Energy Supply System

Abstract

To constitute an energy supply system capable of easily determining whether each of a plurality of components constituting the system can be reused.SOLUTION: An energy supply system having a fuel cell for generating power from supplied fuel gas includes a usage time acquisition unit 44a for acquiring a usage time of a plurality of components P that make up the system, a performance determination unit 44b for determining the performances of a plurality of components at predetermined timings, and a storage unit 46 for storing the usage time acquired by the usage time acquisition unit 44a and the determination result of the performance determination unit 44b in association with the plurality of components.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an energy supply system including a fuel cell that generates electricity from fuel gas. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a fuel cell equipment that houses in a housing a cell stack having multiple fuel cell units that generate electricity using fuel gas produced in a reforming section, and a hot water storage tank that recovers and stores the heat of the exhaust gas from the cell stack. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-145346 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The energy supply system described in Patent Document 1 is also called a cogeneration system, and many of them are installed outdoors in ordinary homes. Energy supply systems configured in this way are generally replaced as a whole when they reach the end of their useful life from the start of use.

[0005] When considering a system that has been removed due to a complete system replacement, some of the components that make up the system are still usable, and it is desirable to reuse these usable components appropriately. In particular, systems that operate fuel cells may use components that use rare metals or are expensive, and it is necessary to extract reusable components and distribute them on the market.

[0006] However, when reusing parts, it is necessary to determine whether they can be reused. For example, for parts that are directly involved in power generation, such as a fuel cell stack, it is possible to determine to some extent the deterioration in performance based on the operating time. However, for example, the operating time of a pump that circulates water (hot water) between the exhaust heat recovery unit that recovers the exhaust heat of the fuel cell and the hot water tank, or an electric blower that sends air, differs from system to system, making it difficult to properly determine whether each of multiple parts can be reused.

[0007] For these reasons, there is a demand for an energy supply system that can easily determine whether or not each of the multiple parts that make up the system can be reused. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A characteristic configuration of the energy supply system according to the present invention is an energy supply system including a fuel cell that generates electricity from a supplied fuel gas, The system includes a usage time acquisition unit that acquires usage times of a plurality of components constituting the system, a performance judgment unit that judges the performance of the plurality of components at a predetermined timing, and a storage unit that chronologically stores the usage times acquired by the usage time acquisition unit and the judgment results by the performance judgment unit in association with the plurality of components. 、 The timing is any one of a standby time when power generation in the fuel cell stops, a power generation transition time when the fuel cell in a standby state starts power generation, a power generation continuation time when power generation in the fuel cell continues, and a stop transition time when the fuel cell in a power generating state transitions to a state where power generation by the fuel cell in a power generating state is stopped. It is at the point. According to this characteristic configuration, the usage time and performance of multiple components constituting an energy supply system equipped with a fuel cell are stored in the storage unit in association with each component. By storing the information in this manner, for example, when the energy supply system is removed, it is possible to select reusable components based on the usage time and the judgment results stored in the storage unit. In addition, since the judgment results are stored in chronological order, it is also possible to obtain the change in performance of each component. In addition, the performance of the part can be judged at the optimum timing for judging the performance among a plurality of preset timings. Therefore, an energy supply system has been configured that can easily determine whether each of the multiple parts that make up the system can be reused.

[0009] A characteristic configuration of the energy supply system according to the present invention is an energy supply system including a fuel cell that generates electricity from a supplied fuel gas, a usage time acquisition unit that acquires usage times of a plurality of components constituting a system, a performance determination unit that determines performance of the plurality of components at a predetermined timing, and a storage unit that chronologically stores the usage times acquired by the usage time acquisition unit and the determination results by the performance determination unit in association with the plurality of components, When the judgment result judged by the performance judgment unit for a specified part is improved compared with the judgment result stored in the memory unit by the previous judgment, or when a deviation is recognized, the newly set usage time is stored in the memory unit in place of the usage time stored in the memory unit in association with the specified part. According to this characteristic configuration, the usage time and performance of multiple components constituting an energy supply system equipped with a fuel cell are stored in the storage unit in association with each component. By storing the information in this manner, for example, when the energy supply system is removed, it is possible to select reusable components based on the usage time and the judgment results stored in the storage unit. In addition, since the judgment results are stored in chronological order, it is also possible to obtain the change in performance of each component. In addition, if the judgment result judged by the performance judgment unit is improved compared to the judgment result stored in the storage unit by the previous judgment, or if a deviation is recognized, it can be determined that the part has been replaced, and the appropriate usage time from the newly set initial value is stored in the storage unit. As a result, even if the part has been replaced, the usage time from the time of replacement can be accurately obtained, and the usage time of the part can be accurately reflected when judging whether the part can be reused. Therefore, an energy supply system has been configured that can easily determine whether each of the multiple parts that make up the system can be reused. A characteristic configuration of the energy supply system according to the present invention is an energy supply system including a fuel cell that generates electricity from a supplied fuel gas, a usage time acquisition unit that acquires usage times of a plurality of components constituting a system, a performance determination unit that determines performance of the plurality of components at a predetermined timing, and a storage unit that chronologically stores the usage times acquired by the usage time acquisition unit and the determination results by the performance determination unit in association with the plurality of components, unique identification information is assigned to each of the plurality of parts, and the same identification information is assigned to the same part among the plurality of parts, and the usage time, a useful life indicating a usage limit, and the judgment result are stored in the storage unit; a remaining life obtained by subtracting the usage time from the useful life of the device to which the same identification information is attached is stored in the storage unit, and the remaining life stored in the storage unit is output when an information request is made from an outside source by designating the identification information. Alternatively, when information is requested from an external terminal capable of calculating the remaining life by subtracting the usage time from the useful time, the usage time and the useful time stored in the memory unit are output. According to this characteristic configuration, the usage time and performance of multiple components constituting an energy supply system equipped with a fuel cell are stored in the storage unit in association with each component. By storing the information in this manner, for example, when the energy supply system is removed, it is possible to select reusable components based on the usage time and the judgment results stored in the storage unit. In addition, since the judgment results are stored in chronological order, it is also possible to obtain the change in performance of each component. In addition, by subtracting the usage time from the useful life for each part to which identification information is attached, the usable time (for example, remaining life) can be obtained, making it possible to determine whether or not the part can be used. Furthermore, by outputting the remaining lifespan of the part specified by the identification information to the outside, or by outputting the service life and usage time of the part specified by the identification information to an external terminal, it becomes possible to obtain the remaining lifespan at the external terminal. Therefore, an energy supply system has been configured that can easily determine whether each of the multiple parts that make up the system can be reused.

