Control apparatus, control method, and energy supply system

Abstract

This control apparatus comprises a control unit for controlling an energy supply device that supplies hydrogen that is generated by a dehydrogenation reaction and electric power that is generated by using the hydrogen, and is characterized in that the control unit controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electric power.

Description

Control Device, Control Method, and Energy Supply System

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

[0002] In recent years, for the purpose of suppressing carbon dioxide emissions in the energy generation process, the development of technologies using hydrogen energy such as hydrogen vehicles and fuel cell vehicles has been progressing.

[0003] As a technology using hydrogen energy, for example, a power supply system is disclosed that can sufficiently supply hydrogen when necessary and can generate electricity with a fuel cell power generation device as needed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] This power supply system includes a hydrogen generation device that generates hydrogen using power generated by renewable energy, a hydrogen storage device that stores the hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generation device, a fuel cell power generation device that generates electricity using the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage device and outputs the power generated by the power generation to a load section, and a control device that controls the operation of the power supply system. In the hydrogen storage mode, the operation of the power supply system is controlled by the control device so that the storage amount of hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage device reaches the target amount.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-140161

[0006] One aspect of the present invention aims to provide a control device that can adjust the supply amounts according to respective demands while supplying power and hydrogen.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention as a means for solving the above problems has a control section that controls an energy supply device that supplies hydrogen generated by a dehydrogenation reaction and power generated using the hydrogen, and the control section is a control device that controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the power.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention as a means for solving the problem is a control method for controlling the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity in an energy supply device that supplies hydrogen produced by a dehydrogenation reaction and electricity produced using the hydrogen.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention as a means for solving the problem is an energy supply system comprising: an energy supply device having a dehydrogenation reaction unit that generates hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction and a hydrogen power generation unit that generates electricity using the hydrogen; and a control device having a control unit that controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a control device can be provided that can adjust the supply amounts of electricity and hydrogen according to their respective demands while supplying them.

[0011] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic diagram showing another example of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an energy supply system 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer. This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a configuration diagram of an example of an energy supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] The control device according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "this embodiment") was discovered based on the problem in conventional power supply systems, namely, the problem that the amount of hydrogen stored and supplied becomes unstable due to the use of electricity generated using renewable energy, and that it may not be possible to generate electricity using said hydrogen. According to the control device according to this embodiment, it is possible to supply electricity and hydrogen while adjusting the supply amount according to the respective demands.

[0013] The details of this embodiment are described below.

[0014] (Control device) The control device according to this embodiment has a control unit that controls an energy supply device that supplies hydrogen produced by a dehydrogenation reaction and electricity produced using the hydrogen, and the control unit controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity. With this configuration, the production costs of hydrogen and electricity can be reduced, and the supply amount of electricity and hydrogen can be adjusted according to the respective demands while supplying electricity and hydrogen.

[0015] (Control Method) The control method according to this embodiment controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity in an energy supply device that supplies hydrogen produced by a dehydrogenation reaction and electricity produced using the hydrogen.

[0016] The control method can be suitably implemented by the control device.

[0017] (Energy supply system) The energy supply system according to this embodiment includes an energy supply device having a dehydrogenation reaction unit that generates hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction and a hydrogen power generation unit that generates electricity using the hydrogen, and a control device having a control unit that controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity.

[0018] The control device, control method, and energy supply system according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0019] Furthermore, the embodiments are illustrative and not limiting to the invention, and not all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate. The scale and shape of each part shown in each drawing are set for convenience to facilitate explanation and are not to be interpreted restrictively unless otherwise specified. Also, where terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used in this specification or claims, these terms do not indicate any order or importance, but are used to distinguish one configuration from another. Additionally, some components that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted from the drawings.

[0020] [Control device] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the control device according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the control device according to this embodiment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the control device 100 includes a control unit 110 that controls the energy supply device 200.

[0021] <Energy Supply Device> The energy supply device 200 mainly comprises a dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 and a hydrogen power generation unit 30. The energy supply device 200 may also have a hydrogen separation unit 20 and other units as needed.

