Allocation device, allocation method, and program

Abstract

To provide a distribution apparatus which can solve, at high speed, selection of a facility for distributing effects and distribution of effects in combination of selected facilities.SOLUTION: A distribution apparatus for distributing, with respect to a facility group formed of a plurality of facilities, produced utilities to each of the facilities, includes: a storage unit for storing, with respect to a predetermined combination of the facilities, combination information indicating magnitude of producible utilities and the minimum costs; a determination unit for determining, based on the whole utility desired for the whole part of the facility group and the combination information, optimum combination of facilities in production of the whole utility with the minimum costs; and a distribution unit for distributing the whole utility to the facilities including the determined combinations or for instructing marginal costs occurring in response to the whole utility.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an allocation device, an allocation method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Optimal load allocation for a group of power plants is generally performed using the equal incremental fuel cost method. Since fuel cost characteristics differ for each power plant, even if the total amount of power generated is the same, the total amount of fuel costs depends on the quality of the load allocation to the power plants. A property widely known in economics as the law of increasing marginal cost (the property that the additional cost required to add one unit of power generation, i.e., utility, increases with utility) also applies to power plants, and the equal incremental fuel cost method utilizes this property to determine the optimal load allocation between operating power plants. Therefore, once it is decided which power plants to operate, it can be said that the rest can be left to conventional techniques such as the equal incremental fuel cost method. In this way, the equal incremental fuel cost method solves the optimization of load allocation when the power plants to be used are given.

[0003] On the other hand, determining which power plants to use to meet demand is an integer programming problem, such as the knapsack problem, and there is no set solution. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for determining load allocation to power plants so as to minimize the overall fuel costs of a group of power plants, taking into account the power bands of the generators. This is considered to be a problem that combines two problems: determining the power band determined by selecting the generators to operate (a discrete variable problem), and determining the overall power allocation of a group of power plants within the determined power band (a continuous variable problem), and solves both problems simultaneously using mixed integer programming. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5376970 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, mixed integer programming is a type of integer programming problem, and it is theoretically known that it is a computationally difficult problem called NP-hard. For this reason, optimal load distribution, including the selection of power plants, is difficult to calculate in real time.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an allocation device, allocation method, and program that can quickly solve the selection of equipment to which utility is allocated and the allocation of utility or cost within the combination of selected equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an allocation device allocates utility to each piece of equipment in a group of equipment, and includes: a memory unit that stores combination information that represents the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of equipment; a determination unit that determines the optimal combination of equipment that produces the overall utility at the minimum cost based on the overall utility desired for the entire group of equipment and the combination information; and an allocation unit that allocates the overall utility to equipment included in the determined combination, or indicates the marginal cost determined for the overall utility.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the allocation method is an allocation method for allocating utility produced by a group of equipment 9 to each of the equipment 9, and includes the steps of: storing combination information representing the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of the equipment; determining an optimal combination of equipment that produces the overall utility at the minimum cost based on the overall utility desired for the entire group of equipment and the combination information; and allocating the overall utility to the equipment included in the determined combination, or indicating the marginal cost determined for the overall utility.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the program causes an allocation device that allocates the utility produced by a group of multiple pieces of equipment to each piece of equipment 9 to execute the following steps: storing combination information representing the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of the equipment; determining an optimal combination of equipment that produces the overall utility at the minimum cost based on the overall utility desired for the entire group of equipment and the combination information; and instructing the equipment included in the determined combination on the overall utility allocation or the marginal cost determined for the overall utility. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the above aspect, it is possible to quickly solve the selection of facilities to which utility is allocated and the allocation of utility or cost within the combination of selected facilities. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a distribution device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between optimal utility and cost. [Figure 3] 10 is an example of a group of graphs showing the relationship between cost and load for each combination. [Figure 4] 1 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between utility and minimum cost. [Figure 5] 1 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between optimal utility and marginal cost for one combination. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a distribution device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an example of dividing the range of utility into multiple bands. [Figure 8] 10 is an example of a combination candidate table. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a distribution device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a distribution device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a distribution device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a distribution device according to a modified example of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an apparatus according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] First Embodiment The first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0013] (Overall configuration of the distribution system) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the distribution device according to the first embodiment. The distribution system 1 according to this embodiment includes a distribution device 10 and a facility group 5 made up of a plurality of facilities 50 (50A, 50B, 50C, . . . ).

[0014] The allocation device 10 determines a combination of facilities 50 to operate (i.e., to produce utility) so that the facilities group 5 as a whole can produce the desired utility while minimizing the cost of production, and allocates the utility to be produced to each of the operating facilities 50. The functional configuration of the allocation device 10 will be described later.

