Hydrogen supply system management device and hydrogen supply adjustment method

Abstract

To provide a hydrogen supply system management device capable of adjusting a balance between hydrogen demand and supply in a gas grid that supplies hydrogen to various hydrogen consumers.SOLUTION: A hydrogen supply system management device 50, which includes a plurality of hydrogen production facilities and a gas grid that delivers hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production facilities to consumers, includes: a power supply / demand prediction information acquisition unit 61 that supplies power to power consumers through power generated by a plurality of power generation facilities including power generated by renewable energy, and acquires prediction information on a power supply amount and a power demand amount in a power supply network that supplies the power for hydrogen production to the hydrogen production facilities; a hydrogen supply / demand prediction information acquisition unit 62 that acquires prediction information on a hydrogen supply amount and a hydrogen demand amount in the gas grid; and a hydrogen supply adjustment unit 63 that determines, on the basis of the prediction information on the power supply amount and the power demand amount, and the prediction information on the hydrogen supply amount and the hydrogen demand amount, a supply amount of hydrogen from the plurality of hydrogen production facilities to the gas grid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device for a hydrogen supply system and a hydrogen supply adjustment method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, system reforms have been progressing towards building a carbon-neutral society that substantially reduces emissions of CO2, a major greenhouse gas. To reduce CO2 emissions, it is essential to build a system that coordinates the fluctuations of variable renewable energy (VRE) such as solar power generation and wind power generation with energy demand. One means of coordinating such energy demand and supply is energy conversion technology. In particular, technologies that convert surplus energy into hydrogen for storage and use as energy are attracting attention.

[0003] As the background art of such technology, there is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-133939 (Patent Document 1). This publication states that "a storage battery that stores surplus power of renewable energy and outputs it as discharge power using the stored amount of power storage, a hydrogen production device that produces hydrogen using the surplus power and discharge power, a hydrogen storage device that stores the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production device, a fuel cell that generates power using the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage device and supplies the generated power to a customer load, and a control device that makes a first predetermined condition hold for the power of the storage battery, the power consumption of the hydrogen production device, the power generation of the fuel cell, and the power purchased, and makes a second predetermined condition hold for the hydrogen production amount of the hydrogen production device, the hydrogen storage amount of the hydrogen storage device, and the hydrogen consumption amount of the fuel cell, and determines the output of each of the storage battery, the hydrogen production device, the hydrogen storage device, and the fuel cell within the range where the first and second predetermined conditions hold." (See the abstract).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 had room for improvement in terms of adjusting the balance between hydrogen demand and supply in a hydrogen supply network that supplies hydrogen to various hydrogen consumers. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen supply system management device that can adjust the balance between hydrogen demand and supply in a gas grid that supplies hydrogen to various hydrogen consumers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a plurality of hydrogen production facilities and the hydrogen production equipment A management device for a hydrogen supply system comprising: a gas grid that delivers hydrogen produced by a hydrogen production facility to consumers; a power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit that acquires forecast information on the amount of power supplied and the amount of power demand in a power supply network that supplies electricity to electricity consumers through power generation by a plurality of power generation facilities, including those that generate electricity using renewable energy, and supplies electricity for hydrogen production to the hydrogen production facility; a hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit that acquires forecast information on the amount of hydrogen supplied and the amount of hydrogen demand in the gas grid; and a hydrogen supply adjustment unit that determines the amount of hydrogen supplied from the plurality of hydrogen production facilities to the gas grid based on the forecast information on the amount of power supplied and the amount of power demand and the forecast information on the amount of hydrogen supplied and the amount of hydrogen demand. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hydrogen supply system management device that can adjust the balance between hydrogen demand and supply in a gas grid that supplies hydrogen to various hydrogen consumers. Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a power supply network targeted by this embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a hydrogen supply system that is the subject of this embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the management device for the hydrogen supply system according to this embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram of the control device for the hydrogen supply system according to this embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the management device of the hydrogen supply system according to this embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a hydrogen supply system that is the subject of this embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. [Examples]

