Management device, energy supply system, and management method

The management device optimizes the supply of hydrogen carriers to energy generation devices with varying capacities, addressing inefficiencies in existing systems and improving delivery efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

WO2025164219A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2025-08-07ENEOS CORP
View PDF 3 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/JP2025/000231
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-01-30
Filing Date
2025-01-07
Publication Date
2025-08-07

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies are inefficient in supplying raw materials to energy generation devices such as dehydrogenation devices.

Method used

A management device that creates a supply plan for delivering a hydrogen carrier to multiple energy generation devices with different processing capacities, optimizing delivery amounts and times based on consumption area information.

Benefits of technology

Enables efficient supply of hydrogen carriers to energy generation devices, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs by optimizing delivery routes and quantities.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure JP2025000231_07082025_PF_FP_ABST
    Figure JP2025000231_07082025_PF_FP_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

This management device comprises a plan creation unit that creates a supply plan for supplying hydrogen carriers to two or more energy generation devices whose throughputs for generating hydrogen energy by using hydrogen carriers as a starting material differ.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Management device, energy supply system, and management method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device, an energy supply system, and a management method.

[0002] In recent years, environmental issues such as global warming have become a global challenge, and hydrogen, which does not emit carbon dioxide when used, has attracted attention as a new energy source for promoting decarbonization. Technologies are known that enable efficient storage and transportation of hydrogen by converting it into substances called hydrogen carriers.

[0003] For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an operation supply management system that manages the delivery of raw materials from a raw material production site that produces raw materials containing hydrides to multiple dehydrogenation sites. The operation supply management system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 acquires information on the dehydrogenation status at the multiple dehydrogenation sites and creates a delivery plan for delivering raw materials to the multiple dehydrogenation sites.

[0004] International Publication No. 2021 / 200726

[0005] However, in the prior art, there is room for improvement in the efficiency of supplying raw materials to energy generating devices such as dehydrogenation devices.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to efficiently supply a hydrogen carrier to an energy generation device that generates hydrogen.

[0007] A management device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plan creation unit that creates a supply plan for supplying a hydrogen carrier to two or more energy generation devices with different processing capacities for generating hydrogen using the hydrogen carrier as a raw material.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an energy supply system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a dehydrogenation base. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a supply management system. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a management device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of consumption area information. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a supply management method.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] [Embodiment] One embodiment of the present disclosure is an energy supply system that supplies hydrogen energy obtained from a hydrogen carrier as a raw material to a consumer. The energy supply system in this embodiment has a function of creating a supply plan for supplying the hydrogen carrier as a raw material to an energy generation device that generates hydrogen energy.

[0011] Hydrogen energy is energy obtained using hydrogen. Examples of hydrogen energy include gaseous hydrogen (hydrogen gas) itself, thermal energy obtained by burning hydrogen, and electrical energy generated using hydrogen. Examples of methods for generating electricity using hydrogen include a method of generating electricity by reacting hydrogen with oxygen using a fuel cell, and a method of generating electricity by rotating a turbine using hydrogen as fuel. Hereinafter, when simply referring to "hydrogen," it is assumed to refer to hydrogen gas.

[0012] <Hydrogen Carrier> A hydrogen carrier is a substance that converts hydrogen into a liquid or other state that can be efficiently stored and transported. Examples of substances that can be used as hydrogen carriers include organic hydrides, ammonia (NH3), and liquid hydrogen (Liquid H2). Organic hydrides are organic compounds that reversibly release hydrogen through a catalytic reaction. Examples of organic hydrides include methylcyclohexane, decalin, and cyclohexane. Methylcyclohexane is a substance obtained by reacting hydrogen with toluene. Decalin is a substance obtained by reacting hydrogen with naphthalene. Cyclohexane is a substance obtained by reacting hydrogen with benzene. Ammonia is a substance obtained by reacting hydrogen with nitrogen. Liquid hydrogen is liquefied by cooling hydrogen to below its boiling point (-253°C).

[0013] Hydrogen carriers are used after being reconverted into hydrogen through chemical reactions such as dehydrogenation. Methylcyclohexane can be separated into hydrogen and toluene by reacting it with a catalyst. The toluene obtained by dehydrogenating methylcyclohexane can be reused to produce new methylcyclohexane. Ammonia can be separated into hydrogen and nitrogen by reacting it with a catalyst. Liquid hydrogen can be converted into hydrogen by heating and vaporizing it.

[0014] The hydrogen carrier may be used as it is. Ammonia can be used as a raw material for fertilizers, chemical products, etc. Ammonia itself can also be used as fuel. Liquid hydrogen can be used as fuel for rockets, etc.

[0015] When producing a hydrogen carrier, electricity derived from renewable energy can be used. For example, hydrogen gas can be generated by electrolyzing water using electricity derived from renewable energy, and methylcyclohexane can be produced by reacting the hydrogen gas with toluene using electricity derived from renewable energy. Hydrogen carriers produced using electricity derived from renewable energy can be used as clean energy with reduced carbon dioxide emissions throughout the cycle from production to use.

[0016] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which methylcyclohexane (MCH) is used as a hydrogen carrier. However, this embodiment is not limited to the example in which MCH is used, and can also be applied to cases in which other substances (e.g., ammonia, liquid hydrogen, decalin, cyclohexane, etc.) are used as hydrogen carriers.

[0017] <Energy Supply System> An energy supply system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the energy supply system.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the energy supply system 1000 in this embodiment includes a production site R1 and a consumption site R2. At the production site R1, MCH, an example of a hydrogen carrier, is produced. The MCH produced at the production site R1 is transported to the consumption site R2. At the consumption site R2, hydrogen energy obtained by dehydrogenating the MCH is consumed by consumers C1 to C3.

[0019] The production location R1 and the consumption location R2 may be in different countries or different regions within the same country. At least one of the production location R1 and the consumption location R2 may exist in multiple places. The transportation route connecting the production location R1 and the consumption location R2 may be a land route only, or may include a sea route or an air route.

[0020] An MCH production base P0 is installed at the production location R1. At the MCH production base P0, hydrogen gas is produced, and MCH is produced using the hydrogen gas. In this embodiment, the MCH produced at the MCH production base P0 is transported to the consumption location R2 mainly by marine transport. For marine transport, for example, a tanker capable of carrying MCH is used.

