Fee calculation system and fee calculation method

Abstract

In this fee calculation system, a calculation device: selects a constituent apparatus of a compressed gas system on the basis of a quality parameter representing the quality of gas produced by the compressed gas system; calculates at least one cost from among the initiation cost of the compressed gas system, a maintenance cost for a prescribed period, and a driving cost for the prescribed period, on the basis of the selected constituent apparatus; calculates a reference cost on the basis of the result of calculating the at least one cost; divides the reference cost by the amount of gas that can be supplied by the compressed gas system within the prescribed period to thereby calculate the value of compressed gas produced by the compressed gas system; calculates a usage fee for the compressed gas system on the basis of the calculated value of the compressed gas and the amount of compressed gas used; and outputs the value of the compressed gas and the usage fee for the compressed gas system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fee calculation system and a fee calculation method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, gas compressors such as air compressors that generate compressed gas are known. Patent Document 1 describes an evaluation device for fluid machinery, such as a gas compressor purchased by a customer as the customer's own asset, for evaluating the selection of the model and installation location, as well as the maintenance plan.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is a metered billing service that provides a gas compressor to a customer in a manner such as lease or rental, and receives a fee according to the time or operating rate of the gas compressor used by the customer. There is also a flat-rate usage (subscription) service that lends a gas compressor to a customer for a certain period and pays a fixed amount to the service provider regardless of the operating time or operating rate of the gas compressor. In the metered billing service and the flat-rate usage service, it is necessary to determine the fee per unit gas volume, that is, the gas unit price, considering the quality of the gas such as compressed air required by the customer. Since the evaluation device described in Patent Document 1 assumes that the customer directly bears the electricity cost and maintenance cost of the gas compressor's power consumption, it cannot be used to determine the gas unit price in the metered billing service or the flat-rate usage service.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a fee calculation system and a fee calculation method capable of determining a gas unit price in consideration of the quality of gas.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A fee calculation system according to one aspect of the present invention is a fee calculation system for calculating the usage fee of a compressed gas system, The system comprises a storage device and a processing device, the storage device storing a database relating multiple components of the compressed gas system and the quality parameters of the compressed gas that each component can supply, and a database relating each component to cost information related to the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of each component, and the processing device receives input from an external terminal, A quality parameter representing the quality of the gas produced by the aforementioned compressed gas system is obtained, From a database that associates each component with the quality parameters of the compressed gas that each component can supply, stored in the memory device, it is possible to supply compressed gas that satisfies the acquired quality parameters. Select the components, From a database that associates the selected components with cost information related to the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of each component, The initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of the compressed gas system are calculated, Using the calculated results, calculate the base cost. The aforementioned Calculated The unit price of compressed gas produced by the compressed gas system is calculated by dividing the standard cost by the amount of gas that the compressed gas system can supply within a predetermined period. pressure Unit price of gas reduction and pressure Based on the amount of compressed gas used, the usage fee for the compressed gas system is calculated. pressure Unit price of gas reduction and ,before Output the usage fee for the compressed gas system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gas price calculation system and a gas price calculation method that can determine the unit price of gas while taking into account the quality of the gas. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the system for calculating compressed air usage charges. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware configuration of the billing system. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a compressed air system. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the functional configuration of the fee calculation system. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the data structure of the input data. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air compressor database. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a filter (air filter) database. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a dryer (dehumidifying device) database. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an air tank database. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a data configuration example of output data. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a charge calculation process executed by a computing device. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a compressed air system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a compressed air system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of an exhaust heat recovery device database.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] <First Embodiment> Referring to FIGS. 1 to 11, a charge calculation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a system for calculating compressed air usage fees. The fee calculation system 10 has the function of calculating the usage fee for the compressed air system 20. The fee calculation system 10 and the compressed air system 20 are connected to a network 50 by wire or wireless. The fee calculation system 10 and the compressed air system 20 are configured to enable bidirectional data communication via the network 50. A management terminal device 30 and a user terminal device 40 are further connected to the network 50. The management terminal device 30 is a terminal device operated by the administrator or operator of the fee calculation system 10 and the compressed air system 20, and the user terminal device 40 is a terminal device operated by users of the fee calculation system 10 and the compressed air system 20. In the following description, the management terminal device 30 and the user terminal device 40 will be collectively referred to as terminal devices.

[0011] The terminal device includes a display device (not shown, such as an LCD monitor). Administrators, operators, and users of the fare calculation system 10 can input (transmit) the input data described later to the fare calculation system 10, and receive the output data described later from the fare calculation system 10 and display it on the display device by operating the terminal device. Administrators, etc., can also display information such as the operating status and past operating history of the compressed air system 20 on the display device by operating the terminal device. Alternatively, the fare calculation system 10 may be equipped with a display device that displays similar information.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware configuration of the fare calculation system 10. The fare calculation system 10 includes a computing device 11. The computing device 11 consists of a computer equipped with processing units 12 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and DSP (Digital Signal Processor), non-volatile memory 13 such as ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, and hard disk drive, volatile memory 14 known as RAM (Random Access Memory), auxiliary storage devices 15 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive), an input / output interface 16, and other peripheral circuits. These hardware components work together to operate the software and realize multiple functions. The computing device 11 may consist of one computer or multiple computers. Furthermore, the processing unit 12 can be an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc.