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a power supply network targeted by this embodiment 1. Multiple power generation facilities are connected to the power supply network (power grid) 20. The power supply network 20 is a network that supplies electricity generated by these power generation facilities to electricity consumers. At least some of these multiple power generation facilities are power generation facilities that generate electricity based on variable renewable energy (VRE). In this embodiment 1, multiple solar power generation facilities 21 (mainly mega solar) and wind power generation facilities 22, which are power generation facilities that generate electricity based on variable renewable energy, are installed in the power supply network 20. Power generation facilities 23 comprehensively show power generation facilities other than those that generate electricity based on variable renewable energy, such as thermal power generation facilities and nuclear power generation facilities. Power generation facilities 23 do not necessarily have to constitute the power supply network 20. Transmission and distribution facilities 24 comprehensively illustrate the facilities that transmit and distribute the electricity generated in the power supply network 20.

[0011] The power management system 25 is a computer system that can communicate with each power generation facility and power transmission and distribution facility 24 via a communication network 26 such as the Internet, and performs comprehensive adjustment of power supply and demand within the power supply network 20. Based on instructions from the power management system 25, at least some of the solar power generation facilities 21 and wind power generation facilities 22 will supply surplus power to each hydrogen generator 31 when there is an excess of power supply in response to the demand for power in the power supply network 20. The hydrogen generator 31 is a facility that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing water using the surplus power as its power source.

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a hydrogen supply system. The hydrogen supply system includes a gas grid that delivers gas to consumers and multiple hydrogen production facilities 41. In this embodiment 1, the gas grid is described using a hydrogen supply network 30 that delivers hydrogen to consumers via pipelines as an example. Multiple hydrogen production facilities 41 and multiple hydrogen consumers 39, who are consumers of hydrogen, are connected to the hydrogen supply network 30. The hydrogen supply network 30 includes a high-pressure pipe 33 through which high-pressure hydrogen flows, a medium-pressure pipe 34 through which medium-pressure hydrogen flows, and a connecting pipe 35 that connects the two. A control valve 44 is provided at the connection point between the connecting pipe 35 and the medium-pressure pipe 34. Hydrogen gas is supplied directly to the high-pressure pipe 33 from the hydrogen production equipment 41, and relatively high-pressure hydrogen gas flows through the high-pressure pipe 33. The medium-pressure pipe 34 receives hydrogen gas from the high-pressure pipe 33 via the connecting pipe 35, but at that time, the hydrogen gas from the high-pressure pipe 33 is reduced to medium pressure by the control valve 44, and relatively medium-pressure hydrogen gas flows through the medium-pressure pipe 34. In this embodiment 1, a hydrogen supply network 30 was used as an example of a gas grid, but a city gas or natural gas grid could also be used instead of the hydrogen supply network 30. In this case, hydrogen would be mixed with the city gas or natural gas grid and delivered to consumers.

[0013] Each hydrogen production facility 41 includes a hydrogen generator (hydrogen production device) 31, a governor tank 42 for temporarily storing the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator 31, and a hydrogen supply means 44 for injecting the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator into the hydrogen supply network 30. For example, a control valve can be used as the hydrogen supply means 44. Each hydrogen production facility 41 is connected to the high-pressure piping 33 by piping 43, and can supply hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator 31 directly, or hydrogen stored in the governor tank 42, to the high-pressure piping 33. A hydrogen sensor 44 is provided in each hydrogen production facility 41 to detect the presence or absence of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen production facility 41 to the high-pressure piping 33, and the amount per unit time. A control valve 44 is provided at the connection point between piping 43 and the high-pressure piping 33 to adjust the presence or absence of hydrogen supply from piping 43 to the high-pressure piping 33 and the amount of hydrogen supplied per unit time. A concentration sensor 45 for detecting hydrogen concentration is provided near the control valve 44 of the high-pressure piping 33. By supplying hydrogen from the hydrogen production equipment 41 to the high-pressure piping 33, it is possible to monitor how the hydrogen concentration in the high-pressure piping 33 fluctuates.

