Power Management System

Abstract

To appropriately decreasing and increasing power incoming point power of each facility while performing recovery of waste-heat of an electric power supply and heat storage of a heat storage part, without wastage in a power supply management system.SOLUTION: In a power supply management system, a heat storage heater 17 is further provided in at least one of a plurality of facilities 20. The heat storage heater 17 is connected with a power line 2 connected with a power system 1. A hot water storage tank 15 can store heat which is generated by power consumed by the heat storage heater 17. A management device 30 acquires demand information indicating demand state power and heat in the facilities 20, and when making the facilities 20 feed adjustment force related to decreasing and increasing power incoming point power of the facilities 20, allocates the total adjustment force that the plurality of facilities 20 need to feed together to the plurality of facilities 20 based on the demand information and performs command transmission processing which transmits a control command according to an allocation value of the adjustment force after the allocation to the plurality of facilities 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power management system that includes power supply devices installed in each of a plurality of facilities and a management device that can communicate with the devices installed in the facilities from a remote location outside the facilities. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a power management system has been proposed that includes a plurality of facilities, power supply devices, and a management device, based on the concept of a virtual power plant (VPP).

[0003] In the power management system, when a management device receives a command to provide adjustment capacity, the management device provides the adjustment capacity of the power supply devices of each facility to the power grid on the day of provision. In this way, by consolidating multiple dispersed facilities and power supply devices using the management device, the multiple facilities and power supply devices can function as a single power plant or consumer market. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-125907 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Many of the facilities and power supply devices described above have a heat storage unit that recovers and stores the exhaust heat generated during power generation. For example, a fuel cell device, which is an example of a power supply device, has a heat storage unit that uses the exhaust heat to heat water, stores it as hot water for hot water supply, and supplies the stored hot water to various parts of the facility.

[0006] In this case, since the capacity of the heat storage unit is limited, when the power receiving point power is reduced in the power management system, the output power of the power supply device is increased, and after the heat storage in the heat storage unit reaches its limit, the heat storage unit cannot store heat even if the power supply device continues to generate power.When the power receiving point power is increased, if the output power of the power supply device is decreased when the heat storage in the heat storage unit is insufficient, this may lead to a state in which the heat storage in the heat storage unit is insufficient.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a power supply management system that can appropriately lower and raise the power at the receiving point of each facility while efficiently recovering the exhaust heat of the power supply unit and storing heat in the heat storage unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A characteristic configuration of a power supply management system according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes power supply devices installed in each of a plurality of facilities, and a management device that can communicate with the devices installed in the facilities from a remote location outside the facilities, a power supply management system configured such that the facility is provided with the power supply device, a power load device, a heat storage unit that stores heat, a heat load device that consumes the heat stored in the heat storage unit, and a heat storage detection unit that detects the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit, the power supply device and the power load device are connected to a power line that is connected to an electric power system, and the heat storage unit is capable of storing heat generated in conjunction with operation of the power supply device; at least one of the plurality of facilities is further provided with a thermal storage heating device, the thermal storage heating device is connected to the power line connected to the power grid, and the thermal storage unit is configured to be able to store heat generated by the thermal storage heating device consuming electric power; The management device acquire supply and demand information indicating the supply and demand status of electricity and heat in the facility; When the facility is required to provide adjustment power related to increasing or decreasing the power at the receiving point of the facility, the total adjustment power that the multiple facilities need to provide together is distributed to the multiple facilities based on the supply and demand information, and a command transmission process is performed to transmit control commands to the multiple facilities according to the allocated value of the adjustment power after distribution.

[0009] According to the above characteristic configuration, the total adjustment capacity that needs to be provided by the plurality of facilities is distributed to the plurality of facilities based on supply and demand information that indicates the supply and demand status of electricity and heat at the facilities. Therefore, a power supply management system is provided that can appropriately increase and decrease the power at the power receiving point of each facility while efficiently recovering the exhaust heat of the power supply device and storing heat in the heat storage section.

[0010] Another characteristic configuration of the power supply management system of the present invention is that, in the command transmission process, the management device transmits, as the control command, to the facility in which the heat storage heating device is installed, at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the power supply device and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the heat storage heating device in accordance with the allocation value of the adjustment capacity, and transmits, as the control command, the power supply control command in accordance with the allocation value of the adjustment capacity to the facility in which the heat storage heating device is not installed.

