Power Generation System

Abstract

To provide a power generation system for shortening a time period during which a fuel battery unit is suspended while effectively utilizing a communication configuration for managing and controlling a gas meter and a power generation unit.SOLUTION: A power generation system is equipped with a management server B with which an operation control unit 3 and a management control unit 5 can freely communicate. The power generation system includes a gas meter G that measures a gas flow rate and a power generation unit A including a fuel battery unit that generates power by consuming a gas fuel supplied from the gas meter. A management control unit of the gas meter executes a gas leakage addressing process of suspending a gas supply in a case where the gas flow rate is not in a decided non-flow state in a leakage determination time period. An operation control unit of the power generation unit executes an operation suspension process of continuing the suspension of operation of the fuel battery unit for a decided operation suspension time period each time an operation continuance time period which is shorter than the leakage determination time period elapses.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention provides a gas meter that measures a gas flow rate, and a power generation unit that includes a fuel cell unit that consumes gas fuel supplied from the gas meter to generate power, a management control unit of the gas meter executes a gas leakage response process to stop the gas supply if the gas flow rate does not reach a set non-flow state during a leakage determination period; an operation control unit of the power generation unit executes an operation stop process for stopping the operation of the fuel cell unit for a set operation stop time every time an operation continuation period shorter than the leakage determination period elapses; The present invention relates to a power generation system provided with a management server with which the operation control unit and the management control unit can communicate freely. [Background technology]

[0002] In such a power generation system, the operation control unit of the power generation unit executes an operation shutdown process that stops the operation of the power generation unit for a set operation shutdown time (e.g., 24 hours) every time a continuous operation period (e.g., 26 days) that is shorter than the leak judgment period (e.g., 30 days) has elapsed, thereby preventing the management control unit of the gas meter from executing a gas leak response process that stops the gas supply. In other words, the fuel cell section of the power generation unit normally continues to operate, but if operation of the fuel cell section continues, the gas meter management and control unit will execute a gas leak response process to stop the gas supply, and therefore the operation control unit of the power generation unit will execute an operation stop process to prevent the gas meter management and control unit from executing the gas leak response process.

[0003] In such power generation systems, for the purpose of performing management and control such as collecting gas meter measurement values ​​and checking for abnormal conditions of the gas meter, and for the purpose of performing management and control such as checking the operating status of the power generation unit and checking for deterioration of the components that make up the power generation unit, a management server with which the management and control unit of the gas meter can communicate freely is provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and a management server with which the operation control unit of the power generation unit can communicate freely is provided (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0004] In a conventional example of such a power generation system, a management control unit of a gas meter and an operation control unit of a power generation unit are connected to each other via a communication line so as to be able to communicate with each other. The operation control unit stops the operation of the power generation unit every time a continuous operation period (e.g., 26 days) shorter than a leakage determination period (e.g., 30 days) has elapsed. As a result, when the management control unit confirms that the gas flow rate has reached a set non-flow state, it transmits a signal indicating that confirmation of a no-leak state has been completed to the operation control unit via the communication line, and when the operation control unit receives the signal indicating that confirmation of a no-leak state has been completed, it starts the operation of the power generation unit even if a set operation stop time (e.g., 24 hours) has not elapsed (see, for example, Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-281665 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-71703 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2012-216412 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the power generation system of Patent Document 3, the operation of the power generation unit can be started even if a set operation stop time (for example, 24 hours) has not elapsed, thereby shortening the time for which the power generation unit is stopped. However, when connecting the management control unit of the gas meter and the operation control unit of the power generation unit via a communication line, it is necessary to install a separate communication line, which is inconvenient. Moreover, if a communication failure occurs, it is necessary to go to the location where the communication line is installed to perform inspection and maintenance, which is inconvenient, and improvements were desired.

[0007] For example, in a two-family home, two power generation units may be installed for one gas meter. In such a case, in order to connect the management control unit of one gas meter to the operation control units of each of the two power generation units via a communication line, the gas meter must be equipped with a hardware configuration and communication software for communicating individually with each of the operation control units of the two power generation units.