[0021] Multiple dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 are installed in consumption area R2. MCH transported from production area R1 to consumption area R2 is delivered to dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3. The delivered MCH is stored at dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3, and the hydrogen energy obtained by dehydrogenating the MCH is supplied to nearby consumers C1 to C3.

[0022] The dehydrogenation sites P1 to P3 are configured to generate hydrogen gas per unit time (for example, m 3 / h) differ. Hereinafter, the amount of hydrogen gas that can be generated per unit time will also be referred to as "dehydrogenation capacity." In other words, multiple dehydrogenation bases with different dehydrogenation capacities are installed within the consumption area R2. Dehydrogenation capacity is an example of processing capacity.

[0023] The dehydrogenation capacity of a dehydrogenation site is determined by the dehydrogenation capacity of the dehydrogenation device installed at the dehydrogenation site. A dehydrogenation device is an example of an energy generation device that generates hydrogen energy using a hydrogen carrier as a raw material. In this embodiment, if a dehydrogenation site has one dehydrogenation device installed, the dehydrogenation capacity of that dehydrogenation device is taken as the dehydrogenation capacity of the dehydrogenation site. If a dehydrogenation site has multiple dehydrogenation devices installed, the sum of the dehydrogenation capacities of the multiple dehydrogenation devices is taken as the dehydrogenation capacity of the dehydrogenation site.

[0024] In this embodiment, the dehydrogenation capacity of each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 will be classified into three categories: large, medium, and small. Hereinafter, a dehydrogenation base with a large dehydrogenation capacity will be referred to as a "large-scale dehydrogenation base." A dehydrogenation base with a medium dehydrogenation capacity will be referred to as a "medium-scale dehydrogenation base." A dehydrogenation base with a small dehydrogenation capacity will be referred to as a "small-scale dehydrogenation base."

[0025] There may be multiple large-scale dehydrogenation sites P1, multiple medium-scale dehydrogenation sites P2, and multiple small-scale dehydrogenation sites P3 in the consumption area R2. The number of classifications based on dehydrogenation capacity may be two, four, or more. For example, only the large-scale dehydrogenation site P1 and the small-scale dehydrogenation site P3 may exist in the consumption area R2. Furthermore, for example, only the medium-scale dehydrogenation site P2 and the small-scale dehydrogenation site P3 may exist in the consumption area R2. Furthermore, for example, only the large-scale dehydrogenation site P1 and the medium-scale dehydrogenation site P2 may exist in the consumption area R2.

[0026] The large-scale dehydrogenation plant P1 is a dehydrogenation plant having a large dehydrogenation capacity. For example, the dehydrogenation capacity of the large-scale dehydrogenation plant P1 is tens of thousands m 3 The large-scale dehydrogenation site P1 may be, for example, an oil refinery or a large-scale oil depot located in a coastal area.

[0027] The entire amount of MCH transported by sea from the MCH production site P0 to the consumption site R2 is stored at one of the large-scale dehydrogenation sites P1. The MCH transported by sea from the MCH production site P0 to the consumption site R2 may be temporarily stored in an MCH tank installed at a location different from the large-scale dehydrogenation site P1.

[0028] The large-scale dehydrogenation facility P1 stores all of the MCH transported by sea from the MCH production facility P0. The large-scale dehydrogenation facility P1 may store MCH transported by sea or land from another large-scale dehydrogenation facility. The large-scale dehydrogenation facility P1 may store MCH transported from a dehydrogenation facility installed in another consumption area. Transportation from another consumption area to the consumption area R2 may be by sea or land.

[0029] The land transportation may be, for example, a pipeline, a railroad, an automobile, or a combination of these. For rail transportation, for example, a freight train capable of carrying the MCH is used. For automobile transportation, for example, a tanker truck capable of carrying the MCH is used.

[0030] The hydrogen energy obtained at the large-scale dehydrogenation site P1 is supplied to a nearby consumer C1. In this embodiment, the consumer C1 is assumed to be a steel mill, a chemical plant, a power plant, or the like that uses a large amount of hydrogen gas or electricity, but is not limited to these.

[0031] The medium-scale dehydrogenation plant P2 is a dehydrogenation plant having a medium dehydrogenation capacity. The dehydrogenation capacity of the medium-scale dehydrogenation plant P2 is, for example, 1,000 to tens of thousands m 3 The medium-scale dehydrogenation base P2 may be, for example, a small-scale oil depot or gas station (also called a service station or gas station) located in an inland area.

[0032] The medium-scale dehydrogenation site P2 stores the MCH transported by land from the large-scale dehydrogenation site P1. The land transportation to the medium-scale dehydrogenation site P2 may be, for example, by pipeline, rail transport, or automobile transport, or a combination of these.

[0033] The hydrogen energy obtained at the medium-scale dehydrogenation base P2 is supplied to a nearby consumer C2. In this embodiment, the consumer C2 is assumed to be a factory, a building, or the like that uses a medium or small amount of hydrogen gas or electricity, but is not limited to these.

[0034] The consumer C1 or the consumer C2 may have concluded an energy supply contract with the business operator that operates the energy supply system 1000. The energy supply contract may also be accompanied by a service level agreement.

[0035] The small-scale dehydrogenation plant P3 is a dehydrogenation plant having a small dehydrogenation capacity. The dehydrogenation capacity of the small-scale dehydrogenation plant P3 is, for example, 300 to 1000 m 3 / h. The small-scale dehydrogenation site P3 may be, for example, a hydrogen station or the like. The small-scale dehydrogenation site P3 stores MCH transported by land from the large-scale dehydrogenation site P1 or the medium-scale dehydrogenation site P2. The land transportation to the small-scale dehydrogenation site P3 may be, for example, by automobile.

[0036] The hydrogen energy obtained at the small-scale dehydrogenation base P3 is supplied to consumer C3. Consumer C3 is located near the small-scale dehydrogenation base P3 when receiving the supply of hydrogen energy, but may move from the vicinity of the small-scale dehydrogenation base P3 at other times, or may move outside the range of the consumption area R2. In this embodiment, consumer C3 is assumed to be a mobile object such as an automobile or railroad vehicle that uses a small amount of hydrogen gas or electricity, but is not limited to these. An example of an automobile that uses hydrogen gas is a fuel cell vehicle. An example of an automobile that uses electricity is an electric vehicle.