[0011] According to the above characteristic configuration, in the command transmission process, the management device transmits, as control commands to the facility where the thermal storage heating device is installed, at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the power supply device according to the allocated value of adjustment capability and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device. In other words, the management device can determine by itself the power supply control command for the power supply device and the heating control command for the thermal storage heating device and transmit them to the facility.

[0012] Another characteristic feature of the power supply management system according to the present invention is that, in the facility where the heat storage heating device is installed, the control command received by the facility is The order , In the facilitybased on the supply and demand information, the power supply control command is converted into at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the power supply device and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device, and the converted power supply control command is issued to at least one of the power supply device and the thermal storage heating device, In the facility where the heat storage heating device is not installed, the control command received by the facility The order The difference is that the power supply control command is sent to the power supply device to determine the output power of the power supply device.

[0013] According to the above characteristic configuration, in a facility where a thermal storage heating device is installed, the management device transmits the command to the facility in the command transmission process. Control Command but, In that facility Based on the supply and demand information, the information is converted into at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the power supply device and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device, and is issued to at least one of the power supply device and the thermal storage heating device. In other words, in the facility, a power supply control command for the power supply device and a heating control command for the thermal storage heating device are determined and issued to the power supply device and the thermal storage heating device.

[0014] Another characteristic configuration of the power supply management system according to the present invention is that the supply and demand state is whether the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is currently insufficient or whether the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is predicted to be insufficient in the future; whether the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit has reached the upper limit of the amount of heat stored or whether the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is predicted to reach the upper limit of the amount of heat stored in the future; Whether the power supply is operating at its rated output; whether the power supply device is performing an excessive output operation in which the output power is increased in response to the fact that the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is currently insufficient or that the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is predicted to be insufficient in the future, thereby increasing the amount of heat generated; Whether or not reverse flow power is occurring from the facility to the power grid; and The heat storage heating device is identified by at least one of whether or not it consumes power and generates heat.

[0015] According to the above characteristic configuration, when the heat storage capacity of the heat storage unit is currently insufficient or is predicted to be insufficient in the future, a power control command is preferably issued to increase the output of the power supply device to increase the amount of heat generated, or a heating control command is preferably issued to increase the power consumption of the heat storage heating device to increase the amount of heat generated. Furthermore, when the heat storage capacity of the heat storage unit has reached its upper limit or is predicted to reach its upper limit in the future, a power control command is preferably issued to decrease the output of the power supply device to decrease the amount of heat generated, or a heating control command is preferably issued to decrease the power consumption of the heat storage heating device to decrease the amount of heat generated. Furthermore, when a power supply device is operating at rated output, it has a large margin for reducing its output, so it is highly prioritized to be selected as a power supply device that issues a power control command to reduce its output. Furthermore, when a power supply device is operating at excessive output, increasing its output power and increasing the amount of heat generated in response to a current shortage of heat storage capacity in the heat storage unit or a prediction that a shortage will occur in the future, it has a large margin for reducing its output, so it is highly prioritized to be selected as a power supply device that issues a power control command to reduce its output. Furthermore, when reverse power flow from the facility to the power grid occurs, the power supply device has a large margin for reducing its output, and therefore has a high priority for being selected as the power supply device to issue a power control command to reduce its output. Furthermore, when the thermal storage heating device is consuming power and generating heat, the power supply device has a large margin for reducing its power consumption, and therefore has a high priority for being selected as the thermal storage heating device to issue a heating control command to reduce its power consumption. In this way, the power supply device to issue a power control command and the thermal storage heating device to issue a heating control command can be selected taking into account the supply and demand status of power and heat. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between facilities, a management device, and an aggregation coordinator. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a facility configuration. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a facility configuration. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control period and a non-control period. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between a facility 20 in which a fuel cell device 10 and the like are installed, a management device 30, and an aggregation coordinator 40. Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing an example configuration of the facility 20. The power supply management system includes the fuel cell devices 10 as power supply devices installed in each of the multiple facilities 20, and a management device 30 that can communicate with devices installed in the facility 20 from a remote location outside the facility 20. The fuel cell device 10 corresponds to the "power supply device" of the present invention.

[0018] Facility 20 is provided with a fuel cell device 10 as a power supply device, a power load device 4, a hot water tank 15 as a heat storage unit that stores heat, a heat load device 9 that consumes the heat stored in the hot water tank 15, and a heat storage detection unit 16 that detects the amount of heat stored in the hot water tank 15. In facility 20, fuel cell device 10, power load device 4, and heat storage heating device 17 are connected to power lines 2 that are connected to an electric power system 1, and hot water tank 15 is configured to be able to store heat generated as the fuel cell device 10 operates.