[0010] In addition to the above configuration, the timing may be any one of the following: a standby time when power generation in the fuel cell stops, a power generation transition time when the fuel cell in a standby state starts generating power, a power generation continuation time when power generation in the fuel cell continues, and a stop transition time when the fuel cell in a generating state transitions to a state where power generation by the fuel cell is stopped.

[0011] This allows the performance of the part to be judged at the optimum timing for judging the performance among a plurality of preset timings.

[0012] In addition to the above configuration, when the plurality of components are a cell stack of the fuel cell, the performance determination unit performs the determination based on power output from the cell stack, the performance determination unit performs the determination for a component that operates by supplying current among the plurality of components based on an operation result when a current is supplied to the component; the performance determining unit, for a component whose temperature changes when a current is supplied thereto, performs the determination based on a change in temperature when a current is supplied to the component; The performance determining unit may determine, for a component that detects a change in state among the plurality of components, the performance determining unit may perform the determination based on the change in state of the component under set conditions.

[0013] According to this, the performance of the cell stack can be determined based on the power of the cell stack, the performance of operating parts can be determined based on their operation, the performance of parts whose temperature changes can be determined based on the temperature, and the performance of parts whose state changes can be determined based on the change in state.

[0014] As an additional configuration to the above configuration, when the judgment result judged by the performance judgment unit for a specific part is improved compared with the judgment result stored in the memory unit by a previous judgment, or when a deviation is recognized, a newly set usage time may be stored in the memory unit in place of the usage time stored in the memory unit in association with the specific part.

[0015] According to this, if the judgment result judged by the performance judgment unit is improved compared to the judgment result stored in the storage unit by the previous judgment, or if a deviation is recognized, it can be determined that the part has been replaced, and the appropriate usage time from the newly set initial value is stored in the storage unit. As a result, even if the part has been replaced, the usage time from the time of replacement can be accurately obtained, and the usage time of the part can be accurately reflected when judging whether the part can be reused.

[0016] In addition to the above configuration, each of the plurality of parts may be assigned unique identification information, and the same identification information may be assigned to the same part among the plurality of parts, and the usage time, the useful life indicating the usage limit, and the judgment result may be stored in the memory unit.

[0017] According to this, by subtracting the usage time from the service life for each part to which identification information is attached, the usable time (for example, remaining life) can be obtained, and it is possible to judge whether or not the part can be used.

[0018] In addition to the above configuration, a remaining life obtained by subtracting the usage time from the useful life of the device to which the same identification information is attached is stored in the storage unit, and the remaining life stored in the storage unit is output when a request for information is made by specifying the identification information from outside. Alternatively, when information is requested from an external terminal capable of determining the remaining lifespan by subtracting the usage time from the useful time, the usage time and the useful time stored in the memory unit may be output.

[0019] According to this, by outputting the remaining lifespan of a part specified by the identification information to the outside, or by outputting the service life and usage time of a part specified by the identification information to an external terminal, it becomes possible to obtain the remaining lifespan at an external terminal.

[0020] In addition to the above configuration, an operation control device that controls a plurality of the components is connected to a communication network, A server connected to the communication network may be provided with a storage unit that stores the usage time and the determination result.

[0021] According to this, by connecting a personal computer or the like to a communication network, specifying identification information in a server, and obtaining the usage time and judgment results from the server's memory unit, it is possible to easily determine whether or not a part specified by the identification information can be reused. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an energy supply system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing the configuration of an operation control device. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart of a storage process. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an information structure of determination result information. [Diagram 5] 10 is a diagram showing an outline of a procedure for acquiring judgment result information from part identification information; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic overview of a procedure for acquiring determination result information in another embodiment (a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Basic configuration] As shown in Figure 1, energy supply system A is made up of a power generation module M (an example of a fuel cell) that generates electricity using fuel gas such as city gas supplied from outside, a power conversion unit 1 that converts the generated electricity into alternating current, a waste heat recovery heat exchange unit 2 that recovers exhaust heat generated during power generation in the power generation module M, a hot water storage tank 3 that heats water with the exhaust heat recovered in the waste heat recovery heat exchange unit 2 and stores it as hot water, and an operation control device C that controls the entire system.

