Battery delivery method

Abstract

To provide a battery delivery method capable of rapidly delivering batteries charged with electric power generated at a power generation plant to a surrounding area thereof.SOLUTION: The battery delivery method is a battery delivery method for delivering batteries charged with electric power generated at a power generation plant to a surrounding area thereof, and comprises: a carry-out step of carrying out the batteries stored in a storage of the power generation plant; a charge step of charging, with the power generated at the power plant, the batteries carried out in the carry-out step; and a mount step of mounting, onto a vehicle, the batteries charged in the charging step; and a move step of causing the vehicle mounted with the batteries to move toward a delivery destination in the surrounding area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a battery delivery method.

Background Art

[0002] In a renewable energy power plant (more specifically, a biomass power plant) which is an example of a power plant disclosed in Patent Document 1, power generation using biomass such as wood chips, food residues, or livestock manure is performed. Specifically, a Stirling engine is driven using biogas obtained by gasifying biomass as fuel, and a generator connected to the Stirling engine operates. Also, an exhaust heat boiler generates steam using the exhaust heat of the Stirling engine, and a steam turbine rotates by the steam. As a result, another generator connected to the steam turbine operates.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] If a battery charged with the electric power generated in a power plant can be delivered to the surrounding area of the plant, a power supply independent of the power transmission network of the power plant becomes possible. Also, it is preferable that this delivery is performed quickly.

[0005] An object of this disclosure is to provide a battery delivery method capable of quickly delivering a battery charged with the electric power generated in a power plant to the surrounding area.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The battery delivery method according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure is A battery delivery method for delivering batteries charged with electricity generated at a power plant to the surrounding area, A removal process for removing batteries stored in the storage facility of the aforementioned power plant, The aforementioned removal process includes a charging process in which the batteries to be removed are charged with electricity generated at the power plant, The charging process involves mounting the battery, which has been charged in the charging process, into the vehicle. A movement process of moving the vehicle equipped with the battery toward a delivery destination in the surrounding area. It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, a battery delivery method can be provided that enables the rapid delivery of batteries charged with electricity generated at a power plant to surrounding areas. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing battery delivery according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a power plant according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows a battery delivery method according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing a supply device according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart detailing the battery mounting process according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a supply device according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows battery delivery methods according to other embodiments. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing an energy storage equipment distribution management device according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing delivery address information according to one embodiment. [Figure 10]It is a schematic diagram showing the display of a terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a schematic diagram showing a change in the display mode of a terminal when the delivery completion condition according to an embodiment is satisfied. [Figure 12A] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an energy storage device delivery management apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 12B] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an energy storage device delivery management apparatus according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram showing the display mode of a terminal that has received delivery request information according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart showing an energy storage device delivery management process according to an embodiment. [Figure 15A] It is a schematic diagram showing a power generation plant according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15B] It is a schematic diagram showing a power generation plant according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15C] It is a schematic diagram showing a power generation plant according to the third embodiment.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but are merely illustrative examples. For example, expressions representing relative or absolute arrangements such as "in a certain direction", "along a certain direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "center", "concentric", or "coaxial" not only strictly represent such arrangements, but also represent a state of relative displacement with tolerances or at angles and distances that provide the same function. For example, expressions representing that things are in an equal state such as "identical", "equal", and "homogeneous" not only strictly represent an equal state, but also represent a state in which there are tolerances or differences that provide the same function. For example, expressions representing shapes such as a rectangular shape or a cylindrical shape shall not only represent a geometrically precise rectangular shape, cylindrical shape, etc., but also represent shapes including concavo-convex portions, chamfered portions, etc. within the range where the same effect can be obtained. On the other hand, the expressions "comprising", "including", or "having" for one component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other components. In addition, the same reference numerals may be given to the same configurations and the description may be omitted.

[0010] <1. Exemplification of the Outline of Delivery of Battery 71> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the delivery of battery 71 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the carrier driving the vehicle 40 delivers the battery 71 charged by the electric power generated in the power generation plant 2 to the surrounding area 75 of the power generation plant 2. In delivering to the surrounding area 75, the carrier of this example drives the vehicle 40 after confirming the delivery destination 120 in the surrounding area 75 displayed by the terminal 5 held. The delivery destination 120 may be a facility capable of accommodating a plurality of people, such as a hospital, a nursing home, or a shelter. According to the above delivery, even when the power transmission network of the power generation plant 2 fails due to the occurrence of a disaster such as heavy rain, typhoon, or earthquake, it is possible to contribute to the surrounding area 75 in that a power supply independent of the power transmission network can be provided. Note that the carrier may deliver not only the battery 71 but also hot water to the delivery destination 120 (details will be described later).

[0011] Terminal 5 is, for example, owned by the carrier. More specifically, terminal 5 is a communication terminal that can move with the vehicle 40 owned by the carrier, and may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, tablet PC, or notebook PC, or a wearable terminal such as a smartwatch, smart glasses, or head-mounted display. Alternatively, it may be a vehicle-mounted terminal such as a car navigation system. Note that terminal 5 is not limited to being owned by the carrier, nor is it limited to being able to move with the vehicle 40. For example, terminal 5 may be a communication terminal such as a smart TV installed at the power plant 2. Below, an embodiment in which terminal 5 is a smartphone owned by the carrier will be given as an example.

[0012] Furthermore, the transporter may be either a person who owns a vehicle 40 in the surrounding area 75, which is within a specified distance from the power plant 2, or a person who owns a vehicle 40 in the non-surrounding area 76, which is further from the surrounding area 75. The surrounding area 75 is an area close to the power plant 2, and is an area from which the vehicle 40 can reach the power plant 2 in a relatively short time (for example, within 2 hours). The non-surrounding area 76 is an area outside the surrounding area 75, and is an area from which the vehicle 40 can reach the power plant 2 in a specified time (for example, within 6 hours). In the example in Figure 1, the surrounding area 75 is circular. That is, the specified distance from the power plant 2 for defining the surrounding area 75 is constant regardless of the direction relative to the power plant 2. In other examples, the surrounding area 75 may be a polygon or an ellipse, or other non-circular shape. That is, the specified distance from the power plant 2 may change depending on the direction relative to the power plant 2. The surrounding area 75 may be defined based on hazard maps created by specific organizations (the same applies to the non-surrounding area 76).

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a power plant 2 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The power plant 2 illustrated in the figure includes a power supply line 60 for sending the generated power to a power transmission system 9, which may be a power grid, and a separate power supply line 64 for sending the generated power to a supply device 30. The supply device 30, which is a component of the power plant 2, includes a charger 31 for sequentially charging a plurality of batteries 71 to be removed from the storage facility 13 of the power plant 2. The batteries 71 to be removed may be batteries 71 stored in the storage facility 13, or batteries 71 that have been transported from the storage facility 13. The charger 31 illustrated in the figure is configured to charge the batteries 71 transported from the storage facility 13. These batteries 71 may be configured to supply power to electric vehicles 41A and 41B (see Figure 3), which are examples of vehicles 40. Alternatively, the batteries 71 may be configured to supply power to devices other than electric vehicles 41A and 41B. As a more detailed example, the battery 71 may be capable of supplying power to communication devices such as mobile phones or smartphones, light-emitting devices such as portable lights, or water heaters. The electric vehicles 41A and 41B are electric vehicles, hybrid cars, electric motorcycles, or electric four-wheeled vehicles. If the electric vehicle is an electric vehicle, the charger 31 constitutes an EV charging station. In Figure 2, the storage unit 13 and the charger 31 may be configured as an integrated unit. As a more specific example, the charger 31 may be installed inside the storage unit 13, or the charger 31 itself may function as the storage unit 13. Therefore, the battery 71 may be charged before being removed from the storage unit 13.