[0013] The non-volatile memory 13 stores a program capable of performing various calculations. In other words, the non-volatile memory 13 is a storage medium (device) from which the program realizing the functions of this embodiment can be read. The volatile memory 14 is a storage medium (device) that temporarily stores the calculation results from the processing unit 12 and signals input from the input / output interface 16. The auxiliary storage device 15 is a storage medium (device) that stores multiple databases, which will be described later. The processing unit 12 is a device that expands the program stored in the non-volatile memory 13 into the volatile memory 14 and performs calculations, and performs predetermined calculation processing on data taken in from the input / output interface 16, the non-volatile memory 13, the volatile memory 14, and the auxiliary storage device 15 according to the program.

[0014] The input section of the input / output interface 16 converts signals received from the network 50 into data that can be processed by the processing unit 12. The output section of the input / output interface 16 generates an output signal according to the calculation result in the processing unit 12 and outputs that signal to the network 50.

[0015] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a compressed air system 20 according to the first embodiment. The compressed air system 20 comprises an air compressor 21, a dryer 22, an air tank 23, and a filter 24. These parts are interconnected by air piping 25. A pressure sensor 26 is provided inside the air compressor 21. The pressure sensor 26 and the air piping 25 are connected by a pressure detection pipe 27. The air pressure detected by the pressure sensor 26 is used to control the operation of the air compressor 21.

[0016] The air compressor 21 draws in air from the ambient atmosphere and compresses it. After separating oil from the compressed air, the air compressor 21 cools it and discharges it into the air piping 25. The dryer 22 dries the compressed air discharged from the air compressor 21. For example, the dryer 22 dries the compressed air by cooling it and condensing the water vapor contained in the compressed air, separating it from the compressed air. The compressed air dried by the dryer 22 is sent to the air tank 23. The air tank 23 temporarily stores the compressed air inside. The compressed air stored in the air tank 23 is filtered by the filter 24 to remove any remaining fine dust before being sent to the customer.

[0017] Furthermore, the compressed air system 20 is equipped with a communication device 28 for communicating with the billing system 10, the management terminal device 30, and the user terminal device 40, respectively, via the network 50. The communication device 28 is connected to the network 50 by wire or wireless connection.

[0018] As will be explained in detail later, in this embodiment, there are multiple models of air compressor 21. Depending on which model of air compressor 21 is incorporated into the compressed air system 20, the characteristics of the compressed air system 20, such as quality, air volume, and cost, will change. The same applies to the dryer 22, air tank 23, and filter 24. In the following description, the air compressor 21, dryer 22, air tank 23, and filter 24 will be collectively referred to as fluid equipment.

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the functional configuration of the fee calculation system 10. The fee calculation system 10 comprises an air compressor database 101, a filter database 102, a dryer database 103, an air tank database 104, a parameter acquisition unit 111, an equipment selection unit 112, a cost calculation unit 113, a unit price calculation unit 114, and a usage fee calculation unit 115. The air compressor database 101, filter database 102, dryer database 103, and air tank database 104 are stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 shown in Figure 2. The parameter acquisition unit 111, equipment selection unit 112, cost calculation unit 113, unit price calculation unit 114, and usage fee calculation unit 115 are realized by the processing device 12 reading and executing a program stored in the non-volatile memory 13.

[0020] The parameter acquisition unit 111 acquires quality parameters representing the quality of compressed air from the terminal device. The equipment selection unit 112 selects the components (models) of the air compressor 21 based on the quality parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit 111. The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the initial cost of the compressed air system 20, as well as the maintenance and operating costs over a predetermined period, based on the components selected by the equipment selection unit 112. The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the base cost based on the calculation results of the initial cost, maintenance costs, and operating costs. The unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of compressed air produced by the compressed air system 20 by dividing the base cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 113 by the amount of air that the compressed air system 20 can supply within a predetermined period. The usage fee calculation unit 115 calculates the usage fee for the compressed air system 20 based on the unit price of compressed air calculated by the unit price calculation unit 114 and the amount of compressed air used by the user.

[0021] Figure 5 shows an example of the data structure of input data 60. Input data 60 is input from terminal devices 30 and 40 to the fare calculation system 10 via the network 50. The input data 60 input to the fare calculation system 10 is stored in the volatile memory 14 or auxiliary storage device 15 shown in Figure 2. The input data 60 includes conditions that the user requests from the compressed air system 20. For example, the input data 60 includes quality parameters that represent the quality of the compressed air produced by the compressed air system 20.

