that allow for a time lag that is not substantially impactful, such as once a day or once every few hours. Of course, the operation management device 101 may acquire remaining amount data as frequently as possible within the limits of the network NW communication speed and other factors.

[0049] In step S20, the prediction unit 122 creates a transition prediction of the remaining amounts in the MCH tank 12 and the toluene tank 13 of each hydrogen station 10 based on the remaining amount data collected in step S10 (see, for example, the measured line RL1 in FIG. 6 and the measured line RL2 in FIG. 7). Here, the prediction unit 122 sets thresholds for the remaining amounts in the MCH tank 12 and the toluene tank 13. For example, the prediction unit 122 assumes that MCH must be received before the remaining amount in the MCH tank 12 falls below the threshold (e.g., 10%). The prediction unit 122 assumes that toluene must be collected before the remaining amount in the toluene tank 13 exceeds the threshold (e.g., 90%). The prediction unit 122 then predicts, for all hydrogen stations 10 in the hydrogen supply chain 1, the date on which the remaining amount in the MCH tank 12 will decrease to the threshold (10%) and the date on which the remaining amount in the toluene tank 13 will increase to the threshold (90%).

[0050] In step S30, the prediction unit 122 integrates the prediction data of all hydrogen stations 10. In step S30, the delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan based on the integrated prediction data, taking into account the location information of the hydrogen stations 10, to enable efficient delivery. In addition, in step S40, the MCH production plan creation unit 124 creates an MCH production plan based on the integrated prediction data. Note that the delivery plan creation unit 123 and the MCH production plan creation unit 124 may use AI to create the delivery plan and the MCH production plan.

[0051] Fig. 6 is a graph showing the change in the remaining amount of hydrogen in the MCH tank 12 of a certain hydrogen station 10. Fig. 7 is a graph showing the change in the remaining amount of hydrogen in the toluene tank 13 of a certain hydrogen station 10. In this example, the MCH tank 12 and the toluene tank 13 are both 50 ml 3 The mobile object TR is a tank truck with a capacity of 30 tons. The daily MCH consumption of the hydrogen station 10 is approximately 18 m 3 The daily toluene production is about 16 m 3 and is assumed to be operating at 100% load.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6, the prediction unit 122 acquires remaining amount data for the MCH tank 12 on the first day. The prediction unit 122 then determines that the remaining amount is changing along the measured line RL1 from "day 0" to "day 1." The prediction unit 122 sets a predicted line EL1 based on the remaining amount change along the measured line RL1. The prediction unit 122 then predicts the remaining amount change from "day 1" onward. The prediction unit 122 determines the date on which the predicted line EL1 reaches the tank lower limit line DL (10%) as the "receiving date." Here, the "receiving date" is set between "day 2" and "day 3." Therefore, the delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan so that MCH is replenished to the MCH tank 12 at some point between "day 2" and "day 3." As a result, on "day 3," the remaining amount in the MCH tank 12 is "100%." ​​Thereafter, the operations management device 101 repeats the same process. As a result, as shown by the measured line RL1, the remaining amount of the MCH tank 12 repeatedly changes to recover to 100% just before reaching the tank lower limit line DL.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 7, the prediction unit 122 acquires remaining amount data for the toluene tank 13 on the first day. The prediction unit 122 then determines that the remaining amount is changing along the measured line RL2 from "day 0" to "day 1." The prediction unit 122 sets a predicted line EL2 based on the remaining amount change along the measured line RL2. The prediction unit 122 then predicts the remaining amount change from "day 1" onward. The prediction unit 122 determines the date on which the predicted line EL2 reaches the tank upper limit line UL (90%) as the "recovery date." Here, the "recovery date" is set between "day 2" and "day 3." Therefore, the delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan so that toluene is recovered from the toluene tank 13 at some point between "day 2" and "day 3." As a result, on "day 3," the remaining amount in the toluene tank 13 is "0%." Thereafter, the operation management device 101 repeats the same process. As a result, as shown by the measured line RL2, the remaining amount of the toluene tank 13 repeatedly returns to 0% before reaching the tank upper limit line UL.