[0014] High-pressure piping 33 and medium-pressure piping 34 are also connected to each hydrogen consumer 39 by piping 43, and concentration sensors 45 are provided at the connection points on the high-pressure piping 33 and medium-pressure piping 34 sides. These concentration sensors 45 can monitor the concentration of hydrogen supplied to the hydrogen consumers 39. Hydrogen consumers 39 that receive relatively high-pressure hydrogen gas from high-pressure piping 33 are relatively large-scale hydrogen consumers, such as factories. Hydrogen consumers 39 that receive relatively medium-pressure hydrogen gas from medium-pressure piping 34 are relatively small-scale consumers, such as hydrogen stations that supply hydrogen to hydrogen-fueled vehicles, or department stores and hotels that use cogeneration systems for air conditioning. As described above, the hydrogen supply network 30 is a network that purely supplies hydrogen to hydrogen consumers 39.

[0015] By the way, in the technology of Patent Document 1, hydrogen is generated using surplus power of renewable energy. However, the technology of Patent Document 1 only considers the matching of supply and demand between the energy generated and consumed within a single building. That is, it does not attempt to adjust the supply and demand of hydrogen within the network by considering the power demand and supply in a network such as the example of the power supply network 20 and the hydrogen demand and supply in a network such as the example of the hydrogen supply network 30 respectively. That is, there is room for improvement in that the technology of Patent Document 1 only positions hydrogen production as a part of distributed independent power sources.

[0016] Hereinafter, the means and effects of Example 1 for solving such problems will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the management device 50 of the hydrogen supply system according to Example 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the management device 50 of the hydrogen supply system includes a processor 51, a communication I / F (interface) 52, a main storage device 53, an auxiliary storage device 54, an input / output I / F 55, and a bus 56 that communicably connects the above-described respective modules. The management device 50 of the hydrogen supply system may be a computer such as a single server, or a plurality of computers such as servers may cooperate to provide various functions.

[0017] The processor 51 is a central processing unit that controls the operation of each part of the hydrogen supply system management device 50. The processor 51 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor 51 deploys the program 57 stored in the auxiliary storage device 54 into the working area of ​​the main memory device 53 in an executable format. The main memory device 53 stores the program executed by the processor 51, the data processed by the processor, etc. The main memory device 53 is, for example, flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The auxiliary storage device 54 stores various programs and various data. The auxiliary storage device 54 stores, for example, the OS (Operating System), various programs including program 57, various tables, etc. The auxiliary storage device 54 is a silicon disk containing non-volatile semiconductor memory (flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM)), a solid-state drive, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. The program 57 may be downloaded from a predetermined location via the Internet or the like and set up in the auxiliary storage device 54, or the program 57 may be read from a predetermined storage medium that stores the program 57 and set up in the auxiliary storage device 54.

[0018] The communication I / F 52 is an interface for communicating with the external through a network such as the Internet. The input / output I / F 55 receives operation instructions and the like from an administrator who operates an input device connected to the input / output I / F 55. The input device is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, a microphone, etc. Further, display devices such as an LCD, an EL (Electroluminescence) panel, an organic EL panel, and output devices such as a printer and a speaker can be connected to the input / output I / F 55. The input / output I / F 55 outputs data and information processed by the processor 51 and data and information stored in the main storage device 53 and the auxiliary storage device 54 to the output device.