[0024] This energy supply system A contains a power generation module M (fuel cell), a power conversion section 1, an exhaust heat recovery heat exchange section 2, a hot water tank 3, and an operation control device C in a housing to form a power generation unit Ax (see FIG. 5), and this power generation unit Ax is installed outdoors in an ordinary home. As shown in FIG. 1, an in-housing sensor AS that detects the internal temperature of the housing is provided inside the housing. Also, a cooling fan (not shown) that exhausts the internal air to the outside is provided inside the housing. This energy supply system A has a function of judging the performance of multiple parts P (see FIG. 5) that constitute the system. This judging function will be described later.

[0025] The power conversion unit 1 converts DC power generated by the power generation module M into AC power and supplies it to an external distribution board 5. The distribution board 5 supplies both the power supplied from the commercial power source and the power supplied from the power conversion unit 1 to an electric load 7 such as an electric device in the house. The operation control device C is configured to be controllable by a remote controller R inside the house.

[0026] The power generation module M contains a vaporizer 11 to which fuel gas such as city gas and reforming water are supplied, a reforming section 12 that generates reformed gas from the fuel gas from the vaporizer 11 and the reforming water, and a cell stack 13 in which a plurality of cells are stacked to generate power from the reformed fuel gas and air, all housed in a high-temperature container Ma. Air is supplied to the high-temperature container Ma from an air supply fan 17 via an air flow path 16. The air flow path 16 is provided with a flow meter (not shown) that measures the flow rate of air.

[0027] The power generation module M supplies fuel gas, such as city gas, to the vaporizer 11 via a fuel gas supply path 10 by driving a fuel blower (not shown), and also supplies reforming water stored in a reforming water tank WT to the vaporizer 11 via a reforming water supply path 19 by driving a reforming water pump 18. The reforming water sent out from the vaporizer 11 is vaporized in a high-temperature environment and chemically reacts with the fuel gas in the reforming section 12, resulting in reforming into a reformed gas containing a large amount of hydrogen. In particular, in this power generation module M, a high-temperature environment is created by mixing part of the fuel gas with air and burning the resulting mixture.

[0028] The cell stack 13 has multiple solid oxide fuel cells stacked together, and electricity is generated by a chemical reaction in the cell stack 13 when the reformed fuel gas and air are supplied to the cell stack 13. A voltage sensor 4 is provided in the power system that supplies the generated electricity to the power conversion unit 1.

[0029] The fuel gas supply passage 10 is equipped with a gas on-off valve 14 for controlling the supply of fuel gas, and a pressure sensor 15 for detecting the pressure of the fuel gas. The high-temperature vessel Ma is equipped with an ambient temperature sensor 28 for detecting the internal temperature, and the reforming section 12 is equipped with a reforming temperature sensor 29 for detecting the reforming temperature.

[0030] This energy supply system A has an exhaust gas flow path 8 that sends out high-temperature exhaust gas generated in the power generation module M, and is provided with an exhaust heat recovery heat exchange section 2 in the middle of this exhaust gas flow path 8, and is provided with a flow sensor 8S upstream of the exhaust heat recovery heat exchange section 2 for detecting the flow rate of the exhaust gas.

[0031] A heat exchange unit E is provided between the exhaust heat recovery heat exchange section 2 and the hot water tank 3. Furthermore, a water supply and drainage unit F is provided to supply water from tap water or the like from the outside to the hot water tank 3 and to send hot water from the hot water tank 3 to the outside.

[0032] The heat exchange unit E is provided with an electromagnetically controlled heat exchange side three-way valve 21, a circulation pump 22 driven by an electric motor, a heat exchange section heater 23 (an example of an anti-freeze heater) that generates heat when energized, a radiator 24 having a radiator section 24a and an electric fan 24b, an upstream temperature sensor 25, and a downstream temperature sensor 26 for a heat exchange flow path 20. Furthermore, a cooling temperature sensor 24c is provided on the outside of the case of the radiator 24.

[0033] That is, the heat exchange flow path 20 has an upstream flow path 20a that supplies water (hot water) from the bottom of the hot water tank 3 to the exhaust heat recovery heat exchange section 2, and a downstream flow path 20b that returns the hot water heated in the exhaust heat recovery heat exchange section 2 to the top of the hot water tank 3, and the upstream temperature sensor 25, heat exchange side three-way valve 21, circulation pump 22, heat exchange section heater 23, and radiator 24 described above are each provided in this order in the upstream flow path 20a. A bypass flow path 20c that connects the upstream flow path 20a and the downstream flow path 20b is provided, and the bypass flow path 20c is switched between a state in which water (hot water) flows and a state in which it is blocked by the control of the heat exchange side three-way valve 21.

[0034] The water supply and drainage unit F is equipped with a water supply flow path 30 that supplies water from outside (basically tap water) to the bottom of the hot water tank 3, a hot water outlet flow path 31 that sends out hot water from the top of the hot water tank 3, a branch flow path 30A that branches off from the water supply flow path 30, and a cold water flow path 32 that further branches off from the branch flow path 30A and merges with the hot water outlet flow path 31.

[0035] The water supply and drainage unit F is provided with an electromagnetic mixing valve 33 at the junction of the branch flow path 30A and the hot water outlet flow path 31, and an electromagnetic on-off valve 34 is provided in the cold water flow path 32. This makes it possible to mix and send out hot water from the hot water storage tank 3 and cold water from the water supply flow path 30 by controlling the mixing valve 33. It is also possible to send out cold water from the water supply flow path 30 from the hot water outlet flow path 31 by opening the on-off valve 34.