[0014] The delivery of the charged battery 71 to the surrounding area 75 is managed by an energy storage equipment delivery management device 100, which may be a server at the power plant 2, for example. The energy storage equipment delivery management device 100 is configured to transmit information about the delivery destination 120 to the carrier's terminal 5. The carrier can then confirm the information at terminal 5 and drive the vehicle 40 to deliver the battery 71 to the designated delivery destination 120.

[0015] Furthermore, in this disclosure, it is not mandatory for the carrier to check the terminal 5 when delivering the battery 71 to the surrounding area 75. In other words, the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100 does not need to be provided, and the carrier does not need to possess the terminal 5. For example, this disclosure is also applicable to embodiments in which the carrier verbally asks for the address of the delivery destination 120 at the power plant 2, or to embodiments in which the carrier delivers the battery 71 as appropriate while patrolling the surrounding area 75.

[0016] <2. Example of a delivery method for the battery 71 according to one embodiment> Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a battery delivery method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, "step" may be abbreviated as "S". First, a loading process is performed (S11) in which a plurality of batteries 71 stored in the storage facility 13 of the power plant 2 are loaded to the charger 31. The loading of the batteries 71 may be performed by a transport device such as a forklift, or by human power using a trolley or the like. In this example, none of the plurality of batteries 71 stored in the storage facility 13 are charged at all. By performing the loading process, the batteries 71 are loaded to a location where they can be charged by the charger 31.

[0017] Next, in S11, a charging process is performed in which the batteries 71 to be removed are charged with electricity generated at the power plant 2 (S13). The charger 31 of the supply equipment 30 in this example charges multiple batteries 71 removed from the storage facility 13 simultaneously. However, the number of batteries 71 that the charger 31 can charge simultaneously is less than the number of batteries 71 stored in the storage facility 13. Therefore, in order to charge all of the stored batteries 71, the charger 31 must be operated multiple times.

[0018] Next, in the process of mounting the battery 71, which was charged in S13, onto the vehicle 40, is performed (S15). After the execution of S15, the charged battery 71 becomes ready to move along with the vehicle 40.

[0019] Next, a movement process is performed (S31) in which the vehicle 40 equipped with the battery 71 is moved toward the delivery destination 120 in the surrounding area 75. As a specific example of S31, information regarding the delivery destination 120 is transmitted from the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100 to the terminal 5, and the carrier confirms the delivery destination 120. Then, the carrier, riding in the vehicle 40 equipped with the battery 71, departs from the power plant 2 toward the delivery destination 120. As another specific example of S31, the operator of the power plant 2 guides the vehicle 40, driven by the carrier, to the departure point within the power plant 2. In either embodiment, the vehicle 40 departs from the power plant 2 toward the delivery destination 120. Note that departure toward the delivery destination 120 refers not only to departing from the power plant 2 after a specific delivery location has been identified, but also to departing from the power plant 2 with the aim of delivering to any delivery destination 120, even if a specific delivery location has not been determined. Upon execution of S31, the charged battery 71 is delivered to the delivery destination 120 in the surrounding area 75.

[0020] According to the above configuration, batteries 71 stored at the power plant 2 can be charged using electricity generated at the power plant 2, and the charged batteries 71 can be delivered to the surrounding area 75 using the vehicle 40. Since the batteries 71 to be charged are stored in advance in the storage facility 13, they can be immediately removed from the storage facility 13 as needed, enabling rapid delivery to the surrounding area 75. Thus, a battery delivery method is realized that allows for the rapid delivery of batteries 71 charged with electricity generated at the power plant 2 to the surrounding area 75. Note that the charging process S13 may be performed before the execution of S11. As described above, this is possible in embodiments in which the charger 31 is integrally configured with the storage unit 13. Even in this case, the above advantages can be obtained.

[0021] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 3, in embodiments where S13 is performed after S11, the charging process (S13) can be performed in a location away from the storage unit 13, making it easier to perform the charging process. As a more specific example, at least one of the operations of operating the charger 31 or attaching and detaching the battery 71 to the charger 31 can be performed in a larger space, making it easier to perform the charging process.

[0022] <3. Batteries 71 stored in storage room 13> In one embodiment of this disclosure, the total capacity of the batteries 71 to be transported in the transport process is greater than the estimated total power capacity (total required power capacity) that would be needed if the surrounding area 75 were affected by a disaster. In this example, the total required power capacity is the total power capacity for 0.5 days that would be needed at all of the one or more delivery destinations 120 if the surrounding area 75 were affected by a disaster. The specific estimation of the total required power capacity is carried out as follows. For example, assuming that the surrounding area 75 is affected by a disaster, one or more delivery destinations 120 to which the batteries 71 need to be delivered are specified, and the total required power capacity per 0.5 days at each delivery destination 120 is estimated. This estimation may be carried out based on the results of actually measuring the amount of power used at each delivery destination 120, or it may be carried out by identifying the power required by various equipment at the delivery destination 120 from equipment specifications, etc. The total capacity of the batteries 71 to be transported in the storage facility 13 is preferably 1.5 times or more the total required power capacity, more preferably 2 times or more, and even more preferably 3 times or more.

[0023] According to the above configuration, if the surrounding area 75 is affected by a disaster, it is possible to suppress the shortage of electricity that can be delivered using the battery 71, and to deliver sufficient electricity to the delivery destination 120 in the surrounding area 75. The total required power capacity may be the total required power capacity for one day at the delivery destination 120, or the total required power capacity for two days. The above advantages can be obtained in either embodiment.

[0024] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the number of batteries 71 stored in the storage facility 13 that are to be removed in the removal process (S11) is greater than the total number of batteries 71 that are estimated to be needed if the surrounding area 75 is affected by a disaster (total required number). In this example, the total required number can be specified in advance by identifying the number of delivery destinations 120 where the batteries 71 need to be delivered, assuming that the surrounding area 75 is affected by a disaster. The number of batteries 71 stored in the storage facility 13 is preferably 1.5 times or more the total required number, more preferably 2 times or more, and even more preferably 3 times or more.

[0025] In the event that the surrounding area 75 is affected by a disaster, even if batteries 71 with sufficient power capacity are charged at the power plant 2, if the number of batteries is less than the number of delivery destinations 120, it will be necessary to visit the delivery destinations 120 in sequence to supply power. In this regard, with the above configuration, it is possible to deliver multiple batteries 71 to multiple delivery destinations 120 at approximately the same time, so that charged batteries 71 can be delivered to the surrounding area 75 quickly. In other words, even if the power capacity of an individual battery 71 is smaller than the power capacity required at one delivery destination 120, as long as multiple batteries 71 are headed towards that delivery destination 120, it will be possible to quickly supply power to a wide range of delivery destinations 120.