[0015] The facility 50 is, for example, a power plant connected to a power grid and supplying generated power to a load. The group of power plants (group of facilities 5) must maintain a constant frequency of the power grid by adjusting the sum of the outputs of each power plant to the power grid so that it matches the demand. Therefore, when the technology of this embodiment is applied to a group of power plants, the distribution device 10 determines the combination of power plants to operate and the output (load) to be distributed to each power plant so that power is output according to demand and costs are minimized. The output (load) of a power plant is one aspect of utility, and the fuel cost for power generation is one aspect of cost.

[0016] The facility 50 is not limited to a power plant. In other embodiments, the facility 50 may be, for example, a heat pump used for district heating and cooling. In district heating and cooling, a group of heat pumps (the facility group 5) adjusts the output of each heat pump so that the temperature of the chilled water (hot water) delivered to the community is constant. The temperature of the delivered chilled water depends on the total output of the entire heat pump group, and allocation is free, such as operating a few heat pumps at high output or a large number at low output. The optimal output allocation method is one that minimizes the power consumption of the entire heat pump group. Therefore, when the technology of this embodiment is applied to a group of heat pumps, the allocation device 10 determines the combination of heat pumps to operate and the output (load) to be allocated to each heat pump so that the output of the entire heat pump group matches the heat amount required by the community (load side) and minimizes costs. The output of a heat pump is one aspect of utility, and the electricity cost required for cooling or heating is one aspect of cost.

[0017] (Functional configuration of the distribution device) Next, the functional configuration of the allocation device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The allocation device 10 includes a storage unit 100, a determination unit 101, and an allocation unit 102.

[0018] The storage unit 100 stores combination information that indicates the relationship between the magnitude of the utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of facilities 50.

[0019] The determination unit 101 determines the optimal combination of equipment 50 that produces the overall utility at the lowest cost based on the desired utility for the entire equipment group 5 (hereinafter also referred to as "overall utility") and the combination information.

[0020] The allocation unit 102 allocates the desired overall utility to the facilities 50 included in the determined combination.

[0021] (Regarding distribution device processing) The specific processing performed by the distribution device 10 will now be described.

[0022] The load of each facility 50 is denoted as u. The load has a lower limit u_ (u with an underline; the same applies below) and an upper limit u￣ (u with an overline; the same applies below). In general, the cost of each facility 50 is approximately expressed by the following equation (1). The values ​​of the coefficients {β2, β1, β0} are determined for each facility 50.

[0023]

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[0024] The additional cost incurred when increasing the load by one unit is called the marginal cost m c The marginal cost is calculated by differentiating the cost with respect to the load, and is expressed by the following equation (2).

[0025]

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[0026] In general, the law of increasing marginal cost, known in economics, applies to the relationship between cost and load u. The law of increasing marginal cost states that the additional cost required to increase load by one unit gradually increases. This can also be said to mean that the utility per unit of cost from the load's perspective gradually decreases. If costs are expressed as a quadratic equation like equation (1), the law of increasing marginal cost is equivalent to equation (3). Equation (3) can also be expressed as β2>0, 2β2u_ + β1>0.

[0027]

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[0028] To maximize the utility of the equipment group 5, it is important to decide which equipment 50 to operate. The minimum utility of the equipment group 5 occurs when the smallest equipment 50 is selected and operated at its minimum load, and the maximum utility occurs when all equipment 50 are simultaneously operated at full output. If the optimization aimed at in this embodiment can be achieved, it becomes possible to select a combination of equipment 50 that minimizes costs across the range of utility from the minimum to the maximum for the equipment group 5, and to operate that combination with a load allocation that minimizes costs.

[0029] The costs include fixed costs that do not depend on the load, and variable costs that do depend on the load. The fixed costs are denoted as f and are expressed by the following equation (4).

[0030]

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[0031] Furthermore, variable costs are denoted as v and expressed by the following equation (5).

[0032]

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[0033] When choosing which equipment 50 to operate, the combination of equipment 50 to choose is denoted as Q. For example, if equipment 1 and equipment 2 are to be operated, then Q = {1, 2}. Since fixed costs are unrelated to the load exerted by the combination, the value is immediately determined from the combination Q, as shown in equation (6).

[0034]

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[0035] On the other hand, as shown in equation (7), variable costs are determined by the combination Q and the load (utility) that each piece of equipment 50 in the combination Q handles, i.e., {u i} i∈Q i∈Q denotes i, an element of Q.

[0036]

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[0037] Therefore, {u i} i∈Q Variable costs can be minimized by adjusting the allocation of . i} i∈Q The optimal load distribution i *} i∈Q If the cost is expressed as equation (1), the optimal load dispatch {u i *} i∈Q is the marginal cost m c This can be determined directly from equation (8), which is known as the equal incremental fuel cost method in the optimal operation of power plants, for example.

[0038]

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[0039] Since there are upper and lower limits for the load produced by each facility 50, if equation (8) is below the lower limit, it is limited to the lower limit, and if it is above the upper limit, it is limited to the upper limit. The optimal utility of combination Q is expressed by equation (9).