[0019] The communication I / F 52 enables communication between the management device 50 of the hydrogen supply system and the power management system 25, each hydrogen production facility 41, each hydrogen consumer 39, etc. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the management device 50 of the hydrogen supply system. The hydrogen supply / demand adjustment system 50 executes the following processing according to the program 57. The power supply / demand prediction information acquisition unit 61 acquires prediction information on the power supply amount and the power demand amount in the power supply network 20 (power supply / demand prediction information acquisition step). The power supply / demand prediction information acquisition unit 61 may generate the prediction information by itself, but in this example, the prediction information is acquired from the power management system 25. The hydrogen supply / demand prediction information acquisition unit 62 acquires prediction information on the hydrogen supply amount and the hydrogen demand amount in the hydrogen supply network 30 (hydrogen supply / demand prediction information acquisition step). In this example, the hydrogen supply / demand prediction information acquisition unit 62 obtains the prediction information by itself. The hydrogen supply adjustment unit 63 adjusts the supply of hydrogen from each hydrogen production facility 41 to the hydrogen supply network 30 based on the prediction information on the power supply amount and the power demand amount and the prediction information on the hydrogen supply amount and the hydrogen demand amount (hydrogen supply adjustment step). The communication unit 64 communicates with the power management system 25, each hydrogen production facility 41, each hydrogen consumer 39, etc. via the communication I / F 52.

[0020] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the hydrogen supply system management device 50. First, the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit 61 acquires forecast information on the amount of power supplied and the amount of power demand in the power supply network 20 from the power management system 25 (step S1). This forecast information on the amount of power supplied and the amount of power demand is forecast information for predetermined time periods of the day (every hour, every three hours, etc.). Furthermore, the electricity demand forecast information is based on the history of past electricity demand in the power supply network 20, which corresponds to the calendar. In other words, it is predicted by focusing on the calendar from the history of past electricity demand stored in the power management system 25. That is, electricity demand differs depending on whether it is a weekday, Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday, and also differs depending on the season. Moreover, electricity demand differs depending on the time of day. Therefore, for example, if we want to obtain forecast information for electricity demand from noon to 3pm on a Sunday in early August, we can obtain it by, for example, the average value over several years of the history of electricity demand from noon to 3pm on Sundays in early August in the past. Also, since electricity demand differs depending on the weather, the electricity demand forecast information is obtained by taking future weather forecast information (weather forecast) into consideration. For example, if we want to obtain forecast information for electricity demand from noon to 3pm on a Sunday in early August, we can obtain it from the weather forecast for noon to 3pm on that date and time.

[0021] The forecast information for electricity supply is obtained based on future weather forecasts, providing forecast information for predetermined time periods (every hour, every three hours, etc.). This is because power generation from variable renewable energy sources is heavily influenced by weather. For example, to obtain forecast information for electricity supply from noon to 3pm on a Sunday in early August, the forecast information is obtained from the weather forecast for that time period. The operating schedule of the power generation facility 23 (how much power it will generate at a given time on a given day) is also taken into consideration.

[0022] Next, the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit 62 obtains forecast information for hydrogen supply and hydrogen demand in the hydrogen supply network 30 managed by the hydrogen supply system management device 50 (step S2). Here, the range managed by the hydrogen supply system management device 50 is preferably the range that hydrogen consumers 39 and electricity consumers can manage with data from the power transmission and distribution business of the power supply network 20. In other words, it is the range in which the regional characteristics of electricity supply and hydrogen demand can be mutually understood, and it is not a fixed size, but the range area changes depending on the situation of hydrogen demand and electricity supply. Here, the hydrogen supply amount in the hydrogen supply network 30 is the amount of hydrogen that can be supplied to consumers, that is, the amount of hydrogen that can be supplied from each hydrogen production facility 41 to the hydrogen supply network 30. This forecast information for hydrogen supply and hydrogen demand is forecast information for each predetermined time period of the day (every hour, every three hours, etc.). This predetermined time period corresponds to the predetermined time period in step S1 (the time period divisions match). The hydrogen demand forecast information is based on the history of past hydrogen demand in the hydrogen supply network 30, which corresponds to the calendar. In other words, it is predicted from the history of past hydrogen demand stored in the auxiliary storage device 54, paying attention to the calendar. That is, hydrogen demand differs depending on whether it is a weekday, Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday, and also differs depending on the season. Furthermore, hydrogen demand differs depending on the time of day. Therefore, for example, if we want to obtain forecast information for hydrogen demand from noon to 3pm on a Sunday in early August, we can obtain it by, for example, the average value over several years of the history of hydrogen demand from noon to 3pm on Sundays in early August in the past. In addition, since hydrogen demand can also differ depending on the weather (for example, when hydrogen is used for heating and cooling), future weather forecast information may also be taken into account when obtaining forecast information for hydrogen demand.