[0026] <4. Details of Supply Equipment 30> Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a supply device 30 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle 40 for transporting the battery 71 includes an electric vehicle 41A. The electric vehicle 41A includes an electric motor that serves as a drive source for driving, a power supply line for supplying power to the electric motor, and a battery mounting section 48 connected to the power supply line. The battery 71 charged by the charger 31 of the supply device 30 includes a replaceable battery 71A that can be mounted on the mounting section 48. Furthermore, the battery 71 shown in the figure also includes a loading battery 71B for being loaded on a loading section 45 of the electric vehicle 41A, which may be, for example, a cargo bed or trunk. The loading battery 71B may be the same type of battery as the replaceable battery 71A, or it may be a different type of battery 71. If a different type of battery 71 is used, the charger 31 may have a plurality of charging sections corresponding to the replaceable battery 71A and the loading battery 71B, respectively. In addition, the battery 71 mounted on the mounting section 48 may be a fixed battery instead of the replaceable battery 71A. Furthermore, the electrical capacity of the mounted battery 71B may be greater than the electrical capacity of the replaceable battery 71A. The details of the mounting process (S15 in Figure 3) in the above embodiment are as follows as an example.

[0027] Figure 5 is a flowchart detailing the battery 71 mounting process (S15) according to one embodiment. First, a charged replaceable battery 71A is mounted on the mounting section 48 of the electric vehicle 41A (S41). As a more specific example, after the replaceable battery 71A that was mounted on the mounting section 48 is removed, another replaceable battery 71A that has already been fully charged is mounted on the mounting section 48. Such replacement work may be performed by a transporter, by the operator of the power plant 2, or automatically by a device such as a robotic arm.

[0028] Next, the onboard battery 71B is loaded onto the loading section 45 of the electric vehicle 41A (S43). As a more specific example, multiple onboard batteries 71B charged by the charger 31 are loaded onto the loading section 45. S43 may be performed by a transporter or plant operator, or by a robotic arm. Furthermore, S43 may be performed in parallel with S41 to shorten the time required for the battery 71 loading process (S15).

[0029] With the above configuration, it becomes possible to install the replacement battery 71A, which has been pre-charged in the charging process (S13), into the mounting section 48 in the mounting process (S41). Therefore, the time required to complete the mounting process can be shortened compared to the case where the replacement battery 71A removed from the mounting section 48 is charged and then reinstalled. Thus, the charged replacement battery 71A can be quickly delivered to the surrounding area 75. Note that the battery mounting process (S15) does not necessarily include the battery loading process (S43). That is, the loading of the loaded battery 71B into the loading section 45 does not have to be performed. Even in this case, the above advantages can still be obtained.

[0030] Furthermore, in the configuration in which the loading process (S43) for the loaded battery 71B is performed, the battery 71 can be mounted on the electric vehicle 41A not only in the mounting section 48 but also in the loading section 45, thereby increasing the amount of electricity that can be supplied to the delivery destination 120 by each electric vehicle 41A. As a result, sufficient power can be supplied to the delivery destination 120, thereby increasing the contribution to the surrounding area 75 through the delivery of the battery 71.

[0031] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the mounted battery 71B is a used replacement battery (hereinafter also referred to as a used battery). The used battery is a replacement battery that has been used at least once in an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle to which the used battery is supplied may be a larger electric vehicle than the electric vehicle 41A described above, and in this case, the used battery has a larger electrical capacity than the replacement battery 71A installed in the electric vehicle 41A.

[0032] According to the above configuration, by using used batteries as the batteries 71 loaded in the loading section 45, the procurement cost of the batteries 71 can be reduced. Also, if the delivery of the batteries 71 is limited to times such as when there is a power outage in the power grid of the power plant 2, the storage period of the batteries 71 in the storage facility 13 may be extended. In this regard, according to the above configuration, since the batteries 71 are used batteries, the procurement cost of batteries 71 that are only used when needed can be reduced.

[0033] <5. Supply equipment 30 according to other embodiments> Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a supply device 30 according to another embodiment. In addition to the charger 31 described above, the supply device 30 includes a water heater 32 configured to operate using electricity generated in the power plant 2. The water heater 32 has a water storage tank 33 and a heater 34 for heating the water in the water storage tank 33 with the supplied electricity. The hot water generated in the water storage tank 33 by heating with the heater 34 is supplied to and stored in a hot water tank 72. The hot water tank 72 is fixed to the loading section 45 of an electric vehicle 41B, which is an example of a vehicle 40. Furthermore, a loading battery 71B charged by the charger 31 is loaded in the loading section 45, and a replaceable battery 71A charged by the charger 31 is mounted in the mounting section 48 of the electric vehicle 41B. Therefore, the electric vehicle 41B can deliver a charged battery 71 and a hot water tank 72 in which hot water is stored to the delivery destination 120, and can also deliver hot water to the delivery destination 120 in the event of a disaster.

[0034] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a delivery method for the battery 71 according to another embodiment. In addition to the steps described using Figure 3, the delivery method in this example includes an S21 which may be performed between S15 and S31. S21 is a storage step in which hot water heated by the water heater 32 is stored in the hot water tank 72. As a more specific example, hot water stored in the water storage tank 33 of the power plant 2 is sent to and stored in the hot water tank 72 using equipment such as hoses and pumps. In this embodiment, in the moving step (S31), a vehicle 40 equipped with the hot water tank 72 containing the stored hot water and the battery 71 is moved to the delivery destination 120. With the above configuration, for example, if the surrounding area 75 is affected by a disaster, not only electricity but also hot water can be delivered to the delivery destination 120, thereby increasing the contribution to the surrounding area 75.

[0035] The following describes in detail an embodiment in which terminal 5 is referenced when delivering energy storage equipment 70, which is at least one of a battery 71 or a hot water tank 72.

[0036] <6. Details of the configuration of the energy storage equipment distribution management device 100> Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an energy storage equipment distribution management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The energy storage equipment distribution management device 100, which may be a server installed in a power plant 2, for example, consists of one or more computers and includes a processor, memory, and an external communication interface. The processor is a CPU, GPU, MPU, DSP, or a combination thereof. The processor may be implemented by an integrated circuit such as a PLD, ASIC, FPGA, or MCU. The memory is configured to store various data temporarily or non-temporarily and is implemented by, for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, or a combination thereof. The processor processes the data according to the instructions of a program loaded into the memory, thereby executing processing for managing the distribution of energy storage equipment 70.

[0037] An energy storage equipment delivery management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a delivery destination information acquisition unit 102 configured to acquire delivery destination information 200 including location information of at least one delivery destination 120 of an energy storage equipment 70, and a delivery destination information transmission unit 104 for transmitting the delivery destination information 200 acquired by the delivery destination information acquisition unit 102 to a terminal 5.

[0038] The location information included in the delivery destination information 200 may be, for example, an address, the location of the delivery destination 120 indicated by longitude and latitude, or the location of the delivery destination 120 indicated by two-dimensional coordinates in the map image 16 (see Figure 10) described later. Such delivery destination information 200, including location information, is pre-stored in the memory of the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100 for each delivery destination 120, and the delivery destination information acquisition unit 102 can acquire the delivery destination information 200 by referring to the memory. In addition, the delivery destination information 200 according to other embodiments may be stored in a server device located in a remote location away from the power plant 2, in which case the delivery destination information acquisition unit 102 may acquire the delivery destination information 200 via the network 15. Details of the data structure of the delivery destination information 200 will be described later.