[0022] The input data 60 includes the required air volume 61, required pressure 62, required average margin 63, assumed annual operating hours 64, required mass concentration 65, required moisture concentration 66, and required oil concentration 67. The required air volume 61 is a value that indicates the amount of compressed air required by the user [m³ 3The value is [ / min]. The required pressure 62 is a value [MPaG] that indicates the pressure of compressed air required by the user. The required average margin rate 63 is a value [%] that adjusts how much margin the compressed air system 20 has in the amount of compressed air it can supply to the user (i.e., the rated air amount of the compressed air system 20) relative to the required air amount 61. If the average load factor of a commonly used air compressor is R, the required average margin rate 63 is expressed by the following equation (1). Required average margin = (100 - R) [%] …(1) The average load factor R is expressed by the following equation (2). Average load factor R = (Required air volume ÷ Rated air volume) × 100 [%] …(2) The estimated annual operating time of 64 is the estimated amount of time [hours / year] that the user will operate the compressed air system 20 per year.

[0023] The required mass concentration 65, required moisture concentration 66, and required oil content concentration 67 are values ​​(quality parameters) that indicate the quality that the user requires from the compressed air. The required mass concentration 65 is a value [mg / m³] that indicates the permissible mass concentration of foreign matter such as dust in the compressed air required by the user. 3 The required moisture concentration 66 is a parameter that represents the amount of moisture per unit volume of air, and in this embodiment, it is a value that indicates the allowable moisture concentration in the compressed air required by the user [mg / m³]. 3 The required oil concentration of 67 is a value that indicates the permissible total oil concentration in the compressed air required by the user [mg / m³]. 3 ]. Here, "total oil concentration" refers to the total oil concentration including liquid oil, oil vapor, and organic solvent vapors, and includes hydrocarbon polymers such as acetone.

[0024] Furthermore, instead of a required mass concentration of 65, the required air quality is 1 m³ corresponding to the particle size (μm). 3The maximum number of particles per unit volume (i.e., the number of foreign particles per unit volume of air) may be used. Alternatively, instead of the required mass concentration of 65, a value selected from grades 0, 1, ..., 7, and X (not specified), as predetermined in JIS B 8392-1:2012 (ISO 8573-1:2010), may be used. Here, a smaller grade number indicates higher quality, meaning a smaller number and mass concentration of dust and other particles are contained.

[0025] Similarly, the required dew point [°CPDP] may be used instead of the required moisture concentration of 66 as the quality of humidity or moisture concentration (i.e., a parameter representing the amount of moisture per unit volume of air). For example, the required dew point under pressure or the required atmospheric pressure dew point may be used. Alternatively, instead of the required moisture concentration of 66, a value selected from grades 0, 1, ..., 9, X (not specified) predetermined in JIS B 8392-1:2012 (ISO 8573-1:2010) may be used. Here, the smaller the grade number, the lower the dew point and the lower the moisture concentration.

[0026] Similarly, instead of a required oil concentration of 67, the quality of the total oil concentration may be a value selected from grades 0, 1, ..., 4, and X (not specified), as predetermined in JIS B 8392-1:2012 (ISO 8573-1:2010). Here, the smaller the grade number, the lower the total oil concentration in the compressed air.

[0027] If there are no specific quality requirements for any of the air quality parameters, the system may treat them as if they were based on pre-set general quality default values. For example, if the user does not have any specific requirements for humidity or moisture concentration, the system may treat a predetermined value as the required moisture concentration of 66.

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the air compressor database 101. The air compressor database 101 stores information such as the compressor model C1, the corresponding air end lubrication method C2, the achievable compressed air total oil concentration grade C3, the minimum air tank capacity C4, the initial cost C5, the discharge air volume C6, the package ratio input C7, and the average maintenance cost C8. The compressor model C1 functions as a fluid equipment model identifier that identifies the model (type) of the air compressor 21. The compressed air total oil concentration grade C3 is the compressed air total oil concentration grade that the air compressor can achieve. The package ratio input C7 is the amount (e.g., 1 m³) that is discharged in a predetermined amount (e.g., 1 m³) in a predetermined time (e.g., 1 hour). 3 The power value required to output compressed air at ) [kW / (m 3 It is calculated as ( / hour) by dividing the rated power by the discharge rate.

[0029] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the filter (air filter) database 102. The filter database 102 stores information on the filter type C9, the corresponding filtration accuracy C10, the compressed air total oil concentration grade C11, the initial cost C12, the maximum processed air volume C13, the pressure loss at the maximum processed air volume C14, and the average maintenance cost C15. The filter type C9 functions as a fluid equipment model identifier that identifies the type (model) of the filter 24. The filtration accuracy C10 is the filtration accuracy that the filter can achieve and corresponds to the quality of the number of particles such as dust. For example, an indicator such as "can remove 90% of particles with a diameter of 5 μm or more" can be used for the filtration accuracy C10. The compressed air total oil concentration grade C11 is the compressed air total oil concentration grade that the filter can achieve. The maximum processed air volume C13 is the value of the maximum amount of compressed air that can be processed per unit time (e.g., 1 hour) [m³ 3 It is [time].