[0008] In other words, when applying the power generation system described in Patent Document 3 to a two-family home, there is a disadvantage in that a new hardware configuration and communications software must be developed to communicate individually with the management control unit of the gas meter and the operation control units of the two power generation units.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a power generation system that can shorten the time for which the fuel cell unit is shut down while effectively utilizing the communication configuration for managing and controlling the gas meter and the power generation unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The power generation system of the present invention includes a gas meter that measures a gas flow rate, and a power generation unit that includes a fuel cell unit that consumes gas fuel supplied from the gas meter to generate power, a management control unit of the gas meter executes a gas leakage response process to stop the gas supply if the gas flow rate does not reach a set non-flow state during a leakage determination period; an operation control unit of the power generation unit executes an operation stop process for stopping the operation of the fuel cell unit for a set operation stop time every time an operation continuation period shorter than the leakage determination period elapses; A management server with which the operation control unit and the management control unit can communicate is provided, and the characteristic configuration thereof is as follows: When the management control unit detects that the set non-flow state has been achieved during the leakage determination period, the management control unit transmits gas non-use time securing information indicating that gas non-use time has been secured to the management server, and the management server transmits operation resumption information to the operation control unit based on receipt of the gas non-use time securing information. When the operation control unit receives the operation restart information, the operation control unit executes proper operation start processing to start the operation of the fuel cell unit.

[0011] That is, the operation control unit of the power generation unit executes an operation stop process that stops the operation of the fuel cell unit for a set operation stop time (e.g., 24 hours) every time a continuous operation period (e.g., 26 days) shorter than the leakage determination period (e.g., 30 days) elapses. As a result, when the management control unit detects that the set non-flow state has been reached during the leakage determination period, it communicates gas non-use time securing information indicating that gas non-use time has been secured to the management server, and the management server communicates operation resumption information to the operation control unit based on the reception of the gas non-use time securing information.

[0012] When the operation control unit receives operation restart information, it executes appropriate operation start processing to start operation of the fuel cell unit, making it possible to start operation of the fuel cell unit without continuing to stop operation of the fuel cell unit for the set operation stop time, thereby shortening the time for which the fuel cell unit is stopped.

[0013] Furthermore, when the management control unit sends gas non-use time securing information to the management server, the management server, based on receiving the gas non-use time securing information, communicates operation resume information to the operation control unit, thereby starting operation of the fuel cell unit.Therefore, the operation of the fuel cell unit can be started through communication between the management control unit and the operation control unit, while effectively utilizing the communication configuration using the management server that will be installed to manage and control the gas meter and power generation unit.

[0014] Incidentally, when communication between the management control unit and the operation control unit is performed using a management server, for example, even in a two-family home where two power generation units are provided for one gas meter, the management control unit of the gas meter simply needs to communicate gas non-use time securing information to the management server when gas non-use time is secured, so even when multiple power generation units are provided for one gas meter, the same configuration as when one power generation unit is provided for one gas meter can be used.

[0015] Furthermore, the configuration for connecting the operation control unit to the management server (for example, a communication configuration using a Wi-Fi router) is a configuration that can be easily connected by user operation, so that in the unlikely event that a communication error occurs, it is highly likely that the communication error can be resolved by a call from the call center to the user.

[0016] In short, according to the characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention, it is possible to effectively utilize the communication configuration for managing and controlling the gas meter and the power generation unit, while shortening the time for which the fuel cell unit is shut down.

[0017] A further characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention is that the management server is composed of a power generation unit side server and a gas meter side server which can communicate with each other, The management control unit communicates the gas non-use time securing information to the gas meter side server, and the power generation unit side server communicates the operation resumption information to the operation control unit based on receiving the gas non-use time securing information via the gas meter side server.

[0018] That is, the management server is composed of a power generation unit side server and a gas meter side server which can communicate freely with each other. Then, when the management control unit communicates gas non-use time securing information to the gas meter side server, the power generation unit side server will communicate operation resumption information to the operation control unit based on receiving the gas non-use time securing information via the gas meter side server.

[0019] In this way, the operation of the power generation unit is started through communication between the management control unit and the operation control unit using a gas meter side server provided for managing and controlling the gas meter and a power generation unit side server provided for managing and controlling the power generation unit, thereby making it possible to shorten the time for which the power generation unit is stopped while effectively utilizing the gas meter side server and power generation unit side server that are already installed for managing and controlling the gas meter and the power generation unit.

[0020] In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention, it is possible to shorten the time for which the power generation unit is shut down while effectively utilizing the gas meter side server and the power generation unit side server that have already been installed.

[0021] A further characteristic feature of the power generation system of the present invention is that, after the operation of the fuel cell unit is stopped by the operation stop process, if the operation control unit does not receive the operation resumption information even after a waiting period shorter than the set operation stop time has elapsed, the operation control unit executes a notification process to notify the user of warning information urging them to refrain from consuming gas fuel.