[0036] In this water supply and drainage unit F, a water supply flow path heater 30H (an example of an anti-freeze heater) is provided in the water supply flow path 30, a water temperature sensor 35 that measures the temperature of the water supplied to the water supply flow path 30 is provided in the branch flow path 30A, and a water outlet flow path heater 31H (an example of an anti-freeze heater) is provided in the hot water outlet flow path 31, and an outlet water temperature sensor 36 is provided in the hot water outlet flow path 31 downstream of the mixing valve 33. Furthermore, outside the water supply and drainage unit F, an instantaneous water heater 37 is provided that heats the hot water sent out from the hot water outlet flow path 31 by the heat of combustion of fuel gas when the hot water is low in temperature.

[0037] [Basic control with operation control device] The operation control device C includes a microprocessor, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and the like, and executes processes according to pre-stored programs.

[0038] 2, the operation control device C includes a power generation control unit 41, a heat exchange control unit 42, a hot water output control unit 43, a part information acquisition unit 44, and a calendar unit 45 (an example of a time measurement unit), which are implemented by software. The operation control device C also includes a storage unit 46 and an information access unit 47, which are implemented by hardware. The part information acquisition unit 44 is composed of a usage time acquisition unit 44a and a performance determination unit 44b.

[0039] Furthermore, the operation control device C receives signals from sensors including the voltage sensor 4, pressure sensor 15, upstream temperature sensor 25, downstream temperature sensor 26, water temperature sensor 35, hot water outlet temperature sensor 36, etc., outputs signals to actuators including the gas on-off valve 14, air supply fan 17, reformed water pump 18, heat exchanger three-way valve 21, circulation pump 22, electric fan 24b, mixing valve 33, on-off valve 34, etc., and outputs control signals to the heat exchanger heater 23, water supply flow path heater 30H, hot water outlet flow path heater 31H, etc. These sensors, actuators, anti-freeze heater, and members constituting the power generation module M are parts P.

[0040] Furthermore, each of the heat exchange control unit 42, the hot water output control unit 43, the part information acquisition unit 44, and the calendar unit 45 is not limited to being configured by software, but may be configured by a combination of software and hardware.

[0041] The storage unit 46 uses a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory to store the information acquired by the part information acquisition unit 44. The information access unit 47 is connected to an input / output unit 48, which enables direct connection to an external terminal such as an external personal computer PC or a tablet TB, and also enables access to information via the Internet IN as a communication network. The input / output unit 48 may be connected to a wireless LAN, and may be capable of connecting, for example, a USB memory.

[0042] The power generation control unit 41 controls the power generation in the power generation module M, the heat exchange control unit 42 controls the heat exchange in the heat exchange unit E, and the hot water discharge control unit 43 controls the water supply and drainage in the water supply and drainage unit F.

[0043] The usage time acquisition unit 44a of the part information acquisition unit 44 acquires the usage time (usage time accumulated from the start of use, hereinafter also referred to as accumulated usage time) during which a part P (each unit composing sensors, actuators, etc. is referred to as a part P) constituting the energy supply system A has been used, and the performance determination unit 44b (performance determination unit) judges the performance of the part P. The form of judgment by this part information acquisition unit 44 will be described later. The calendar unit 45 has, for example, a radio clock, and continuously generates information on the year, month, date, and time.

[0044] With this configuration, when power is required, such as when the remote controller R is operated, the power generation control unit 41 starts power generation by controlling the gas on-off valve 14, etc. During power generation, the heat exchange control unit 42 stores hot water in the hot water tank 3 by controlling the circulation pump 22 of the heat exchange unit E, etc.

[0045] Furthermore, when hot water in the hot water tank 3 is used by operating the remote controller R, the hot water outlet control unit 43 controls the mixing valve 33 and the opening / closing valve 34 based on the detection by the water temperature sensor 35 and the outlet hot water temperature sensor 36, thereby controlling the mixing of the hot water sent from the hot water tank 3 to the hot water outlet flow path 31 and the cold water supplied from the cold water flow path 32, thereby realizing hot water supply at a target temperature. In particular, when the temperature of the hot water stored in the hot water tank 3 is lower than the target temperature, the hot water temperature is raised by the water heater 37.

[0046] [Parts information acquisition section] In this energy supply system A, unique identification information is assigned in advance to each of the multiple parts P. The usage time acquisition unit 44a of the part information acquisition unit 44 shown in Fig. 2 acquires, for example, an accumulated usage time from the start of use, and the performance determination unit 44b determines the performance of the multiple parts P at a set timing. The part information acquisition unit 44 also stores the accumulated usage time and the determination result in the storage unit 46 in association with the identification information of the parts P. In particular, the part information acquisition unit 44 stores the useful times of the multiple parts P in association with the identification information, and each time the accumulated usage time is acquired, the remaining lifespan, which is a value obtained by subtracting the accumulated usage time from the useful time, is stored in association with the identification information of the multiple parts P.

[0047] The service life is the design limit of the time that each part P can withstand, and the remaining service life is the value obtained by subtracting the accumulated usage time from the service life, which is the time that the part can still be used.

[0048] [Control Mode] The part information acquisition unit 44 performs the storage process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 3. That is, when the judgment timing is reached, the performance is judged, and the judgment result is stored in the storage unit 46 in association with the identification information of each of the multiple parts P (steps #101 to #103).