[0023] Hydrogen supply forecast information can be obtained at predetermined time intervals (every hour, every three hours, etc.) from forecast information on electricity supply and electricity demand in the power supply network 20. In other words, if the electricity supply in the power supply network 20 is insufficient compared to the electricity demand, not much hydrogen will be produced in the hydrogen generator 31. On the other hand, if the electricity supply in the power supply network 20 is in excess compared to the electricity demand, hydrogen will be produced with the surplus electricity, so hydrogen can be actively supplied from the hydrogen production facility 41. Furthermore, the larger this surplus electricity, the greater the amount of hydrogen that can be supplied.

[0024] Then, the hydrogen supply adjustment unit 63 determines the amount of hydrogen to be supplied from each hydrogen production facility 41 to the hydrogen supply network 30 based on the prediction information obtained in S1 and S2 (step S3). Specifically, the hydrogen supply adjustment unit 63 determines the amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator 31 (hydrogen production facility), the amount of hydrogen stored in the governor tank 42, and the amount of hydrogen injected into the hydrogen supply network 30 (gas grid) for each hydrogen production facility based on the prediction information obtained in S1 and S2. In order to determine which hydrogen production facility 41 to supply and how much hydrogen to the hydrogen supply network 30, it is preferable for the hydrogen supply adjustment unit 63 to also utilize information such as the location information of the hydrogen production facilities 41, the location information of the hydrogen consumers 39, and the power supply and demand balance for each area where the hydrogen production facilities 41 are installed. Next, the hydrogen supply adjustment unit 63, via the communication unit 64, notifies and instructs each hydrogen production facility 41, and possibly each hydrogen consumer 39, of the decision made in S3, and adjusts the supply or demand of hydrogen (step S4). The specifics of how hydrogen supply and demand are adjusted will be explained below. When the hydrogen supply adjustment unit 63 determines, based on the predicted power supply and demand information acquired by the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit 61, that the amount of electricity used for hydrogen production in the power supply network 20 is excessively high (power surplus), it takes the following actions: First, if the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquired by the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit 62 determines that the amount of hydrogen produced is greater than the amount of hydrogen demand, it notifies each hydrogen production facility 41 to store the surplus hydrogen in the governor tank 42 (tank). It also notifies hydrogen consumers 39 to actively consume hydrogen. In this case, if the governor tank 42 is still full, any further surplus electricity will not be supplied to either hydrogen production or the power supply network 20. On the other hand, if it determines that both the hydrogen supply and hydrogen demand are high, it notifies each hydrogen production facility 41 to actively supply the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator 31 directly to the hydrogen supply network 30. In this case, if it is determined that the hydrogen demand is still insufficient, the system will instruct the hydrogen stored in the governor tank 42 to also be supplied to the hydrogen supply network 30.

[0025] When the hydrogen supply adjustment unit 63 determines, based on the predicted power supply and demand information acquired by the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit 61, that the amount of electricity available for hydrogen production in the power supply network 20 is less than a predetermined amount (insufficient power), it takes the following actions: First, if the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquired by the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit 62 determines that the hydrogen demand is greater than the amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator 31, it instructs each hydrogen production facility 41 to supply the hydrogen stored in the governor tank 42 to the hydrogen supply network 30. On the other hand, if it determines that the hydrogen demand is less than the amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator 31, it instructs each hydrogen production facility 41 not to actively produce hydrogen in the hydrogen generator 31 and to limit the amount of hydrogen supplied from the governor tank 42 to the hydrogen supply network 30.