[0022] In other words, in the location where the power generation unit is installed (an average household), there will be various gas appliances other than the fuel cell unit, such as a gas stove, and because gas fuel is supplied to such gas appliances from the gas meter, even if the operation of the fuel cell unit is stopped, the set no-flow state may not be achieved.

[0023] If the operation control unit does not receive operation resumption information even after a waiting period shorter than the set operation stop time has elapsed after stopping the operation of the fuel cell unit through the operation stop process, the operation control unit will execute an alarm process to notify the user of warning information urging them to refrain from consuming gas fuel.Therefore, by suppressing the use of gas equipment other than the fuel cell unit, it is possible to properly manifest the set no-flow state.

[0024] In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention, the use of gas appliances other than the fuel cell unit can be suppressed, and the set no-flow state can be appropriately realized.

[0025] A further characteristic feature of the power generation system of the present invention is that, after the operation of the fuel cell unit is stopped by the operation stop processing, if the operation resumption information is not received even after the set operation stop time has elapsed, the operation control unit executes a forced operation start processing to start the operation of the fuel cell unit.

[0026] In other words, after the operation control unit stops the operation of the fuel cell unit by the operation stop process, if it does not receive operation resumption information even after the set operation stop time has elapsed, it executes a forced operation start process to start the operation of the fuel cell unit, thereby preventing the fuel cell unit from being unnecessarily maintained in a stopped state.

[0027] In other words, if a communication error occurs, there is a risk that the operation control unit will be unable to receive operation restart information even though the setting has become uncirculated. However, if the operation restart information cannot be received even after the set operation stop time has elapsed, a forced operation start process will be executed to start the operation of the fuel cell unit, thereby preventing the fuel cell unit from being unnecessarily maintained in a stopped state.

[0028] In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the fuel cell unit from being unnecessarily maintained in a stopped state.

[0029] In a further characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention, the power generation unit includes a hot water heater that consumes the gas fuel supplied from the gas meter and operates, The operation control unit executes the forced operation start process on condition that the hot water heater is not in operation.

[0030] In other words, the operation control unit executes the forced operation start process on the condition that the hot water heater / heater provided in the power generation unit is not operating, so that when the hot water heater / heater is operating, the forced operation start process is avoided from being executed unnecessarily.

[0031] In other words, even when the operation control unit is executing the operation stop process, there is a risk that the hot water heater provided in the power generation unit will be operated for heating, etc., and gas fuel supplied from the gas meter will be consumed, but in such a case, the forced operation start process will be avoided from being executed unnecessarily.

[0032] In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the forced operation start process from being executed unnecessarily when the hot water heater provided in the power generation unit is in an operating state.

[0033] A further characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention is that, when the management control unit cannot detect the setting non-distribution state even when the alarm time corresponding to the time before the leakage determination period has elapsed and after the operation stop time has elapsed, the management control unit communicates leakage alarm information to the management server, and when the management control unit detects the setting non-distribution state after the alarm time has elapsed, the management control unit communicates alarm cancellation information to the management server, The management server communicates operation stop command information to the operation control unit based on receiving the leakage alarm information, and communicates operation permission information to the operation control unit based on receiving the alarm release information, The operation control unit stops the operation of the fuel cell unit based on the operation stop command information, and starts the operation of the fuel cell unit based on the operation permission information.

[0034] In other words, if the management control unit cannot detect that the set non-distribution state has occurred even when the alarm point corresponding to the set operation stop time has elapsed is reached before the leakage judgment period has elapsed, the management control unit will communicate leakage alarm information to the management server, and based on receiving the leakage alarm information, the management server will communicate operation stop command information to the operation control unit, and the operation control unit will stop operation of the fuel cell unit based on the operation stop command information even if the fuel cell unit is operating through a forced operation start process.

[0035] As a result, if the management control unit detects that the setting has become uncirculated after the alarm point has passed, it will communicate alarm cancellation information to the management server, and the management server will communicate operation permission information to the operation control unit based on receiving the alarm cancellation information, and the operation control unit will start operation of the fuel cell unit based on the operation permission information.

[0036] In other words, as described above, if a communication error occurs and the operation control unit is unable to receive the operation restart information even though the setting no distribution state has been reached, and there is a risk that the operation restart information will not be received even after the set operation stop time has elapsed, a forced operation start process will be executed to start the operation of the fuel cell unit.However, there are cases in which the operation control unit is unable to receive the operation restart information not because of a communication error, but because the setting no distribution state has not actually been reached.