[0054] Next, the functions and effects of the operation management system 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0055] In the operation management system 100, the information acquisition unit 121 acquires hydrogen station information regarding the dehydrogenation status at multiple hydrogen stations 10. This hydrogen station information allows for understanding the dehydrogenation status at each hydrogen station 10, and therefore makes it possible to determine which hydrogen stations 10 and when MCH should be delivered. In response to this, the delivery plan creation unit 123 creates a delivery plan for delivering MCH to multiple hydrogen stations 10 based at least on the hydrogen station information. Therefore, the delivery plan creation unit 123 can create an appropriate delivery plan after comprehensively assessing the dehydrogenation status at each hydrogen station 10. As a result, MCH can be delivered efficiently from the MCH production base 30 to multiple hydrogen stations 10.

[0056] The information acquisition unit 121 may acquire MCH manufacturing base information relating to the manufacturing status of MCH at the MCH manufacturing base 30, and the delivery plan creation unit 123 may create a delivery plan based on the hydrogen station information and the MCH manufacturing base information. In this case, the delivery plan creation unit 123 can create a delivery plan while also taking into consideration the manufacturing status of MCH at the MCH manufacturing base 30. For example, if simultaneous shipments from a large number of mobile objects TR would prevent production at the MCH manufacturing base 30 from keeping up, the delivery plan creation unit 123 can create a delivery plan in which the mobile objects TR make shipments at different times.

[0057] The hydrogen station information may include raw material information regarding the amount of MCH used at the hydrogen station 10 and dehydrogenation product information regarding the amount of toluene produced as a result of the dehydrogenation reaction. In this case, the delivery plan creation unit 123 can create a delivery plan taking into account the amount of toluene produced at each hydrogen station 10.

[0058] The operation management system 100 further includes a prediction unit 122 that predicts the timing at which the hydrogen station 10 will need to receive MCH, based on at least the hydrogen station information. The delivery plan creation unit 123 may create a delivery plan based on the prediction results of the prediction unit 122. In this case, the delivery plan creation unit 123 can create a delivery plan in advance of the timing at which the hydrogen station 10 will actually need to receive MCH, based on the prediction results of the prediction unit 122. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, assume that the mobile object TR begins shipping when the actual measurement line RL1 approaches the tank lower limit line DL. In this case, at a hydrogen station 10 in a remote location, due to a time lag until arrival, the replenishment of MCH to the MCH tank 12 may be too delayed, causing the actual measurement line RL1 to fall below the tank lower limit line DL. In contrast, by using the prediction line EL1 to make a prediction, the prediction unit 122 can replenish MCH before the actual measurement line RL1 falls below the tank lower limit line DL.

[0059] The prediction unit 122 may predict the timing when MCH will be required to be supplied to the hydrogen station 10 based on the demand for hydrogen at the hydrogen station 10. In this case, the prediction unit 122 can make a long-term prediction (for example, one week) based on the trend in the demand for hydrogen.

[0060] The prediction unit 122 may predict the timing when MCH will need to be supplied to the hydrogen station 10, based on the remaining amount of MCH at the hydrogen station 10. In this case, the prediction unit 122 can make a prediction that is in line with the actual situation, based on the actual remaining amount of MCH at the hydrogen station.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0062] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the operation management system 100 includes the prediction unit 122, but the prediction unit 122 may be omitted. In this case, the delivery plan creation unit 123 may create a delivery plan based only on actual measurement data. For example, alarm thresholds may be set for the MCH tanks 12 and toluene tanks 13 of each hydrogen station 10, and the delivery plan creation unit 123 may identify the hydrogen station 10 for which an alarm has sounded and create a delivery plan taking into account the location information of that hydrogen station 10.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the operations management system 100 creates a delivery plan taking into consideration both the MCH remaining amount data and the toluene remaining amount data, but it may also take into consideration only the MCH remaining amount data. For example, the operations management system 100 may create an efficient delivery plan for MCH delivery, and may perform toluene recovery in accordance with certain rules.