[0026] Furthermore, it is desirable that the hydrogen supply and demand adjustment instructions from these hydrogen supply and demand adjustment systems 50 be given well in advance to allow sufficient time for preparation of the hydrogen production facilities 41 and hydrogen consumers 39. In other words, the processing shown in Figure 5 for the time period in which hydrogen supply and demand adjustment is implemented in the hydrogen supply network 30 should be completed well before the time period in which the adjustment is implemented. According to the hydrogen supply and demand adjustment system 50 of this embodiment 1 described above, it is possible to predict in advance the supply and demand of electricity in the power supply network 20 and the supply and demand of hydrogen in the hydrogen supply network 30, and to appropriately adjust the supply and demand balance of hydrogen in the hydrogen supply network 30.

[0027] In particular, since these supply and demand forecasts are made at predetermined time intervals throughout the day (such as every hour or every three hours), these forecasts can be made in detail, and the supply and demand balance of hydrogen in the hydrogen supply network 30 can be adjusted precisely. Specifically, when there is surplus electricity available in the power supply network 20 for hydrogen production, and hydrogen demand is low, the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator 31 is stored in the governor tank 42. On the other hand, when there is little surplus electricity available in the power supply network 20 for hydrogen production, and hydrogen demand is high, the hydrogen stored in the governor tank 42 is used to meet the demand. Furthermore, if hydrogen production by the hydrogen generator 31 is excessive relative to hydrogen demand, hydrogen consumers 39 are instructed to actively consume hydrogen. These measures allow for appropriate adjustment of the hydrogen supply and demand balance in the hydrogen supply network 30. [Examples]

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a hydrogen supply system targeted by this embodiment 2. In this embodiment 2, components, equipment, etc. common to embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals as in embodiment 1, and detailed explanations are omitted. The difference between this embodiment 2 and embodiment 1 is that a gas supply network 60 (gas grid) is used instead of a hydrogen supply network 30. The gas supply network 60 is a supply network for a predetermined mixed gas, and is a network that supplies a mixed gas, which is a mixture of hydrogen with a predetermined gas, to gas consumers 39. A gas consumer is a consumer of hydrogen or a mixed gas. The predetermined gas is, for example, city gas whose main component is methane. In this case, the gas supply network 60 is, for example, a supply network for city gas, and supplies a mixed gas, which is city gas mixed with hydrogen, to gas consumers 39. Alternatively, the gas supply network 60 may be, for example, a network in an industrial area that supplies a mixed gas, which is a mixture of hydrogen with natural gas such as LNG (Liquidated Natural Gas) as the predetermined gas, to each factory, which is a hydrogen consumer 39.

[0029] In this manner, a predetermined gas, such as city gas, in which a mixed gas flows through the high-pressure piping 33 and medium-pressure piping 34 of the gas supply network 60, is supplied to the gas supply network 60 from the gas supply equipment 71 (labeled as an LNG tank in Figure 6) connected to the high-pressure piping 33, after the supply amount is adjusted by a control valve 44 connected to this gas supply equipment 71. In other words, the gas supply equipment 71 is connected to the high-pressure piping 33 via the control valve 44 (illustrations of LNG evaporators, etc., are omitted). On the other hand, hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen production equipment 41 to the hydrogen supply network 60 in the same manner as in Example 1, and the predetermined gas and hydrogen are mixed in the gas supply network 60 to form a mixed gas. A router 72 is connected to the connecting pipe 35. This router 72 adjusts the hydrogen concentration in the mixed gas to a predetermined concentration when the high-pressure gas in the high-pressure pipe 33 becomes the medium-pressure gas in the medium-pressure pipe 34. The router 72 has a hydrogen separation membrane, and hydrogen at a predetermined concentration is separated from the high-pressure gas and supplied to the medium-pressure pipe 34.