[0030] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the dryer (dehumidifier) ​​database 103. The dryer database 103 stores information such as the dryer model C16 and its corresponding dew point performance C17, initial cost C18, maximum processed air volume C19, pressure loss at maximum processed air volume C20, average maintenance cost C21, average power consumption C22, and air consumption ratio C23. The dryer model C16 functions as a fluid equipment model identifier that identifies the model (type) of the dryer 22. The dew point performance C17 corresponds to the quality of humidity or moisture concentration achieved by the dryer. The maximum processed air volume C19 indicates the inlet air volume of the dryer. The average power consumption C22 is used to represent the average power consumption throughout the adsorption, regeneration, and cooling processes, particularly for regenerative heating dryers, and specifically represents the power consumption of the heater, blower, or both installed in the regenerative heating dryer. The air consumption ratio C23 is relevant because, depending on the type of dryer, a portion of the incoming compressed air may be consumed. For example, in a heatless dryer, approximately 15% of the dryer inlet air is consumed during the regeneration of the internal adsorbent, and in a heated regeneration dryer, approximately 8% is consumed. As a result, the amount of dry compressed air that can be supplied to the customer is reduced by the amount consumed, affecting the running cost of the system. On the other hand, in the case of a refrigerated dryer, the air consumption ratio C23 is 0. For example, in Figure 8, dryers with dryer models C16 designated as "RD-1" and "RD-2" are refrigerated dryers, and the corresponding air consumption ratio C23 is 0.

[0031] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the air tank database 104. The air tank database 104 stores information on the air tank model C24 and its corresponding internal volume C25, material C26, and initial cost C27. The air tank model C24 functions as a fluid equipment model identifier that identifies the type (model) of the air tank 23.

[0032] The equipment selection unit 112 shown in Figure 4 searches for a combination of fluid equipment that satisfies the requested input values ​​(quality parameters) from each database 101 to 104 based on each input value (quality parameter) in the input data, and temporarily stores the search results in the volatile memory 14. If there are multiple combinations of fluid equipment that satisfy the requested input values ​​(quality parameters), one of them may be selected and saved, or all of them may be saved.

[0033] The equipment selection unit 112 is configured to temporarily store different search results based on multiple different input values ​​in the volatile memory 14. This allows for comparison of search results for different input values.

[0034] The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the initial cost of the compressed air system 20, the maintenance cost for a predetermined period, the operating cost for a predetermined period, etc., based on the equipment selected by the equipment selection unit 112 (search results temporarily stored in the volatile memory 14). The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the base cost based on these calculation results. The unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of compressed air produced by the compressed air system 20 by dividing the base cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 113 by the amount of air that the compressed air system 20 can supply within a predetermined period.

[0035] The usage fee calculation unit 115 calculates the usage fee for the compressed air system 20 based on the unit price of compressed air calculated by the unit price calculation unit 114 and the amount of compressed air used by the user. The calculation result is temporarily stored as output data in the volatile memory 14. The output data is output to the terminal device via the network 50. The terminal device displays the output data output by the fee calculation system 10 and input to the terminal device on a display device such as an LCD monitor, outputs it to an output device such as a printer, or stores it in a storage device such as an HDD.

[0036] Figure 10 shows an example of the data structure of the output data. The output data 70 shown in Figure 10 includes, as an example, the calculation results of usage charges for System 1 and System 2 corresponding to different input data. The output data 70 includes information such as the system identifier C28 corresponding to each input data, the corresponding monthly basic charge C29, the air unit price C30 excluding operating costs, the air unit price C31 including operating costs, the monthly fixed charge C32, the break-even point C33, the amount of air used C34, and the billing amount C35. The monthly basic charge C29 is the monthly basic charge for a pay-per-use service. Note that it may also be an annual or other predetermined period basic charge instead of a monthly basic charge. The air unit price C30 excluding operating costs is, for example, the air unit price when electricity consumption charges are not included (the user bears the electricity consumption charges themselves). The air unit price C31 including operating costs is, for example, the air unit price when electricity consumption charges are included (the user does not bear the electricity consumption charges themselves).

[0037] The cost calculation unit 113 shown in Figure 4 calculates the base cost using the following formula (3). Base cost = ΣIn + ΣMn + ΣFn + ΣOn …(3) Here, ΣIn is the sum of the initial costs of each fluid device selected by the equipment selection unit 112, ΣMn is the sum of the average maintenance costs, ΣOn is the sum of the operating costs, and ΣFn is the sum of other fixed costs such as management expenses and taxes. Operating costs include, for example, electricity charges if the air compressor 21 is driven by a motor. If the air compressor 21 is driven by an internal combustion engine, fuel costs such as diesel or gasoline are included in the operating costs.

[0038] The unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of air using the following formula (4). Air price per unit = Standard cost / (Q × He) …(4) Here, Q is the system air volume and He is the assumed operating time. In other words, (Q × He) represents the amount of air that the compressed air system 20 can supply within a predetermined period. In this way, the unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of compressed air generated by the compressed air system 20 by dividing the base cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 113 by the amount of air that the compressed air system 20 can supply within a predetermined period (Q × He).

