Fuel Cell Operation Management Device, Fuel Cell Operation Management System, Fuel Cell Operation Management Method, and Program

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell operation management device, a fuel cell operation management system, a fuel cell operation management method, and a program that suppress disposal of a fuel cell module having a residual lifetime and components thereof to make it easy to promote reuse of the fuel cell module and recycling of the components thereof.SOLUTION: A fuel cell operation management device 2 comprises an acquisition unit 231, a recovery determination unit 233, an inspection result acquisition unit 234, and a use determination unit 235. The acquisition unit 231 acquires a recovery flag on a fuel cell module 31 or data on a physical amount measured at the fuel cell module 31. The recovery determination unit 233 determines whether or not to recover the fuel cell module 31. The inspection result acquisition unit 234 acquires an inspection result of the fuel cell module 31 that is recovered and inspected. The use determination unit 235 selects any of first determination to reuse the fuel cell module 31, second determination to decompose the fuel cell module and to recycle components thereof, and third determination to store or dispose the fuel cell module.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel cell operation management device, a fuel cell operation management system, a fuel cell operation management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel cell maintenance operation processing system. This system includes equipment information storage means and usage actual state measurement storage means. The equipment information storage means stores the performance, specifications, and degradation characteristics of power generation efficiency due to equipment specific to the fuel cell. The usage actual state measurement storage means stores the operating state, operating time, etc. of the fuel cell. The performance degradation and lifespan of the fuel cell are mainly determined by the operating state, operating time, etc.

[0003] In this system, from the usage actual state measurement storage means, the operating state, operating time, etc. of the fuel cell are obtained, and the deterioration of the performance of the fuel cell and associated equipment is predicted, enabling the realization of optimal maintenance of the fuel cell. Further, since the system includes failure state investigation means, when the fuel cell fails, the repair is automatically reported according to the failure state, and the repair and maintenance can be processed quickly and efficiently.

[0004] However, in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is no particular description regarding the reuse of the recovered fuel cell. Disposing of a reusable fuel cell increases the environmental load and is not preferable, and also hinders the reduction of operation costs.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a fuel cell operation management device, a fuel cell operation management system, a fuel cell operation management method, and a program that can suppress the disposal of a fuel cell module and its components having a remaining life, and facilitate the reuse of the fuel cell module and the recycling of its components.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The fuel cell operation management device according to claim 1 includes an acquisition unit, a recovery determination unit, an inspection result acquisition unit, and a utilization determination unit. The acquisition unit acquires data of a physical quantity measured in the fuel cell module or a recovery flag for the fuel cell module. The recovery determination unit determines whether to recover the fuel cell module based on the data of the physical quantity or the recovery flag acquired by the acquisition unit. The inspection result acquisition unit acquires the inspection result of the fuel cell module that has been recovered and inspected. The utilization determination unit selects one of a first determination to reuse this fuel cell module, a second determination to disassemble and recycle the components, or a third determination to store or discard based on the inspection result.

[0008] The invention according to claim 2 is an invention subordinate to the invention according to claim 1, and the fuel cell operation management device further includes a failure determination unit. The failure determination unit determines whether the fuel cell module related to the acquired physical quantity data is faulty based on the physical quantity data acquired by the acquisition unit. When it is determined in the failure determination unit that the fuel cell module is faulty, the recovery determination unit determines to recover the fuel cell module.

[0009] The invention according to claim 3 is an invention that depends on the invention according to claim 2, and the fuel cell operation management device further includes a conformity determination unit. After the recovery flag is acquired by the acquisition unit, the conformity determination unit determines whether the fuel cell module that has been recovered, inspected, and for which the first determination has been made by the utilization determination unit is suitable as a replacement for the fuel cell module determined to be faulty by the fault determination unit.

[0010] The fuel cell operation management system according to claim 4 includes the fuel cell operation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a plurality of the fuel cell modules, and a communication network that connects the fuel cell operation management device and the plurality of fuel cell modules.