[0022] <<Dehydrogenation Reaction Unit>> The dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 is not particularly limited as long as it can produce hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. Examples include means of producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water, and means utilizing the organic chemical hydride method (organic hydride method). Among these, means utilizing the organic hydride method are preferable from the viewpoint of being able to produce a large amount of hydrogen. In other words, the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 is preferably a means of producing hydrogen from an organic hydride by a dehydrogenation reaction.

[0023] -Organic Hydrides- Organic hydrides are hydrogen carriers obtained by reacting hydrogen with a hydride. There are no particular restrictions on the hydride and organic hydride; any organic compound that can add / remove hydrogen by reversibly undergoing a hydrogenation / dehydrogenation reaction can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. Examples of hydrides include acetone-isopropanol compounds, benzoquinone-hydroquinone compounds, and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds. Among these, aromatic hydrocarbon compounds are preferred from the viewpoint of transportability during energy transport.

[0024] Aromatic hydrocarbon compounds are compounds containing at least one aromatic ring, and examples include benzene, alkylbenzene, naphthalene, alkylnaphthalene, anthracene, and phenylethane. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0025] Alkylbenzenes include compounds in which 1 to 4 hydrogen atoms of an aromatic ring are substituted with a linear alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a branched alkyl group, and examples include toluene, xylene, mesitylene, ethylbenzene, and diethylbenzene.

[0026] Alkylnaphthalenes include compounds in which the first to fourth hydrogen atoms of an aromatic ring are substituted with a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, such as methylnaphthalene.

[0027] The hydrogenate is preferably at least one of toluene and benzene. Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatic compounds such as pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, quinoline, isoquinoline, N-alkylpyrrole, N-alkylindole, and N-alkyldibenzopyrrole can also be used as hydrogenates.

[0028] Organic hydrides are obtained by hydrogenating the above-mentioned hydrogenated substances, and examples include cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, dimethylcyclohexane, and piperidine.

[0029] For example, as an organic hydride, methylcyclohexane (MCH;C) ７ H １４ When using ), in the dehydrogenation reaction section 10, a dehydrogenation reaction occurs in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst, based on the following chemical reaction equation, producing hydrogen and toluene (C ７ H ８ ) is produced. The dehydrogenation reaction in this case is an endothermic reaction.

[0030]

[0031] There are no particular limitations on the dehydrogenation catalyst, and it can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. Examples of dehydrogenation catalysts include those on which at least one active metal selected from nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), and ruthenium (Ru) is supported on a support selected from alumina, silica-alumina, and silica.

[0032] There are no particular limitations on the means used to produce hydrogen from an organic hydride by the dehydrogenation reaction described above, and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. For example, the reactor may have the structure of a fixed-bed multitube reactor in which a plurality of reaction tubes filled with a dehydrogenation catalyst are housed in a shell. In such a fixed-bed multitube reactor, hydrogen can be produced by inducing a dehydrogenation reaction by flowing an organic hydride such as MCH in contact with a fixed dehydrogenation catalyst.

[0033] The dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 may have measuring instruments (not shown) such as a gas sensor, pressure gauge, or flow meter, and the data measured by these measuring instruments is output as a data signal to the control device 100.

[0034] <<Hydrogen Power Generation Unit>> The hydrogen power generation unit 30 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of generating electricity using the hydrogen produced by the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, a fuel cell power generation device can be used.

[0035] A fuel cell power generation system includes a fuel cell that generates electricity using hydrogen. There are no particular restrictions on the fuel cell, and it can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. Examples include solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).

[0036] A fuel cell power generation system preferably includes an inverter that converts the electricity generated by the fuel cell into usable electricity.

[0037] The hydrogen power generation unit 30 may have measuring instruments such as gas sensors, pressure gauges, or flow meters, and the data measured by these measuring instruments is output as a data signal to the control device 100.