[0039] To send delivery destination information 200 from the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 to terminal 5, terminal information is required to identify terminal 5, for example. In this embodiment, terminal information is pre-stored in the memory of the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100, and the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 obtains the terminal information by referring to the memory. This allows the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 to transmit delivery destination information 200 to terminal 5 via the network 15. The delivery destination information transmission unit 104 may transmit delivery destination information 200 to all terminals 5 whose terminal information is stored in the memory, or it may transmit delivery destination information 200 only to terminals 5 that meet specified conditions (for example, terminals 5 located in the surrounding area 75 or non-surrounding area 76). Whether or not a terminal 5 is located in the surrounding area 75 or non-surrounding area 76 can be determined based on the location information transmitted from the terminal 5. This determination process may be performed periodically (for example, every 10 minutes), and the determination results may be reflected in the terminal information sequentially. In other embodiments, terminal information may be stored in a server device located in a remote location away from the power plant 2. Furthermore, terminal information is not required when transmitting the delivery destination information 200. For example, a server device located in a remote location away from the power plant 2 may store the delivery destination information, and terminal 5 may obtain the delivery destination information by accessing a site with a dedicated URL provided by the server device. In this case, the server device functions as the delivery destination information transmission unit 104. Alternatively, only terminals with a specified application installed may be able to access the server device. In this embodiment, instead of the server device managing terminal information, it may store user identification information (user ID) to identify the carrier. If user IDs are managed, the carrier can also obtain the delivery destination information 200 using a terminal that is not owned by them.

[0040] Terminal 5, having received the delivery destination information 200, can display the location information of the delivery destination 120. A transporter who possesses the energy storage equipment 70 containing stored energy at the power plant 2 can check terminal 5 and deliver the energy storage equipment 70 to the designated delivery destination 120 in the surrounding area 75 using vehicle 40.

[0041] According to the above configuration, destination information 200, including location information, is sent to the terminal 5 that moves with the vehicle 40. As a result, the transporter of the energy storage equipment 70 can confirm the destination information 200 displayed on the terminal 5, drive the vehicle 40, and deliver the energy storage equipment 70 to the designated destination 120 within the surrounding area 75 without any problems. Therefore, the energy storage equipment 70, which stores energy using electricity generated at the power plant 2, can be efficiently delivered to the surrounding area 75. Furthermore, energy delivery to the surrounding area 75 becomes possible without relying on the power grid of the power plant 2. For example, even if a power outage occurs in the power grid due to a disaster, it becomes possible to contribute to the surrounding area 75 through energy delivery. In an embodiment where the terminal 5 is installed at the power plant 2, the transporter can also confirm the destination information 200 displayed on the terminal 5, drive the vehicle 40, and depart from the power plant 2, thereby delivering the energy storage equipment 70 to the designated destination 120 without any problems and obtaining the above advantages.

[0042] <7. Example of detailed delivery address information 200> Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing delivery destination information 200 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The delivery destination information 200 further includes a facility ID for identifying each delivery destination 120 within the surrounding area 75, facility name information indicating the facility name of the delivery destination 120, and a delivery priority. The facility name information, priority, and the location information described above are all managed in association with the facility ID. The priority may be indicated by a symbol such as A, B, or C, or by a number corresponding to the priority. In the example shown in the figure, the priority is indicated by three symbols: A, B, and C, where A indicates the highest delivery priority and C indicates the lowest delivery priority. A terminal 5 that receives the delivery destination information 200 configured above can display the priority for each delivery destination 120.

[0043] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the display of terminal 5 according to one embodiment. Upon receiving the above-mentioned delivery destination information 200, terminal 5 displays the priority of the delivery destinations 120 (see Figure 1) of the energy storage equipment 70 in the map image 16, for example, in a list format. This list may be displayed superimposed on the map image 16, or the list showing the priority may be displayed independently. In the latter case, the transporter only needs to input an operation instruction to terminal 5 to switch between displaying the map image 16 and displaying the list.

[0044] According to the above configuration, the carrier of the energy storage equipment 70 can refer to terminal 5 to check the delivery priority, making it possible to deliver the energy storage equipment 70 to destinations 120 in order of priority. For example, if the energy supply to facilities such as hospitals is interrupted during a disaster, it will hinder the care of sick people. In this regard, according to the above configuration, if hospitals are set to have a high priority at destination 120, the carrier who checks terminal 5 can deliver the energy storage equipment 70 to hospitals as a priority, thereby mitigating disruptions to the care of sick people and increasing the contribution to the surrounding area 75. Note that the delivery destination information 200 does not necessarily have to include facility ID and facility name information. If the location information and priority of destination 120 are linked, the advantage of being able to deliver the energy storage equipment 70 to destination 120 in order of priority can be obtained. Also, it is not necessary for a priority to be assigned to all facility IDs included in the delivery destination information 200, and some facility IDs may not have a priority assigned to them.

[0045] As shown in Figure 10, terminal 5 displays the delivery destination 120 (see Figure 1) of the energy storage equipment 70 as a delivery destination mark in the map image 16. In the same figure, hospital marks 185, nursing home marks 186, and evacuation center marks 187 are exemplified as these delivery destination marks. The hospital marks 185, nursing home marks 186, and evacuation center marks 187 are displayed so as to overlap with the location of the delivery destination 120, which is indicated by location information. This map image 16 is obtained by downloading it from a designated internet site. In another example, the map image 16 may be stored in the memory of the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100, and the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 may transmit the map image 16 together with the delivery destination information 200 to terminal 5.

[0046] As an example, the delivery destination markers are managed in the delivery destination information 200 as follows. As illustrated in Figure 9, the location information of the delivery destination information 200 includes delivery destination markers that are superimposed on the location of the delivery destination 120 on the map image 16 (see Figure 10). The delivery destination markers are markers that allow the carrier at terminal 5 to identify the type of delivery destination 120, and examples include the hospital marker 185, nursing home marker 186, and evacuation center marker 187 mentioned above. In the example in Figure 9, these delivery destination markers are managed in association with facility IDs. As a result, terminal 5, upon receiving the delivery destination information 200, can display the delivery destination markers (hospital marker 185, nursing home marker 186, and evacuation center marker 187) in association with the location of the delivery destination 120 on the map image 16.

[0047] According to the above configuration, terminal 5, upon receiving delivery destination information 200, displays a delivery destination mark superimposed on the location of delivery destination 120 on the map image 16. This allows the carrier of the energy storage equipment 70 to intuitively understand the type of delivery destination 120.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the energy delivered by the energy storage device 70 includes electrical energy charged in the battery 71 and thermal energy stored in the hot water tank 72, and the type and amount of energy delivered are managed in the delivery destination information 200 as follows, for example.

[0049] Returning to Figure 9, the delivery destination information 200 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure further includes energy information relating to at least one of the type or amount of energy required at at least one delivery destination 120. The energy information in this example is information relating to both the type and amount of energy. In this embodiment, the types of energy are electrical energy and thermal energy, and the amount of energy is indicated, for example, by electrical capacity (kW) and the amount of hot water (L). When the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 transmits such delivery destination information 200 to the terminal 5, the terminal 5 displays the type and amount of energy required at the delivery destination 120, for example, in list format (not shown). The list may be displayed superimposed on the map image 16, or it may be displayed independently. In the latter case, the carrier only needs to input an operation instruction to the terminal 5 to switch between displaying the map image 16 and displaying the list.