[0011] The fuel cell operation management method according to claim 5 includes an acquisition step, a recovery determination step, a recovery step, an inspection step, an inspection result acquisition step, and a utilization determination step. The acquisition step is a step of acquiring data of a physical quantity measured in the fuel cell module or a recovery flag for the fuel cell module. The recovery determination step is a step of determining whether to recover the fuel cell module based on the data of the physical quantity or the recovery flag acquired in the acquisition step. The recovery step is a step of recovering the fuel cell module when it is determined to recover the fuel cell module in the recovery determination step. The inspection step is a step of inspecting the fuel cell module recovered in the recovery step. The inspection result acquisition step is a step of acquiring the inspection result of the fuel cell module inspected in the inspection step. The utilization determination step is a step of selecting, based on the inspection result, any one of a first determination of reusing this fuel cell module, a second determination of disassembling and recycling parts, or a third determination of storing or discarding.

[0012] The invention according to claim 6 is an invention that depends on the invention according to claim 5, and the fuel cell operation management method further includes a failure determination step. The failure determination step is a step of determining whether or not the fuel cell module related to the acquired physical quantity data has failed based on the physical quantity data acquired in the acquisition step. When it is determined in the failure determination step that the fuel cell module has failed, in the recovery determination step, it is determined to recover the fuel cell module.

[0013] The invention according to claim 7 is an invention that depends on the invention according to claim 6, and the fuel cell operation management method further includes a conformity determination step. The conformity determination step is a step of determining whether or not the fuel cell module that has been recovered in the recovery step, inspected by the inspection step, and determined in the utilization determination step to be the first determination is suitable as a replacement for the fuel cell module determined to have failed in the failure determination step after the recovery flag is acquired in the acquisition step.

[0014] The program according to claim 8 is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the fuel cell operation management method according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] In the invention according to claim 1, through inspection, the possibility of reusing the fuel cell modules that have been conventionally discarded and recycling their components is found, and it is easy to promote the reuse of fuel cell modules and the recycling of their components.

[0016] In the invention according to claim 2, the failure determination unit appropriately finds the fuel cell modules to be reused or recycled, and it becomes possible to efficiently reuse or recycle the fuel cell modules in the operation of a large number of fuel cell modules.

[0017] In the invention according to claim 3, the conformity determination unit can successfully combine the reuse or recycling of a plurality of fuel cell modules to operate the fuel cell modules efficiently.

[0018] In the invention according to claim 4, through inspection, the possibility of reusing fuel cell modules that have been conventionally discarded and recycling their components is found, which facilitates the reuse of fuel cell modules and the recycling of their components.

[0019] In the invention according to claim 5, through inspection, the possibility of reusing fuel cell modules that have been conventionally discarded and recycling their components is found, which facilitates the reuse of fuel cell modules and the recycling of their components.

[0020] In the invention according to claim 6, through the failure determination step, the fuel cell modules to be reused or recycled are appropriately found, and in the operation of a large number of fuel cell modules, it is possible to reuse or recycle the fuel cell modules efficiently.

[0021] In the invention according to claim 7, through the conformity determination step, the reuse or recycling of a plurality of fuel cell modules can be successfully combined to operate the fuel cell modules efficiently.

[0022] In the invention according to claim 8, through inspection, the possibility of reusing fuel cell modules that have been conventionally discarded and recycling their components is found, which facilitates the reuse of fuel cell modules and the recycling of their components.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

[0024] The present invention relates to a fuel cell operation management device, a fuel cell operation management system, a fuel cell operation management method, and a program. A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell main body and devices associated therewith. Conventionally, when a failure occurred in a fuel cell module before the expiration of its design life, it was often recovered and discarded. Also, when the use by the user ended before the expiration of the design life of the fuel cell module, it was often recovered and discarded.

[0025] When a failure occurs in a fuel cell module, at least a part of the components of the fuel cell module (the fuel cell main body and the associated devices) has failed, but it is rare for all components to have failed, and the remaining components without failure have a remaining life. Also, when the fuel cell module is recovered after the use ends, the fuel cell module itself has a remaining life. In order to suppress the disposal of such fuel cell modules and their components having a remaining life, the inventor has invented a fuel cell operation management device, a fuel cell operation management system, a fuel cell operation management method, and a program that facilitate the reuse of the fuel cell module itself and the recycling of the components without failure among the fuel cell modules in which a failure has occurred. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the fuel cell operation management device, the fuel cell operation management system, the fuel cell operation management method, and the program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell operation management system 1 includes a fuel cell operation management device 2, a plurality of fuel cell units 3, and a communication network 4. First, the fuel cell unit 3 will be described.