[0038] <<Hydrogen Separation Section>> The hydrogen separation section 20 separates hydrogen from dehydrogenated products. Specifically, since the product of the dehydrogenation reaction in the dehydrogenation reaction section 10 contains hydrogen, as well as hydrogenated substances (dehydrogenated products) such as toluene and organic hydrates such as methylcyclohexane, it is preferable to separate only hydrogen in the hydrogen separation section 20 to increase the purity.

[0039] The hydrogen separation unit 20 is not particularly limited as long as it can separate hydrogen and dehydrogenated products, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, when the organic hydride is methylcyclohexane, hydrogen can be separated by the following method. As the first-stage separation, hydrogen, toluene, and methylcyclohexane after the dehydrogenation reaction are separated by a gas-liquid separator set at about 40°C. As the second-stage separation, toluene contained in the hydrogen gas is separated by a hydrogen separation membrane. By doing so, the toluene concentration in the hydrogen gas can be reduced to 500 ppm or less.

[0040] The hydrogen separation unit 20 is not limited to the above-described one, and hydrogen separation technologies such as pressure swing hydrogen separation technology, cryogenic separation technology, and temperature swing technology can also be adopted.

[0041] <<Other parts>> The energy supply device 200 may introduce a heat medium into the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 as a heat source for the dehydrogenation reaction. The heat medium is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, hot oil heated by a hot oil heater can be mentioned.

[0042] The energy supply device 200 may have a circulation line 202 for circulating the heat medium between the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 and the heat exchanger 203.

[0043] The hot oil is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, a mixture of diphenyl oxide and biphenyl can be mentioned. In addition, as long as it has good chemical stability under the temperature conditions used as the heat source for the dehydrogenation reaction and is in a liquid state during its use (that is, at least substantially does not vaporize), a heat medium (such as a synthetic heat medium) composed of other well-known components can also be used.

[0044] The energy supply device 200 may have an exhaust gas line 201 for discharging the exhaust heat (exhaust gas) obtained by the power generation of the hydrogen power generation unit 30.

[0045] The energy supply device 200 may have a heat exchanger 203 that performs heat exchange between the exhaust heat (exhaust gas) transported by the exhaust gas line 201 and the heat medium circulating in the circulation line 202. The heat exchanger 203 is not particularly limited as long as it has the above function and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, when the heat medium is hot oil, a hot oil heater can be employed.

[0046] The exhaust gas line 201, the circulation line 202, and the heat exchanger 203 may have measuring instruments such as gas sensors, pressure gauges, or flow meters, and the data measured by these measuring instruments is output to the control device 100 as a data signal.

[0047] The energy supply device 200 may have a power source as needed.

[0048] It is preferable that the energy supply device 200 introduces the hydrogen generated by the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 and the hydrogen separated by the hydrogen separation unit 20 into the hydrogen power generation unit 30 without storing them in a storage tank or the like. With such a configuration, the energy supply device 200 can be miniaturized, and efficient and stable hydrogen production becomes possible.

[0049] Here, the overall configuration of the energy supply system will be described while referring to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the energy supply system 300 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the energy supply system 300 includes a control device 100 and a terminal device 301. The control device 100 and the terminal device 301 may be connected so as to be capable of data communication via a communication network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

[0050] The control device 100 is an information processing device such as a personal computer, workstation, or server that controls the amount of electricity and hydrogen generated by the energy supply system 300. The control device 100 is electrically connected to the energy supply device 200, which includes a dehydrogenation reaction unit 10, a hydrogen separation unit 20, a hydrogen power generation unit 30, an exhaust gas line 201, a circulation line 202, and a heat exchanger 203, as well as each device that constitutes the energy supply system 300, and controls the operation of the energy supply system 300.

[0051] The control device 100 acquires information regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity, and controls the energy supply system 300 based on the acquired information regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity, and controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity generated by the energy supply system 300. In other words, the control device 100 controls the ratio of the supply of hydrogen generated by the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 or separated by the hydrogen separation unit 20 to the supply of electricity generated by the hydrogen power generation unit 30 of the energy supply system 300, based on information regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity.