[0050] According to the above configuration, the carrier of the energy storage equipment 70 can refer to terminal 5 to confirm at least one of the type or amount of energy required at the delivery destination 120. This allows for the delivery of at least one of the required type or amount of energy to the delivery destination 120. For example, if the type of energy required differs between a hospital and a nursing home during a disaster, flexible energy delivery tailored to the delivery destination 120 becomes possible, increasing the contribution to the surrounding area 75.

[0051] The energy information illustrated in Figure 9 includes energy marks indicating at least one of the type or amount of energy required at the delivery destination 120, and is intended to be displayed adjacent to the delivery destination mark on the map image 16. A more specific example is described below, where the energy mark indicates the type of energy. The energy mark includes a power mark 83 and a hot water mark 82. The power mark 83 corresponds to the electrical energy charged in the battery 71, and the hot water mark 82 corresponds to the thermal energy stored in the hot water tank 72. The terminal 5 that receives the energy information can display the energy marks on the map image 16. For example, as shown in Figure 10, the energy marks are displayed adjacent to a specific delivery destination mark (i.e., so that they can be identified as corresponding to a specific delivery destination mark). As a more specific example, the power mark 83 and the hot water mark 82 are displayed adjacent to the hospital mark 185, and the power mark 83 is displayed adjacent to the nursing home mark 186. Furthermore, if the energy mark is displayed in a specified position relative to the delivery destination mark, it becomes possible to identify that a specific energy mark corresponds to a specific delivery destination mark. In the example in Figure 10, the energy mark is displayed in the upper right corner of each delivery destination mark. In embodiments where the energy mark indicates the amount of energy, the energy mark may be a letter, number, figure, symbol, or a combination thereof indicating the required electrical capacity (KW) or hot water volume (L).

[0052] According to the above configuration, terminal 5, upon receiving the delivery destination information 200, displays an energy mark adjacent to the delivery destination mark on the map image 16. This allows the carrier of the energy storage equipment 70 to intuitively understand at least one of the type or amount of energy required at the delivery destination 120, thereby enabling accurate and rapid transport of the energy storage equipment 70. In this example, terminal 5, upon receiving the delivery destination information 200, can also display at least one of the power mark 83 or the hot water mark 82 adjacent to the delivery destination mark on the map image 16. This allows the carrier of the energy storage equipment 70 to intuitively understand whether the type of energy required at the delivery destination 120 is power, hot water, or both.

[0053] <8. Generation of route information by the energy storage equipment distribution management device 100> Returning to Figure 8, the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure further comprises a road information acquisition unit 106 for acquiring road information indicating whether roads in the surrounding area 75 are passable, and a route information generation unit 108 for generating route information in a map image 16 leading to the delivery destination 120 based on the location information of the delivery destination 120 and the road information.

[0054] The road information acquisition unit 106 in this example is configured to acquire road information by, for example, accessing a server device that provides a specified internet service. The server device is configured to generate road information by collecting information provided, for example, by drivers or government agencies. Furthermore, this road information may include map data showing a map image 16. In this case, the road information will be data that shows impassable roads in map format.

[0055] In this example, the route information generation unit 108 determines a route to the delivery destination 120 based on the location information of the delivery destination 120 and the power plant 2, as well as road information. The route is generated in a way that avoids points or areas on the map that are impassable, as indicated by the road information. The generated route information is acquired by the delivery destination information transmission unit 104. As a result, delivery destination information 200, including the route information, is sent from the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 to the terminal 5. The terminal 5 may overlay a route object 89 indicating the determined route on the map image 16 based on the route information contained in the received delivery destination information 200 (see Figure 10). The delivery destination information 200 in this embodiment may further include impassable information indicating points or areas that are impassable (not shown). In this case, the terminal 5 that receives the delivery destination information 200 may overlay an impassable object 88 indicating the points or areas that are impassable on the map image 16. This allows the carrier to intuitively understand which roads should be avoided.

[0056] According to the above configuration, the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 transmits delivery destination information 200, including route information, to the terminal 5. This allows the carrier of the energy storage equipment 70 to proceed to the delivery destination 120 while avoiding impassable roads, such as those cut off, in the event of a disaster. Therefore, the energy storage equipment 70 can be delivered to the delivery destination 120 without delay in the event of a disaster.

[0057] <9. Example of delivery management by the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100> The energy storage equipment distribution management device 100 illustrated in Figure 8 is configured to determine whether a first delivery destination included in at least one delivery destination 120 (see Figure 1) satisfies the delivery completion condition. The delivery completion condition is satisfied when the energy required for the first delivery destination has been delivered, or when the energy required for the first delivery destination is delivered within a predetermined time from the start of the determination. The required energy can be managed based on at least one of the type or amount of energy indicated by the energy information included in the delivery destination information 200.

[0058] The energy storage equipment delivery management device 100 includes a transmission unit 135 having the determination function described above. More specifically, the transmission unit 135 is configured to transmit change instruction information to the terminal 5 to change the display mode of the first delivery destination on the terminal 5 when it determines that the delivery completion condition has been met based on information transmitted from the terminal 5 located within a first distance from the first delivery destination.

[0059] The process for determining whether the delivery completion conditions according to one embodiment have been met is implemented as follows, for example. The transmitting unit 135 receives a delivery completion report from the carrier who delivered the energy storage equipment 70 to the first delivery destination. Specifically, the carrier transmits information indicating the type and amount of energy delivered to the first delivery destination (for example, the number of batteries 71 or the amount of hot water) from the terminal 5 as a delivery completion report. At this time, the terminal 5 is located within a first distance from the first delivery destination. Based on the delivery completion report sent from the terminal 5, the transmitting unit 135 aggregates the type and amount of energy delivered to the first delivery destination. Based on the aggregated results and the energy information in the delivery destination information 200, the transmitting unit 135 determines whether the delivery completion conditions for the first delivery destination have been met.

[0060] The process for determining whether the delivery completion conditions according to other embodiments have been met can be implemented as follows, for example. When the carrier has the energy storage equipment 70 with energy stored in it at the power plant 2, the carrier registers the type and amount of energy to be transported and the destination delivery location 120 (first delivery location). This registration may be achieved by the carrier making an input operation on the terminal 5, or by the operator of the power plant 2 making an input operation on a separate terminal. In either case, the registration result is stored in the memory of the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100. This makes it possible to manage whether the energy storage equipment 70 required for delivery to the first delivery location can be delivered at the time of handover of the energy storage equipment 70 at the power plant 2. Then, during the process of the carrier transporting the energy storage equipment 70, the terminal 5 periodically transmits its position to the transmission unit 135 (or the terminal 5 may reply with its position in response to a demand sent from the transmission unit 135). The transmitting unit 135 determines whether all terminals 5 whose destination is the first delivery destination have reached an area within a first distance from the first delivery destination at least once. The first distance is the distance that can be expected to be within the required time to reach the first delivery destination, and is shorter than the specified distance mentioned above. If all the relevant terminals 5 have entered the above area at least once, the transmitting unit 135 determines that the delivery completion condition for the first delivery destination has been met.