[0027] (Fuel Cell Unit) The fuel cell unit 3 is mainly composed of a fuel cell module 31 and a fuel cell body 32. The fuel cell module 31 is for producing hydrogen from gas, and includes a desulfurizer 33 and a reformer 34 in order from the upstream side. The desulfurizer 33 is for desulfurizing gas, and steam is mixed into the gas desulfurized by the desulfurizer 33. The desulfurized gas with steam mixed therein is sent to the reformer 34. The reformer 34 has a burner, and by burning the burner, the gas mixed with steam is reformed by steam reforming reaction while heating the reforming catalyst. Gas is supplied to the desulfurizer 33 and the reformer 34 through a gas flow path. Note that the reformer 34 may have functions of CO shift and CO removal.

[0028] The fuel cell body 32 is configured by laminating a large number of cells in which an anode (fuel electrode), an electrolyte, and a cathode (air electrode) are formed as layers via separators. Then, by supplying the hydrogen-rich reformed gas produced by the reformer 34 to the anode and supplying air (oxygen) from a blower to the cathode, hydrogen and oxygen undergo an electrochemical reaction to generate electricity.

[0029] The fuel cell unit 3 includes a power conditioner 6 (power conversion device), and the power generated by the fuel cell body 32 is subjected to DC-AC conversion etc. by the power conditioner 6 and supplied to a load device 7.

[0030] The fuel cell unit 3 is equipped with various devices such as blowers, pumps, and valves for transporting gas. Devices such as these blowers and the fuel cell module 31 etc. are components of the fuel cell unit 3. Further, the fuel cell unit 3 has a measuring device 37 that measures physical quantities in the fuel cell unit 3. Examples of the physical quantities to be measured include the flow rate and pressure of the gas supplied to the fuel cell module 31, the flow rate and pressure of the gas supplied to the desulfurizer 33, the flow rate and pressure of the gas supplied to the reformer 34, the heating amount in the reformer 34, the flow rate and pressure of the reformed gas and air supplied to the fuel cell main body 32, the output (electric power, current, voltage, etc.) and temperature in the fuel cell main body 32, the start date and time, stop date and time, operation time, and number of start / stop cycles of the fuel cell main body 32, etc., and the flow rate, pressure, and rotational speed of the impeller of the transport fluid in blowers and pumps, etc. However, it is not limited to these. The measuring device 37 has appropriate sensors for measuring physical quantities, and since the above-described physical quantities can be measured by known sensors, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0031] The fuel cell unit 3 is provided with a control unit 30 and is controlled by this control unit 30. The control unit 30 controls the power generation amount in the fuel cell module 31 by controlling various devices. The control unit 30 is capable of performing operations along various operation patterns and is capable of performing optimal operation of the fuel cell module 31. Further, the control unit 30 has a simple function of detecting failures in the fuel cell module 31. Also, the control unit 30 transmits the physical quantities measured by the measuring device 37 to the fuel cell operation management device 2 via the communication network 4.

[0032] The fuel cell unit 3 includes a hot water supply tank 51 that is the main body of the hot water supply system 5. The hot water supply system 5 will be described later.

[0033] (Usage form of fuel cell unit) In this embodiment, as the usage form of the fuel cell unit 3, the user shall not purchase or own the fuel cell unit 3. The user shall enter into a contract with the administrator of the fuel cell unit 3 and the fuel cell operation management system 1 for receiving the supply of electric power (and heat) energy. The contract shall be a fixed-term contract, but it may be substantially open-ended by repeating the renewal, or it may be an open-ended contract. The fuel cell unit 3 shall be installed on the premises of the user's place of residence.

[0034] The fuel cell unit 3 constitutes a hot water supply system 5. A brief description of the hot water supply system 5 will be given.

[0035] (Hot Water Supply System) The hot water supply system 5 includes a fuel cell unit 3 that serves as a power generation device and a heat generation device, a main heat medium circuit in which the main heat medium circulates, a heating heat medium circuit in which the heating heat medium circulates, a hot water supply tank 51, and a heating terminal 52. The hot water supply tank 51 is connected in the middle of the main heat medium circuit. The heat generated in the fuel cell module 31 is recovered by the main heat medium. The hot water supply system 5 is a cogeneration system including the fuel cell module 31 and the hot water supply tank 51. The main heat medium circuit and the main heat medium of the hot water supply system 5 constitute a heat recovery device that recovers the heat generated in the fuel cell module 31.