[0019] For example, a heat medium (such as high-temperature exhaust gas or cooling water) that retains heat generated during operation of the fuel cell device 10 exchanges heat with hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 15 in a heat exchanger (not shown), so that the heat discharged from the fuel cell device 10 is stored in the hot water storage tank 15 in the form of hot water. The hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is supplied to the thermal load device 9 for hot water supply, heating, etc.

[0020] Hot water storage tank 15, which serves as a heat storage unit, is provided with a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the hot water. For example, temperature sensors are provided at multiple locations in hot water storage tank 15. As a result, the amount of heat stored in hot water storage tank 15 as a whole can be calculated based on the temperatures of the hot water at multiple locations in hot water storage tank 15. In other words, the temperature sensor functions as heat storage detection unit 16.

[0021] At least one of the facilities 20 is further provided with a thermal storage heating device 17. For example, the facility 20A (20) shown in FIG. 2 is provided with the thermal storage heating device 17. The thermal storage heating device 17 is connected to the power line 2 and can receive power supply from at least one of the fuel cell device 10 and the power system 1 installed in the facility 20. The facility 20A is configured so that heat generated by the thermal storage heating device 17 consuming power is stored in the hot water storage tank 15. The facility 20B (20) shown in FIG. 3 is not provided with the thermal storage heating device 17.

[0022] The thermal storage heating device 17 may be any type of device that can convert electricity into heat. For example, the thermal storage heating device 17 may have a surplus power consumption heater that consumes surplus power generated by the fuel cell device 10. Even if the thermal storage heating device 17 is a surplus power consumption heater, the surplus power consumption heater can receive power from the power line 2. Alternatively, the thermal storage heating device 17 may have a heater with a larger capacity than a normal surplus power consumption heater. Alternatively, the thermal storage heating device 17 may have an electric heat pump. Providing such a thermal storage heating device 17 may eliminate the need for a conventional boiler that heats water using combustion heat obtained by burning fuel.

[0023] 1 includes a facility 20A in which the thermal storage heating device 17 is installed and a facility 20B in which the thermal storage heating device 17 is not installed. The management device 30 stores information in advance about which facilities 20 are equipped with the thermal storage heating device 17 and which facilities 20 are not equipped with the thermal storage heating device 17.

[0024] The management device 30 is also called a resource aggregator, and is a business operator that transmits control information to facilities 20 that have concluded a VPP (Virtual Power Plant) service contract, thereby controlling consumer-side energy resources (e.g., fuel cell devices 10, thermal storage heating devices 17, power load devices 4, etc.) installed in the facilities 20. The aggregation coordinator 40 is a business operator that aggregates the amount of power controlled by each management device 30 and trades power with general power transmission and distribution companies and electricity retailers in the electricity trading market, etc.

[0025] As will be described later, the management device 30 acquires supply and demand information from each of the multiple facilities 20 that indicates the supply and demand status of power and heat at the facility 20. For example, the management device 30 sequentially collects and stores power information such as the output power of the fuel cell device 10, the power consumption of the power load device 4, and the power receiving point power at the facility 20 as supply and demand information. In addition, the management device 30 sequentially collects and stores, as supply and demand information, at least one of the following: information indicating whether the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is currently insufficient or is predicted to be insufficient in the future; information indicating whether the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 has reached its upper limit or is predicted to reach that limit in the future; information indicating whether the fuel cell device 10 is operating at rated output; information indicating whether the fuel cell device 10 is operating at excessive output, increasing the output power and generating more heat in response to the current or predicted future insufficiency of the heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15; information indicating whether reverse power flow from the facility 20 to the power grid 1 is occurring; and information indicating whether the heat-storage heating device 17 is consuming power and generating heat. Furthermore, the management device 30 sequentially collects and stores, as supply and demand information, information such as the amount by which the output power of the fuel cell device 10 can be increased and decreased, and the amount by which the power consumption of the heat-storage heating device 17 can be increased and decreased. In this embodiment, the term "power consumption of the power load device 4" refers to the total power consumption of all the power load devices 4 installed in the facility 20.

[0026] The management device 30 then predicts the amount of power that can be supplied from each facility 20 during a predetermined time period in the future and transmits this to the aggregation coordinator 40. This supplyable power is an adjustment margin, such as the facility 20's ability to increase or decrease the power receiving point power. In this embodiment, "increasing the power receiving point power" means increasing the power received from power system 1 to power line 2 or decreasing the reverse flow power from power line 2 to power system 1, and "decreasing the power receiving point power" means decreasing the power received from power system 1 to power line 2 or increasing the reverse flow power from power line 2 to power system 1.