[0061] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the change in the display of terminal 5 when the delivery completion conditions according to one embodiment of the present disclosure are met. When the transmission unit 135 sends change instruction information to terminal 5 as a trigger for the delivery completion conditions being met, terminal 5 removes the delivery destination mark (hospital mark 185 in the example of Figure 11) corresponding to the first delivery destination from the display screen. This allows the carrier to understand that the number of candidate delivery destinations 120 has decreased. Note that terminal 5 receiving the change instruction information may be limited to terminal 5 located in the surrounding area 75. Alternatively, display update information may be returned only to terminal 5 that has transmitted a specified demand to the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100. Furthermore, the change in the display manner is not limited to removing the corresponding delivery destination mark, but may also be performed by changing the color of the delivery destination mark, adding predetermined text information, etc.

[0062] According to the above configuration, when the required energy is delivered to the first delivery destination, or when the required energy is delivered to the first delivery destination within a predetermined time, the display of the first delivery destination on terminal 5 changes, and the carrier of the energy storage equipment 70 can recognize this. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the delivery of excessive energy storage equipment 70 to the first delivery destination, and to distribute the energy storage equipment 70 efficiently to the surrounding area 75.

[0063] <10. Delivery request by energy storage equipment delivery management device 100> Figure 12A is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an energy storage equipment delivery management device 100A(100) according to one embodiment. Figure 12B is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an energy storage equipment delivery management device 100B(100) according to another embodiment. The energy storage equipment delivery management devices 100A and 100B(100) include the delivery destination information acquisition unit 102 and the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 described above. The road information acquisition unit 106, route information generation unit 108, or transmission unit 135 exemplified in Figure 8 may or may not be incorporated into the energy storage equipment delivery management devices 100A and 100B.

[0064] The energy storage equipment delivery management device 100A illustrated in Figure 12A further includes a first delivery request unit 131 for transmitting delivery request information for energy storage equipment 70 to pre-registered terminals 5. Terminal information for identifying terminals 5 is pre-registered by the carrier and stored in the memory of the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100. In this example, for example, if a disaster occurs and a power outage occurs in the power grid of the power plant 2, the first delivery request unit 131 transmits delivery request information to the registered terminals 5 all at once. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing the display of terminal 5 that has received delivery request information according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in the figure, terminal 5 displays that it is seeking carriers for the energy storage equipment 70. With the above configuration, the operator of the power plant 2 can quickly recruit carriers.

[0065] The energy storage equipment delivery management device 100B illustrated in Figure 12B further includes a second delivery request unit 132 for transmitting delivery request information for energy storage equipment 70 to terminals 5 located within the surrounding area 75 and non-surrounding area 76 (i.e., to a wide area including the surrounding area 75) among the pre-registered terminals 5. Terminals 5 that receive delivery request information from the second delivery request unit 132 display that they are seeking carriers for the energy storage equipment 70, as shown in Figure 13. With the above configuration, the second delivery request unit 132 transmits delivery request information for energy storage equipment 70 to terminals 5 located within the wide area including the surrounding area 75 among the pre-registered terminals 5. This makes it possible to request transportation only from carriers who are realistically able to go to the power plant 2, thereby achieving efficient recruitment of carriers.

[0066] <11. Example of energy storage equipment delivery management process> Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the energy storage equipment delivery management process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. This management process is performed by the processor (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the processor) of the energy storage equipment delivery management device 100. The energy storage equipment management process is performed, for example, when the area surrounding the power plant 2 75 is affected by a disaster. In this example, the non-surrounding area 76 (see Figure 1) corresponds to the non-affected area.

[0067] First, the processor sends delivery request information to the terminal 5 (S11). The processor executing S11 corresponds to either the first delivery request unit 131 or the second delivery request unit 132 described above.

[0068] Next, the processor acquires road information (S13) and generates route information (S15). The processor that performs S13 and the processor that performs S15 correspond to the road information acquisition unit 106 and the route information generation unit 108 described above, respectively. Furthermore, the processor acquires delivery destination information 200 (S17) and transmits the acquired delivery destination information 200 to the terminal 5 (S19). The processor that performs S17 and the processor that performs S19 correspond to the delivery destination information acquisition unit 102 and the delivery destination information transmission unit 104 described above, respectively.

[0069] Next, the processor, based on information transmitted from terminal 5 located within a first distance from the first delivery destination, determines that the delivery completion conditions for the first delivery destination are met, and transmits change instruction information to terminal 5 (S21). The processor executing S21 corresponds to the transmission unit 135 described above. After that, the processor terminates the energy storage equipment delivery management process.

[0070] <12. Examples of the specific configuration of power plant 2> Figures 15A, 15B, and 15C are schematic diagrams showing power plants 2A, 2B, and 2C(2). The power plants 2 illustrated in these figures are renewable energy power plants, and more specifically, biomass power plants configured to generate electricity using biomass. Biomass is an organic resource obtained from plants and animals, such as woody biomass, agricultural and forestry products, food waste, or livestock manure. Any type of biomass can be used in power plants 2, but in the following explanation, power plants 2A, 2B, and 2C(2) that generate electricity using woody biomass (more specifically, wood chips) will be used as examples.

[0071] <12-1. Power plant 2A according to the first embodiment> The power plant 2A illustrated in Figure 15A comprises at least two power generation systems. The first power generation system is a first power generation system 10 that generates electricity by converting thermal energy obtained from the combustion of biomass into rotational energy for a steam turbine 4. The electricity generated by the first power generation system 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the first power) is supplied to a power transmission system 9, which may be, for example, a power grid. The second power generation system is a second power generation system 20 that generates electricity by driving a biogas power generation device 23 by the combustion of biogas obtained from biomass. The electricity generated by the second power generation system 20 (hereinafter also referred to as the second power) is supplied to the auxiliary motor 55, which will be described later. In other words, the second power generation system 20 is an auxiliary power generation system for the first power generation system 10. In addition, in the example of Figure 15A, the second power is supplied not only to the auxiliary motor 55 but also to the power transmission system 9 and the supply equipment 30, which will be described later.

[0072] The power supplied to the auxiliary motor 55 is mainly provided by the second power source, but during certain periods, such as when the power plant 2 is started up, it may be supplied by power from an external power system (not shown). The external power system may be supplied with power generated by a thermal power plant, or with power generated by a renewable energy power plant such as a wind power plant, solar power plant, or tidal power plant.

[0073] The first power generation system 10 illustrated in Figure 15A includes a biomass boiler 3 that uses biomass as fuel, a steam turbine 4 that uses steam supplied from the biomass boiler 3 as a driving source, a first generator 11 for generating electricity by driving the steam turbine 4, and a first power supply line 61 for supplying the electricity generated by the first generator 11 to the power transmission system 9.

[0074] The biomass boiler 3 is equipped with a furnace 39 for burning biomass supplied from the biomass supply device 81. The thermal energy obtained from the combustion of biomass generates steam (superheated steam) in the biomass boiler 3. The steam is supplied to the steam turbine 4 via the steam supply line L1, causing the steam turbine 4 to rotate. As a result, the first generator 11 connected to the steam turbine 4 generates electricity. The steam discharged from the steam turbine 4 is condensed in the condenser 6 and returned to the furnace 39 via the boiler feedwater line L2. The boiler feedwater line L2 is equipped with a feedwater pump 7 for sending the condensate to the furnace 39.