[0049] The judgment timings for step #101 are preset as "standby" when power generation in the power generation module M (fuel cell) is stopped, "transition to power generation" when the power generation module M (fuel cell) in "standby" starts generating power, "continued power generation" when power generation in the power generation module M continues after "transition to power generation", and "transition to stop" when the process transitions from "continued power generation" to "standby" where power generation in the power generation module M (fuel cell) is stopped.

[0050] In this process, the performance determination unit 44b determines the performance of the part P at any one of the aforementioned timings of "standby", "transition to power generation", "continuation of power generation", and "transition to stop".

[0051] Moreover, the performance judgment in step #102 is to judge the soundness of the part P, and if it is reusable, it is given a grade of "A" or "B" in descending order of performance (soundness), and if it is not reusable, it is given a judgment result of "NG." Note that the judgment result is not limited to rankings such as "A," "B," and "NG," but may be ranked in three or more stages, and the better the performance, the higher the value may be.

[0052] Furthermore, the performance judgment in step #102 can be configured to store, for example, the percentage by which the performance has decreased or a numerical value indicating the performance.

[0053] The components P whose performance is judged by the performance judging unit 44b are roughly classified into “fans or blowers,” “pumps,” “heaters,” “cell stacks,” “reforming units,” and “sensors.” For the components P whose performance is judged in this way, the usage time acquiring unit 44a also acquires the integrated usage time.

[0054] "Fans and blowers" includes the electric fan 24b of the radiator 24, the air supply fan 17, the fuel blower, and the cooling fan.

[0055] Specifically, when judging the performance of the electric fan 24b of the radiator 24, a set current is supplied to the electric fan 24b to drive the electric fan 24b when power generation is stopped, such as during "standby," and the number of rotations per unit time of the fan during this operation is obtained. The higher the obtained number of rotations, the higher the rank of the judgment result is given (as mentioned above, a numerical value indicating performance may be given as the judgment result).

[0056] In the case where the result of this judgment indicates that the fan cannot be reused, a judgment result of "NG" is given. If the electric fan 24b is composed of a brushless DC motor and has a control board, the rotation speed is obtained from the control board.

[0057] As a different form of judgment for judging the performance of the electric fan 24b, for example, in a situation where a set current is supplied to the electric fan 24b during "standby", the temperature change of the water flowing through the heat exchange passage 20 is obtained by the cooling temperature sensor 24c, and the performance may be judged based on this temperature change.

[0058] Furthermore, whether it is the electric fan 24b or the air supply fan 17, for those which have switches that operate in conjunction with switching between driving and stopping, it is only necessary to detect the state of the switches, so that performance can be determined at any time, be it "standby", "transition to power generation", "continuing power generation" or "transition to stopped".

[0059] The "pumps" include the circulation pump 22 and the reforming water pump 18. Additionally, the "heaters" include, as anti-freeze heaters, the heat exchanger heater 23, the water supply passage heater 30H, and the hot water outlet passage heater 31H.

[0060] Specifically, when judging the performance of the circulation pump 22, at a timing when power generation is stopped, such as "on standby" or "when transitioning to a stopped state", or during the process of transitioning to a power generation state, a set current is supplied to the heat exchange section heater 23 and a set current is supplied to the circulation pump 22, and when this state is maintained for a set time, if the temperature rise detected by the downstream temperature sensor 26 exceeds a set value, a high rank judgment result is given to the circulation pump 22 (as described above, a numerical value indicating performance may be given as the judgment result).

[0061] In particular, since this judgment is made simultaneously with the judgment of the heat exchange section heater 23, if the temperature rise detected by the downstream temperature sensor 26 exceeds the set value, a high ranking judgment result is also given to the heat exchange section heater 23.

[0062] As a different form of judgment for judging the performance of the circulation pump 22, a judgment form may be adopted in which, during "standby", for example, the current supplied to the heat exchange section heater 23 is maintained at a set value while the current supplied to the circulation pump 22 is changed, and the larger the change in temperature detected by the downstream temperature sensor 26 before and after the change, the higher the performance is judged to be.

[0063] In addition, in either the circulation pump 22 or the reformed water pump 18, in the case where switches are operated in conjunction with switching between driving and stopping, it is only necessary to detect the state of the switches, so that it is possible to determine the performance at any timing of "standby", "transition to power generation", "continuing power generation" and "transition to stop".

[0064] Furthermore, as a different form of judgment for judging the performance of the "heater", a process is performed in which a set current is supplied to the heat exchanger heater 23, the water supply passage heater 30H, and the hot water outlet passage heater 31H individually for a set time during "standby". When the set current is supplied in this way, the temperature rise inside the housing of the energy supply system A is measured by the housing sensor AS. When such a judgment is made, the shorter the time it takes to reach the specified temperature, the higher the judgment result indicating the higher the performance is (as mentioned above, a numerical value indicating the performance may be given as the judgment result).

[0065] The performance of the cell stack 13 ("stack") is determined as follows.

[0066] Specifically, at either the "transition to power generation" or the "continuation of power generation", a power generation target value is set and power is generated for a set period of time, and the power generation output is obtained based on the voltage detected by the voltage sensor 4 and the current value detected by the current sensor (not shown).If the power generation output thus obtained reaches or exceeds the power generation target value, a judgment result of high performance is given to the cell stack 13 (as mentioned above, a numerical value indicating performance may be given as the judgment result).

[0067] The performance of the reforming section 12 is evaluated as follows.