[0037] A supply management system 100 is installed in a consumption area R2. The supply management system 100 may be installed at any of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3, or may be installed at a base different from any of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3. The supply management system 100 may also be installed at the production area R1, or may be installed in another region different from either the production area R1 or the consumption area R2.

[0038] The supply management system 100 is an information processing system that manages the supply of MCH in the consumption area R2. The supply management system 100 creates a supply plan for supplying MCH to the energy generation devices installed at the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3, and manages the supply of MCH to the energy generation devices in accordance with the supply plan. The supply plan is information that plans the delivery of MCH to each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 and the supply of MCH to the energy generation devices at each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3.

[0039] <Dehydrogenation base> The dehydrogenation base in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a dehydrogenation base. Note that the large-scale dehydrogenation base P1, the medium-scale dehydrogenation base P2, and the small-scale dehydrogenation base P3 shown in Fig. 1 have the same configuration as the dehydrogenation base P shown in Fig. 1, except that the processing capacity of each device is different.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the dehydrogenation base P in this embodiment is equipped with an MCH tank 1, a dehydrogenation device 2, a hydrogen purification device 3, a hydrogen tank 4, a power generation device 5, and a TOL tank 6. The dehydrogenation device 2 is an example of an energy generation device. The power generation device 5 is another example of an energy generation device.

[0041] The MCH tank 1 stores MCH delivered to the dehydrogenation base P. The MCH tank 1 supplies the stored MCH to the dehydrogenation device 2. The MCH tank 1 is configured to be able to adjust the amount of MCH supplied to the dehydrogenation device 2 by controlling a valve or the like. The MCH tank 1 may be able to adjust the amount of MCH supplied to the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5 by remote control from the supply management system 100.

[0042] Various sensors are installed in the MCH tank 1. The sensors constantly monitor the state of the MCH tank 1 and output sensor data indicating the monitored sensor values. In this embodiment, the MCH tank 1 is equipped with a liquid level sensor that monitors the amount of MCH stored in the tank.

[0043] The dehydrogenation device 2 separates the MCH supplied from the MCH tank 1 into hydrogen gas and toluene by a chemical reaction such as dehydrogenation. The dehydrogenation device 2 sends the hydrogen gas obtained by dehydrogenation to the hydrogen purification device 3. The dehydrogenation device 2 stores the toluene obtained by dehydrogenation in the TOL tank 6.

[0044] The hydrogen purification device 3 purifies the hydrogen gas obtained in the dehydrogenation device 2 into highly pure hydrogen gas. The hydrogen purification device 3 stores the purified hydrogen gas in a hydrogen tank 4.

[0045] The hydrogen tank 4 stores hydrogen gas purified by the hydrogen purification device 3. Various sensors are installed in the hydrogen tank 4. The sensors constantly monitor the state of the hydrogen tank 4 and output sensor data indicating the observed sensor values. In this embodiment, the hydrogen tank 4 is equipped with a pressure sensor that monitors the pressure inside the tank.

[0046] The hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen tank 4 is supplied to consumers and consumed. For example, a pipeline may be installed between the hydrogen tank 4 and the consumer, and the hydrogen gas may be supplied to the consumer via the pipeline. Alternatively, the hydrogen gas may be supplied to consumers by filling a high-pressure gas container or the like with the hydrogen gas and transporting it. For example, at a hydrogen station, hydrogen gas may be injected into the hydrogen tank of a fuel cell vehicle or the like via a dispenser.

[0047] The power generation device 5 generates electricity using the MCH supplied from the MCH tank 1. As an example, the power generation device 5 may be a power generation device that separates MCH into hydrogen gas and toluene by a chemical reaction such as dehydrogenation, and generates electricity by reacting the hydrogen gas with oxygen. In other words, the power generation device 5 may be a device in which a dehydrogenation device and a fuel cell are integrated.

[0048] The power generation device 5 may generate electricity using the hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen tank 4. In this case, the power generation device 5 may be, for example, a fuel cell that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen with oxygen, or a generator that burns hydrogen gas to turn a turbine.

[0049] The power generated by the power generation device 5 is supplied to consumers and consumed. For example, the power generation device 5 may be connected to a power transmission grid and supply the generated power to consumers by sending the generated power to the power transmission grid.

[0050] The TOL tank 6 stores the toluene obtained by dehydrogenation or the like in the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5. Various sensors are installed in the TOL tank 6. The sensors constantly monitor the state of the TOL tank 6 and output sensor data indicating the observed sensor values. In this embodiment, the TOL tank 6 is equipped with a liquid level sensor that monitors the amount of toluene stored in the tank.

[0051] 2 is one example, and various configurations are possible depending on the application and purpose. For example, a dehydrogenation base P may not be equipped with a power generation device 5 and may supply only hydrogen gas to consumers. For example, a dehydrogenation base P may not be equipped with a hydrogen tank 4 and may supply only electricity to consumers by using the power generation device 5 to generate electricity using hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen purification device 3.

[0052] <Supply Management System> The overall configuration of a supply management system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a supply management system.

[0053] 3, the supply management system 100 in this embodiment includes a management device 10 and a terminal device 20. The management device 10 and the terminal device 20 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate data with each other via a communication network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

[0054] The management device 10 is an information processing device such as a personal computer, workstation, or server that manages the supply of hydrogen carriers. The management device 10 acquires information about the consumption area R2 (hereinafter also referred to as "consumption area information") and creates a supply plan based on the consumption area information. The management device 10 manages the delivery of hydrogen carriers to dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 in accordance with the supply plan, and controls the amount of hydrogen carrier supplied to the dehydrogenation device 2 or power generation device 5 at the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3.

[0055] The terminal device 20 is an information processing terminal such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal operated by a user of the supply management system 100. The terminal device 20 receives a supply plan from the management device 10 and presents the supply plan to the user.

[0056] The overall configuration of the supply management system 100 shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and various system configuration examples are possible depending on the application and purpose. For example, the supply management system 100 may include multiple management devices 10 and one or more terminal devices 20. For example, the management device 10 may be realized by multiple computers, or may be realized as a cloud computing service. For example, the management device 10 may be realized by distributing each function across multiple computers. For example, the supply management system 100 may be realized by a standalone computer. The division of devices such as the management device 10 and terminal devices 20 shown in FIG. 3 is an example.