[0037] In such a case, the management control unit communicates leakage alarm information to the management server at the time of the alarm, and the management server communicates operation stop command information to the operation control unit, causing the operation control unit to stop operation of the fuel cell unit. If, as a result, the management control unit detects that the setting has been disabled, it will communicate alarm cancellation information to the management server, and the management server will communicate operation permission information to the operation control unit, causing the operation control unit to start operating the fuel cell unit.

[0038] In this way, if the management control unit is unable to detect that the set no-flow state has been reached at the time of the alarm, the operation control unit will stop operation of the power generation unit by communicating leakage alarm information to the management server, and if the management control unit is able to detect that the set no-flow state has been reached as a result, the operation control unit will start operation of the power generation unit by communicating alarm cancellation information to the management server.Therefore, the operation control unit can operate the fuel cell unit while avoiding as much as possible the need to execute gas leakage response processing to stop gas supply due to the management control unit being unable to detect that the set no-flow state has been reached.

[0039] To explain further, if the management control unit is unable to detect that the set no-flow state has been reached and executes a gas leak response process to stop the gas supply, a maintenance worker must visit the installation site of the power generation unit to check for gas leaks, etc., while also performing processes such as starting the gas supply from the gas meter. However, with this invention, such work by maintenance workers can be avoided as much as possible.

[0040] In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power generation system of the present invention, the management control unit is unable to detect the set no-flow state, and therefore the operation control unit can operate the fuel cell unit while avoiding, as much as possible, executing gas leak response processing to stop the gas supply. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a power generation system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a power generation unit. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart of a management process. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of a driving process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment] (Basic configuration of power generation system) As shown in Figure 1, the power generation system includes a gas meter G that measures gas flow rate, a fuel cell type power generation unit A that generates electricity by consuming gas fuel supplied from the gas meter G, and a management server B that manages the power generation unit A and the gas meter G. In this embodiment, the management server B is composed of a power generation unit side server E that manages the power generation unit A and a gas meter side server F that manages the gas meter G.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the power generation unit A is provided with a fuel cell unit 1 that generates electricity by consuming gas fuel supplied from a gas meter G, and a hot water heater 2 that consumes gas fuel supplied from the gas meter G and supplies a heat medium for hot water supply and heating to a terminal. In addition, as shown in Figure 1, the power generation unit A is equipped with an operation control unit 3 that controls the operation of the fuel cell unit 1 and the hot water heater 2, and a power generation unit side communication unit 4 for communicating with the power generation unit side server E.

[0044] The gas meter G is equipped with an ultrasonic or membrane type gas metering section and measures the gas flow rate (gas flow rate per unit time). 1, the gas meter G is provided with a gas meter side communication unit 6 for communicating with the management control unit 5 and the gas meter side server F.

[0045] The power generation unit side communication unit 4 is connected to a router 7 (for example, a Wi-Fi router), and the router 7 is connected to the power generation unit side server E via the Internet IN so as to be able to communicate with each other. That is, the power generation unit communication unit 4 is connected to the power generation unit server E via the Internet IN using the router 7 so as to be able to communicate with it. The gas meter side communication unit 6 is connected to the repeater 8 using LPWA, and the repeater 8 is connected to the gas meter side server F via the Internet IN so as to be able to communicate with each other. That is, the gas meter side communication unit 6 is communicably connected to the gas meter side server F via the Internet IN using a repeater 8 connected using LPWA. Incidentally, as LPWA, for example, Sigfox, LoRaWAN, and IP500 can be applied.

[0046] The management control unit 5 is intended for the gas meter side server F to perform management control such as collecting the measured values (gas flow rate) of the gas meter G and checking for abnormal states of the gas meter G, and will transmit measurement information and abnormal information of the gas flow rate to the gas meter side server F. Based on the received information, the gas meter side server F will manage, for example, the gas usage amount for billing.

[0047] Further, if the gas flow rate does not reach the set non - flowing state during the leakage determination period (for example, 30 days), the management control unit 5 will execute a gas leakage countermeasure process to stop the gas supply, assuming a gas leakage state. That is, if gas continuously flows over the gas leakage determination period (for example, 30 days), the management control unit 5 determines that it is in a gas leakage state and executes a gas leakage countermeasure process to cut off the gas supply and issue an alarm. In this embodiment, the management control unit 5 sets a state where the gas flow rate is below a predetermined flow rate (for example, 0.1 L / h) as the set non - flowing state, and if it cannot detect a state where the gas flow rate is below the predetermined flow rate (for example, 0.1 L / h) for a set time (for example, 60 minutes) during the gas leakage determination period, it determines that it is in a gas leakage state.