[0068] Specifically, a judgment result indicating high performance is given when the temperature detected by the reforming temperature sensor 29 when the set power is output is equal to the set value at either the timing of "transition to power generation" or "continuation of power generation". Similarly, a judgment result indicating high performance is given when the pressure detected by the reforming section pressure sensor (not shown) when the set power is output is equal to the set value. Furthermore, the flow rate of exhaust gas discharged from the high-temperature container Ma is detected by the flow rate sensor 8S when the set power is output, and a judgment result indicating high performance is given when the detected flow rate is within the set range (as described above, a numerical value indicating performance may be given as the judgment result).

[0069] The performance of the in-housing sensor AS as a "sensor" is determined as follows.

[0070] Specifically, during "standby", the temperature outside the housing is measured by an outside air temperature sensor (not shown), and the smaller the error between the outside air temperature and the sensor AS inside the housing, the higher the performance result is given (as mentioned above, a numerical value indicating performance may be given as the judgment result).

[0071] After the process of storing the determination result in the storage unit 46 in association with the identification information of each of the multiple parts P as in steps #101 to #103 described above, the usage time acquisition unit 44a acquires information from the calendar unit 45 (time measurement unit), and individually sets the multiple parts P previously set as storage targets, and if the part P has not been replaced (No in step #106), stores the accumulated usage time in the storage unit 46 in association with the identification information of the multiple parts P (steps #104 to #106, #108). Furthermore, when the accumulated usage time is stored in this manner, the remaining life is stored in the storage unit 46 by subtracting the accumulated usage time from the useful life.

[0072] On the other hand, if it is determined that the part P has been replaced, the date of replacement is changed to the initial value (step #107), and the accurate accumulated usage time of the replaced part P is stored (step #108).

[0073] It is assumed that this accumulated usage time is calculated by storing in advance information on the date and time when the use of the part P was started as an initial value, and subtracting this information from the current date and time information obtained by the calendar unit 45. Note that the accumulated usage time is not limited to the above-mentioned subtraction, but may also be calculated by measuring the passage of time using a counter or the like and adding based on this elapsed time.

[0074] In particular, in step #106 of the flowchart, it is determined whether or not the part P has been replaced. In other words, when the part P has been replaced, the judgment result judged by the performance judgment unit 44b will improve or diverge from the judgment result previously stored in the storage unit 46 in association with the identification information of the part P. Therefore, when the judgment result (the numerical value indicating the rank or performance) differs greatly in this way, the usage time acquisition unit 44a recognizes that the part P has been replaced, and changes the date at the time when it is recognized that the judgment result differs to an initial value, thereby making the accumulated usage time an accurate value.

[0075] The storage process is assumed to be performed at set intervals, and such a process causes the integrated usage time and the performance judgment results to be stored in chronological order in the storage unit 46. Therefore, for example, it is possible to judge the tendency of performance deterioration over a given usage time.

[0076] [Parts Reuse Decision-Making Process] The acquisition of the usage time and the judgment of the performance described above are performed continuously from the installation of the energy supply system A until its use is stopped, and the usage time and the judgment results are stored in chronological order in the storage unit 46. Since the information enabling the judgment of reuse is stored in the storage unit 46 in this manner, in order to judge whether the part P can be reused after the energy supply system A (power generation unit Ax) is removed, it is sufficient to acquire the information stored in the storage unit 46, and an example of the necessary process enabling such a judgment is shown in FIG.

[0077] That is, as shown in Figure 5, a personal computer PC (which may be a tablet TB / see Figure 2) is connected as an external terminal to the input / output unit 48 of the operation control device C of the energy supply system A, and the identification information of the part P is obtained by a scanner 50 connected to this personal computer PC.

[0078] In the same figure, a barcode BC (one-dimensional code) corresponding to identification information is shown on the outer surface of the part P, but the part P may also be equipped with an IC tag, or the identification information consisting of numbers and letters printed on the outer surface of the part P may be obtained by a scanner 50.

[0079] In order to obtain the identification information of the part P with the personal computer PC, numbers and letters printed as identification information on the outer surface of the part P may be manually input from the keyboard of the personal computer PC. Furthermore, if the part P is equipped with an IC tag, it is also possible to obtain the identification information of the part P by reading the information on the IC tag.

[0080] After acquiring the identification information by the personal computer PC in this manner, the personal computer PC accesses the memory unit 46 of the operation control device C and acquires judgment information such as "A", "B", "NG" etc., information on accumulated usage time, and remaining life stored in the memory unit 46 corresponding to the identification information. In addition, in the case of devices that store numerical values ​​indicating performance as judgment results in the memory unit 46, it is conceivable to output, for example, a numerical value indicating the performance (soundness) as a percentage as judgment information.

[0081] The thus acquired information on the judgment and accumulated usage time includes, for example, the model name of the power generating unit Ax, the part name (part code / identification information), the judgment result such as "A", "B", "NG", etc., the accumulated usage time, the useful life, and the remaining life, as shown in Fig. 4. This information can be confirmed on the display of a personal computer PC, and it can be determined whether or not the part P can be reused based on this display. In particular, the multiple pieces of information associated with the identification information in this way are referred to as judgment result information.

[0082] The screen shown in Fig. 4 displays the final judgment result information immediately before the power generation unit Ax of the energy supply system A is removed. In contrast, since the memory unit 46 stores the useful life, the accumulated usage time, the remaining life, and the judgment result of the performance in chronological order, it is also possible to display this information in chronological order on the display of the personal computer PC. When displaying in this manner, for example, it is conceivable to specify a time point when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of use, and to display the judgment result information at the specified time point in the same manner as the screen shown in Fig. 4. It is also conceivable to display the numerical values ​​that are the judgment results of the performance as a chronological graph or list.