[0036] A hot water outlet pipe is connected to the hot water supply tank 51, and a hot water supply pipe for hot water use and a water filling pipe for filling the bathtub branch from the middle of the hot water outlet pipe. The heating heat medium exchanges heat with the main heat medium. A heating terminal 52 is connected to the heating heat medium circuit. As the heating terminal 52, a warm water floor heating device and a bathroom heating and drying machine are provided.

[0037] Also, a backup heat source may be provided in the middle of the main heat medium circuit or the hot water outlet pipe.

[0038] The terminal 52 for heating is controlled by the control unit 30. The control unit 30 controls each terminal 52 for heating based on the setting information of each terminal 52 for heating set and input by the heating operation unit. Note that a hot water supply system control unit that controls each terminal 52 for heating may be provided separately from the control unit 30 and may be configured to be communicable with the control unit 30 by wire and wirelessly. The hot water supply system 5 is not limited to the above-described configuration.

[0039] (Communication network) The communication network 4 is a network that connects the fuel cell operation management device 2 and a plurality of fuel cell units 3. The communication network 4 may include the Internet. The communication network 4 may be composed of not only a network compliant with a single communication protocol but also a plurality of networks compliant with different communication protocols. The communication protocol may be selected from various well-known wired and wireless communication standards. The communication network 4 may include data communication devices such as a repeater hub, a switching hub, a bridge, a gateway, and a router.

[0040] (Terminal device) The terminal device 10 is used for inputting information to the fuel cell operation management device 2 via the communication network 4 and displaying information from the fuel cell operation management device 2. The terminal device 10 can be realized by a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a portable terminal (such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, etc.), and the form is not particularly limited. Note that the terminal device 10 may be directly connected to the fuel cell operation management device 2 instead of via the communication network 4.

[0041] (Fuel cell operation management device) The fuel cell operation management device 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The fuel cell operation management device 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a processing unit 23. The fuel cell operation management device 2 can be realized by one or more servers.

[0042] The communication unit 21 is a communication interface. The communication unit 21 can be connected to the communication network 4 and has a function of performing communication through the communication network 4. The communication unit 21 includes, for example, a transmitter and a receiver. The communication unit 21 complies with a predetermined communication protocol. The predetermined communication protocol can be selected from various well-known wired and wireless communication standards.

[0043] The storage unit 22 is used to store information used by the processing unit 23. The storage unit 22 includes one or more storage devices. The storage devices are, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory).

[0044] The processing unit 23 is a control circuit that controls the operation of the fuel cell operation management device 2. The processing unit 23 can be realized by, for example, a computer system including one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. That is, by one or more processors executing one or more computer programs (applications) stored in one or more memories, it functions as the processing unit 23. The program is recorded in advance in the memory of the processing unit 23 here, but may be provided by being recorded through an electrical communication line such as the Internet or a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

[0045] The processing unit 23 includes an acquisition unit 231, a failure determination unit 232, a recovery determination unit 233, an inspection result acquisition unit 234, a utilization determination unit 235, a conformity determination unit 236, and a corrected operation command unit 237. The acquisition unit 231, the failure determination unit 232, the recovery determination unit 233, the inspection result acquisition unit 234, the utilization determination unit 235, the conformity determination unit 236, and the corrected operation command unit 237 do not indicate a physical configuration, but indicate functions realized by the processing unit 23.

[0046] (Acquisition Unit) The acquisition unit 231 acquires, via the communication network 4, the data of the physical quantity measured by the measuring device 37 in the fuel cell module 31, or the recovery flag regarding the fuel cell module 31. The data of the physical quantity is the data of various physical quantities described above including the operating time of the fuel cell body 32, and is transmitted by the control unit 30 via the communication network 4 and acquired by the acquisition unit 231. The data of the physical quantity, the recovery flag, etc. acquired by the acquisition unit 231 are stored in the storage unit 22.

[0047] The recovery flag is set to ON when it is necessary to recover the fuel cell module 31, such as when the user of the fuel cell module 31 has finished using the fuel cell module 31, or when the fuel cell module 31 needs to be recovered even if no failure has occurred. The recovery flag is transmitted via the communication network 4 from the terminal device 10 or the like by the user of the fuel cell module 31 or the administrator of the fuel cell operation management system 1.