[0048] The operation control unit 3 is intended for the power generation unit side server E to perform management control such as checking the operation state of the power generation unit A and checking for deterioration of the components constituting the power generation unit A, and will transmit various information such as detection information and abnormal information of various sensors, and information indicating the operation status of the fuel cell unit 1 and the water heater 2 to the power generation unit side server E. Based on the received information and the like, the power generation unit side server E will manage the operation of the power generation unit A. In addition, the operation control unit 3 executes an operation shutdown process to stop the operation of the fuel cell unit 1 for a set operation shutdown time (e.g., 24 hours) every time a continuous operation period (e.g., 26 days) shorter than the leakage judgment period (e.g., 30 days) elapses. Incidentally, the sum of the operation continuation period and the set operation stop time is shorter than the leakage determination period.

[0049] (Details of the power generation section) As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell section 1 receives gas (for example, city gas) from a gas supply source via a gas meter G and generates power. Incidentally, the fuel cell section 1 includes a reforming section that performs steam reforming processing on supplied gas (e.g., city gas) to convert it into a reformed gas having a high concentration of hydrogen components, and a fuel cell that generates electricity using the reformed gas supplied from the reforming section and the supplied air (oxygen-containing gas). However, since the specific configuration of the fuel cell section 1 is well known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted in this embodiment.

[0050] Although not shown, a pressure sensor for detecting the supply pressure of gas fuel is provided in the gas supply path to the fuel cell section 1. If the detection value of the pressure sensor is equal to or lower than a reference value, the operation control section 3 determines that the gas fuel is not being properly supplied, and stops the operation of the fuel cell section 1 and the hot water heater 2.

[0051] The fuel cell unit 1 generates power in a grid-connected operation mode in which it is connected to an electric power system D (commercial electric power system) and supplies power to general electric loads 9 and specific electric loads 10. However, in the event of a power outage in the electric power system D, the fuel cell unit 1 is configured to generate power in an independent operation mode in which it disconnects from the electric power system D and supplies the generated power to the specific electric loads 10 and a dedicated outlet 16.

[0052] That is, a distribution board 11 is provided which is connected to a power system D via a drop line 11a, and power is supplied to general power loads 9 through a power supply line 12 connected to the distribution board 11. A power conversion unit 13 is provided which adjusts the power generated from the fuel cell unit 1 to the same voltage and frequency as the power supplied from the power system D, and the power conversion unit 13 and the distribution board 11 are connected by a power line 14.

[0053] The specific electric load 10 is configured to receive power through a branch power line 14 a that branches off from the power line 14 . An interconnection switch 15 that interrupts power line 14 is provided downstream of the branch point of branch power line 14a in power line 14, and an outlet 16 for independent operation is connected to branch power line 14a via a connection switch 17.

[0054] The operation control unit 3 is configured to turn on the interconnection switch 15 and turn off the connection switch 17 in the interconnected operation mode, and to turn off the interconnection switch 15 and turn on the connection switch 17 in the independent operation mode.

[0055] Furthermore, as can be understood from the above explanation, even if the operation of the fuel cell section 1 is stopped, when power can be supplied from the power system D (commercial power system), power can be supplied to the general electric loads 9 and the specific electric loads 10.

[0056] (Coordination between the management control unit and the operation control unit) If the management control unit 5 detects that the set no-flow state has been reached during the leak judgment period, it will communicate gas no-use time securing information to the management server B indicating that gas no-use time has been secured, and the management server B will communicate operation resumption information to the operation control unit 3 based on receiving the gas no-use time securing information. Then, when the operation control unit 3 receives the operation restart information, it executes an appropriate operation start process to start the operation of the fuel cell unit 1. In other words, if the operation restart information is transmitted while the operation of the fuel cell unit 1 is being stopped for a set operation stop time (e.g., 24 hours), the operation of the fuel cell unit 1 is started without waiting for the set operation stop time (e.g., 24 hours) to elapse.

[0057] In this embodiment, the management server B is composed of a power generation unit side server E and a gas meter side server F which can communicate freely with each other, so the management control unit 5 communicates gas non-use time securing information to the gas meter side server F, and the gas meter side server F transmits the received gas non-use time securing information to the power generation unit side server E. Then, the power generation unit side server E receives the gas non-use time securing information via the gas meter side server F, and then communicates the operation restart information to the operation control unit 3.