[0027] For example, in order to increase the power receiving point power of the facility 20, it is sufficient to at least either reduce the output power of the fuel cell device 10 or increase the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device 17, so the upward adjustment margin when increasing the power receiving point power of the facility 20 indicates how much room there is to reduce the output power of the fuel cell device 10, and how much room there is to increase the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device 17. Also, in order to decrease the power receiving point power of the facility 20, it is sufficient to at least either increase the output power of the fuel cell device 10 or reduce the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device 17, so the downward adjustment margin when decreasing the power receiving point power of the facility 20 indicates how much room there is to increase the output power of the fuel cell device 10, and how much room there is to reduce the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device 17.

[0028] Furthermore, the management device 30 determines baseline power receiving point power for the multiple facilities 20 that it manages. This baseline power receiving point power corresponds to the total power receiving point power of each facility 20 predicted when each facility 20 does not provide adjustment capacity, etc. (i.e., including adjustment capacity provided to the electricity transmission and distribution company and supply capacity provided to the retailer, etc.).

[0029] The aggregation coordinator 40 aggregates the available power received from each management device 30 and trades power with general electricity transmission and distribution companies and electricity retailers by bidding on electricity trading markets such as the supply and demand adjustment market, the wholesale electricity market, and the capacity market. When the aggregation coordinator 40 receives a supply command for adjustment capacity or the like for a predetermined future control period from the general electricity transmission and distribution company or the electricity retailer with which it has traded, it distributes and transmits the adjustment capacity or the like specified in the supply command to each management device 30.

[0030] When the management device 30 receives a supply command from the aggregation coordinator 40, it distributes the adjustment capacity, etc. specified in the supply command to each facility 20, and performs a command transmission process to transmit control commands according to the allocated value of the adjustment capacity after distribution to the multiple facilities 20. As a result, in each facility 20, the fuel cell device 10 and the heat storage heating device 17 as consumer-side energy resources are controlled during a predetermined future control period, and thereby adjustment capacity, etc. is supplied such that the power receiving point power of the facility 20 increases or decreases compared to when the control is not performed.

[0031] A power meter 3 is installed on the power line 2 to measure the power at the receiving point of the facility 20. Information about the power at the receiving point measured by the power meter 3 is transmitted to the management device 30 via the gateway 5 and the router 6. For example, the information about the power at the receiving point is transmitted to the management device 30 at a predetermined timing, such as every 10 seconds.

[0032] The power load device 4 is a variety of devices such as a lighting device, an air conditioner, etc., and can receive power supply from at least one of the fuel cell device 10 installed in the facility 20 and the power system 1.

[0033] The fuel cell device 10 includes a fuel cell unit 12 as a power supply unit connected to the power grid 1, a power conversion unit 11 that converts the power generated by the fuel cell unit 12 into a predetermined voltage, frequency, and phase and supplies it to the power line 2, a fuel cell control unit 13 that controls the operation of the fuel cell unit 12 and the power conversion unit 11, and a memory unit 14 that stores information handled by the fuel cell device 10. The fuel cell device 10 may also include a fuel reformer that generates hydrogen, which is the fuel gas for the fuel cell unit 12.

[0034] In this way, a fuel cell device 10 can be realized which has the functions of a power supply device used in a power supply management system and in which the power supply section comprises the fuel cell section 12.

[0035] The fuel cell control unit 13 can adjust the output power from the fuel cell device 10 to the power line 2 between a predetermined upper limit output power and a predetermined lower limit output power. For example, the fuel cell control unit 13 can maintain the output power of the fuel cell device 10 at the upper limit output power to operate it continuously. The fuel cell control unit 13 can also operate the fuel cell device 10 so that the output power of the fuel cell device 10 follows the power consumption of the power load device 4. For example, the fuel cell control unit 13 can operate the fuel cell device 10 so that the power measured by the power measurement unit 8 (i.e., the power supplied from the power grid 1) becomes zero or close to zero, thereby operating the fuel cell device 10 so that the output power of the fuel cell device 10 follows the power consumption of the power load device 4.