[0083] In addition, when using a personal computer PC (external terminal) that can calculate the remaining life by subtracting the usage time from the useful time, the process of including the remaining life in the judgment result information becomes unnecessary, and when information is requested from the personal computer PC, it is possible to configure the personal computer PC to perform the process of subtracting the accumulated usage time from the useful time stored in the memory unit 46 and calculate the remaining life to display on the display.

[0084] Since it takes time and effort to connect a personal computer PC to the operation control device C when acquiring information from a barcode BC (one-dimensional code), it is also assumed that the acquired judgment result information is converted into a two-dimensional code and printed on a sticker 52 by a printer 51 and affixed to a part P, as shown in Fig. 5. It is also possible to use a QR code (registered trademark) as the two-dimensional code.

[0085] In other words, by providing part P with sticker 52 on which the judgment result information is recorded as a two-dimensional code, the judgment result information can be displayed on the display of personal computer PC simply by reading the two-dimensional code on sticker 52, without connecting personal computer PC to operation control device C, making it possible to determine whether part P can be reused or not.

[0086] [Modification of the process for determining whether or not a part can be reused] In order to determine the reuse of parts P in this manner, as shown in FIG. 5, it is conceivable that a personal computer PC is connected to the input / output unit 48 of the operation control device C of the energy supply system A, and the determination result information of all parts P stored in the memory unit 46 is stored in a storage device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive) of the personal computer PC.

[0087] By storing the information in the storage of the personal computer PC in this manner, it is possible to obtain the identification information of the part P using a scanner 50 connected to the personal computer PC, without connecting the personal computer PC to the operation control device C, and to obtain the judgment result information of the part P from the storage and determine whether or not the part P can be used.

[0088] Furthermore, the process is not limited to storing the judgment result information in the storage of the personal computer PC as described in the modified example, but it may also be possible to store the information in a USB memory 53 (which may be a removable storage means) as shown in Fig. 5. By storing the information in the USB memory 53 or the like in this way, it becomes possible to acquire the judgment result information of the part P from the USB memory 53 or the like by attaching the USB memory 53 or the like to a specific personal computer PC and acquiring the identification information of the part P with a scanner 50 connected to the personal computer PC.

[0089] [Effects of the embodiment] By simply continuing to use the energy supply system A, the system automatically judges the performance of a plurality of parts P, and the judgment results are stored in the storage unit 46, and the accumulated usage time is also stored in the storage unit 46. In addition, since a non-volatile memory is used as the storage unit 46, it is also possible to retrieve the information stored in the storage unit 46 from the input / output unit 48, for example, after the energy supply system is removed.

[0090] In addition, when part P is replaced, the operation control device C determines that part P has been replaced without any manual operation, and changes the date of replacement to an initial value, thereby making the accumulated usage time an accurate value.

[0091] 2, even after the energy supply system A (power generation unit Ax) has been removed, by supplying power to the operation control device C and connecting cables of a personal computer PC, tablet TB, or the like to the input / output unit 48, it is possible to acquire judgment result information of multiple parts P from the storage unit 46. Then, based on the judgment result information, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the parts P can be reused, and it is also possible to distribute the parts P in the market as reusable parts P.

[0092] In particular, by storing all of the judgment result information in a personal computer PC, a tablet TB, or a USB memory 53, it is possible to obtain the judgment result information without connecting to the operation control device C every time the judgment result information is required.

[0093] [Another embodiment] The present invention may be configured as follows other than the above-described embodiment (common numbers and symbols as in the embodiment are used to designate components having the same functions as in the embodiment).

[0094] (a) As shown in FIG. 6, as a process for determining whether or not to reuse a part P, an input / output unit 48 of an operation control device C is connected to the Internet IN as a communication network, and a server 60 connected to the Internet IN is provided with a part information acquisition unit 44, a calendar unit 45, and a memory unit 46, and an energy supply system A is configured so that the memory processing shown in FIG. 3 can be executed in the server 60.

[0095] By configuring the energy supply system A in this manner, when the energy supply system A is used continuously, the server 60 generates judgment information and accumulated usage time, which are then stored in the storage.

[0096] Then, even after the power generation unit Ax has been removed, and the operation control device C is not connected to the Internet IN, by connecting a personal computer PC to the Internet IN and logging in to the server 60, the identification information of the part P can be obtained using a scanner 50 connected to the personal computer PC, thereby obtaining the determination result information stored in the memory unit 46 of the server 60 via the Internet IN, and determining whether or not the part P can be reused.

[0097] In particular, in this configuration, it is also possible to connect multiple energy supply systems A (multiple power generation units Ax) to the Internet IN, and obtain individual information such as "A", "B", "NG" or the like of judgment result information of multiple components P of the multiple energy supply systems A, thereby making it possible to determine whether or not the components P can be reused.

[0098] (b) As shown in FIG. 6, the operation control device C is connected to the Internet IN (communication network) as a communication network, and a server 60 is connected to this Internet IN. The operation control device C of the energy supply system A is configured to include a power generation control unit 41, a heat exchange control unit 42, a hot water output control unit 43, a part information acquisition unit 44, a calendar unit 45, a memory unit 46, and an information access unit 47, as shown in the embodiment.