[0040]

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[0041] For combination Q, the optimal load distribution {u i *} i∈Q From equation (8), the marginal cost m c Similarly, the optimal variable cost v * From equations (5) and (7), the marginal cost m c It is expressed by:

[0042]

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[0043] Similarly, the optimal cost c Q * =f Q +V Q * Also, marginal cost m c It is expressed as:

[0044]

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[0045] Figure 2 is an example of a graph showing the optimal utility versus cost relationship. From the above results, for combination Q, the optimal utility u Q * and optimal cost c Q * is m c As shown in Figure 2, the optimal utility u Q * and optimal cost c Q * Graph G Q * We can obtain the graph G Q * is defined by the following equation (12).

[0046]

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[0047] Graph G Q * The starting point of Q ,c_ Q ), the end point is (u Q ,c￣ Q ) Graph G Q * is continuous but not necessarily smooth. When any of the equipment 50 that make up the combination Q reaches its lower or upper load limit, a discontinuity occurs in the slope of the graph.

[0048] The storage unit 100 according to this embodiment stores, for example, a graph G Q * point (u sum ,c Q * (u sum The graph group D1 (FIG. 3) consisting of graphs for each combination is one form of combination information that the determination unit 101 refers to when determining the optimal combination of equipment 50.

[0049] If the equipment group 5 consists of N pieces of equipment 50, then 2 N In this embodiment, for one combination Q, a graph G of the utility and the optimal cost is generated. Q * The feature is that the graph G is determined first. Q * If you decide first, N -The optimal solution can be obtained by simply selecting the graph with the smallest cost from a group of graphs.

[0050] For example, if N=3, there are seven combinations, which will be denoted as Q1, Q2, ..., Q7. Q1, Q2, ..., Q7 are illustrated by the following equation (13). Combination Q1 operates equipment 1, Q6 operates equipment 2 and equipment 3, and Q7 operates equipment 1, equipment 2, and equipment 3.

[0051]

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[0052] FIG. 3 shows an example of a group of graphs showing the relationship between cost and load for each combination. A set of graphs D1 consisting of graphs of costs and loads optimized using the equal incremental fuel cost method for each combination Q1, Q2, ..., Q7 is shown, for example, in Figure 3. Each graph represents the optimal cost and optimal utility for a given combination Q1, Q2, ..., Q7. For simplicity, discontinuities in the slope of the graphs are omitted in Figure 3.

[0053] Next, we will explain how to search for the optimal combination using the example in Figure 3. The overall utility desired for the entire equipment group is u sum The total utility is, for example, a command value for the total electrical output of a group of power plants. The command value for the total electrical output is determined by a controller (not shown) to maintain the frequency of the power system.

[0054] In Figure 3, the total utility u sum There are three possible combinations of facilities 50 that can produce u: {Q5, Q6, Q7}. sum The cost of producing varies depending on the combination. Among these combinations, the total utility u sum The optimal combination is Q6, which has the lowest cost of producing

[0055] The determination unit 101 performs the search calculation of equation (14) to determine the optimal combination Q * (u sum The right-hand side of equation (14) first determines the overall utility u sum The set of feasible combinations of Q ≦u sum ≦u￣ Q} and calculate the total utility u from the set of extracted combinations. sum The cost corresponding to c Q (u sum ) is selected. sum The cost corresponding to c Q (u sum ) is the value of the graph G Q * The data is calculated by a lookup table.

[0056]

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[0057] Figure 4 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between utility and minimum cost. Equation (14) is used to calculate the total utility u sum The total range in which utility spreads (in the example of Figure 4, the range in which utility spreads is u_ Q1 From u￣ Q7 When evaluated over the entire sum and the optimal combination Q * (u sum ) Correspondence table D2 is available. The next step is to find the optimal combination Q. * (u sum 4, the optimum combination is Q6={2, 3}, so the determination unit 101 determines that facilities 2 and 3 should be used.

[0058] Optimal combination Q * (u sum The amount of calculation required to determine the desired overall utility u increases as the number of facilities 50 in the facility group 5 increases. sum If changes over time, we can calculate the optimal combination Q online, for example, every second. * (u sum ) may not be practical. In that case, we can calculate the total utility u sum and the optimal combination Q * (u sum ) may be prepared in advance as a correspondence table D2 and stored in the storage unit 100. In this case, in a control calculation performed online every second, an optimized combination may be obtained based on this correspondence table D2. This correspondence table D2 is one form of combination information that the determination unit 101 refers to when determining an optimal combination of equipment 50.

[0059] The distribution unit 102 calculates the desired overall utility u sum The optimal combination of Q * (u sum ) to each facility 50. In the example of Figure 4, the optimal combination is Q6 = {2, 3}, where facility 2 and facility 3 are assigned the desired total utility u sum Since no allocation is made to facility 1, facility 1 is not operated. The allocation unit 102 allocates the total utility u to facilities 2 and 3 in the following manner: sum Distribute the following.