[0052] In this embodiment, a portion of the hydrogen produced by the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 or separated by the hydrogen separation unit 20 is hydrogen introduced into the hydrogen power generation unit 30 (introduced hydrogen), and electricity is generated when it is introduced into the hydrogen power generation unit 30. The electricity generated by introducing hydrogen into the hydrogen power generation unit 30 (supplied electricity) is stored and supplied as appropriate. Of the hydrogen produced by the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 or the hydrogen separated by the hydrogen separation unit 20, the hydrogen that is not introduced (supplied hydrogen) is stored and supplied as appropriate and may be used in technologies that utilize hydrogen energy, such as hydrogen cars and fuel cell vehicles. In other words, the "supply ratio" in this embodiment is the ratio of supplied hydrogen to supplied electricity.

[0053] The terminal device 301 is an information processing terminal such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet terminal operated by the user of the energy supply system 300. The terminal device 301 receives the supply plan from the control device 100 and presents the supply plan to the user.

[0054] The overall configuration of the energy supply system 300 shown in Figure 3 is just one example, and various system configurations are possible depending on the application and purpose. For example, one or more control devices 100 and terminal devices 301 may be included in the energy supply system 300 in multiple units. For example, the control device 100 may be implemented by multiple information processing devices (computers), or it may be implemented as a cloud computing service. For example, the control device 100 may be implemented by distributing it across multiple computers according to its function. For example, the energy supply system 300 may be implemented by a standalone computer. The classification of devices such as the control device 100 and terminal device 301 shown in Figure 3 is just one example.

[0055] (Hardware Configuration of Control Device) The control device 100 is implemented by, for example, a computer. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the computer's hardware configuration. As shown in Figure 4, the computer 500 physically includes a processor 501 which is an arithmetic processing unit, memory 502, auxiliary storage device 503, an input device 504 which is an input device, an output device 505 which is an output device, a communication interface 106, and an external interface 507. The processor 501 and memory 502 form a so-called computer. Each piece of hardware of the computer 500 is interconnected via a bus line 508. The input device 504 and the output device 505 may be used in a configuration connected to the external interface 507.

[0056] The processor 501 is an arithmetic unit that controls and realizes the overall functions of the computer 500 by reading programs or data from a storage device such as memory 502 or auxiliary storage device 503 into the RAM (Random Access Memory) of memory 502 and executing processing. For example, the processor 501 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 501 may have both a CPU and a GPU.

[0057] Memory 502 includes ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM, which are main memory devices, and may store management programs.

[0058] ROM is an example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. ROM functions as main memory, storing various programs and data necessary for the processor 501 to execute the various programs installed in the auxiliary storage device 503. Specifically, ROM stores boot programs such as the BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) and EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) executed when the computer 500 starts up, as well as OS (Operating System) settings and network settings.

[0059] RAM is an example of volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) in which programs or data are erased when the power is turned off. RAM can be, for example, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). RAM provides a work area that is expanded when various programs installed in the auxiliary storage device 503 are executed by the processor 501.

[0060] The auxiliary storage device 503 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data. The programs and data stored in the auxiliary storage device 503 include the OS, which is the basic software that controls the entire computer 500, and applications that provide various functions on the OS. The auxiliary storage device 503 may be an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a storage device that uses flash memory as a storage medium, such as an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0061] The input device 504 is a touch panel, operation keys, buttons, keyboard, mouse, or microphone used by the user to input various signals, or to input sound data such as voice.

[0062] The output device 505 consists of a display such as a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) that displays an image, and a speaker that outputs sound data such as voice.

[0063] Communication I / F 506 is an interface that connects to a communication network and allows the computer 500 to perform data communication.

[0064] External I / F 507 is an interface to external devices. Examples of external devices include the drive device 509-1.

[0065] The drive device 509-1 is a device for setting the recording medium 509-2. The recording medium 509-2 includes media that record information optically, electrically, or magnetically, such as CD-ROMs, flexible disks, and magneto-optical disks. The recording medium 509-2 may also include semiconductor memory that records information electrically, such as ROM or flash memory. This allows the computer 500 to read and / or write to the recording medium 509-2 via the external I / F 507.