[0039] Generally, the higher the required air volume, the greater the compressor output (the amount of compressed air output per unit time by the compressed air system), and the higher the required air quality. The lower the number or mass concentration of foreign particles such as dust, the lower the humidity or moisture concentration, and the lower the total oil concentration including liquid oil and oil vapor (grade 0 is the highest quality for all concentrations), the higher the air quality. The higher the required air quality, the more expensive the suitable fluid equipment becomes, and therefore the higher the unit price of the air.

[0040] In the case of a pay-per-use service where the user bears the electricity charges incurred when using the compressed air system 20, it is desirable that the electricity consumption charges be excluded from the amount billed to the user for the use of compressed air. The cost calculation unit 113 calculates the standard cost in this case using the following formula (5). Base cost = α1 × (ΣIn + ΣMn + ΣFn) …(5) Here, α1 is a weighting coefficient that can be arbitrarily set for adjusting the amount.

[0041] The unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the air unit price C30 using the following formula (6). Air cost per unit = Standard cost / (Qe × He) …(6) Here, Qe is the amount of air per unit time determined by the user at the time they subscribe to this pay-per-use service. In other words, (Qe × He) represents the amount of air expected to be consumed during a given period (expected system air amount Ae).

[0042] The unit price calculation unit 114 sets a predetermined threshold Ae0 for the estimated system air volume Ae. If the amount of air actually used by the user (used system air volume Qc) exceeds the threshold Ae0 of the estimated system air volume Ae, the unit price calculation unit 114 sets a new estimated system air volume Ae' that is larger than the estimated system air volume Ae at the time of contract. The unit price calculation unit 114 recalculates the air unit price based on the newly set estimated system air volume Ae'. This enables the billing of appropriate compressed air usage fees.

[0043] The system air volume Qc used is calculated by the following equation (7). Qc = Qe × Ra …(7) Here, Ra is the actual average load factor over a predetermined period.

[0044] Specifically, the actual average load factor Ra is the actual average load factor of the compressed air system 20 during the period for which compressed air usage charges are billed, and is calculated, for example, by the following equation (8). Ra = (ΣR) / Ha …(8) Here, Ha is the actual operating time. Actual operating time Ha is the actual operating time of the compressed air system 20 during the period for which compressed air usage charges are billed. R is the average load factor per unit time.

[0045] The average load factor R is calculated by the following equation (9). R={αp×αf×(T1 / (T1+T2))} …(9) Here, αp is the pressure coefficient, αf is the output frequency coefficient, T1 is the load operation time, and T2 is the no-load operation time.

[0046] The pressure coefficient αp represents the ratio of the power consumption at the user-set pressure to the power consumption at the specified pressure of the selected air compressor 21. For example, if an air compressor 21 with a specification of 0.7 MPaG is selected and the operating pressure set by the user is also 0.7 MPaG, the pressure coefficient αp will be 1.0 (100%). The output frequency coefficient αf represents the ratio of the average output frequency per unit time during which the air compressor 21 is operated to the maximum output frequency of the motor of the selected air compressor 21. For example, if the maximum rotational speed of the selected air compressor 21 is 60 Hz and the average output frequency per unit time during which the air compressor 21 is operated is also 60 Hz, the output frequency coefficient αf will be 1.0 (100%). The load operating time T1, the no-load operating time T2, the user-set pressure Pd for determining the pressure coefficient αp, and the average output frequency fa per unit time for determining the output frequency coefficient αf are transmitted from the compressed air system 20 to the charge calculation system 10 via the network 50.

[0047] On the other hand, in the case of a metered billing service, if the user does not bear the cost of electricity consumption incurred when using the compressed air system, that is, if the service provider or another third party bears the cost of electricity, the amount of electricity consumption may be included in the compressed air usage fee billed to the user. In this case, the air unit price C31 can be calculated by the following formula (10). Air price = α² × (ΣIn + ΣMn + ΣFn + ΣOn) / (Qc × Ha) …(10) The denominator of this formula is the product of the amount of system air actually used by the user (Qc) and the actual operating time (Ha). The amount billed to the user (Cb) in this case is the product of the amount of system air used (Qc) and the air unit price (31). The weighting coefficient α2 is a coefficient that can be arbitrarily set for adjusting the amount. In this case, the user only needs to pay for the amount of compressed air they actually used, so the payment amount will be reduced if the amount of system air used per specified period is small.

[0048] The monthly fixed fee C32 is the monthly charge for a fixed-rate (subscription) service that is charged regardless of usage. Alternatively, the fixed fee could be annual or for any other predetermined period. The break-even point C33 is the minimum period (in months or years) at which the fixed-rate service becomes more advantageous (resulting in lower payments) than the pay-per-use service. Including the break-even point C33 in the output data 70 makes it easy to present estimates for each combination of fluid equipment to the user. Furthermore, users can easily determine where the benefits lie for each of the multiple input values.