[0048] (Fault determination unit) The fault determination unit 232 determines whether or not the fuel cell module 31 related to the acquired physical quantity data has failed based on the physical quantity data acquired by the acquisition unit 231.

[0049] For example, when the output of the fuel cell body 32 is an abnormal value even though the flow rate and pressure of the gas supplied to the fuel cell module 31 and the physical quantity related to the fuel cell module 31 are normal values, the fault determination unit 232 determines that a fault has occurred in the fuel cell body 32. Further, when the acquisition unit 231 receives the fault information of the fuel cell module 31 simply detected by the control unit 30, it may be determined that a fault has occurred in the fuel cell module 31. The normal value and abnormal value ranges of each physical quantity used for the determination in the fault determination unit 232, or the combination of normal value and abnormal value ranges of the combination of a plurality of physical quantities for the case of determining by combining a plurality of physical quantities, are stored in the storage unit 22.

[0050] (Recovery determination unit) Based on the data of the physical quantity acquired by the acquisition unit 231 or the recovery flag, the recovery determination unit 233 determines whether to recover the fuel cell module 31.

[0051] When the recovery flag is acquired by the acquisition unit 231, the recovery determination unit 233 determines to recover the fuel cell module 31. Also, when it is determined by the failure determination unit 232 that the fuel cell module 31 has failed (when the failure flag is ON) based on the data of the physical quantity acquired by the acquisition unit 231, the recovery determination unit 233 determines to recover the fuel cell module 31.

[0052] Further, the recovery determination unit 233 may determine whether to recover the fuel cell module 31 from a perspective different from the perspective of failure based on the recovery determination reference data. For example, when it is recognized from the acquired data of the physical quantity that although it does not result in a failure determination, there is a high possibility of a failure occurring in the near future, the recovery determination unit 233 may determine to recover the fuel cell module 31. The recovery determination reference data is stored in the storage unit 22.

[0053] (Inspection result acquisition unit) The inspection result acquisition unit 234 acquires the inspection result of the recovered and inspected fuel cell module 31. The inspection of the recovered fuel cell module 31 is performed by the inspection device 11. The inspection of the fuel cell module 31 will be described later.

[0054] (Utilization determination unit) Based on the inspection result acquired by the inspection result acquisition unit 234, the utilization determination unit 235 makes a determination (first determination to third determination) on how to process this fuel cell module 31.

[0055] The first determination is a determination to basically reuse the recovered fuel cell module 31 without disassembling it. Based on the inspection result, the fuel cell module 31 may be disassembled, and some parts of the fuel cell module 31 may be replaced or repaired.

[0056] The second determination is not to use the recovered fuel cell module 31 as it is, but to determine whether to disassemble the fuel cell module 31 and recycle its components. The components to be recycled may include devices such as the fuel cell module 31, the desulfurizer 33 and reformer 34 included therein, and the fuel cell body 32.

[0057] The third determination is to determine whether to store or discard the recovered fuel cell module 31. In the third determination, a further determination is made as to whether to store or discard the fuel cell module 31. For example, if the expected repair cost, storage cost, inspection cost, and delivery cost of the recovered fuel cell module 31 exceed the cost of the fuel cell module 31 body, delivery cost, etc. when introducing a new fuel cell module 31, it is determined to discard the recovered fuel cell module 31.

[0058] The determination result in the utilization determination unit 235 is received by the terminal device 10 of the administrator of the fuel cell operation management system 1 and confirmed by the administrator. Also, the utilization determination reference data used in the determination of the utilization determination unit 235 is stored in the storage unit 22.

[0059] (Conformance Determination Unit) After the recovery flag is acquired by the acquisition unit 231, the conformance determination unit 236 determines whether the fuel cell module 31 that has been recovered, inspected, and for which the first determination has been made by the utilization determination unit 235 is suitable as a replacement for the fuel cell module 31 determined to be faulty by the fault determination unit 232.

[0060] As a specific example, when the user has a time-limited use contract, the remaining period of the contract of the fuel cell module 31 that has been determined to be faulty and recovered is compared with the remaining life as understood from the inspection results of the fuel cell module 31 that has been recovered and inspected based on the recovery flag. If the remaining life is equal to or longer than the remaining period, it is determined to be compliant. The compliance determination reference data used for the determination by the compliance determination unit 236 is stored in the storage unit 22.