[0060] Figure 5 shows an example of a graph showing the optimal utility versus marginal cost for one combination. First, from equations (8) and (9), for combination Q6, the optimal utility u Q6 * and marginal cost m c The graph D3 of the optimal utility u is shown in Figure 5. Q6 * and marginal cost m c Since there is a one-to-one correspondence between the desired total utility u sum The corresponding marginal cost m c,sum The value of is determined.

[0061] Alternatively, the allocating unit 102 may solve the following equation (15) without using the graph D3 in FIG. c,sum You can also explore.

[0062]

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[0063] The distribution unit 102 allocates m by any of the above methods. c,sum The value of is determined and substituted into equation (8) to determine the load to be distributed to equipment 2 and equipment 3. Specifically, the following equation (16) is obtained.

[0064]

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[0065] (Action, effect) As described above, the allocation device 10 of this embodiment includes a memory unit 100 that stores combination information that represents the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of equipment 50, a determination unit 101 that determines the optimal combination of equipment 50 that produces the overall utility at the minimum cost based on the overall utility desired for the entire equipment group 5 and the combination information, and an allocation unit 102 that allocates the desired overall utility to the equipment 50 included in the determined combination.

[0066] In this way, the allocation device 10 can quickly solve the selection of the facilities 50 to which the utility (load) is to be allocated and the allocation of the utility within the combination of the selected facilities 50.

[0067] The combination information is a group of graphs D1 that associates the magnitude of utility that can be produced with the minimum cost for each combination.

[0068] In this way, the allocation device 10 can easily and quickly select the combination that minimizes the cost from the graph group D1 for each combination prepared in advance.

[0069] The combination information is a correspondence table D2 that defines the combination that minimizes the cost for each range of the magnitude of the overall utility.

[0070] In this way, the allocation device 10 can more easily and quickly select the combination that minimizes the cost from the correspondence table D2 prepared in advance, which also enables the allocation device 10 to find the optimal combination for the overall utility that is updated in real time.

[0071] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Components common to the above-described embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.

[0072] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the distribution device according to the second embodiment. The storage unit 100 according to this embodiment further includes a combination candidate table D4 as combination information.

[0073] For equipment group 5 consisting of N pieces of equipment, the right side of equation (14) is doubled. N A search is performed from -1 combinations. When N is about 20, the amount of calculation becomes enormous and the calculation becomes difficult. In the second embodiment, a technique for reducing the amount of calculation will be described.

[0074] Desired total utility usum u_ Q1 From u￣ Q7 If we evaluate equation (14) by changing N -1 combination of desired total utility u sum The optimal combination Q * (u sum ) is found. Here, the explanation will be given assuming that N is 3. In the first embodiment, all search targets in equation (14) are (2 N In contrast to this, in this embodiment, the number of search targets in equation (14) is reduced by the following procedure.

[0075] Figure 7 shows an example in which the range of utility is divided into multiple bands. In the example of Figure 7, the range of utility spread in the graph group D1 of each combination is u_ Q1 From u￣ Q7 This range is divided into multiple bands. In the example of Figure 7, it is divided into bands B1, B2, and B3.

[0076] FIG. 8 is an example of a combination candidate table. The table shown in Figure 8 shows the optimal combination candidates for each band, and will be called the combination candidate table D4. The combination candidate table D4 will now be explained. For band B1, Q7, which cannot produce utility within the range of band B1, is not suitable as an optimal combination candidate. Similarly, for band B1, combinations Q4, Q5, ..., Q6 are also not suitable. Therefore, Q4 to Q7 can be excluded from the optimal combination candidates for band B1. In this way, by dividing into bands, it becomes clear which combinations are not suitable as optimal combination candidates for the band, and the remaining ones become optimal combination candidates. If optimal combination candidates for each band are determined in advance as the combination candidate table D4 as shown in Figure 8, the desired overall utility u can be obtained. sum When the desired total utility u is given, the object of the combination search in equation (14) is sum This allows us to narrow down the results based on the band to which the band belongs, which contributes to more efficient calculations.

[0077] The set of optimal combination candidates for band B is C B For example, the set of candidates for band B1 is C B1 where Q1, Q2, and Q3 are the elements. The desired total utility u sum belongs to band B, the desired total utility u sum The combination Q that realizes this with the lowest cost * (u sum ,C B ) is expressed by the following equation (17).

[0078]

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[0079] It is sufficient to calculate the combination candidate table D4 only once. For example, one combination candidate table D4 is determined in advance, and when allocating utility to the facility group 5 in real time, the desired utility u sum The combination candidates can be determined based on the band to which the band belongs.

[0080] As described above, in the allocation device 10 according to this embodiment, the combination information further includes a combination candidate table D4 that associates candidate combinations with bands that divide the range of utility that can be produced by the equipment group 5 based on the graph group D1 into multiple sections.