[0036] The fuel cell control unit 13 has information about the output power supplied from the power conversion unit 11 to the power line 2 and information about the power measured by the power measurement unit 8, and is therefore able to derive the power consumption (= output power + measured power) of the power load device 4. When the sign of the power measured by the power measurement unit 8 is positive, this means that the power consumption is greater than the output power of the fuel cell device 10, and when the sign of the power measured by the power measurement unit 8 is negative, this means that the output power of the fuel cell device 10 is greater than the power consumption.

[0037] The fuel cell device 10 is connected to a remote control 7 that is operated by users of the facility 20 when issuing commands to the fuel cell device 10. The above-mentioned supply and demand information is transmitted to the management device 30 via the remote control 7 and the router 6.

[0038] The fuel cell control unit 13 can know the current amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 based on the detection result of the heat storage detection unit 16. As a result, if the current amount of heat stored is less than a predetermined amount of heat stored, the fuel cell control unit 13 can determine that the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is insufficient. For example, if the predetermined amount of heat stored is set to 20% of the upper limit of the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15, the fuel cell control unit 13 determines that the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is insufficient if the current amount of heat stored is less than 20% of the upper limit of the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15.

[0039] The storage unit 14 also stores information indicating the trend in the predicted amount of heat consumption for each unit period in the facility 20, for example, information indicating the trend in the predicted amount of heat consumption for each hour of a 24-hour day. As a result, the fuel cell control unit 13 can derive the amount of heat predicted to be required in the facility 20 from the present time until a predetermined time later, for example, six hours later from the present time.

[0040] Furthermore, the memory unit 14 stores information showing the trend of the predicted power consumption for each unit period in the facility 20, for example, information showing the trend of the predicted power consumption for each hour of a 24-hour day. As a result, the fuel cell control unit 13 can derive the amount of heat that will be generated when load-following operation is performed in which the fuel cell unit 12 outputs power equal to the predicted power consumption from the present time until a predetermined time from the present time, for example, until six hours from the present time, in hot water storage tank 15.

[0041] Then, the fuel cell control unit 13 can derive a predicted value for the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 six hours from now based on the current amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15, the amount of heat predicted to be newly stored in the hot water storage tank 15 within six hours from now, and the amount of heat predicted to be required by the facility 20 within six hours from now. As a result, if the predicted value for the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 six hours from now is less than, for example, 20% of the upper limit of the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15, the fuel cell control unit 13 can determine that the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 will be insufficient in the future.

[0042] When the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is currently insufficient or is predicted to be insufficient in the future, the fuel cell control unit 13 increases the output power accordingly to perform excess output operation to increase the amount of heat generated. As a result, the increase in the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is promoted, and it can be expected that the hot water storage tank 15 will not be insufficient in the future.

[0043] The fuel cell control unit 13 can control the operation of the heat storage heating device 17. Because the heat storage heating device 17 is connected to the power line 2, the power consumed by the heat storage heating device 17 is at least one of the power supplied from the power grid 1 and the power supplied by the fuel cell unit 12. When the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is currently insufficient or is predicted to be insufficient in the future, the fuel cell control unit 13 causes the heat storage heating device 17 to consume power and store the generated heat in the hot water storage tank 15. As a result, an increase in the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is promoted, and it can be expected that the hot water storage tank 15 will not be insufficient in the future.

[0044] The management device 30 can transmit control commands, such as commands to increase or decrease the power at the receiving point of each facility 20, to each of the multiple facilities 20. During a control period that is the subject of the control command, each facility 20 operates in a first operation mode in accordance with the control command received from the management device 30, and during a non-control period that is outside the control period, the facility 20 operates in a second operation mode that is different from the first operation mode.

[0045] The second operation mode is an operation mode that is set in advance in each facility 20. Alternatively, the management device 30 can transmit an operation mode control command that determines the second operation mode to each facility 20, and each facility 20 determines the second operation mode in accordance with the operation mode control command received from the management device 30.

[0046] For example, the fuel cell control unit 13 of the fuel cell device 10 installed in each facility 20 can operate the fuel cell device 10 continuously in the second operation mode, maintaining the output power of the fuel cell device 10 at the upper limit output power. Furthermore, the fuel cell control unit 13 can also operate the fuel cell device 10 in the second operation mode so that the output power of the fuel cell device 10 follows the power consumption of the power load device 4. For example, the fuel cell control unit 13 can operate the fuel cell device 10 so that the power measured by the power measurement unit 8 (i.e., the power supplied from the power grid 1) becomes zero or close to zero, thereby causing the fuel cell device 10 to operate so that the output power follows the power consumption of the power load device 4.