[0049] The amount of air used C34 and the billed amount C35 are information intended for users already using the metered billing service and show the most recent historical values. Here, the amount of system air used Qc is either a value measured by a flow sensor or the product of the amount of air per unit time Qe determined at the time of contract and the actual average load factor Ra over a predetermined period (=Qe × Ra). In other words, the amount of compressed air used may be calculated based on the measured value of a flow sensor installed in the compressed air flow path, or it may be calculated based on the load factor of the air compressor 21 included in the compressed air system 20. By estimating the amount of system air used Qc using the actual average load factor Ra over a predetermined period transmitted from the air compressor 21, costs such as the cost of the flow sensor itself and installation costs are eliminated, and the metered billing service can be provided at a lower cost.

[0050] In a pay-per-use service, whether or not to include the average maintenance cost ΣMn in the compressed air usage charge can be decided at the customer's discretion. If the customer wishes to manage and bear the maintenance costs themselves, they can simply exclude the average maintenance cost ΣMn from the air unit price C30 or C31. On the other hand, if the customer wishes to ensure the stable operation of the compressed air system by entrusting the regular maintenance to the service provider, the maintenance costs can be included in the pay-per-use charge. In other words, as mentioned above, the average maintenance cost ΣMn should be added to the air unit price calculation as shown in the formulas for air unit price C30 and C31. By arbitrarily adding or excluding each cost in the air unit price calculation formula, it is possible to offer service content that flexibly meets the customer's needs.

[0051] Figure 11 is a flowchart of the fee calculation process performed by the calculation device 11. In step S100, the parameter acquisition unit 111 acquires quality parameters representing the quality of the compressed air generated by the compressed air system 20. In step S110, the equipment selection unit 112 selects the components of the compressed air system 20 based on the quality parameters acquired in step S100. In step S120, the cost calculation unit 113 calculates the initial cost of the compressed air system, the maintenance cost for a predetermined period, and the operating cost for a predetermined period based on the components selected in step S110. In step S130, the cost calculation unit 113 calculates the base cost based on the calculation results of step S120. In step S140, the unit price calculation unit 114 calculates the unit price of the compressed air generated by the compressed air system 20 by dividing the base cost calculated in step S130 by the amount of compressed air that the compressed air system 20 can supply within a predetermined period. In step S150, the usage fee calculation unit 115 calculates the usage fee for the compressed air system 20 based on the unit price of compressed air calculated in step S140 and the amount of compressed air used by the user. In step S160, the usage fee calculation unit 115 outputs (transmits) output data 70 to the terminal device, which includes the unit price of compressed air calculated in step S140 and the usage fee for the compressed air system 20 calculated in step S150.

[0052] According to this first embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0053] (1) The calculation device 11 acquires quality parameters (for example, required mass concentration 65, required moisture concentration 66, required oil content concentration 67) that represent the quality of the gas produced by the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system). Based on the acquired quality parameters, the calculation device 11 selects the components of the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system), and based on the selected components, calculates the initial cost of the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system), the maintenance cost for a predetermined period, and the operating cost for a predetermined period, and also calculates a base cost based on the cost calculation results. The calculation device 11 calculates the unit price of the compressed air (compressed gas) produced by the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) by dividing the base cost by the amount of air (gas) that the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) can supply within a predetermined period. Based on the calculated unit price of compressed air (compressed gas) and the amount of compressed air (compressed gas) used, the calculation device 11 calculates the usage fee for the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system). The calculation device 11 outputs the calculated unit price of compressed air (compressed gas) and the calculated usage fee for the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system). In this way, it is possible to provide a fee calculation system that can determine the gas unit price while taking gas quality into consideration.

[0054] (2) The calculation device 11 acquires the required mass concentration 65 (mass concentration of foreign matter), the required moisture concentration 66 (a parameter representing the amount of moisture per unit gas volume), and the required oil concentration 67 (total oil concentration) as quality parameters. In this way, it is possible to provide a price calculation system that can determine the air unit price (gas unit price) by considering the quality of compressed air from various viewpoints.

[0055] (3) When the calculation device 11 calculates the amount of compressed air (compressed gas) used based on the measured value of a flow sensor installed in the flow path of compressed air (compressed gas), it can calculate the usage fee based on the accurate amount of use.

[0056] (4) When the calculation device 11 calculates the amount of compressed air (compressed gas) used based on the load factor of the air compressor 21 (gas compressor) included in the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system), costs such as the cost of the flow sensor itself and installation work are eliminated, and a metered billing service can be provided at a lower cost.

[0057] (5) The calculation device 11 outputs the unit price of compressed air (compressed gas) and the usage fee for the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) to a display device or a terminal device (terminal) equipped with such a display device, and displays the unit price of compressed air (compressed gas) and the usage fee for the compressed air system 20 (compressed gas system) on the display device. In this way, users can easily check the unit price and usage fee.