[0081] In this way, the allocation device 10 can obtain the desired overall utility u sum Since the combinations to be searched for can be narrowed down depending on the number of combinations, the processing time required to search for the optimum combination can be reduced.

[0082] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Components common to the above-described embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.

[0083] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the distribution device according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the distribution device 10 according to this embodiment further includes an update unit 103. The update unit 103 updates the equipment characteristic values ​​including at least the coefficient for the cost of the equipment 50 and the range of the utility that can be produced. The determination unit 101 and the allocation unit 102 perform a process of determining an optimal combination during operation of the equipment group 5 based on the updated equipment characteristics, and a process of calculating the overall utility u sum The method is characterized by the fact that it performs processing to distribute the

[0084] The approximation formula for the cost of each facility 50 is not constant, but changes depending on external factors such as the outside air temperature and seawater temperature, and internal factors such as aging. Specifically, it is inevitable that the coefficients {β2, β1, β0} in equation (1), which represents the cost, and the adjustable utility range u_, u￣ will fluctuate.

[0085] One way to deal with such fluctuations is to change the coefficients in equation (1) according to the outside temperature, for example. If the coefficients in equation (2) change, the combinatorial optimization of equation (14) must be re-searched. However, since the amount of calculation for equation (3) depends on the total number of combinations, the calculation becomes difficult if, for example, the number of pieces of equipment 50 included in equipment group 5 exceeds 20.

[0086] In the second embodiment, a technology has been described in which optimal combination candidates are prepared in advance as a combination candidate table D4, thereby reducing the search range to the range of the combination candidate table D4 when calculating formula (14), thereby reducing the calculation load. By adding optimal combination candidates when the coefficients of formula (1) change as combination candidates, the technology of the second embodiment can also respond to changes in equipment costs.

[0087] The update unit 103 updates the coefficient β in equation (1) that represents the cost of the equipment 50, and the lower limit value u and upper limit value u of the equipment load, based on, for example, the outside air temperature, seawater temperature, and cumulative operating time. These are referred to as equipment characteristic values.

[0088] The optimal combination determination process in the determination unit 101 is the same as that in the second embodiment except that updated equipment characteristic values ​​are used. The optimal allocation process in the allocation unit 102 is the same as that in the second embodiment except that updated equipment characteristic values ​​are used. Note that, although FIG. 9 shows an example in which the update unit 103 is added to the configuration of the second embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the update unit 103 may be added to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0089] As described above, the allocation device 10 according to this embodiment further includes an updating unit 103 that updates the equipment characteristics related to the cost or the utility that can be produced by the equipment 50. sum The allocation unit 102 determines an optimal combination of equipment based on the combination information and the updated equipment characteristic values, and calculates the overall utility u sum Distribute the following.

[0090] In this way, the allocation device 10 can adjust the graph group D1 (the graphs of each facility 50) in response to changes in external factors such as outside temperature and internal factors such as aging, etc. This allows the allocation device 10 to more accurately determine the optimal combination of facilities and allocate utility.

[0091] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Components common to the above-described embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0092] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the distribution device according to the fourth embodiment. In the allocation device 10 according to this embodiment, the determination unit 101 outputs an array consisting of a plurality of combinations of optimal facilities 50. Furthermore, the allocation unit 102 determines the overall utility u even if one of the facilities 50 is not operating. sum The total utility u is determined for one of the determined combinations so that it can produce sum It functions as an optimal allocation method with N+1 redundancy constraints to allocate

[0093] Here, a case where the technology of the fourth embodiment is applied to the configuration of the third embodiment will be described. In other embodiments, the technology of the fourth embodiment may be applied to the configuration of the first or second embodiment. In the third embodiment, the determining unit 101 determines the combination candidate C B The optimal combination Q * In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, the combination candidate C B For example, the combination candidate C B If there are p combinations as elements in the sum The combinations are sorted in ascending order of cost. k1 ,Q k2 ,…,Q kp} is output.

[0094] The distribution unit 102 k1 ,Q k2 ,…,Q kp}, the equipment j with the largest load in that combination + For example, the combination Q k1 Regarding the maximum load equipment, the maximum load equipment is expressed by the following equation (18).

[0095]

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[0096] And combination Q k1 It is determined whether satisfies the N+1 redundancy constraint. Specifically, this is determined using the following equation (19).

[0097]

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[0098] The left side of the inequality in equation (19) is the maximum load facility j. k1 + Combination Q in the absence of k1represents the maximum utility that can be produced. The left side is the desired utility u sum If so, combination Q k1 satisfies the N+1 redundancy constraint.

[0099] The allocation unit 102 determines the combination Q k1 If satisfies the N+1 redundancy constraint, then {u j *} j∈Qk1 Distribution of utility based on u j Define (j=1,2,…,N).

[0100] On the other hand, the allocation unit 102 k1 If does not satisfy the N+1 redundancy constraint, then the above process is k2 Repeat this process.