[0064] Furthermore, although the delivery plan creation unit 123 of the operation management system 100 created the delivery plan taking into consideration the MCH manufacturing base information in addition to the hydrogen station information, it is not necessary to take into consideration the MCH manufacturing base information. For example, if the production volume of the MCH manufacturing base 30 is large compared to the number of mobile bodies TR that can be used for delivery to a certain area and the remaining amount of MCH at the MCH manufacturing base does not essentially need to be taken into consideration, the delivery plan creation unit 123 does not need to take into consideration the MCH manufacturing base information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10...hydrogen station (dehydrogenation base), 30...MCH production base (raw material production base), 100...operation management system, 121...information acquisition unit, 122...prediction unit, 123...delivery plan creation unit.

Claims

1. An operation management system for managing delivery of a raw material from a raw material production site that produces a raw material containing a hydride to a plurality of dehydrogenation sites that obtain a hydrogen-containing gas by dehydrogenating the raw material, An information acquisition unit that acquires first information regarding dehydrogenation states at the plurality of dehydrogenation sites; a delivery plan creation unit that creates a delivery plan for delivering the raw material to the plurality of dehydrogenation base stations based on at least the first information; A prediction unit that predicts a timing when the raw material will be required to be supplied to the dehydrogenation base based on at least the first information, The delivery plan creation unit creates the delivery plan based on a prediction result by the prediction unit, The prediction unit calculates a factor of the supply amount of the raw material and the production amount of the hydrogen-containing gas at the dehydrogenation site, and predicts the timing when the raw material will need to be supplied to the dehydrogenation site based on the factor and the deterioration status of the catalyst of the dehydrogenation equipment at the dehydrogenation site.

2. The information acquisition unit acquires second information regarding a production status of the raw material at the raw material production base, The operation management system according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery plan creation unit creates the delivery plan based on the first information and the second information.

3. 3. The operation management system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first information includes raw material information regarding the amount of the raw material used at the dehydrogenation site, and dehydrogenation product information regarding the amount of a dehydrogenation product generated in association with the dehydrogenation reaction.

4. The operation management system according to claim 1 , wherein the prediction unit predicts a timing at which the supply of the raw material to the dehydrogenation site is required based on an amount of hydrogen demanded at the dehydrogenation site.

5. The operation management system according to claim 1 , wherein the prediction unit predicts a timing when the raw material will need to be supplied to the dehydrogenation site based on a remaining amount of the raw material at the dehydrogenation site.

6. The operation management system according to claim 2 , wherein the second information includes data on an amount of the dehydrogenation product recovered from the dehydrogenation site supplied to the raw material production site.

7. 1. An operation management method for managing delivery of a raw material containing a hydride from a raw material production site that produces the raw material to a plurality of dehydrogenation sites that obtain a hydrogen-containing gas by dehydrogenating the raw material, comprising: The operation management device includes an information acquisition step of acquiring first information regarding a dehydrogenation status at the plurality of dehydrogenation bases; a delivery plan creation process for creating a delivery plan for delivering the raw material to the plurality of dehydrogenation bases based on at least the first information; The operation management device includes a prediction step of predicting a timing when the raw material will be required to be supplied to the dehydrogenation site based on at least the first information, In the delivery plan creation step, the operation management device creates the delivery plan based on a prediction result in the prediction step, An operations management method in which, in the prediction process, an operations management device calculates a factor of the supply amount of the raw material and the production amount of the hydrogen-containing gas at the dehydrogenation site, and predicts the timing when the raw material will need to be supplied to the dehydrogenation site based on the factor and the deterioration status of the catalyst of the dehydrogenation apparatus at the dehydrogenation site.

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