[0066] The various programs to be installed in the auxiliary storage device 503 are installed, for example, when the distributed recording medium 509-2 is set in a drive device 509-1 connected to an external I / F 107, and the various programs recorded on the recording medium 509-2 are read by the drive device 509-1. Alternatively, the various programs to be installed in the auxiliary storage device 503 may be installed by downloading them via the communication I / F 506 from a network other than the communication network.

[0067] (Functional Configuration of the Control Device) The functional configuration of the control device 100 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the control device 100 includes an information acquisition unit 111 and a control unit 110.

[0068] The information acquisition unit 111 and the control unit 110 are realized, for example, by a process in which a program loaded from the auxiliary storage device 503 shown in Figure 4 onto a memory 502 such as RAM is executed by the processor 501.

[0069] <Information Acquisition Unit 111> The information acquisition unit 111 acquires information regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity.

[0070] Information regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity includes internal and external information output from each device of the energy supply device 200.

[0071] -Internal Information- Internal information includes, for example, the amount of heat required for the dehydrogenation reaction measured in the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10, the amount of hydrogen separated measured in the hydrogen separation unit 20, the amount of hydrogen introduced into the hydrogen power generation unit 30 measured in the hydrogen power generation unit 30, the amount of waste heat obtained by generating electricity measured in the hydrogen power generation unit 30, the amount of power generated measured in the hydrogen power generation unit 30, the flow rate of the heat transfer medium measured in the exhaust gas line 201, the circulation line 202 and the heat exchanger 203, and the amount of heat measured in the exhaust gas line 201, the circulation line 202 and the heat exchanger 203.

[0072] The amount of heat required for the dehydrogenation reaction can be appropriately determined by considering the combination of materials used in the dehydrogenation reaction (organic hydride and dehydrogenation catalyst), as well as the performance of the dehydrogenation reactor, heat transfer medium, and heat exchanger used in the dehydrogenation reaction.

[0073] -External Information- External information includes information on supply and demand adjustment orders, as well as information on electricity demand, hydrogen demand, electricity market prices, and hydrogen market prices.

[0074] Supply and demand adjustment orders are issued by general power transmission and distribution operators, etc. These orders include information regarding the supply and receipt of electricity from the distribution network at the consumption site. Examples of supply and demand adjustment orders include the correlation between the amount of electricity supplied by the energy supply device 200 and the amount of electricity demanded by consumers at the consumption site during a predetermined unit of time (e.g., several hours to several days).

[0075] A consumer refers to a household, business, or electric vehicle (EV) that receives electricity, and includes consumers who use large amounts of electricity, as well as those who use moderate or small amounts. "Consumers who use large amounts of electricity" refers to, for example, steel mills, chemical plants, or power plants that use large amounts of electricity. "Consumers who use moderate or small amounts of electricity" refers to, for example, houses, buildings, factories, or mobile entities. Mobile entities include automobiles such as electric vehicles (EVs) or railway vehicles such as trains. Examples of EVs include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

[0076] A power distribution network refers to the facilities that transport the electricity generated by the energy supply device 200 to the consumers who need it. The power distribution network includes, for example, transmission lines, high-voltage substations, primary substations, intermediate substations, distribution substations, and transformers.

[0077] Electricity demand and hydrogen demand are predicted values ​​of the demand for electricity and hydrogen energy. Demand forecasts can be made based on the amount of electricity and hydrogen energy supplied in the past. Demand forecasts may also be based on statistical values ​​of supply for the same period in the past (same date, same month, same season, etc.). Demand forecasts may also be based on trained machine learning models.

[0078] Electricity demand and hydrogen demand may be predicted, for example, by statistically processing time-series data showing actual data for the past several years, or by simulation or machine learning. Electricity demand and hydrogen demand may be predicted by an external device or system different from the control device 100, or by the prediction unit 113 of the control device 100.