[0058] In addition, if the operation control unit 3 does not receive operation resumption information even after a waiting period (e.g., 6 hours) shorter than the set operation stop time (e.g., 24 hours) has elapsed after stopping the operation of the fuel cell unit 1 by the operation stop process, it executes a notification process to notify the user of warning information urging them to refrain from consumption of gas fuel. In this embodiment, the notification process is executed in the form of displaying warning information on the display screen of the remote control R, which commands the operation control unit 3 to send various information for operating the fuel cell unit 1 and the hot water heater 2. Incidentally, the warning information displayed on the display screen of the remote control R is, for example, a message such as "Please refrain from using gas."

[0059] In addition, if the operation control unit 3 does not receive operation resumption information even after the set operation stop time (e.g., 24 hours) has elapsed after stopping the operation of the fuel cell unit 1 by the operation stop process, it executes a forced operation start process to start the operation of the fuel cell unit 1. In this embodiment, the operation control unit 3 executes the forced operation start process on the condition that the hot water heater 2 is not in operation.

[0060] In addition, if the management control unit 5 cannot detect that the set no-flow state has been reached even when the alarm time corresponding to after the set operation stop time has elapsed (for example, the time when a time corresponding to 28 days has elapsed from the start of the leak determination period) is reached before the leak determination period has elapsed, it communicates leak alarm information to the management server B (in this embodiment, gas meter side server F), and if it can detect that the set no-flow state has been reached after the alarm time has elapsed, it communicates alarm cancellation information to the management server B (in this embodiment, gas meter side server F). The gas meter side server F transmits the received leakage alarm information and alarm cancellation information to the power generation unit side server E.

[0061] Based on receiving leakage warning information, the management server B (in this embodiment, the power generation unit side server E) communicates operation stop command information to the operation control unit 3, and based on receiving warning cancellation information, communicates operation permission information to the operation control unit 3. Then, the operation control section 3 stops the operation of the fuel cell section 1 based on the operation stop command information, and starts the operation of the fuel cell section 1 based on the operation permission information.

[0062] (Details of management process) Next, the control operation of the management control unit 5 will be described. That is, the management process executed by the management control unit 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Incidentally, the management process shown as an example is started from the start point of the leakage determination period. First, it is determined whether or not a set no-flow state has been detected (#1). If a set no-flow state has been detected, a process is executed to communicate gas non-use time securing information to the gas meter side server F (#2). Next, a timer reset process is executed to reset the timer unit that measures the elapsed time of the leakage determination period to the initial value (zero hours) (#3), and then processing proceeds to #1.

[0063] When it is determined in the process of #1 that the non-flow state is not detected, it is determined whether the elapsed time from the start of the leakage determination period is the warning time (#4). If it is not the warning time, the process proceeds to the process of #1. When it is determined in the process of #4 that it is the warning time, the process of communicating the leakage warning information to the gas meter side server F is executed (#5).

[0064] Subsequently, it is determined whether the non-flow state is detected (#6). If the non-flow state is detected, the process of communicating the alarm cancellation information to the gas meter side server F is executed (#7). Subsequently, the timer reset process of resetting the timer unit that measures the elapsed time of the leakage determination period to the initial value (zero time) is executed (#3), and then the process proceeds to the process of #1.

[0065] When it is determined in the process of #6 that the non-flow state is not detected, it is determined whether the elapsed time from the start of the leakage determination period is the end time of the leakage determination period, that is, whether the leakage determination period has ended (#8). If the leakage determination period has not ended, the process proceeds to the process of #6. When it is determined in the process of #8 that the leakage determination period has ended, the process of stopping the gas supply by closing the shut-off valve inside the gas meter G is executed (#9). In addition, when the gas supply is stopped, after the maintenance worker performs inspection work such as inspecting the presence or absence of gas leakage, by issuing a start command, the management control unit 5 opens the shut-off valve inside the gas meter G and resets the timer unit that measures the elapsed time of the leakage determination period to the initial value (zero time).

[0066] (Details of the operation process) Next, the control operation of the operation control unit 3 will be further described. That is, the operation process executed by the operation control unit 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Incidentally, the management process shown as an example is started from the start of the operation continuation period, which basically corresponds to the time when operation restart information or operation permission information is received, and is the same as the start of the leakage determination period. However, if operation restart information or operation permission information cannot be received, the start of the operation continuation period may be different from the start of the leakage determination period.

[0067] First, it is determined whether or not it is time to stop operation when the operation continuation period has elapsed (#11), and if it is not time to stop operation, the process waits until the time to stop operation arrives. If it is determined in the process of #11 that it is time to stop operation, a process to stop the operation of the fuel cell section 1, which corresponds to the operation shutdown process, is executed (#12), and then it is determined whether or not there is operation restart information (#13).