[0075] Note that in Figure 15A, which is a schematic diagram, the various devices in the boiler feedwater line L2 are not shown (the same applies to Figure 15B). For example, a deaerator is provided upstream of the feedwater pump 7 to deaerate the condensate, and a deaerator feedwater pump is provided between the deaerator and the condenser 6 to send the condensate to the deaerator. Furthermore, a feedwater heater is provided upstream of the deaerator feedwater pump to heat the condensate, and a condensate pump is provided between the feedwater heater and the condenser 6 to send the condensate to the feedwater heater. The feedwater pump 7, the deaerator feedwater pump, and the condensate pump are pumps that supply condensate to the biomass boiler 3 and function as auxiliary equipment 50 for driving the biomass boiler 3.

[0076] The exhaust gas generated by the combustion of biogas inside the furnace 39 passes through the flue 17, the air preheater 14, and the bag filter 18 in that order. Dust contained in the exhaust gas is collected by the bag filter 18, and the induced draft fan (IDF) 19 draws the exhaust gas from the bag filter 18 and sends it to the exhaust stack 8. The air preheater 14 is configured to heat the air sent out by the forced draft fan (FDF) 12 using the exhaust gas that has passed through the flue 17 as a heat source. The heated air discharged from the air preheater 14 is supplied to the biomass boiler 3 as combustion air (combustion gas) for biomass. The induced draft fan 19 and the forced draft fan 12 are fans that draw in or send out gas (exhaust gas or combustion gas), and function as auxiliary equipment 50 for driving the biomass boiler 3.

[0077] As described above, in some embodiments, the auxiliary equipment 50, which is a component of the first power generation system 10, includes pumps such as a feedwater pump 7, a deaerator feedwater pump, and a condensate pump, and ventilators such as an induced draft fan 19 and a forced draft fan 12. The first power generation system 10 further includes an auxiliary motor 55 for supplying power to these auxiliary equipment 50. In Figure 15A, which is a schematic diagram, the auxiliary motor 55 is shown at a position away from the auxiliary equipment 50 for the sake of clarity. Also, the auxiliary motor 55 does not need to be singular, and may be mounted on each of the auxiliary equipment 50.

[0078] The second power generation system 20 includes a heating device 21 for heating biomass supplied from a biomass supply device 81, a gasifier 24 for producing biogas from the heated biomass, and a biogas power generation device 23 for generating electricity using the biogas supplied from the gasifier 24.

[0079] In this example, the heating device 21 is, for example, a drying chamber. In this example, the heat treatment (drying treatment) is performed by exposing the woody biomass to heated air. The gasifier 24 further heats the biomass that has been heated in the heating device 21. This heat treatment is, for example, steaming, and the biomass steamed in the gasifier 24 is thermally decomposed, producing biogas. The biogas discharged from the gasifier 24 is supplied to the biogas power generation device 23, for example, via a dust control device 26.

[0080] The biogas power generation device 23 includes a gas engine 25 that uses biogas supplied from the gasifier 24 via a dust collection device 26 as fuel, and a second generator 22 for generating electricity by driving the gas engine 25. The second generator 22 is connected to the gas engine 25 and generates electricity in conjunction with the operation of the gas engine 25. This generates a second power supply.

[0081] The second power generation system 20 in this example includes a second power supply line 62 for supplying second power to the power transmission system 9, a motor power supply line 63 connected to the second power supply line 62 and an auxiliary motor 55, and a separate power supply line 64 provided in parallel with the motor power supply line 63. The second power supply line 62 is, for example, connected to the first power supply line 61 between the first generator 11 and the power transmission system 9. The motor power supply line 63, which is connected to the second power supply line 62 via a branch power supply line 67, for example, is configured to supply second power generated by the biogas power generation device 23 to the auxiliary motor 55. The auxiliary motor 55 is configured to temporarily receive power from an external power supply system (not shown) in addition to the second power. The separate power supply line 64 is configured to supply second power to the supply equipment 30.

[0082] With the above configuration, the second power generation system 20 can supply the power for the auxiliary equipment 50 of the first power generation system 10, thereby reducing dependence on the external power supply system. Furthermore, since the second power generation system 20 generates electricity using biomass, the environmental impact can be reduced. Thus, a power plant 2 is realized that reduces dependence on the external power supply system and also reduces the environmental impact. In addition, power generation using the gasifier 24 and gas engine 25 can be performed more efficiently than power generation using the biomass boiler 3 and steam turbine 4. Therefore, compared to the case where the biomass supply device 81 supplies all of the biomass to the first power generation system 10, the overall efficiency of the power plant 2 can also be improved in this embodiment.

[0083] In addition, the second power generation system 20 in other embodiments does not need to include at least one of the second power supply line 62 or the separate power supply line 64. In other words, the second power generation system 20 only needs to be able to supply power to the auxiliary motor 55. Furthermore, the biomass supply device 81 may supply woody biomass to the first power generation system 10 and food waste or livestock manure to the second power generation system 20. In this case, the gasifier 24 may produce biogas by methane fermentation of the food waste or livestock manure. In any embodiment, for the reasons described above, a power plant 2 is realized that reduces dependence on the external power supply system and also reduces the environmental burden.

[0084] Further descriptions of other embodiments include the biogas power generation device 23, which may have a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) utilizing biogas instead of a gas engine 25 and a second generator 22. Alternatively, the second power generation system 20 in another embodiment may have a biomass boiler and a steam turbine connected to the second power generation system 20 instead of a heating device 21, a gasifier 24, and a gas engine 25. These biomass boilers and steam turbines may be smaller than the biomass boiler 3 and steam turbine 4 of the first power generation system 10. In any embodiment, for the reasons described above, a power plant 2 is realized that reduces reliance on external power systems and also reduces the environmental impact.

[0085] <12-2. Power plant 2B according to the second embodiment> Referring to Figure 15B, a power plant 2B according to the second embodiment will be described. Power plant 2B differs from power plant 2A in that it does not have the second power generation system 20 illustrated in Figure 15A. Power plant 2B is provided with a third power supply line 73 connected to the first power supply line 61 and the branch power supply line 67. In this example, a portion of the first power generated by the first generator 11 is used to supply the power required by the auxiliary motor 55 and the power required by the supply equipment 30.

[0086] <12-3. Power plant 2C according to the third embodiment> Referring to Figure 15C, a power plant 2C according to a third embodiment will be described. Power plant 2C differs from power plant 2A in that it does not have the first power generation system 10 and auxiliary motor 55 illustrated in Figure 15A. The second power supply line 62 is connected in series with another power supply line 64. In this embodiment, the second generator 22 is provided exclusively to supply power to the power supply equipment 30.

[0087] <13. Others> The delivery of the energy storage equipment 70 is not limited to the occurrence of a disaster. For example, the delivery of the energy storage equipment 70 may be carried out at the same time as the power plant 2 is operating under normal rated conditions. The renewable energy power plant, which is an example of power plant 2, is not limited to the biomass power plant described above, but may also be a wind power plant, a solar power plant, or a tidal power plant. Power plant 2 may also be a nuclear power plant or a thermal power plant. The fuel for a thermal power plant may be fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or liquefied natural gas, or it may be a carbon-free fuel such as ammonia. The energy stored in the energy storage equipment 70 is not limited to electrical energy or thermal energy, but may also be a gas such as hydrogen or oxygen obtained by electrolyzing water, for example.