[0057] <Hardware Configuration> The management device 10 and the terminal device 20 in the embodiment are realized by, for example, a computer. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer.

[0058] 4, the computer 500 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 504, an input device 505, a display device 506, a communication I / F (Interface) 507, and an external I / F 508. The CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503 form a so-called computer. The hardware components of the computer 500 are connected to each other via a bus line 509. The input device 505 and the display device 506 may be connected to the external I / F 508 for use.

[0059] The CPU 501 is a computing device that reads programs and data from a storage device such as the ROM 502 or the HDD 504 onto the RAM 503 and executes processing to realize overall control and functions of the computer 500. The computer 500 may have a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) in addition to or instead of the CPU 501.

[0060] The ROM 502 is an example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. The ROM 502 functions as a main storage device that stores various programs, data, etc. required for the CPU 501 to execute various programs installed in the HDD 504. Specifically, the ROM 502 stores boot programs such as a Basic Input / Output System (BIOS) and an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) that are executed when the computer 500 starts up, as well as data such as OS (Operating System) settings and network settings.

[0061] The RAM 503 is an example of a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) in which programs and data are erased when the power is turned off. The RAM 503 is, for example, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM). The RAM 503 provides a working area in which various programs installed in the HDD 504 are expanded when executed by the CPU 501.

[0062] The HDD 504 is an example of a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data. The programs and data stored in the HDD 504 include an OS, which is basic software that controls the entire computer 500, and applications that provide various functions on the OS. Note that the computer 500 may use a storage device that uses flash memory as a storage medium (e.g., an SSD (Solid State Drive)) instead of the HDD 504.

[0063] The input device 505 includes a touch panel, operation keys and buttons, a keyboard and mouse, a microphone for inputting sound data such as voice, and the like, which are used by the user to input various signals.

[0064] The display device 506 is composed of a display such as a liquid crystal display or organic electroluminescence (EL) display for displaying a screen, a speaker for outputting sound data such as voice, and the like.

[0065] The communication I / F 507 is an interface that connects to a communication network and enables the computer 500 to perform data communication.

[0066] The external I / F 508 is an interface with external devices, such as a drive device 510.

[0067] The drive device 510 is a device for loading a recording medium 511. The recording medium 511 here includes media that record information optically, electrically, or magnetically, such as CD-ROMs, flexible disks, and magneto-optical disks. The recording medium 511 may also include semiconductor memories that record information electrically, such as ROMs and flash memories. This allows the computer 500 to read from and / or write to the recording medium 511 via the external I / F 508.

[0068] The various programs to be installed in the HDD 504 are installed, for example, by setting the distributed recording medium 511 in a drive device 510 connected to the external I / F 508 and reading the various programs recorded on the recording medium 511 by the drive device 510. Alternatively, the various programs to be installed in the HDD 504 may be installed by being downloaded via the communication I / F 507 from a network different from the communication network.

[0069] <Functional Configuration> The functional configuration of the management device 10 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the management device.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 5, the management device 10 includes an information acquisition unit 11, a delivery amount determination unit 12, a delivery time determination unit 13, a supply amount determination unit 14, a plan creation unit 15, and a supply management unit 16.

[0071] The information acquisition unit 11, delivery quantity determination unit 12, delivery time determination unit 13, supply quantity determination unit 14, plan creation unit 15 and supply management unit 16 are realized, for example, by processing in which a program expanded from HDD 504 shown in Figure 4 onto RAM 503 is executed by CPU 501.

[0072] The information acquisition unit 11 acquires consumption area information. The consumption area information is information about the consumption area R2 that is the target of the supply plan.

[0073] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of consumption area information. As shown in FIG. 6, the consumption area information includes at least base information and power information. The base information is information about each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 installed in the consumption area R2. The power information is information about the power supply in the consumption area R2.

[0074] Specifically, the base information includes at least dehydrogenation capacity, demand forecast, delivery cost, customer information, remaining tank capacity, and traffic volume forecast. The power information includes at least power market price and power generation forecast.

[0075] The dehydrogenation capacity is the dehydrogenation capacity of each of the dehydrogenation sites P1 to P3. The dehydrogenation capacity is the amount of hydrogen gas that can be generated per unit time (for example, m 3 / h). The dehydrogenation capacity may be a statistical value (e.g., average, median, maximum, minimum, etc.) of the amount of hydrogen generated in the past by the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5. As an example, the amount of hydrogen generated can be calculated based on changes in the sensor value of a pressure sensor installed in the hydrogen tank 4. The dehydrogenation capacity may be a catalog value of the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5. When multiple dehydrogenation devices 2 or power generation devices 5 are installed, the dehydrogenation capacity may indicate the sum of the dehydrogenation capacities of the dehydrogenation devices 2 or the power generation devices 5.

[0076] The demand forecast is a predicted value of the demand for hydrogen energy at each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3. The demand forecast may include a predicted value of the demand for each type of hydrogen energy supplied at each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3. For example, if hydrogen gas and electricity are supplied at a certain dehydrogenation base, the demand forecast may include a predicted value of the demand for hydrogen gas and a predicted value of the demand for electricity. The demand forecast can be predicted based on the amount of hydrogen energy previously supplied at the dehydrogenation base. The demand forecast may be a statistical value of the supply amount at the same time in the past (same date, same month, same season, etc.). The demand forecast may be predicted based on a trained machine learning model.

[0077] The delivery cost is information indicating the cost of delivering a hydrogen carrier from a dehydrogenation base (in this embodiment, large-scale dehydrogenation base P1) that is the delivery source to a dehydrogenation base that is the delivery destination. When a hydrogen carrier is delivered via other dehydrogenation bases (for example, when a hydrogen carrier delivered from large-scale dehydrogenation base P1 to medium-scale dehydrogenation base P2 is further delivered to small-scale dehydrogenation base P3), the delivery cost indicates the total value of those delivery costs. When there are multiple delivery routes between the delivery source dehydrogenation base, the delivery cost may indicate the delivery cost for each of the multiple delivery routes, or may indicate the minimum delivery cost.