[0058] <Second Embodiment> Referring to Figure 12, a fee calculation system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the same or equivalent components as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the differences will be primarily explained.

[0059] Figure 12 is similar to Figure 3 and is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the compressed air system 220 according to the second embodiment. In the compressed air system 220 according to this embodiment, the flow sensor 29 is installed downstream of the filter 24, that is, immediately before the user's air demand destination (not shown). With this configuration, the amount of system air Qc actually used by the user can be measured.

[0060] According to this second embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0061] (1) The flow sensor 29 was installed downstream of the filter 24, that is, immediately before the user's air demand destination (not shown). This allows for a more accurate calculation of the amount of air used in billing, taking into account changes in ambient temperature and the volume of compressed air due to changes in atmospheric pressure.

[0062] <Third Embodiment> A fee calculation system according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Components identical or equivalent to those described in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and the differences will be primarily explained.

[0063] Figure 13 is similar to Figure 3 and is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the compressed air system 320 according to the third embodiment. In the compressed air system 320 according to this embodiment, an air compressor 321 is provided instead of the air compressor 21, a dryer 322 is provided instead of the dryer 22, and a filter 324 is provided instead of the filter 24. Furthermore, the compressed air system 320 is additionally provided with a water separator 333, a waste heat recovery device 329, a discharge air piping 331, and a water supply piping 332.

[0064] The compressed air system 320 according to this third embodiment is an example of a system that is expected to be selected when the user's required air quality is to minimize the total oil concentration in the compressed air (equivalent to the highest grade, Grade 0), and the required dew point is -40°C PDP or lower (equivalent to Grade 2), and furthermore, when a waste heat recovery device is required to reduce the energy consumption of the user's factory by utilizing the waste heat from the compressor.

[0065] To accommodate a total oil concentration class of 0, an oil-free compressor is selected for the air compressor 321. To accommodate temperatures below -40°C PDP (equivalent to class 2), an adsorption-type dryer (e.g., a heatless dryer) capable of producing compressed air with a lower dew point than a typical refrigerated dryer is selected for the dryer 322. A water separator 333 is newly installed upstream of the dryer 322 to remove excess moisture such as condensed water. The water separator 333 prevents water droplets from flowing into the dryer 322 and worsening the dew point (increasing the dew point). Furthermore, a filter 324 is installed downstream of the dryer 322 to remove minute amounts of adsorbent particles that may be mixed into the compressed air after it has passed through the dryer 322.

[0066] In this compressed air system 320, a heat recovery device 329 is connected to the air compressor 321. The heat recovery device 329 exchanges heat between a high-temperature fluid, such as high-temperature compressed air, and a low-temperature fluid, such as water, on the user's side, thereby heating the water. In other words, the heat recovery device 329 recovers the waste heat from the air compressor 321 and heats the low-temperature fluid. This provides hot water that can be used for other production equipment or air conditioning equipment on the user's side.

[0067] The waste heat recovery device 329 makes it possible to reduce the electricity and fossil fuels used for boilers that were previously used to generate hot water. When the air compressor 321 is air-cooled, the high-temperature compressed air discharged from the air compressor 321 flows into the heat recovery heat exchanger 330 in the waste heat recovery device 329 via the discharge air piping 331. Here, the high-temperature compressed air is cooled by heat exchange with water supplied by the user and then recirculated back to the air compressor 321. The recirculated compressed air is cooled to a predetermined air temperature in an air-cooled cooler (not shown) inside the air compressor 321 and then discharged from the air piping 25 toward the air tank 23. The water that has been heated by heat exchange in the heat recovery heat exchanger 330 is supplied to the hot water demand destination on the user side via the water supply piping 332. Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the waste heat recovery system database 105. Like other databases, the waste heat recovery system database 105 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 15 within the computing device 11. The waste heat recovery system database 105 stores information on the waste heat recovery system model C36, the corresponding air end lubrication method C37 of the corresponding compressor, the applicable compressor power range C38, the initial cost C39, the rated waste heat recovery rate C40, the rated power consumption C41, and the average maintenance cost C42. The waste heat recovery system model C36 functions as a fluid equipment model identifier that identifies the model (type) of the waste heat recovery system 329.

[0068] In this embodiment, the initial cost and average maintenance cost of the waste heat recovery device 329 are added and reflected in the air unit price C30 and C31. Although the air unit price increases by the amount of the additional costs, the cost of hot water generation that can be reduced by recovering waste heat is generally much larger than the increase in the air unit price, so the total cost benefit of introducing the waste heat recovery device 329 can be ensured.

[0069] According to this third embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0070] (1) The compressed air system 320 (compressed gas system) can be connected to a waste heat recovery device 329 that recovers at least a portion of the waste heat from the air compressor 321 (gas compressor) included in the compressed air system 320 (compressed gas system) to heat a low-temperature fluid. In this way, the cost of generating hot water that was required at the user's point of use can be reduced.