[0088] <14. Summary> The contents described in some of the embodiments above can be understood, for example, as follows:

[0089] 1) A battery delivery method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is: A battery delivery method for delivering batteries (71) charged with electricity generated at a power plant (2) to a surrounding area (75), A removal process (S11) for removing batteries (71) stored in the storage facility (13) of the power plant, A charging step (S13) in which the batteries that were transported out in the transport step are charged with electricity generated at the power plant, The charging process includes a mounting step (S15) in which the battery charged in the charging process is mounted onto the vehicle, A movement process (S31) in which the vehicle (40) equipped with the battery is moved toward the delivery destination (120) in the surrounding area. It is equipped with.

[0090] According to the configuration described in 1) above, batteries stored at a power plant can be charged using electricity generated at the power plant, and the charged batteries can be delivered to surrounding areas using vehicles. Since the batteries to be charged are stored in advance in a storage facility, they can be immediately removed from the storage facility as needed, enabling rapid delivery to surrounding areas. Thus, a battery delivery method is realized that allows for the rapid delivery of batteries charged with electricity generated at a power plant to surrounding areas.

[0091] 2) In some embodiments, the battery delivery method described in 1) above, In the charging step, the batteries that were removed from the storage facility in the removal step are charged.

[0092] According to the configuration described in 2) above, the charging process can be performed in a location away from the storage facility, making it easier to carry out the charging process.

[0093] 3) In some embodiments, the battery delivery method described in 1) or 2) above, The aforementioned vehicles are electric vehicles (41A, 41B), The battery includes a replaceable battery (71A) for the electric vehicle. The aforementioned mounting process includes a mounting step (S41) of mounting the battery to a mounting section (48) connected to the power supply line of the electric vehicle.

[0094] According to the configuration described in 3) above, it becomes possible to install a pre-charged replaceable battery into the mounting unit during the mounting process. Therefore, the time required to complete the mounting process can be shortened compared to the case where the replaceable battery is removed from the mounting unit, charged, and then reinstalled. Thus, charged replaceable batteries can be quickly delivered to surrounding areas.

[0095] 4) In some embodiments, the battery delivery method described in 3) above, The battery includes a battery (71B) for mounting in a loading section (45) different from the mounting section of the electric vehicle. The aforementioned mounting process is, The process further includes a loading step (S43) of placing the charged battery onto the loading section of the electric vehicle.

[0096] According to the configuration described in 4) above, batteries can be mounted on the electric vehicle not only in the mounting section but also in the loading section, thereby increasing the amount of electricity that can be supplied to the delivery destination by each electric vehicle. Consequently, sufficient power can be supplied to the delivery destination, thereby increasing contributions to the surrounding area through battery delivery.

[0097] 5) In some embodiments, the battery delivery method described in 4) above, The battery placed on the loading section during the loading process is a used, replaceable battery for the electric vehicle.

[0098] According to the configuration in 5) above, the cost of procuring batteries can be reduced by using used, replaceable batteries as the batteries to be loaded into the loading section. Also, if the delivery of batteries is limited to times such as when there is a power outage in the power plant's transmission grid, the period during which the batteries are stored in the storage facility may be extended. In this respect, according to the configuration in 4) above, the cost of procuring batteries that are only used when necessary can be reduced because the batteries are used, replaceable batteries.

[0099] 6) In some embodiments, a battery delivery method according to any of 1) to 5) above, The system further comprises a storage step (S21) in which hot water heated by a water heater (32) operated by the electricity generated at the power plant is stored in a hot water tank (72), In the aforementioned transport process, the vehicle equipped with the hot water tank containing the hot water and the battery is transported to the delivery destination.

[0100] According to the configuration described in 6) above, for example, if a surrounding area is affected by a disaster, not only electricity but also hot water can be delivered to the destination, thus increasing the contribution to the surrounding area of ​​Brandt.

[0101] 7) In some embodiments, a battery delivery method according to any one of 1) to 6) above, The total capacity of the batteries to be removed in the aforementioned removal process is greater than the estimated total power capacity that would be needed if the surrounding area within a specified distance from the power plant were to be affected by a disaster.

[0102] According to the configuration described in 7) above, it is possible to suppress shortages of electricity delivered using batteries in the event of a disaster in the surrounding area, and to deliver sufficient electricity to destinations in the surrounding area.

[0103] 8) In some embodiments, a battery delivery method according to any one of 1) to 7) above, The number of batteries to be removed in the aforementioned removal process is greater than the total number of batteries estimated to be needed if the surrounding area within a specified distance from the power plant is affected by a disaster.

[0104] In the event of a disaster affecting surrounding areas, even if batteries with sufficient power capacity are charged at a renewable energy power plant, if the number of batteries is less than the number of delivery destinations, it becomes necessary to visit each destination sequentially to supply power. In this regard, the configuration described in 8) above makes it possible to deliver multiple batteries to multiple destinations at approximately the same time, thus enabling the rapid delivery of charged batteries to surrounding areas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 2: Power plant 13: Storage 30: Supply equipment 31: Charger 32: Water heater 40: Vehicles 41A, 41B: Electric vehicles 45: Loading section 48: Mounting part 60: Power supply line 71: Battery 71A: Replaceable battery 71B: Onboard battery 72: Hot water tank 75: Surrounding area 120: Delivery address

Claims

1. A battery delivery method for delivering batteries charged with electricity generated at a power plant to surrounding areas in the event of a disaster, including heavy rain, typhoons, or earthquakes, A removal process for removing batteries stored in the storage facility of the aforementioned power plant, The aforementioned removal process includes a charging process in which the batteries to be removed are charged with electricity generated at the power plant, The charging process involves mounting the battery, which has been charged in the charging process, into the vehicle. At the time of the aforementioned disaster, A delivery management device comprising a processor and memory includes a delivery destination information acquisition step which acquires delivery destination information including location information for each of a plurality of delivery destinations within the surrounding area and the delivery priority for each delivery destination, The delivery management device includes a delivery destination information transmission step in which it transmits the acquired delivery destination information to a terminal corresponding to the vehicle via a network, A movement step of moving the vehicle equipped with the battery toward a delivery destination in the surrounding area determined based on the priority included in the delivery destination information transmitted to the terminal. A battery delivery method that includes the following features.

2. In the charging step, the batteries that were removed from the storage facility in the removal step are charged. The battery delivery method according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned vehicle is an electric vehicle, The battery includes a replaceable battery for the electric vehicle. The aforementioned mounting process includes a mounting step of mounting the battery to a mounting section connected to the power supply line of the electric vehicle. Battery delivery method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The battery includes a battery for loading into a loading section different from the mounting section of the electric vehicle, The aforementioned mounting process is, The process further includes loading the charged battery onto the loading section of the electric vehicle. The battery delivery method according to claim 3.

5. The battery placed on the loading section in the loading process is a used replacement battery for the electric vehicle. The battery delivery method according to claim 4.

6. The system further comprises a storage step of storing hot water heated by a water heater operated by the electricity generated at the power plant in a hot water tank. In the aforementioned transport step, the vehicle equipped with the hot water tank containing the hot water and the battery is transported to the delivery destination. A battery delivery method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The total capacity of the batteries to be removed in the aforementioned removal process is greater than the estimated total power capacity required if the surrounding area within a specified distance from the power plant were to be affected by a disaster. A battery delivery method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The number of batteries to be removed in the aforementioned removal process is greater than the total number of batteries estimated to be needed if the surrounding area within a specified distance from the power plant is affected by a disaster. A battery delivery method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images