[0061] (Correction operation command unit) When operating the newly reused fuel cell module 31 for which the first determination has been made, or the newly assembled fuel cell module 31 for which the second determination has been made and the parts have been recycled and incorporated, the correction operation command unit 237 issues a command for correcting the operation. For the new fuel cell module 31, output values are obtained for various operating conditions in the inspection by the inspection device 11. If normal output values have been obtained for the operating conditions, the correction operation command unit 237 does not need to issue a command for correcting the operation.

[0062] However, when normal output values have not been obtained for the operating conditions for the new fuel cell module 31, the correction operation command unit 237 issues a command for correcting the operation. The correction command is obtained by the control unit 30 via the communication network 4, and the control unit 30 performs a correction operation on the fuel cell module 31 according to the correction command. As a specific example, even though the gas flow rate is a predetermined flow rate, if the predetermined power corresponding to the predetermined flow rate cannot be obtained as the output, the gas flow rate is increased from the predetermined flow rate. The input-output correlation relationship required for correction has been obtained in advance and is stored in the storage unit 22.

[0063] (Inspection device) The inspection device 11 inspects the recovered fuel cell module 31. As inspections, the inspection device 11 measures the I-V characteristics (current-voltage characteristics), OCV (open circuit voltage), Ua characteristics, and Uf characteristics of the fuel cell module 31. The inspection device 11 is connected to the communication network 4, and the inspection results obtained by the inspection device 11 are transmitted to the fuel cell operation management device 2.

[0064] (Fuel cell operation management method) The fuel cell operation management method executed in the fuel cell operation management device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0065] The fuel cell operation management method includes an acquisition step, a failure determination step, a recovery determination step, a recovery step, an inspection step, an inspection result acquisition step, a utilization determination step, a conformity determination step, and a utilization step. The processing unit 23 executes the fuel cell operation management method.

[0066] After the start of the fuel cell operation management method, first, the acquisition unit 231 executes the acquisition step. The acquisition step is a step of acquiring data of physical quantities measured in the fuel cell module 31 or a recovery flag for the fuel cell module 31. In the present embodiment, in step S1, the acquisition unit 231 acquires data of physical quantities measured by the measuring device 37 or a recovery flag via the communication network 4 from a plurality of fuel cell modules 31. Next, in step S2, it is determined whether a recovery flag for the fuel cell module 31 has been acquired. If it is determined that the recovery flag has been acquired, in step S3, the recovery flag in the execution program of the acquisition unit 231 is set to ON, and the process proceeds to step S4. If it is determined in step S2 that the recovery flag has not been acquired, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0067] Next, in step S4, the failure determination unit 232 executes the failure determination step. The failure determination step is a step of determining whether the fuel cell module 31 related to the acquired physical quantity data has failed based on the physical quantity data acquired in the acquisition step. If it is determined in the failure determination step that the fuel cell module 31 has failed, in step S5, the failure flag is set to ON, and the process proceeds to step S6. If it is determined in step S4 that there is no failure, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0068] Next, the recovery determination unit 233 executes a recovery determination step (Steps S6 to S8). The recovery determination step is a step of determining whether or not to recover the fuel cell module 31 based on the data of the physical quantity acquired in the acquisition step, the recovery flag, or the failure flag. In Step S6, if the recovery flag is ON, then in Step S7, it is determined to recover the fuel cell module 31, and the process proceeds to Step S9.

[0069] Also, if the failure flag is ON, then in the recovery determination step, it is determined to recover the fuel cell module 31. In the present embodiment, in Step S6, if the recovery flag is not ON, the process proceeds to Step S8 to determine whether or not the failure flag is ON. If it is determined that the failure flag is ON, the process proceeds to Step S7 to determine to recover the fuel cell module 31. In Step S8, if the failure flag is not ON, the process ends. Note that the failure flag is a flag that becomes ON in the fuel cell operation management device 2 and is not the data of the physical quantity directly measured by the measurement device 37, but the failure flag becomes ON based on the data of the physical quantity measured by the measurement device 37. Therefore, it can be said that the determination based on the failure flag in the recovery determination step is indirectly based on the data of the physical quantity measured by the measurement device 37.

[0070] Next, in Step S9, a recovery step is executed. The recovery step is a step of recovering the fuel cell module 31 when it is determined to recover the fuel cell module 31 in the recovery determination step. The recovery step involves the operation of delivering (transporting) the fuel cell module 31 to the inspection site, which is performed by an operator rather than the processing unit 23.