[0068] If it is determined in processing #13 that there is operation restart information, a process to start the operation of the fuel cell section 1, which corresponds to a proper operation start process, is executed (#14), and then a timer reset process is executed (#15) to reset the timer section that measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation period to an initial value (zero hours), and then processing proceeds to #11. If it is determined in processing of #13 that there is no operation restart information, then it is determined whether the set operation stop time has elapsed (#16), and if it is determined that the set operation stop time has not elapsed, the process proceeds to #13.

[0069] Incidentally, if the operation control unit 3 does not receive operation resumption information even after a waiting period (e.g., 6 hours) shorter than the set operation stop time (e.g., 24 hours) has elapsed after stopping the operation of the fuel cell unit 1 by the operation stop process (#12), the operation control unit 3 will execute a notification process to notify the user of warning information urging them to refrain from consuming gas fuel, but the description of the notification process is omitted in the flowchart of Figure 4.

[0070] If it is determined in processing #16 that the set operation stop time has elapsed, then it is determined whether the hot water heater 2 is stopped or not (#17), and if it is determined that the hot water heater 2 is stopped, a process is executed to start the operation of the fuel cell section 1, which corresponds to a forced operation start process (#18). Next, it is determined whether or not there is operation stop command information (#19), and if there is operation stop command information, a process for stopping the operation of the fuel cell section 1 is executed (#20).

[0071] Then, it is determined whether or not operation permission information is present (#21), and if operation permission information is present, a process is executed to start the operation of the fuel cell section 1 (#22), followed by a timer reset process to reset the timer section that measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation period to its initial value (zero hours) (#23), and then the process proceeds to #11. If it is determined in step #17 that the hot water heater 2 is not stopped, the process proceeds to step #21.

[0072] If it is determined in processing of #21 that there is no operation permission information, then it is determined whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the operation continuation period has elapsed a standby time equivalent to the entire time of the leak judgment period (#24), and if it is determined that the standby time has not ended, the process proceeds to processing of #21.

[0073] If it is determined in processing #24 that the standby time has ended, it is determined whether or not there is gas supply to the fuel cell section 1 (#25), and if there is gas supply, a process is executed to start operation of the fuel cell section 1 (#26). Next, a special timer reset process is executed (#27) to reset the timer section that measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation period to the initial value (zero hours) plus a set addition time (for example, 96 hours (4 days)), and then the process proceeds to #11. Furthermore, by resetting the timer unit, which measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation period, to the initial value (zero hours) plus the set addition time (for example, 96 hours (4 days)), the timer unit will start counting from the 5th day.

[0074] Incidentally, in the special timer reset process (#27), the time from the end of the continuous operation time to the end of the leak judgment period is set as a set additional time (for example, 96 hours (4 days)), and the timer unit that measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation period is reset to the initial value (zero hours) plus the set additional time, so that the point at which the fuel cell unit 1 will next be stopped after the continuous operation period has elapsed can be set to a point sufficiently earlier than the point of alarm.

[0075] Furthermore, if it is determined in processing of #19 that there is no operation stop command information, then it is determined whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the operation continuation period has elapsed a standby time equivalent to the entire time of the leakage determination period (#28), and if it is determined that the standby time has not ended, the process proceeds to processing of #19. Then, if it is determined in the process of #28 that the standby time has ended, it is determined whether or not there is gas supply to the fuel cell section 1 (#29), and if there is gas supply, a special timer reset process is executed (#30) to reset the timer section that measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation period to the initial value (zero hours) plus the set addition time (96 hours (4 days)), and then the process proceeds to #11. Furthermore, by resetting the timer unit, which measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation period, to the initial value (zero hours) plus the set addition time (for example, 96 hours (4 days)), the timer unit will start counting from the 5th day.

[0076] Incidentally, in the special timer reset process (#30), the time from the end of the continuous operation time to the end of the leak judgment period is set as the set additional time (96 hours (4 days)), and the timer section that measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation time is reset to the initial value (zero hours) plus the set additional time, so that the point at which the fuel cell section 1 will next be stopped after the continuous operation time has elapsed can be set to a point sufficiently earlier than the point of alarm.

[0077] Furthermore, if it is determined in steps #25 and #29 that there is no gas supply, the process ends. Incidentally, a case where there is no gas supply corresponds to a case where the gas supply from the gas meter G is stopped.

[0078] As described above, even if the operation restart information cannot be received due to a communication error, if the operation stop command information and the operation permission information can be received, the operation of the fuel cell unit 1 can be properly restarted. Furthermore, even if a communication error prevents the reception of operation restart information, operation stop command information, or operation permission information, or even if the operation stop command information is received but the operation restart information and operation permission information cannot be received, if there is a gas supply to the fuel cell section 1 at the point corresponding to the end of the leakage judgment period, the operation of the fuel cell section 1 can be resumed as normal.