[0101] As described above, in the allocation device 10 according to this embodiment, the determination unit 101 determines a plurality of optimal combinations of the facilities 50, and the allocation unit 102 determines the overall utility u even if one of the facilities 50 is not operating. sum For any one of the determined combinations, the total utility u sum Distribute the following.

[0102] In this way, even if one of the facilities 50 becomes inoperable due to a malfunction or the like, the distribution device 10 can continue to distribute the total utility u using the other facilities 50. sum can be produced.

[0103] <Fifth embodiment> Next, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Components common to the above-described embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0104] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the distribution device according to the fifth embodiment. In the first to fourth embodiments, the distribution unit 102 calculates the desired overall utility u sumThe determining unit 101 determines the load u j (j=1,2,…,N) are allocated. Also, each of the facilities 50 has a load u j Drive according to (j=1,2,…,N).

[0105] In contrast to this, the allocation unit 102 according to this embodiment allocates the overall utility u to each facility 50 included in the combination determined by the determination unit 101. sum Marginal cost m according to c Each piece of equipment 50 receives an operation command signal b, which is a binary signal of ON or OFF. j (j=1,2,…,N) and marginal cost m c Operation command signal b j is a combination determined by the determining unit 101, in which the command value for the equipment 50 included in the combination is set to ON, and the command values ​​for the other equipment 50 are set to OFF.

[0106] The determination unit 101 determines the desired overall utility u sum The optimal combination Q * u sum For example, as described in the first embodiment, the desired overall utility u is obtained from the correspondence table D2. sum The optimal combination Q for * (u sum ) may be determined according to equation (20). j Determine.

[0107]

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[0108] In this embodiment, the storage unit 100 further stores an optimal marginal cost table D5. The optimal marginal cost table D5 includes the optimal load u determined from equations (8) and (9). * and marginal cost m c The allocation unit 102 calculates the desired total utility u based on this optimal marginal cost table D5.sum The marginal utility m corresponding to the value of c The value of can be obtained.

[0109] Next, the operation of the equipment group 5 side will be explained. The equipment i whose operation command signal is ON is calculated as m according to the graph D3 (Fig. 5) of the marginal cost and the utility of that equipment. c The control device 501 of the facility i determines the load ui corresponding to the load u i Equipment i is operated so that: Equipment whose operation command signal is OFF does not operate. The load of equipment that is not operating is 0.

[0110] As described above, in the allocation device 10 according to this embodiment, the allocation unit 102 allocates the desired overall utility u to the facility i included in the combination determined by the determination unit 101. sum The marginal cost m c Instruct the following.

[0111] In this way, the allocation device 10 can reduce the calculation processing in the allocation unit 102. As a result, the allocation device 10 can achieve optimal control with an inexpensive calculation device.

[0112] <Modification of the fifth embodiment> FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a distribution device according to a modification of the fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment may be modified in configuration as shown in Fig. 12. This modification is characterized in that the allocating unit 102 functions as marginal cost adjusting means instead of the optimal marginal cost table D5.

[0113] The distribution unit 102 distributes the load u from the equipment group 5. j (j=1, 2, ..., N) is input, and by calculating, for example, equation (21), the sum of the loads of the equipment group 5 is calculated to obtain the desired overall utility u sum To match the marginal cost m c In equation (21), T is the time constant of the adjustment. If the time constant is set small, the total load of the equipment group 5 will be adjusted to the overall utility u sum matches quickly.

[0114]

number

[0115] In this way, the optimal marginal cost table D5 is not required, and the distribution device 10 can be manufactured more simply.

[0116] <Hardware configuration> FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an allocation device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. An example of the hardware configuration of the distribution device 10 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 13, a computer 900 includes a processor 901 , a main memory device 902 , an auxiliary memory device 903 , and an interface 904 .

[0118] The allocation device 10 described in each of the above-described embodiments is implemented in a computer 900. The operations of each of the above-described processing units are stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 in the form of a program. The processor 901 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 903, loads it into the main storage device 902, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. The processor 901 also allocates storage areas in the main storage device 902 to be used for various processing in accordance with the program. The processor 901 also allocates storage areas in the auxiliary storage device 903 to store data being processed in accordance with the program.

[0119] The program may be for realizing some of the functions to be performed by the computer 900. For example, the program may be combined with other programs already stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 or other programs implemented in other devices to perform the functions. In other embodiments, the computer 900 may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions realized by the processor 901 may be realized by the integrated circuit.

[0120] Examples of the auxiliary storage device 903 include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), and a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary storage device 903 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of the computer 900, or an external storage device 910 connected to the computer 900 via the interface 904 or a communication line. Furthermore, when this program is distributed to the computer 900 via a communication line, the computer 900 that receives the program may load the program into the main storage device 902 and execute the above-described processing. In at least one embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 903 and the external storage device 910 are non-transitory tangible storage media.