[0079] The electricity market price is the market price at which electricity is traded in the electricity trading market. For example, the electricity market price may be the agreed-upon price at which an electricity transaction is completed in the wholesale electricity trading market. The wholesale electricity trading market may be a spot market, a time-ahead market, or a forward market. However, the wholesale electricity trading market is not limited to these and may be any market in which electricity transactions take place. The electricity market price may also be obtained from an electricity market system that provides a wholesale electricity trading market.

[0080] The hydrogen market price is the market price at which hydrogen is traded in the hydrogen trading market. For example, the hydrogen market price may be the contract price at which a hydrogen transaction is completed in the wholesale hydrogen trading market. The wholesale hydrogen trading market may be a spot market, a forward market, or a spot market. The wholesale hydrogen trading market is not limited to these; it may be any market in which hydrogen trading takes place. The hydrogen market price may be obtained from a hydrogen market system that provides the wholesale hydrogen trading market.

[0081] <Control Unit 110> The control unit 110 includes an operation control unit 112, a prediction unit 113, a calculation unit 114, a determination unit 115, and an information transmission unit 116.

[0082] The operation control unit 112 controls the operation of the energy supply device 200 based on the information (external and internal information) regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity acquired by the information acquisition unit 111. In other words, the operation control unit 112 controls each device or component that constitutes the energy supply device 200 based on the information (external and internal information) regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity.

[0083] More specifically, the operation control unit 112 controls the energy supply device 200 that supplies hydrogen produced by the dehydrogenation reaction and electricity generated using that hydrogen, and controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity.

[0084] The operation control unit 112 is preferably controlled to supply hydrogen (supplied hydrogen) and electricity (supplied electricity) simultaneously. In this embodiment, "supplying hydrogen and electricity simultaneously" means supplying hydrogen and electricity at the same time without stopping the supply of either one of them.

[0085] This control by the operation control unit 112 allows for the adjustment of supply amounts according to the demand for both electricity and hydrogen while supplying them, and since hydrogen supply and electricity supply are handled by a single device and system, production costs can be reduced. Furthermore, since there is no need to switch the operation of the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 and the hydrogen power generation unit 30 when switching between hydrogen and electricity supply, electricity costs during the power operation of each device can be reduced.

[0086] Preferably, the operation control unit 112 controls the supply of the amount of heat obtained by the generation of electricity by the hydrogen power generation unit 30 to the dehydrogenation reaction by the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10, based on the information information (internal information) regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity obtained by the information acquisition unit 111. In this case, the "information information (internal information) regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity" is the amount of heat required for the dehydrogenation reaction measured in the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10, the amount of waste heat obtained by the generation of electricity measured in the hydrogen power generation unit 30, the flow rate of the heat medium measured in the exhaust gas line 201, the circulation line 202 and the heat exchanger 203, and the amount of heat measured in the exhaust gas line 201, the circulation line 202 and the heat exchanger 203, and the above control is possible with this information. Such control can be achieved, for example, by controlling the temperature and flow rate of the heat medium, the amount of exhaust gas introduced and the drive of the heat exchanger based on various data measured by measuring instruments in the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10, the hydrogen power generation unit 30, the exhaust gas line 201, the circulation line 202 and the heat exchanger 203.

[0087] This control by the operation control unit 112 allows the waste heat generated in the hydrogen power generation unit 30 to be effectively utilized in the dehydrogenation reaction in the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10, and enables thermal independence in the energy supply device 200, thereby reducing production costs.

[0088] If the amount of heat obtained by generating electricity in the hydrogen power generation unit 30 is still insufficient for the dehydrogenation reaction in the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10, the heat may be supplied from a device other than the energy supply device 200.

[0089] The operation control unit 112 preferably adjusts and controls the amount of hydrogen introduced into the hydrogen power generation unit 30 based on the information regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity (internal information) acquired by the information acquisition unit 111. In this case, the "information regarding the supply of hydrogen and electricity (internal information)" is the amount of heat required for the dehydrogenation reaction and the amount of waste heat obtained by the generation of electricity measured in the hydrogen power generation unit 30, and the above control is possible based on this information.