[0047] In addition, the fuel cell control unit 13 of the fuel cell device 10 installed in each facility 20 can also perform the above-mentioned excess output operation that increases the heat generated, as described above. Also, the fuel cell control unit 13 can also perform an operation that causes the heat storage heating device 17 to consume power.

[0048] Fig. 4 is a diagram that schematically illustrates a control period and a non-control period. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the control information (output control command) specifies the period from 12:00 to 15:00 as the control period. Therefore, during the control period from 12:00 to 15:00, the fuel cell device 10, the power load device 4, the heat storage heating device 17, and the like installed in the facility 20 operate in a first operation mode that operates in accordance with the control command, and during the other non-control period, they operate in a second operation mode.

[0049] When the management device 30 requests a facility 20 to provide adjustment power related to increasing or decreasing the receiving point power of the facility 20, the management device 30 distributes the total adjustment power that the multiple facilities 20 need to provide together to the multiple facilities 20 based on supply and demand information, and performs a command transmission process to transmit control commands to the multiple facilities 20 according to the allocation value of the adjustment power after distribution.

[0050] After determining the allocation value of the adjustment power distributed to each facility 20 as described above, the management device 30 transmits, in a command transmission process, to the facility 20 in which the heat storage heating device 17 is installed, at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the fuel cell device 10 and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the heat storage heating device 17, in accordance with the allocation value of the adjustment power, and to the facility 20 in which the heat storage heating device 17 is not installed, a power supply control command in accordance with the allocation value of the adjustment power.

[0051] For example, the management device 30 acquires supply and demand information indicating the supply and demand status of power and heat in each facility 20, and classifies each facility 20 as shown in Table 1 below.

[0052] In the facilities 20 of categories A and B, the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is insufficient or is predicted to be insufficient in the future, so the fuel cell device 10 is operating at excess power. In the facility 20 of category A, excess power generated by the excess power operation is reverse-flowed to the power grid 1, and in the facility 20 of category B, excess power generated by the excess power operation is consumed by the heat storage heating device 17. In the facility 20 of category C, the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is insufficient or is predicted to be insufficient in the future, but the fuel cell device 10 is not operating at excess power and is operating in load following mode.

[0053] In the facility 20 of category D, the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is not insufficient and is not predicted to be insufficient in the future, so the fuel cell device 10 is not operating at excessive power output. Also, in the facility 20 of category D, it is predicted that the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 will not be full in the future. In the facility 20 of category E, the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 is not insufficient and is not predicted to be insufficient in the future, so the fuel cell device 10 is not operating at excessive power output. Also, in the facility 20 of category E, it is predicted that the amount of heat stored in the hot water storage tank 15 will be full in the future.

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055] When the management device 30 issues a control command to the facilities 20 to increase the power receiving point power, it issues the control command to at least one of the fuel cell devices 10 and the heat storage heating devices 17 of each facility 20 in the order of priority shown in Table 2 below. The management device 30 can appropriately determine how much adjustment power to allocate to the fuel cell devices 10 and the heat storage heating devices 17 based on information such as the amount by which the output power of the fuel cell device 10 can be increased and decreased, and the amount by which the power consumption of the heat storage heating devices 17 can be increased and decreased.

[0056] [Table 2]

[0057] In the first place, when a power supply control command to reduce output power is given to a fuel cell device 10 installed in a facility 20 of category A, the reverse flow power decreases and the power at the power receiving point of the facility 20 increases. Also, when a heating control command to increase the power consumption of a heat storage heating device 17 installed in a facility 20 of category A is given to a heat storage heating device 17, the power consumption at the facility 20 increases and the power at the power receiving point of the facility 20 increases.

[0058] In the second case, when a power supply control command to reduce the output power is given to a fuel cell device 10 installed in a facility 20 of category B, the received power increases and the power at the power receiving point of the facility 20 rises. Also, when a heating control command to increase the power consumption of a heat storage heating device 17 installed in a facility 20 of category B is given to a heat storage heating device 17, the power consumption at the facility 20 increases and the power at the power receiving point of the facility 20 rises.

[0059] In the third case, when a heating control command to increase power consumption is given to the thermal storage heating device 17 installed in the facility 20 of category C, the power consumption at the facility 20 increases and the power receiving point power of the facility 20 increases.

[0060] In the fourth place, when a power supply control command to reduce the output power of the fuel cell device 10 is given to the fuel cell device 10 installed in the facility 20 of category E, the power receiving point power of the facility 20 increases.