[0030] The diagram also shows a hydrogen consumer 39 equipped with a router 72 in a pipe 43 connected to the medium-pressure pipe 34. Generally, the hydrogen concentration of the mixed gas flowing through the high-pressure pipe 33 and the medium-pressure pipe 34 is constant, but a hydrogen consumer 39 that requires a mixed gas with a different hydrogen concentration can use such a router 72 to adjust the hydrogen concentration of the mixed gas to the desired concentration and receive the mixed gas. In this embodiment 2, the gas supply network 60 supplies hydrogen in the form of a mixed gas, which is different from the hydrogen supply network 20 in embodiment 1. However, even with this type of gas supply network 60, the hydrogen supply and demand balance in the gas supply network 60 can be adjusted using a hydrogen supply system management device 50 with basically the same configuration and processing as in embodiment 1.

[0031] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0032] Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in hardware, either partially or entirely, by designing them as integrated circuits, for example. Alternatively, each of the above configurations and functions may be implemented in software by having the processor interpret and execute programs that implement each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0033] Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 20 Electricity supply network 30 Hydrogen supply network 31 Hydrogen generator 39 Hydrogen consumers 41 Hydrogen production facilities 42 Governor Tank (Tank) 50 Hydrogen supply system management device 60 Gas supply network 61 Electricity supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit 62 Hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition department 63 Hydrogen Supply Adjustment Department

Claims

1. A management device for a hydrogen supply system comprising multiple hydrogen production facilities and a gas grid for delivering hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production facilities to consumers, A power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information on the amount of power supplied and the amount of power demand in a power supply network that supplies power to power consumers through power generation by multiple power generation facilities, including those that generate power using renewable energy, and supplies power for hydrogen production to the hydrogen production facility. A hydrogen supply and demand forecasting information acquisition unit that acquires forecasting information on hydrogen supply and hydrogen demand in the gas grid, A hydrogen supply system management device comprising: a hydrogen supply adjustment unit that determines the amount of hydrogen supplied from the plurality of hydrogen production facilities to the gas grid based on the predicted information of the amount of electricity supplied and the amount of electricity demanded, and the predicted information of the amount of hydrogen supplied and the amount of hydrogen demanded.

2. The hydrogen production facility comprises a hydrogen production apparatus, a tank for storing the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production apparatus, and a hydrogen supply means for injecting the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production apparatus into the gas grid. The hydrogen supply adjustment unit is characterized in that it calculates command values ​​for each hydrogen production facility to control the amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production equipment, the amount of hydrogen stored in the tank, and the amount of hydrogen injected into the gas grid, as described in claim 1.

3. The aforementioned power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information on the amount of power supplied and the amount of power demand for each predetermined time period of the day. The hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information on the hydrogen supply amount and hydrogen demand amount for each time period, The hydrogen supply adjustment unit calculates command values ​​to control the amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production apparatus, the amount of hydrogen stored in the tank, and the amount of hydrogen injected into the gas grid, based on the predicted information of the amount of electricity supplied and the amount of electricity demand for each time period, as well as the predicted information of the amount of hydrogen supplied and the amount of hydrogen demand. This is the hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 2.

4. The hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit is characterized in that it predicts the hydrogen demand based on the history of past hydrogen demand corresponding to the calendar and acquires the predicted information of hydrogen demand, as described in claim 2.

5. The hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit is characterized in that it predicts the hydrogen demand for each time period based on the history of the hydrogen demand for each predetermined time period in the past corresponding to the calendar and acquires forecast information for the hydrogen demand.

6. The hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 2, characterized in that the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information of the amount of power demand, which is obtained by forecasting the amount of power demand based on the history of the amount of power demand in the past corresponding to the calendar.

7. The hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 3, characterized in that the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information of power demand, which predicts the amount of power demand for each time period based on the history of the amount of power demand for each predetermined time period in a day that corresponds to the calendar.

8. The hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 2, characterized in that the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information of the amount of power supply, which is obtained by forecasting the amount of power supply based on future weather forecast information.