[0078] The consumer information is information about consumers to whom hydrogen energy is supplied at each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3. The consumer information may include information about consumers who have concluded an energy supply contract with the business operator that operates the energy supply system 1000. The consumer information may also include information about a service level agreement (SLA) that accompanies the contract. As an example, the SLA may specify a minimum supply amount per unit time.

[0079] The remaining tank capacity is information indicating the storage capacity of the MCH tank 1 installed at each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3. If multiple MCH tanks 1 are installed at a certain dehydrogenation base, the remaining tank capacity may indicate the storage capacity of each MCH tank 1, or may indicate the minimum storage capacity of the multiple MCH tanks 1.

[0080] The traffic volume forecast is information that predicts the traffic volume of roads around each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3. The range around the dehydrogenation base may be determined arbitrarily, but it is preferable that it be determined to include at least roads that serve as delivery routes to other dehydrogenation bases. The traffic volume forecast may be statistical values ​​of past traffic volume for each date and time period. The traffic volume forecast may also be the probability of congestion occurring for each date and time period. The traffic volume forecast may be obtained from an external traffic information system. The traffic volume forecast may also be a prediction based on a trained machine learning model.

[0081] The electricity market price is the market price at which electricity is traded in the electricity trading market. As an example, the electricity market price may be the contract price at which an electricity transaction is concluded in the wholesale electricity trading market. The wholesale electricity trading market may be a spot market, an hourly market, or a forward market. The wholesale electricity trading market is not limited to these, and may be any market where electricity transactions are conducted. The electricity market price may be obtained from an electricity market system that provides a wholesale electricity trading market.

[0082] The power generation forecast is information indicating a predicted value of the amount of power generated from renewable energy sources. The power generation forecast may include a predicted value of the amount of power generated for each date and time period. The power generation forecast may include a predicted value for each of multiple power generation means (e.g., solar power generation, wind power generation, etc.). The power generation forecast may be obtained from an external power generation forecasting system. The power generation forecast may be predicted based on a trained machine learning model.

[0083] Returning to Fig. 5, the delivery amount determination unit 12 determines the delivery amount of MCH to be delivered to each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 based on the consumption location information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11.

[0084] For example, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may determine the delivery amount of MCH to be delivered to each dehydrogenation base based on the dehydrogenation capacity of each dehydrogenation base included in the consumption area information. The delivery amount determination unit 12 may increase the delivery amount for a dehydrogenation base with a larger sum of the dehydrogenation capacities of the dehydrogenation devices 2 or power generation devices 5. In other words, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may increase the delivery amount to the large-scale dehydrogenation base P1 compared to the delivery amount to the medium-scale dehydrogenation base P2. Furthermore, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may increase the delivery amount to the medium-scale dehydrogenation base P2 compared to the delivery amount to the small-scale dehydrogenation base P3.

[0085] For example, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may determine the delivery amount of MCH to be delivered to each dehydrogenation base based on the demand amount at each dehydrogenation base included in the consumption area information. The delivery amount determination unit 12 may increase the delivery amount for a dehydrogenation base with a larger total demand amount for each hydrogen energy. For example, large-scale dehydrogenation base P1 supplies hydrogen gas or electricity to consumer C1, which consumes large amounts of hydrogen gas or electricity, and therefore often has a large demand for hydrogen gas or electricity. Therefore, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may increase the delivery amount to large-scale dehydrogenation base P1 compared to the delivery amounts to other dehydrogenation bases.

[0086] For example, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may determine the delivery amount of MCH to be delivered to each dehydrogenation base based on the delivery cost to each dehydrogenation base included in the consumption area information. The delivery amount determination unit 12 may also increase the delivery amount to dehydrogenation bases with lower delivery costs to the source dehydrogenation base. For example, since MCH transported to consumption area R2 is temporarily stored at large-scale dehydrogenation base P1, storing it at large-scale dehydrogenation base P1 as much as possible reduces delivery costs. Therefore, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may increase the delivery amount to large-scale dehydrogenation base P1 compared to the delivery amounts to other dehydrogenation bases.

[0087] For example, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may determine the delivery amount of MCH to be delivered to each dehydrogenation base based on consumer information included in the consumption area information. If there is a consumer that has concluded an energy supply contract accompanied by a service level agreement, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may determine the delivery amount to the dehydrogenation base that supplies hydrogen energy to that consumer so as to achieve the service level agreement.

[0088] For example, the delivery amount determination unit 12 may determine the delivery amount of MCH to be delivered to each dehydrogenation base based on the remaining tank amount included in the consumption location information. The delivery amount determination unit 12 may increase the delivery amount to a dehydrogenation base that has an MCH tank 1 with a remaining tank amount close to the lower limit amount. The lower limit amount may be determined in advance for each MCH tank 1.

[0089] The delivery time determination unit 13 determines delivery times for delivering MCH to each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 based on the consumption location information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11.

[0090] For example, the delivery time determination unit 13 may determine the delivery time for delivering MCH to each dehydrogenation base based on traffic volume predictions for each dehydrogenation base included in the consumption area information. The delivery time determination unit 13 may determine the delivery time to each dehydrogenation base so that delivery is completed during a time period with low traffic volume. The delivery time determination unit 13 may determine the delivery time to each dehydrogenation base so that delivery is completed during the night or late night hours.

[0091] The supply amount determination unit 14 determines the amount of MCH to be supplied from the MCH tank 1 to the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5 at each dehydrogenation base based on the consumption location information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 .

[0092] For example, the supply amount determination unit 14 may determine the amount of MCH to be supplied from the MCH tank 1 installed at each dehydrogenation base to the power generation device 5 based on the electricity market price included in the consumption location information. If the electricity market price is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, the supply amount determination unit 14 may increase the amount of MCH to be supplied to the power generation device 5. For example, if surplus electricity is being sold to an electric power company, profits from selling electricity can be increased by increasing the amount of electricity generated during times when the electricity market price is high.

[0093] For example, the supply amount determination unit 14 may determine the amount of MCH to be supplied from the MCH tank 1 installed at each dehydrogenation base to the power generation device 5 based on the power generation amount prediction included in the consumption area information. The supply amount determination unit 14 may increase the amount of MCH to be supplied to the power generation device 5 during times when the amount of power generation from renewable energy is low. For example, the amount of power generation from solar power generation is affected by the amount of sunlight, so it can be predicted from the nighttime hours or weather forecasts. Furthermore, the amount of power generation from wind power generation is affected by weather conditions, so it can be predicted from weather forecasts. For example, increasing the amount of power generation during times when the amount of power generation from renewable energy is low can reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the consumption area R2.