[0079] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, the management server B is configured from the power generation unit side server E and the gas meter side server F. However, the management server B may be implemented as a single server.

[0080] (2) The gas non-use time securing information and the operation restart information may be information of different formats (contents), but they may also be implemented as the same information. That is, for example, when the management control unit 5 transmits gas non-use time securing information, the gas non-use time securing information may be transmitted to the operation control unit 3 as operation restart information.

[0081] (3) The leakage alarm information and the operation stop command information may be information of different formats (contents) or may be the same format (the same information). That is, for example, when the management control unit 5 transmits leakage alarm information, the leakage alarm information may be transmitted to the operation control unit 3 as operation stop command information.

[0082] (4) The warning release information and the operation permission information may be information of different formats (contents) or may be the same format (the same information). That is, for example, when the management control unit 5 transmits the warning cancellation information, the warning cancellation information may be transmitted to the operation control unit 3 as operation permission information.

[0083] (5) The communication form between the operation control unit 3 and the management server B can be changed in various ways. Similarly, the communication form between the management control unit 5 and the management server B can be changed in various ways.

[0084] (6) In the above embodiment, in the #27 special timer reset process and the #30 special timer reset process, an example was given of resetting the timer unit that measures the elapsed time of the continuous operation period to the initial value (zero hours) plus a set addition time (for example, 96 hours (four days)). However, the current value of the timer unit that measures the leakage determination period may be confirmed by the management control unit 5 of the gas meter GM via the management server B, and the timer may be reset to the confirmed current value.

[0085] The configurations disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, unless a contradiction occurs. In addition, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 2. Hot water heater 3 Operation control unit 5 Management and control section A Power Generation Section B Management Server E Power generation unit server F Gas meter server

Claims

1. The system includes a gas meter that measures a gas flow rate, and a power generation unit that includes a fuel cell unit that consumes gas fuel supplied from the gas meter to generate power, a management control unit of the gas meter executes a gas leakage response process to stop the gas supply if the gas flow rate does not reach a set non-flow state during a leakage determination period; an operation control unit of the power generation unit executes an operation stop process for stopping the operation of the fuel cell unit for a set operation stop time every time an operation continuation period shorter than the leakage determination period elapses; A power generation system provided with a management server with which the operation control unit and the management control unit can communicate, When the management control unit detects that the set non-flow state has been achieved during the leakage determination period, the management control unit transmits gas non-use time securing information indicating that gas non-use time has been secured to the management server, and the management server transmits operation resumption information to the operation control unit based on receipt of the gas non-use time securing information. When the operation control unit receives the operation restart information, the operation control unit executes a proper operation start process to start operation of the fuel cell unit.

2. the management server is composed of a power generation unit side server and a gas meter side server which can communicate with each other, The power generation system of claim 1, wherein the management control unit communicates the gas non-use time securing information to the gas meter side server, and the power generation unit side server communicates the operation resumption information to the operation control unit based on receiving the gas non-use time securing information via the gas meter side server.

3. The power generation system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation control unit executes a notification process to notify a user of warning information urging them to refrain from consumption of gas fuel if the operation restart information is not received even after a waiting period shorter than the set operation stop time has elapsed after the operation of the fuel cell unit is stopped by the operation stop process.

4. A power generation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation control unit executes a forced operation start process to start operation of the fuel cell unit if, after stopping operation of the fuel cell unit by the operation stop process, it does not receive the operation resumption information even after the set operation stop time has elapsed.

5. The power generation unit includes a hot water heater that consumes gas fuel supplied from the gas meter to operate, The power generation system according to claim 4 , wherein the operation control unit executes the forced operation start process on condition that the hot water heater is not in operation.

6. When the management control unit cannot detect that the setting non-distribution state has been reached even if the alarm time corresponding to the set operation stop time has elapsed before the leakage determination period has elapsed, the management control unit communicates leakage alarm information to the management server, and when the management control unit can detect that the setting non-distribution state has been reached after the alarm time has elapsed, the management control unit communicates alarm cancellation information to the management server, The management server communicates operation stop command information to the operation control unit based on receiving the leakage alarm information, and communicates operation permission information to the operation control unit based on receiving the alarm release information, The power generation system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the operation control unit stops operation of the fuel cell unit based on the operation stop command information, and starts operation of the fuel cell unit based on the operation permission information.

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