9. The hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 3, characterized in that the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information of the amount of power demand, which is a forecast of the amount of power supply for each of the predetermined time periods of the day based on future weather forecast information for each of the predetermined time periods of the day.

10. A hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 2, characterized in that the hydrogen supply adjustment unit determines, based on the predicted power supply amount and power demand amount obtained by the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit, that the power used for hydrogen production in the power supply network is by a predetermined amount, and when the hydrogen supply adjustment unit determines, based on the predicted power supply amount and hydrogen demand amount obtained by the hydrogen supply and demand information acquisition unit, that the amount of hydrogen to be produced is greater than the amount of hydrogen demand, it notifies each of the hydrogen production facilities to store the surplus hydrogen in a hydrogen storage tank.

11. A hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 2, characterized in that the hydrogen supply adjustment unit determines, based on the predicted power supply and demand information acquired by the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit, that the amount of electricity used for hydrogen production in the power supply network is by a predetermined amount, and when the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquired by the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit determines, based on the predicted power supply and demand information acquired by the hydrogen supply and demand information acquisition unit, that the amount of hydrogen to be produced is greater than the amount of hydrogen demand, the unit notifies consumers receiving hydrogen from the gas grid to actively consume the hydrogen.

12. A hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 2, characterized in that the hydrogen supply adjustment unit determines, based on the predicted power supply and power demand information acquired by the power supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit, that the amount of power used for hydrogen production in the power supply network is by a predetermined amount, and when the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquired by the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit determines, based on the predicted power supply and hydrogen demand information acquired by the hydrogen supply and demand information acquisition unit, that the amount of hydrogen to be produced is greater than the amount of hydrogen demand, the hydrogen supply adjustment unit notifies hydrogen consumers receiving hydrogen from the gas grid to actively consume the hydrogen.

13. The hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 2, characterized in that the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information on the amount of hydrogen supplied and the amount of hydrogen demand in the gas grid that supplies only the hydrogen to hydrogen consumers receiving the hydrogen supply.

14. The hydrogen supply system management device according to claim 2, characterized in that the hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition unit acquires forecast information on the amount of hydrogen supplied and the amount of hydrogen demand in the gas grid that supplies the hydrogen to hydrogen consumers receiving the hydrogen supply in the form of a mixed gas obtained by mixing the hydrogen with a predetermined gas.

15. A power supply and demand forecast information acquisition process that acquires forecast information on the amount of electricity supplied and the amount of electricity demand in a power supply network that supplies electricity to electricity consumers through power generation by multiple power generation facilities, including those that generate electricity using variable renewable energy, A hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition step, which acquires forecast information on hydrogen supply and hydrogen demand in a gas grid equipped with multiple hydrogen production facilities that produce hydrogen using electricity in the aforementioned power supply network and supply it to hydrogen consumers, A hydrogen supply adjustment method characterized by comprising: a hydrogen supply adjustment step of determining the amount of hydrogen to be supplied from a plurality of hydrogen production facilities to the gas grid based on the predicted information of the amount of electricity supplied and the amount of electricity demanded, and the predicted information of the amount of hydrogen supplied and the amount of hydrogen demanded.

16. The power supply and demand forecast information acquisition step acquires forecast information for the amount of power supplied and the amount of power demand for each predetermined time period of the day. The hydrogen supply and demand forecast information acquisition step acquires forecast information for the hydrogen supply amount and hydrogen demand amount for each time period, The hydrogen supply adjustment method according to claim 15, characterized in that the hydrogen supply adjustment step calculates command values ​​for each hydrogen production facility to control the amount of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production equipment, the amount of hydrogen stored in the tank for storing the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production equipment, and the amount of hydrogen injected into the gas grid, based on the predicted information of the amount of electricity supplied and the amount of electricity demanded for each time period, and the predicted information of the amount of hydrogen supplied and the amount of hydrogen demanded.

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