[0094] The plan creation unit 15 creates a supply plan including the delivery amount determined by the delivery amount determination unit 12, the delivery time determined by the delivery time determination unit 13, and the supply amount determined by the supply amount determination unit 14. The supply plan includes the delivery amount of the hydrogen carrier to be delivered to each dehydrogenation base, the delivery time for delivering the hydrogen carrier to each dehydrogenation base, and the supply amount to be supplied to the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5 at each dehydrogenation base. The supply plan may be created in a predetermined time interval (e.g., one day, one week, one month, etc.).

[0095] The supply management unit 16 manages the supply of MCH to each dehydrogenation base in accordance with the supply plan created by the plan creation unit 15. Specifically, the supply management unit 16 sends delivery instructions to the MCH delivery entities to deliver MCH to each dehydrogenation base in accordance with the supply plan. Examples of MCH delivery entities include railway companies that are contracted to transport MCH via rail transport, or land transport companies that are contracted to transport MCH via automobile transport, etc. The supply management unit 16 also receives delivery status information from the MCH delivery entities and manages the progress of the delivery plan.

[0096] The supply management unit 16 may manage the supply of MCH via the terminal device 20. Specifically, the supply management unit 16 transmits the supply plan created by the plan creation unit 15 to the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 presents the supply plan received from the management device 10 to the user by outputting it to the display device 506 of the terminal device 20 or the like. The user instructs the MCH delivery entity to deliver the MCH according to the presented supply plan, and inputs the delivery status reported by the delivery entity into the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 transmits the delivery status input by the user to the management device 10. In the management device 10, the supply management unit 16 receives the delivery status from the terminal device 20 and manages the progress of the delivery plan based on the delivery status.

[0097] The supply management unit 16 controls the amount of MCH supplied from the MCH tank 1 to the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5 at each dehydrogenation base in accordance with the supply plan created by the plan creation unit 15. Specifically, the supply management unit 16 sends a signal to the MCH tank 1 instructing it to change the amount of MCH supplied to the dehydrogenation device 2. The MCH tank 1 changes the amount of MCH supplied to the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5 by controlling a valve or the like in accordance with the received signal.

[0098] <Processing Procedure> A supply management method executed by the supply management system 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the supply management method.

[0099] In step S1, the information acquisition unit 11 of the management device 10 acquires consumption area information related to the consumption area R2 that is the target of the supply plan. The information acquisition unit 11 sends the acquired consumption area information to the delivery amount determination unit 12, the delivery time determination unit 13, and the supply amount determination unit 14.

[0100] In step S2, the delivery amount determination unit 12 of the management device 10 receives the consumption location information from the information acquisition unit 11. Next, the delivery amount determination unit 12 determines the delivery amount of MCH to be delivered to each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 based on the received consumption location information. The delivery amount determination unit 12 then sends information indicating the determined delivery amount for each dehydrogenation base to the plan creation unit 15.

[0101] In step S3, the delivery time determination unit 13 of the management device 10 receives the consumption location information from the information acquisition unit 11. Next, the delivery time determination unit 13 determines the delivery time for delivering MCH to each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3 based on the received consumption location information. The delivery time determination unit 13 then sends information indicating the determined delivery time for each dehydrogenation base to the plan creation unit 15.

[0102] In step S4, the supply amount determination unit 14 of the management device 10 receives the consumption location information from the information acquisition unit 11. Next, based on the received consumption location information, the supply amount determination unit 14 determines the supply amount of MCH to be supplied from the MCH tank 1 to the dehydrogenation device 2 or the power generation device 5 at each of the dehydrogenation bases P1 to P3. Then, the supply amount determination unit 14 sends information indicating the determined supply amount within the dehydrogenation base to the plan creation unit 15.

[0103] In step S5, the plan creation unit 15 of the management device 10 receives information indicating the delivery amount for each dehydrogenation base from the delivery amount determination unit 12. The plan creation unit 15 also receives information indicating the delivery time for each dehydrogenation base from the delivery time determination unit 13. The plan creation unit 15 also receives information indicating the supply amount within the dehydrogenation base from the supply amount determination unit 14. Next, the plan creation unit 15 creates a supply plan including the delivery amount for each dehydrogenation base, the delivery time for each dehydrogenation base, and the supply amount within the dehydrogenation base. The plan creation unit 15 then sends the created supply plan to the supply management unit 16.

[0104] In step S6, the supply management unit 16 of the management device 10 receives the supply plan from the plan creation unit 15. Next, the supply management unit 16 transmits the received supply plan to the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 outputs the supply plan received from the management device 10 to the display device 506. The terminal device 20 also transmits the delivery status input by the user to the management device 10. The supply management unit 16 receives the delivery status from the terminal device 20 and manages the progress of the delivery plan based on the delivery status.

[0105] <Effects of the embodiment> The management device 10 in this embodiment creates a supply plan for supplying hydrogen carriers to two or more energy generation devices with different processing capacities for generating hydrogen using the hydrogen carrier as a raw material. Conventional technology does not anticipate supplying raw material to multiple energy generation devices with different processing capacities. In one aspect, this embodiment enables efficient supply of hydrogen carriers to the energy generation devices.

[0106] The management device 10 may create a supply plan including the delivery amount of hydrogen carriers to be delivered to a tank that stores hydrogen carriers to be supplied to an energy generation device. According to this embodiment, the delivery amount of hydrogen carriers to be delivered to a tank that supplies hydrogen carriers to an energy generation device can be appropriately managed.

[0107] The management device 10 may create a supply plan that includes the delivery time for delivering the hydrogen carrier to the tank that stores the hydrogen carrier to be supplied to the energy generation device. According to this embodiment, the delivery time for delivering the hydrogen carrier to the tank that stores the hydrogen carrier to be supplied to the energy generation device can be appropriately managed.