[0071] Next, in step S10, an inspection step is executed. The inspection step is a step of inspecting the fuel cell module 31 recovered in the recovery step. The operator combines the recovered fuel cell module 31 with the inspection device 11 to make the inspection of the fuel cell module 31 executable, and starts the inspection by the inspection device 11. The inspection result is automatically obtained by the inspection device 11. The inspection result is transmitted from the inspection device 11 to the fuel cell operation management device 2.

[0072] Next, in step S11, an inspection result acquisition step is executed. The inspection result acquisition step is a step of acquiring the inspection result of the fuel cell module 31 inspected in the inspection step. In the present embodiment, the inspection result acquisition unit 234 acquires the inspection result from the inspection device 11 via the communication network 4.

[0073] Next, in step S12, a utilization determination step is executed. The utilization determination step is a step in which the utilization determination unit 235 selects any one of a first determination to reuse this fuel cell module 31, a second determination to disassemble and recycle parts, or a third determination to store or discard based on the inspection result.

[0074] Next, a conformity determination step is executed. In step S13 which is the conformity determination step, it is determined whether the fuel cell module 31 with the recovery flag ON, for which the first determination has been made in the utilization determination step, is suitable as a replacement for the fuel cell module 31 with the failure flag ON.

[0075] Next, a utilization step is executed (steps S14 to S20). The utilization step is a step in which the operator actually performs operations such as reuse, recycling, or disposal based on the determination result (first determination to third determination) in the utilization determination step.

[0076] In step S14, it is determined whether the first determination has been made. For the fuel cell module 31 for which the first determination has been made, in step S15, it is reused basically without being disassembled. If the first determination is not made in step S14, in step S16, it is determined whether the second determination has been made. For the fuel cell module 31 for which the second determination has been made in step S16, in step S17, it is disassembled and the parts are recycled. If the second determination is not made in step S16, since the third determination has been made, for the fuel cell module 31 for which the third determination has been made, in step S18, either storage or disposal is selected. Note that the selection of storage or disposal in step S18 is made according to an appropriate criterion. If storage is selected in step S18, the fuel cell module 31 is stored in step S19 and the process proceeds to the conformity determination step of step S13. Also, if storage is not selected and disposal is selected in step S18, the fuel cell module 31 is disposed of in step S20.

[0077] The utilization step includes a removal step and a replacement step. The replacement step is a step of replacing a predetermined type of part that the fuel cell module 31 had with another predetermined type of part when the first determination or the second determination is made in the utilization determination step for the recovered fuel cell module 31.

[0078] The removal step is a step of disassembling the fuel cell module 31 and removing a predetermined type of part having a remaining life when the second determination is made in the utilization determination step for the recovered fuel cell module 31.

[0079] In the replacement step, a predetermined type of component that the fuel cell module 31 to be reused as a result of the first determination in the usage determination step or the fuel cell module 31 to be recycled as a result of the second determination may be replaced with a predetermined type of component taken out in the taking-out step from the fuel cell module 31 to be recycled as a result of the second determination in the usage determination step. Further, in the replacement step, a predetermined type of component that the fuel cell module 31 to be reused as a result of the first determination in the usage determination step or the fuel cell module 31 to be recycled as a result of the second determination may be replaced with a new predetermined type of component.

[0080] (Effect) In the fuel cell operation management system 1 and the fuel cell operation management method described above, when a failure occurs in the fuel cell module 31 or when the user finishes using the fuel cell module 31, the fuel cell module 31 in which at least some components are likely to have a remaining life is inspected. After the inspection, when it is determined that the fuel cell module 31 can be reused without being disassembled (first determination), it is used without being discarded, and the remaining life can be effectively utilized. Further, after the inspection, when it is determined that the fuel cell module 31 is recyclable for some components (second determination), it is disassembled and some components are used without being discarded, and the remaining life can be effectively utilized. In this way, the reuse of the fuel cell module 31 and the recycling of components that have been conventionally discarded are promoted, and the environmental load and the operation cost can be reduced.

[0081] Further, by executing the failure determination step by the failure determination unit 232, the fuel cell module 31 to be reused or recycled can be appropriately found, and in the operation of a large number of fuel cell modules 31, it is possible to perform efficient reuse or recycling of the fuel cell module 31.