[0121] As described above, several embodiments of the present invention have been described, but all of these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0122] <Additional Notes> The allocation device, allocation method, and program described in the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0123] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the allocation device 10 allocates utility to each of a plurality of pieces of equipment 50 in a group of equipment 50, and includes a storage unit 100 that stores combination information representing the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of the pieces of equipment 50, and a desired overall utility u for the entire group of equipment 5. sum Based on the combined information, we can obtain the total utility u at the minimum cost. sum a determining unit 101 for determining an optimal combination of facilities 50 that produces the total utility u sum or the marginal cost m determined for the total utility. c and a distribution unit 102 that instructs the user to:

[0124] In this way, the allocation device 10 can quickly select the facilities 50 to allocate and quickly solve the utility allocation within the combination of the selected facilities 50.

[0125] (2) According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, in the allocation device 10 according to the first aspect, the combination information is a group of graphs D1 that associates the magnitude of utility that can be produced with the minimum cost for each combination.

[0126] In this way, the allocation device 10 can easily and quickly select the combination that minimizes the cost from the graph group D1 for each combination prepared in advance.

[0127] (3) According to the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the allocation device 10 according to the second aspect, the combination information is calculated based on the graph group D1 as the overall utility u sum It further includes a correspondence table D2 that defines the combination that minimizes the cost for each range of the size of the sigma.

[0128] In this way, the allocation device 10 can more easily and quickly select the combination that minimizes the cost from the correspondence table D2 prepared in advance, which also enables the allocation device 10 to find the optimal combination for the overall utility that is updated in real time.

[0129] (4) According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the allocation device 10 relating to the second aspect, the combination information further includes a combination candidate table D4 that associates bands that divide the range of utility that can be produced by the equipment group 5 based on the graph group D1 into multiple sections with candidate combinations.

[0130] In this way, the allocation device 10 can obtain the desired overall utility u sum Since the combinations to be searched for can be narrowed down depending on the number of combinations, the processing time required to search for the optimum combination can be reduced.

[0131] (5) According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the allocation device 10 according to any one of the first to third aspects further includes an update unit 103 that updates equipment characteristic values ​​including at least a coefficient for the cost of the equipment 50 and a range of utility that can be produced. sum The allocation unit 102 determines an optimal combination of the equipment 50 based on the combination information and the updated equipment characteristic values, and calculates the overall utility u sum Allocation of the marginal cost m c Instruct the following.

[0132] In this way, the allocation device 10 can adjust the graph group D1 (the graphs of each facility 50) in response to changes in external factors such as outside temperature and internal factors such as aging, etc. This allows the allocation device 10 to more accurately determine the optimal combination of facilities and allocate utility.

[0133] (6) According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the allocation device 10 according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the determination unit 101 determines a plurality of optimal combinations of the facilities 50, and the allocation unit 102 determines the overall utility u even if one of the facilities 50 does not operate. sum For any one of the determined combinations, the total utility u sum Allocation of the marginal cost m c Instruct the following.

[0134] In this way, even if one of the facilities 50 becomes inoperable due to a malfunction or the like, the distribution device 10 can continue to distribute the total utility u using the other facilities 50. sum can be produced.

[0135] (7) According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in the allocation device 10 according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the storage unit 100 further stores an optimal marginal cost table D5 that indicates the relationship between the optimal utility and the marginal cost of each facility 50, and the allocation unit 102 allocates the marginal cost m c Distribute the following.

[0136] In this way, the allocation device 10 can reduce the calculation processing in the allocation unit 102. As a result, the allocation device 10 can achieve optimal control with an inexpensive calculation device.

[0137] (8) According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in the allocation device 10 according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the allocation unit 102 determines the next marginal cost m c Adjust.

[0138] In this way, the optimal marginal cost table D5 is not required, and the distribution device 10 can be manufactured more simply.

[0139] (9) According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, an allocation method is an allocation method for allocating utility to each of a plurality of pieces of equipment 50 in an equipment group 5, the allocation method including the steps of: storing combination information representing a relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of pieces of equipment 50; and calculating a desired overall utility u for the entire equipment group 5. sum Based on the combined information, we can obtain the total utility u at the minimum cost. sum The step of determining the optimal combination of facilities 50 that produces the total utility u for the facilities 50 included in the determined combination. sum or the total utility u sum The marginal cost m is determined by c and indicating the

[0140] (10) According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, the program includes a step of storing combination information representing a relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of equipment 50 in an allocation device 10 that allocates utility to each of the equipment 50 for an equipment group 5 consisting of a plurality of equipment 50; and a step of storing a desired overall utility u for the entire equipment group 5. sum Based on the combined information, we can obtain the total utility u at the minimum cost. sum The step of determining the optimal combination of facilities 50 that produces the total utility u for the facilities 50 included in the determined combination. sum or the total utility u sum The marginal cost m is determined by c and a step of instructing the user to: [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 1. Allocation System 5 Equipment group 10 Distribution Device 100 Storage section 101 Decision Section 102 Distribution Department 103 Update Department 501 control device

Claims

1. An allocation device for allocating utility produced by a group of facilities consisting of a plurality of facilities to each of the facilities, comprising: a storage unit that stores combination information that indicates the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of the facilities; a determination unit that determines an optimal combination of facilities that produces the overall utility desired for the entire group of facilities at the minimum cost based on the combination information; an allocation unit that allocates the overall utility to the facilities included in the determined combination, or indicates the marginal cost determined for the overall utility; Equipped with The combination information is a group of graphs that associate the magnitude of utility that can be produced with the minimum cost for each combination. Allocation device.