[0061] In the fifth place, when a power supply control command to reduce the output power of the fuel cell device 10 is given to the fuel cell device 10 installed in the facility 20 of category D, the power receiving point power of the facility 20 increases.

[0062] In the sixth case, when a power supply control command is given to a fuel cell device 10 installed in a facility 20 of category A, category B, or category C to reduce the output power of the fuel cell device 10 compared to when it is in load following mode, the power receiving point power of that facility 20 increases.

[0063] In the seventh case, when a heating control command is given to the heat storage heating device 17 installed in the facilities 20 of categories A, B, C, D, and E to increase power consumption within a range in which the heat storage capacity of the hot water storage tank 15 does not reach the upper limit, the power consumption at the facility 20 increases and the power receiving point power of the facility 20 increases.

[0064] When the management device 30 issues a control command to the facilities 20 to reduce the power receiving point power, it issues the control command to at least one of the fuel cell devices 10 and the heat storage heating devices 17 of each facility 20 in the order of priority shown in Table 3 below. The management device 30 can appropriately determine how much adjustment power to allocate to the fuel cell devices 10 and the heat storage heating devices 17 based on information such as the amount by which the output power of the fuel cell device 10 can be increased and decreased, and the amount by which the power consumption of the heat storage heating devices 17 can be increased and decreased.

[0065] [Table 3]

[0066] In the first place, when a power supply control command to increase the output power is given to the fuel cell device 10 installed in the facility 20 of category C, the power receiving point power of the facility 20 decreases.

[0067] In the second case, when a power supply control command to increase the output power is given to a fuel cell device 10 installed in a facility 20 of category A that is operating at less than the rated output, the power receiving point power of that facility 20 will decrease.

[0068] In the case of the third place, when a power supply control command to increase the output power is given to the fuel cell device 10 installed in the facility 20 of category D, the power receiving point power of the facility 20 decreases.

[0069] In the fourth place, when a power supply control command to increase the output power is given to the fuel cell device 10 installed in the facility 20 of category E, the power receiving point power of the facility 20 decreases.

[0070] In the case of the fifth place, when a power supply control command to increase the output power is given to the fuel cell device 10 installed in the facility 20 of category B, the power receiving point power of the facility 20 decreases.

[0071] In the sixth place, when a power supply control command to increase the output power is given to a fuel cell device 10 installed in a facility 20 of category A that is operating at rated output, the power receiving point power of that facility 20 decreases.

[0072] As described above, the total adjustment power that the multiple facilities 20 need to provide together is distributed to the multiple facilities 20 based on supply and demand information that indicates the supply and demand status of power and heat at the facilities 20. Furthermore, in the command transmission process, the management device 30 transmits, as control commands, to the facilities 20 in which the thermal storage heating devices 17 are installed, at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the fuel cell device 10 according to the allocated value of the adjustment power and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the thermal storage heating devices 17. In other words, the management device 30 can independently determine the power supply control command for the fuel cell device 10 and the heating control command for the thermal storage heating devices 17 and transmit them to the facilities 20. Therefore, it is possible to provide a power supply management system that can appropriately increase and decrease the power at the power receiving point of each facility 20 while efficiently recovering exhaust heat from the fuel cell device 10 and storing heat in the hot water storage tank 15.

[0073] Second Embodiment The power supply management system of the second embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that a control command is given to the fuel cell device 10 and the heat storage heating device 17 in the facility 20. The power supply management system of the second embodiment will be described below, but a description of the same configuration as in the above-described embodiments will be omitted.

[0074] In this embodiment, the management device 30 only provides control commands to be achieved by each facility 20, and does not provide individual control commands, i.e., power supply control commands and heating control commands, to the fuel cell device 10 and heat storage heating device 17 of each facility 20.

[0075] For example, the management device 30 can ascertain the adjustment power that can be achieved by the fuel cell device 10 of each facility 20, or by the fuel cell device 10 and the heat storage heating device 17, based on the supply and demand information acquired from each facility 20. Then, the management device 30 determines a control command for each facility 20 such that, in the case of a control command to increase the power receiving point power, the facility 20 with the higher priority listed in Table 2 is assigned a larger adjustment power allocation value, and in the case of a control command to decrease the power receiving point power, the facility 20 with the higher priority listed in Table 3 is assigned a larger adjustment power allocation value.