[0082] Also, by executing the conformity determination step by the conformity determination unit 236, it becomes possible to efficiently operate the fuel cell modules 31 by appropriately combining the reuse or recycling of the plurality of fuel cell modules 31.

[0083] (Modification example) As a usage form of the fuel cell module 31, a usage form may be adopted in which a user purchases and owns the fuel cell module 31, and an administrator of the fuel cell operation management system 1 performs the installation and actual operation of the fuel cell module 31.

[0084] The fuel cell module 31 does not necessarily need to constitute the hot water supply system 5.

[0085] The failure determination unit 232, the conformity determination unit 236, and the corrected operation command unit 237 are arbitrary configurations in the fuel cell operation management device 2, and do not necessarily need to be provided in the fuel cell operation management device 2.

[0086] Note that the above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0087] 1 Fuel cell operation management system 10 Terminal device 11 Inspection device 2 Fuel cell operation management device 21 Communication unit 22 Storage unit 23 Processing unit 231 Acquisition unit 232 Failure determination unit 233 Recovery determination unit 234 Inspection result acquisition unit 235 Usage determination unit 236 Conformity determination unit 237 Corrected operation command unit 3 Fuel cell unit 30 Control unit 31 Fuel cell module 32 Fuel cell body 33 Desulfurizer 34 Reformer 37 Measuring device 4 Communication network 5 Hot water supply system 51 Hot water tank 52 Heating terminal 6 Power conditioner 7 Load equipment

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires data of physical quantities measured in a fuel cell module or a recovery flag for the fuel cell module; A recovery determination unit that determines whether to recover the fuel cell module based on the data of the physical quantities or the recovery flag acquired by the acquisition unit; An inspection result acquisition unit that acquires an inspection result of the fuel cell module recovered and inspected; A utilization determination unit that selects any one of a first determination to reuse this fuel cell module, a second determination to disassemble and recycle parts, or a third determination to store or discard based on the inspection result; A failure determination unit that determines whether the fuel cell module related to the acquired data of the physical quantities is faulty based on the data of the physical quantities acquired by the acquisition unit, and is provided with: When the failure determination unit determines that the fuel cell module is faulty, the recovery determination unit determines to recover the fuel cell module. Fuel cell operation management device.

2. Further comprising a conformity determination unit, The conformity determination unit, After the recovery flag is acquired by the acquisition unit, the fuel cell module that has been recovered, inspected, and for which the first determination has been made by the utilization determination unit, Determines whether it is suitable as an alternative to the fuel cell module determined to be faulty by the failure determination unit. The fuel cell operation management device according to claim 1.

3. The fuel cell operation management device according to claim 1 or 2, and A plurality of the fuel cell modules, and A communication network that connects the fuel cell operation management device and the plurality of fuel cell modules, and is provided with: Fuel cell operation management system.

4. An acquisition step of acquiring data of physical quantities measured in a fuel cell module or a recovery flag for the fuel cell module; A recovery determination step of determining whether to recover the fuel cell module based on the data of the physical quantities or the recovery flag acquired in the acquisition step; A recovery step of recovering this fuel cell module when it is determined in the recovery determination step to recover the fuel cell module; An inspection step of inspecting the fuel cell module recovered in the recovery step; An inspection result acquisition step of acquiring an inspection result of the fuel cell module inspected in the inspection step; A utilization determination step of selecting, based on the inspection result, any one of a first determination of reusing this fuel cell module, a second determination of disassembling and recycling parts, or a third determination of storing or discarding; A failure determination step of determining whether or not the fuel cell module related to the acquired physical quantity data has failed based on the physical quantity data acquired in the acquisition step, and comprising: When it is determined in the failure determination step that the fuel cell module has failed, in the recovery determination step, it is determined to recover the fuel cell module. Fuel cell operation management method.

5. Further comprising a conformity determination step, The conformity determination step is After the recovery flag is acquired in the acquisition step, the fuel cell module recovered in the recovery step, inspected by the inspection step, and for which the first determination is made by the utilization determination step is A step of determining whether or not it is suitable as a replacement for the fuel cell module determined to have failed in the failure determination step. The fuel cell operation management method according to claim 4.

6. A program for causing one or more processors to execute the fuel cell operation management method according to claim 4 or 5.

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