2. The combination information further includes a correspondence table that defines combinations that minimize costs for each range of the magnitude of the overall utility based on the group of graphs. The allocation device of claim 1 .

3. The combination information further includes a combination candidate table that associates bands, which are obtained by dividing the spread of utility that can be produced by the group of facilities based on the group of graphs, with candidate combinations. The allocation device of claim 1 .

4. An updating unit that updates equipment characteristic values ​​including at least a coefficient for the cost of the equipment and a range of utility that can be produced, the determination unit determines an optimal combination of equipment based on the overall utility, the combination information, and the updated equipment characteristic values; The allocation unit allocates the overall utility or indicates the marginal cost based on the updated equipment characteristic value. The allocation device of claim 3 .

5. The determination unit determines a plurality of optimal combinations of equipment, The allocation unit allocates the overall utility or indicates the marginal cost to any one of the determined combinations so that the overall utility can be produced even when one of the facilities is not operating. The allocation device of claim 1 .

6. the storage unit further stores an optimal marginal cost table that indicates a relationship between the optimal utility and the marginal cost of each of the facilities; The allocation device according to claim 1 , wherein the allocation unit indicates the marginal costs to the facilities based on the optimal marginal cost table.

7. the allocation unit adjusts the next marginal cost to be instructed to the equipment based on the previous output of the equipment group. The allocation device of claim 1 .

8. An allocation device for allocating utility produced by a group of facilities consisting of a plurality of facilities to each of the facilities, comprising: a storage unit that stores combination information that indicates the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of the facilities; a determination unit that determines an optimal combination of facilities that produces the overall utility desired for the entire group of facilities at the minimum cost based on the combination information; an allocation unit that allocates the overall utility to the facilities included in the determined combination, or indicates the marginal cost determined for the overall utility; Equipped with The determination unit determines a plurality of optimal combinations of equipment, The allocation unit allocates the overall utility or indicates the marginal cost to any one of the determined combinations so that the overall utility can be produced even when one of the facilities is not operating. Allocation device.

9. An allocation device for allocating utility produced by a group of equipment consisting of a plurality of pieces of equipment to each of the pieces of equipment, comprising: a storage unit that stores combination information that indicates the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of the facilities; a determination unit that determines an optimal combination of facilities that produces the overall utility desired for the entire group of facilities at the minimum cost based on the combination information; an allocation unit that allocates the overall utility to the facilities included in the determined combination, or indicates the marginal cost determined for the overall utility; Equipped with the storage unit further stores an optimal marginal cost table that indicates a relationship between the optimal utility and the marginal cost of each of the facilities; The allocation unit instructs the marginal costs to the facilities based on the optimal marginal cost table. Allocation device.

10. An allocation device for allocating utility produced by a group of facilities to each of the facilities, comprising: a storage unit that stores combination information that indicates the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of the facilities; a determination unit that determines an optimal combination of facilities that produces the overall utility desired for the entire group of facilities at the minimum cost based on the combination information; an allocation unit that allocates the overall utility to the facilities included in the determined combination, or indicates the marginal cost determined for the overall utility; Equipped with the allocation unit adjusts the next marginal cost to be instructed to the equipment based on the previous output of the equipment group. Allocation device.

11. A method for allocating utility produced by a group of facilities consisting of a plurality of facilities to each of the facilities, comprising: The allocation device stores combination information that indicates the relationship between the magnitude of the utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of the facilities; The allocation device determines an optimal combination of facilities that produces the overall utility desired for the entire group of facilities at the minimum cost based on the combination information; The allocation device allocates the overall utility to the facilities included in the determined combination, or indicates the marginal cost determined for the overall utility; and The combination information is a group of graphs that associate the magnitude of utility that can be produced with the minimum cost for each combination. Allocation method.

12. An allocation device that allocates utility produced by a group of facilities consisting of a plurality of facilities to each of the facilities, Storing combination information that indicates the relationship between the magnitude of utility that can be produced and the minimum cost for a given combination of said facilities; determining an optimal combination of facilities that produces the overall utility desired for the entire group of facilities at the minimum cost based on the combination information; A step of allocating the overall utility or indicating the marginal cost determined for the overall utility to the equipment included in the determined combination; A program for executing The combination information is a group of graphs that associate the magnitude of utility that can be produced with the minimum cost for each combination. program.

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