[0071] The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and it is possible to combine the configurations shown in the modifications with the configurations described in the embodiments described above, or to combine the configurations described in the different embodiments described above, or to combine the configurations described in the following different modifications.

[0072] <Example 1> In the embodiments described above, examples of applying the present invention to a billing system for compressed air systems were explained. However, the present invention can also be applied to systems other than compressed air systems that provide compressed air as the compressed gas. For example, the present invention may be applied to a billing system that performs billing for a compressed nitrogen gas system that provides compressed nitrogen gas as the compressed gas.

[0073] <Modification 2> In the embodiments described above, the amount (concentration) of foreign matter, the amount (concentration) of moisture, and the total oil concentration were used as quality parameters representing the required quality of compressed air. However, the present invention can naturally be applied to other quality parameters. For example, any quality parameter relating to the quality of compressed air can be adopted, such as the number of microorganisms contained in the compressed air. Furthermore, only a portion of the quality parameters described in the embodiments described above may be used.

[0074] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments only represent a part of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10...Charging system, 11...Calculation device, 20, 220, 320...Compressed air system (compressed gas system), 21, 321...Air compressor (gas compressor), 22...Dryer, 23...Air tank, 24, 324...Filter, 30...Management terminal device, 40...User terminal device, 50...Network, 101...Air compressor database, 102...Filter database, 103...Dryer database, 104...Air tank database

Claims

1. A fee calculation system for calculating the usage fee of a compressed gas system, Equipped with a memory device and a processing device, The aforementioned storage device includes: A database that associates multiple components of the compressed gas system with the quality parameters of the compressed gas that each component can supply, A database is stored that associates each component with cost information related to the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of each component. The aforementioned processing apparatus is The system acquires quality parameters representing the quality of the gas produced by the compressed gas system, which are input from an external terminal. From a database that associates each component with the quality parameters of the compressed gas that each component can supply, stored in the memory device, a component capable of supplying compressed gas that satisfies the acquired quality parameters is selected. From a database that associates the selected components with cost information related to the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of each component, the cost of at least one of the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of the compressed gas system is calculated, and the standard cost is calculated using the calculated result. The unit price of compressed gas produced by the compressed gas system is calculated by dividing the calculated base cost by the amount of gas that the compressed gas system can supply within a predetermined period. Based on the calculated unit price of compressed gas and the amount of compressed gas used, the usage fee for the compressed gas system is calculated. A fee calculation system that outputs the calculated unit price of compressed gas and the usage fee for the compressed gas system.

2. In the fee calculation system described in claim 1, The processing apparatus is a fee calculation system that acquires at least one of the following parameters as quality parameters: the number of foreign particles per unit amount of gas, the mass of foreign matter, the amount of moisture, or the amount of oil.

3. In the fee calculation system described in claim 1, The aforementioned processing device is a billing system that calculates the amount of compressed gas used based on the measured value of a flow sensor installed in the compressed gas flow path.

4. In the fee calculation system described in claim 1, The processing device is a billing system that calculates the amount of compressed gas used based on the load factor of the gas compressor included in the compressed gas system.

5. In the fee calculation system described in claim 1, The compressed gas system is a charge calculation system that can be connected to a heat recovery device that recovers at least a portion of the waste heat from a gas compressor included in the compressed gas system to heat a low-temperature fluid.

6. In the fee calculation system described in claim 1, The processing device is a fee calculation system that outputs the calculated unit price of compressed gas and the usage fee for the compressed gas system to a display device or a terminal equipped with such a display device, and displays the unit price of compressed gas and the usage fee for the compressed gas system on the display device.

7. In the fee calculation system described in Claim 1, When selecting a component capable of supplying compressed gas that satisfies the acquired quality parameters from a database that associates each component with the quality parameters of the compressed gas that each component can supply, stored in the memory device, The aforementioned processing apparatus is Search for a combination of components capable of supplying compressed gas that meets the acquired quality parameters. The results of the searched combinations are stored in the storage device, A fee calculation system that calculates at least one of the costs of the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of the compressed gas system from a database that associates the results of combinations stored in the storage device with cost information related to the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of each component included in the combination, and calculates a base cost using the calculated results.

8. We obtain quality parameters that represent the quality of the gas produced by the compressed gas system. From a database that associates multiple components of the compressed gas system with the quality parameters of the compressed gas that each component can supply, a component capable of supplying compressed gas that satisfies the acquired quality parameters is selected. From a database that associates the selected components with cost information related to the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of each component, the cost of at least one of the initial cost, maintenance cost, and operating cost of the compressed gas system is calculated, and the standard cost is calculated using the calculated result. The unit price of compressed gas produced by the compressed gas system is calculated by dividing the calculated base cost by the amount of gas that the compressed gas system can supply within a predetermined period. Based on the calculated unit price of compressed gas and the amount of compressed gas used, the usage fee for the compressed gas system is calculated. Output the calculated unit price of the compressed gas and the usage fee for the compressed gas system. The method by which a computer calculates fees.

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