[0076] In the facility 20 where the heat storage heating device 17 is installed, the fuel cell control unit 13 controls the control command received by the facility 20. The order , In that facility 20 Based on the supply and demand information, the information is converted into at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the fuel cell device 10 and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the heat storage heating device 17, and is issued to at least one of the fuel cell device 10 and the heat storage heating device 17.In a facility 20 that does not have a heat storage heating device 17, the adjustment power allocation value of the control command received by the facility 20 is issued to the fuel cell device 10 as a power supply control command that determines the output power of the fuel cell device 10.

[0077] For example, in each facility 20, the fuel cell control unit 13 determines and commands the allocation value of adjustment power to the fuel cell device 10 installed in that facility 20, or the fuel cell device 10 and the heat storage heating device 17, in the order of priority shown in Tables 2 and 3, by referring to the supply and demand information similar to that described above stored in the memory unit 14.

[0078] <Another embodiment> <1> In the above embodiment, the configuration of the power supply management system and the fuel cell device 10 of the present invention has been described using a specific example, but the configuration can be changed as appropriate. For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the power supply unit of the power supply device includes the fuel cell unit 12, but the power supply unit may be another device that can output electric power. For example, the power supply unit may be a device that includes an engine and a generator driven by the engine.

[0079] <2> In the above embodiment, examples such as those shown in Tables 2 and 3 have been described for the power supply control commands given to the fuel cell device 10 and the heating control commands given to the heat storage heating device 17, but the priority and the content of each control command can be changed as appropriate.

[0080] <3> The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0081] The present invention can be used in a power supply management system that can appropriately increase and decrease the power at the power receiving point of each facility while efficiently recovering exhaust heat from the power supply device and storing heat in the heat storage unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1: Power system 2: Power lines 4:Power load device 9: Heat load device 10: Fuel cell device (power supply device) 15: Hot water tank (heat storage section) 16: Heat accumulation detection unit 17: Heat storage heating device 20: Facilities 20A: Facilities 20B: Facilities 30: Management device

Claims

1. a power supply device installed in each of a plurality of facilities; and a management device capable of communicating with the devices installed in the facilities from a remote location outside the facilities; a power supply management system configured such that the facility is provided with the power supply device, a power load device, a heat storage unit that stores heat, a heat load device that consumes the heat stored in the heat storage unit, and a heat storage detection unit that detects the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit, the power supply device and the power load device are connected to a power line that is connected to an electric power system, and the heat storage unit is capable of storing heat generated in conjunction with operation of the power supply device; at least one of the plurality of facilities is further provided with a thermal storage heating device, the thermal storage heating device is connected to the power line connected to the power grid, and the thermal storage unit is configured to be able to store heat generated by the thermal storage heating device consuming electric power; The management device acquire supply and demand information indicating the supply and demand status of electricity and heat in the facility; When the facility is required to provide adjustment power related to increasing or decreasing the power at the facility's receiving point, the power management system distributes the total adjustment power that the multiple facilities need to provide together to the multiple facilities based on the supply and demand information, and performs command transmission processing to transmit control commands to the multiple facilities according to the allocated value of the adjustment power after distribution.

2. In the command transmission process, the management device transmit, as the control command, to the facility where the thermal storage heating device is installed, at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the power supply device and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device, in accordance with the allocated value of the adjustment capability; The power supply management system according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply control command corresponding to the allocated value of the adjustment capability is transmitted as the control command to the facility that does not have the heat storage heating device.

3. In the facility where the thermal storage heating device is installed, the control command received by the facility is converted into at least one of a power supply control command that determines the output power of the power supply device and a heating control command that determines the power consumption of the thermal storage heating device based on the supply and demand information in the facility, and the converted command is issued to at least one of the power supply device and the thermal storage heating device; 2. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein in the facility where the heat storage heating device is not installed, the control command received by the facility is instructed to the power supply device as a power control command that determines the output power of the power supply device.

4. The supply and demand state is whether the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is currently insufficient or whether the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is predicted to be insufficient in the future; whether the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit has reached the upper limit of the amount of heat stored or whether the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is predicted to reach the upper limit of the amount of heat stored in the future; Whether the power supply is operating at its rated output; whether the power supply device is performing an excessive output operation in which the output power is increased in response to the fact that the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is currently insufficient or that the amount of heat stored in the heat storage unit is predicted to be insufficient in the future, thereby increasing the amount of heat generated; Whether or not reverse flow power is occurring from the facility to the power grid; and 4. The power supply management system according to claim 1, wherein the heat storage heating device is specified by at least one of whether or not it consumes power and generates heat.

Images