[0108] The management device 10 may create a supply plan including the supply amount of hydrogen carriers to be supplied from a tank storing the hydrogen carriers to the energy generation device. Conventional technology does not anticipate controlling the amount of raw material supplied to the dehydrogenation device within the dehydrogenation base. According to this embodiment, the supply amount of hydrogen carriers to be supplied from a tank storing the hydrogen carriers to the energy generation device can be appropriately managed.

[0109] [Supplementary Note] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the above-described functions.

[0110] The disclosed technology may take the following forms as described below.

[0111] (Supplementary Note 1) A management device comprising: a plan creation unit that creates a supply plan for supplying a hydrogen carrier to two or more energy generation devices having different processing capacities for generating hydrogen using the hydrogen carrier as a raw material.

[0112] (Supplementary Note 2) The management device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the processing capacity indicates an amount of hydrogen that can be generated per unit time.

[0113] (Supplementary Note 3) The management device described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2 further comprises: an information acquisition unit that acquires base information regarding bases where the energy generation devices are installed; and a delivery amount determination unit that determines the delivery amount of the hydrogen carrier to be delivered to the bases based on the base information, wherein the plan creation unit creates the supply plan including the delivery amount for each base.

[0114] (Supplementary Note 4) The management device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the base information includes information indicating a processing capacity of each of the energy generation devices, and the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount based on the processing capacity.

[0115] (Supplementary Note 5) The management device according to Supplementary Note 4, wherein two or more of the energy generation devices are installed at the base, and the delivery amount determination unit increases the delivery amount for the base having a larger sum of the processing capacities of the energy generation devices.

[0116] (Supplementary Note 6) The management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 3 to Supplementary Note 5, wherein the base information includes information indicating the demand amounts of hydrogen and electricity, and the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount based on the demand amounts.

[0117] (Supplementary Note 7) The management device according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the base is equipped with an energy generation device that generates two or more types of hydrogen energy, and the delivery amount determination unit increases the delivery amount for the base with a larger total demand amount.

[0118] (Supplementary Note 8) The management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 3 to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the base information includes information indicating a delivery cost of the hydrogen carrier, and the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount based on the delivery cost.

[0119] (Supplementary Note 9) The management device according to Supplementary Note 8, wherein the delivery amount determination unit increases the delivery amount for the base with a lower delivery cost.

[0120] (Supplementary Note 10) The management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 3 to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the base information includes information about consumers who consume hydrogen energy, and the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount based on the information about the consumers.

[0121] (Supplementary Note 11) The management device according to Supplementary Note 10, wherein the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount so as to achieve a service level agreed upon with the consumer.

[0122] (Supplementary Note 12) The management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 3 to Supplementary Note 11, wherein a tank is installed at the base to store the hydrogen carrier and supply the hydrogen carrier to the energy generation device, and the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount based on the storage amount of the tank.

[0123] (Supplementary Note 13) The management device according to Supplementary Note 12, wherein the delivery amount determination unit increases the delivery amount of the base where the storage amount is closer to a lower limit amount.

[0124] (Supplementary Note 14) A management device described in any of Supplementary Notes 1 to 13, further comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires base information regarding bases where the energy generation devices are installed; and a delivery time determination unit that determines a delivery time for delivering the hydrogen carrier to the bases based on the base information, wherein the plan creation unit creates the supply plan including the delivery time for each base.

[0125] (Supplementary Note 15) The management device according to Supplementary Note 14, wherein the base information includes information indicating traffic volume around the base, and the delivery time determination unit determines the delivery time based on the traffic volume.

[0126] (Supplementary Note 16) The management device according to Supplementary Note 15, wherein the delivery time determination unit determines the delivery time so that the delivery is completed during a time period with low traffic volume.

[0127] (Supplementary Note 17) The management device according to Supplementary Note 16, wherein the time period is a nighttime period or a late-night period.

[0128] (Supplementary Note 18) A management device as described in any of Supplementary Notes 1 to 17, further comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires power information regarding the power supply in a consumption area that consumes the hydrogen; and a supply amount determination unit that determines the supply amount of the hydrogen carrier to be supplied from a tank that stores the hydrogen carrier to the energy generation device based on the power information, wherein the plan creation unit creates the supply plan including the supply amount for each of the energy generation devices.

[0129] (Supplementary Note 19) The management device according to Supplementary Note 18, wherein the electricity information includes an electricity market price, and the supply amount determination unit determines the supply amount to the energy generation device that generates electricity using the hydrogen carrier based on the electricity market price.

[0130] (Supplementary Note 20) The management device according to Supplementary note 19, wherein the supply amount determination unit increases the supply amount when the electricity market price is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold.

[0131] (Supplementary Note 21) The management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 18 to Supplementary Note 20, wherein the power information includes an amount of power generated by renewable energy, and the supply amount determination unit determines the amount of power to be supplied to the energy generation device that generates power using the hydrogen carrier based on the amount of power generated.

[0132] (Supplementary Note 22) The management device according to Supplementary Note 21, wherein the supply amount determination unit increases the supply amount during a time period when the amount of power generation is low.

[0133] (Supplementary Note 23) A management device as described in any of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 22, further comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires base information regarding the base where the energy generation device is installed and power information regarding the power supply at a consumption area where the hydrogen is consumed; a delivery amount determination unit that determines a delivery amount of the hydrogen carrier to be delivered to the base based on the base information; a delivery time determination unit that determines a delivery time for delivering the hydrogen carrier to the base based on the base information; and a supply amount determination unit that determines a supply amount of the hydrogen carrier to be supplied from a tank that stores the hydrogen carrier to the energy generation device based on the power information, wherein the plan creation unit creates the supply plan including the delivery amount and delivery time for each base, and the supply amount for each energy generation device.

[0134] (Supplementary Note 24) The management device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 23, further comprising: a plurality of dehydrogenation bases, wherein the hydrogen carrier is an organic hydride, and the energy generating device is a dehydrogenation device that generates the hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction of the organic hydride; and a delivery amount determination unit that determines a delivery amount of the hydrogen carrier to be delivered to the dehydrogenation base based on base information including a dehydrogenation capacity of each of the dehydrogenation devices.