[0099] In this alternative embodiment (b), the performance of multiple components P is judged by the operation control device C inside the power generation unit Ax, and the judgment results are stored in the memory unit 46. The accumulated usage time is also stored in the memory unit 46, and the judgment result information stored in the memory unit 46 is stored in the storage of the server 60 via the Internet IN.

[0100] By configuring the energy supply system A in this manner, for example, by connecting a personal computer PC to the Internet IN and acquiring identification information using a scanner 50 connected to this personal computer PC, judgment result information can be acquired from the server 60 via the Internet IN.

[0101] (c) Each of the multiple components P is provided with a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory, and this memory is used as the storage unit 46. In this configuration, it becomes possible to store judgment information and accumulated usage time in each of the multiple components P, so that even after a component P is removed from the power generation unit Ax, it is possible to easily determine whether or not it can be used by directly obtaining information from the memory of the component P.

[0102] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided that no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately modified within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0103] The present invention can be used in an energy supply system equipped with a fuel cell. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 13 Cell Stack 44 Part information acquisition unit (performance judgment unit) 44a Usage time acquisition part 44b Performance judgment section 45 Calendar Section 46 Memory section A. Energy supply system Ax Power Generation Unit C. Operation control device M Power generation module (fuel cell) P parts IN Internet (communication network) PC Personal computer (external terminal) TB Tablet (external device)

Claims

1. An energy supply system including a fuel cell that generates electricity from a supplied fuel gas, a usage time acquisition unit that acquires usage times of a plurality of components constituting a system, a performance determination unit that determines performance of the plurality of components at a predetermined timing, and a storage unit that chronologically stores the usage times acquired by the usage time acquisition unit and the determination results by the performance determination unit in association with the plurality of components, An energy supply system wherein the timing is any one of a standby time when power generation in the fuel cell stops, a power generation transition time when the fuel cell in a standby state starts generating power, a power generation continuation time when power generation in the fuel cell continues, and a stop transition time when the fuel cell in a generating state transitions to a state where power generation by the fuel cell is stopped.

2. An energy supply system having a fuel cell that generates electricity from a supplied fuel gas, a usage time acquisition unit that acquires usage times of a plurality of components constituting a system, a performance determination unit that determines performance of the plurality of components at a predetermined timing, and a storage unit that chronologically stores the usage times acquired by the usage time acquisition unit and the determination results by the performance determination unit in association with the plurality of components, an energy supply system which, when the judgment result judged by the performance judgment unit for a specified part improves compared to the judgment result stored in the memory unit in a previous judgment, or when a deviation is found, stores in the memory unit the newly set usage time in place of the usage time stored in the memory unit in association with the specified part.

3. An energy supply system having a fuel cell that generates electricity from a supplied fuel gas, a usage time acquisition unit that acquires usage times of a plurality of components constituting a system, a performance determination unit that determines performance of the plurality of components at a predetermined timing, and a storage unit that chronologically stores the usage times acquired by the usage time acquisition unit and the determination results by the performance determination unit in association with the plurality of components, unique identification information is assigned to each of the plurality of parts, and the same identification information is assigned to the same part among the plurality of parts, and the usage time, a useful life indicating a usage limit, and the judgment result are stored in the storage unit; a remaining life obtained by subtracting the usage time from the useful life of the device to which the same identification information is attached is stored in the storage unit, and the remaining life stored in the storage unit is output when an information request is made from an outside source by designating the identification information. Or, an energy supply system that outputs the usage time and the useful life stored in the memory unit when an information request is received from an external terminal that is capable of calculating the remaining life by subtracting the usage time from the useful life.

4. The energy supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the timing is one of a standby time when power generation in the fuel cell stops, a power generation transition time when the fuel cell in a standby state starts power generation, a power generation continuation time when power generation in the fuel cell continues, and a stop transition time when the fuel cell in a power generating state transitions to a state where power generation by the fuel cell in a power generating state is stopped.

5. the performance determination unit, when the plurality of components are a cell stack of the fuel cell, performs the determination based on power output from the cell stack; the performance determination unit performs the determination for a component that operates by supplying current among the plurality of components based on an operation result when a current is supplied to the component; the performance determining unit, for a component whose temperature changes when a current is supplied thereto, performs the determination based on a change in temperature when a current is supplied to the component; The energy supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the performance determination unit, for a component among the plurality of components that detects a change in state, makes the determination based on the change in state of the component under set conditions.

6. An energy supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the judgment result judged by the performance judgment unit for a specified part improves compared to the judgment result stored in the memory unit by a previous judgment, or when a deviation is found, a newly set usage time is stored in the memory unit instead of the usage time stored in the memory unit in association with the specified part.

7. An energy supply system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the plurality of parts is assigned unique identification information, and the same identification information is assigned to the same part among the plurality of parts, and the usage time, the service life indicating the usage limit, and the judgment result are stored in the memory unit.

8. a remaining life obtained by subtracting the usage time from the useful life of the device to which the same identification information is attached is stored in the storage unit, and the remaining life stored in the storage unit is output when an information request is made from an outside source by designating the identification information. Alternatively, the energy supply system of claim 7 outputs the usage time and the service life stored in the memory unit when an information request is received from an external terminal capable of calculating the remaining life by subtracting the usage time from the service life.

9. An operation control device that controls a plurality of the components is connected to a communication network; The energy supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a server connected to the communication network is provided with a memory unit that stores the usage time and the determination result.

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