[0135] (Supplementary Note 25) The management device according to Supplementary Note 24, wherein the plurality of dehydrogenation bases include a first dehydrogenation base having a first processing capacity, a second dehydrogenation base having a second processing capacity smaller than the first processing capacity, and a third dehydrogenation base having a third processing capacity smaller than the second processing capacity, further comprising a supply amount determination unit that determines the amount of the organic hydride that undergoes a dehydrogenation reaction at the first dehydrogenation base, the supply amount of the organic hydride from the first dehydrogenation base to the second dehydrogenation base, and the supply amount of the organic hydride from the first dehydrogenation base to the third dehydrogenation base.

[0136] (Supplementary Note 26) An energy supply system comprising: a first energy generation device that generates hydrogen using a hydrogen carrier as a raw material; a second energy generation device that generates the hydrogen using the hydrogen carrier as a raw material; and a management device that creates a supply plan for supplying the hydrogen carrier to the first energy generation device and the second energy generation device, wherein the first energy generation device and the second energy generation device have different processing capacities.

[0137] (Supplementary Note 27) A management method, comprising: a computer executing a procedure for creating a supply plan for supplying a hydrogen carrier to two or more energy generation devices having different processing capacities for generating hydrogen energy using the hydrogen carrier as a raw material.

[0138] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The matters described in the above embodiments can be configured in other ways as long as they are not inconsistent, and can be combined as long as they are not inconsistent.

[0139] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-11547, filed with the Japan Patent Office on January 30, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0140] 1: MCH tank 2: Dehydrogenation device 3: Hydrogen purification device 4: Hydrogen tank 5: Power generation device 6: TOL tank 10: Management device 11: Information acquisition unit 12: Delivery amount determination unit 13: Delivery time determination unit 14: Supply amount determination unit 15: Plan creation unit 16: Supply management unit 20: Terminal device 100: Supply management system 1000: Energy supply system P0: MCH production base P1-P3: Dehydrogenation bases C1-C3: Consumer R1: Production location R2: Consumption location

Claims

1. A management device comprising a plan creation unit that creates a supply plan for supplying a hydrogen carrier to two or more energy generation devices having different processing capacities for generating hydrogen using the hydrogen carrier as a raw material.

2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the processing capacity is the amount of hydrogen that can be generated per unit time.

3. The management device described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires base information regarding the base where the energy generation device is installed; and a delivery amount determination unit that determines the delivery amount of the hydrogen carrier to be delivered to the base based on the base information, wherein the plan creation unit creates the supply plan including the delivery amount for each base.

4. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the base information includes information indicating the processing capacity of each of the energy generating devices, and the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount based on the processing capacity.

5. The management device according to claim 4, wherein two or more of the energy generating devices are installed at the base, and the delivery amount determination unit increases the delivery amount for the base with a larger sum of the processing capacities of the energy generating devices.

6. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the base information includes information indicating the demand amounts of hydrogen and electricity, and the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount based on the demand amounts.

7. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the base information includes information indicating a delivery cost of the hydrogen carrier, and the delivery amount determination unit determines the delivery amount based on the delivery cost.

8. A management device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires base information regarding the base where the energy generation device is installed; and a delivery time determination unit that determines a delivery time for delivering the hydrogen carrier to the base based on the base information, wherein the plan creation unit creates the supply plan including the delivery time for each base.

9. The management device according to claim 8, wherein the base information includes information indicating traffic volume around the base, and the delivery time determination unit determines the delivery time based on the traffic volume.

10. A management device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires power information regarding the power supply in a consumption area where the hydrogen is consumed; and a supply amount determination unit that determines the supply amount of the hydrogen carrier to be supplied from a tank that stores the hydrogen carrier to the energy generation device based on the power information, wherein the plan creation unit creates the supply plan including the supply amount for each of the energy generation devices.

11. The management device according to claim 10, wherein the electricity information includes an electricity market price, and the supply amount determination unit determines the supply amount to the energy generation device that generates electricity using the hydrogen carrier based on the electricity market price.

12. The management device described in claim 10, wherein the power information includes the amount of power generated by renewable energy, and the supply amount determination unit determines the amount of power to be supplied to the energy generation device that generates power using the hydrogen carrier based on the amount of power generated.

13. The management device described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires base information regarding the base where the energy generation device is installed and power information regarding the power supply at the consumption area where the hydrogen is consumed; a delivery amount determination unit that determines the delivery amount of the hydrogen carrier to be delivered to the base based on the base information; a delivery time determination unit that determines the delivery time for delivering the hydrogen carrier to the base based on the base information; and a supply amount determination unit that determines the supply amount of the hydrogen carrier to be supplied from a tank that stores the hydrogen carrier to the energy generation device based on the power information, wherein the plan creation unit creates the supply plan including the delivery amount and delivery time for each base and the supply amount for each energy generation device.

14. The management device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a plurality of dehydrogenation bases, wherein the hydrogen carrier is an organic hydride and the energy generating device is a dehydrogenation device that generates the hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction of the organic hydride; and a delivery amount determination unit that determines the delivery amount of the hydrogen carrier to be delivered to the dehydrogenation bases based on base information including the dehydrogenation capacity of each of the dehydrogenation devices.

15. The management device described in claim 14, wherein the plurality of dehydrogenation bases include a first dehydrogenation base having a first processing capacity, a second dehydrogenation base having a second processing capacity smaller than the first processing capacity, and a third dehydrogenation base having a third processing capacity smaller than the second processing capacity, and further comprising a supply amount determination unit that determines the amount of the organic hydride that will undergo a dehydrogenation reaction at the first dehydrogenation base, the supply amount of the organic hydride from the first dehydrogenation base to the second dehydrogenation base, and the supply amount of the organic hydride from the first dehydrogenation base to the third dehydrogenation base.

16. An energy supply system comprising: a first energy generation device that generates hydrogen using a hydrogen carrier as a raw material; a second energy generation device that generates hydrogen using the hydrogen carrier as a raw material; and a management device that creates a supply plan for supplying the hydrogen carrier to the first energy generation device and the second energy generation device, wherein the first energy generation device and the second energy generation device have different processing capacities.

17. A management method, in which a computer executes a procedure for creating a supply plan for supplying a hydrogen carrier to two or more energy generation devices having different processing capacities for generating hydrogen from the hydrogen carrier as a raw material.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Hydrogen distribution planning device and hydrogen distribution planning method

    WO2020044424A1

  • Planning device, planning method, and planning program

    WO2020075771A1

  • Operation management system

    WO2021200726A1