[0090] This control by the operation control unit 112 allows the temperature during the dehydrogenation reaction to be controlled within an appropriate range, suppressing deterioration of the dehydrogenation catalyst and preventing an excess amount of hydrogen from being introduced into the hydrogen power generation unit 30, thereby enabling efficient and stable hydrogen production.

[0091] The operation control unit 112 preferably controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity based on the hydrogen and electricity supply information (external information) acquired by the information acquisition unit 111. In this case, the "hydrogen and electricity supply information (external information)" is at least one of electricity demand, hydrogen demand, electricity market price, and hydrogen market price, and is preferably at least one of electricity market price and hydrogen market price. The information regarding electricity demand, hydrogen demand, electricity market price, and hydrogen market price may be predicted by the prediction unit 113.

[0092] For example, a prediction device, which is an example of a prediction unit 113, can acquire actual data (such as electricity market price data, which is time-series data recording actual values ​​of electricity market prices in the wholesale electricity trading market, and LNG price data, which is time-series data recording actual values ​​of index prices in the LNG market) from an external data source, and select multiple prediction models based on the actual data to predict electricity demand, hydrogen demand, electricity market prices, and hydrogen market prices.

[0093] As a specific example of the operation control unit 112, it is preferable to control the power supply ratio to increase when at least one of the power demand and the power market price exceeds a predetermined value. Whether or not at least one of the power demand and the power market price exceeds a predetermined value may be determined by the determination unit 115.

[0094] Another specific example of the operation control unit 112 is that it is preferable to control the hydrogen supply ratio to increase when at least one of the hydrogen demand and the hydrogen market price exceeds a predetermined value. Whether or not at least one of the hydrogen demand and the hydrogen market price exceeds a predetermined value may be determined by the determination unit 115.

[0095] In this embodiment, "when a predetermined value is exceeded" is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate depending on the purpose. Examples include when the amount of electricity used exceeds a certain value during a specific period (e.g., one day), when a specific time is exceeded during a specific period (e.g., one day), and when the break-even point is exceeded in the direction of loss, considering the electricity / hydrogen market price and the electricity / hydrogen production cost.

[0096] The control by the operation control unit 112 can adjust the supply according to demand by, for example, controlling the supply ratio of electricity to be greater than the supply ratio of hydrogen during periods of high electricity demand, and controlling the supply ratio of hydrogen to be greater than the supply ratio of electricity during periods of low electricity demand. This enables efficient and low-cost production of hydrogen and electricity. Furthermore, by controlling the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity while considering the electricity / hydrogen market price and the electricity / hydrogen production cost, high profitability can be ensured.

[0097] The operation control unit 112 preferably controls the energy supply device 200 so that its power generation efficiency is between 10% and 60%. The power generation efficiency of the energy supply device 200 can be calculated by multiplying the fuel utilization rate (amount of hydrogen consumed in the hydrogen power generation unit 30 / amount of hydrogen introduced into the hydrogen power generation unit 30) by the stack power generation efficiency (amount of power generated in the hydrogen power generation unit 30 / amount of hydrogen consumed in the hydrogen power generation unit 30). The power generation efficiency may also be calculated by the calculation unit 114 using information on the supply of hydrogen and electricity (external information and internal information) obtained by the information acquisition unit 111.

[0098] For example, an energy supply device 200 controlled to have a power generation efficiency of 60% by the above control can supply only electricity by introducing all the hydrogen produced by the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10 or separated by the hydrogen separation unit 20 into the hydrogen power generation unit 30. Such an energy supply device 200 can supply electricity appropriately and efficiently in accordance with electricity demand and the electricity price market.

[0099] For example, an energy supply device 200 controlled to have a power generation efficiency of 10% by the above control can supply the amount of waste heat from the hydrogen power generation unit 30, which increases due to the decrease in power generation efficiency, to the dehydrogenation reaction unit 10. As a result, thermal independence is achieved in the energy supply device 200, production costs can be reduced, and the amount of hydrogen supplied can be increased.

[0100] The operation control unit 112 preferably controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity based on the supply and demand adjustment command acquired by the information acquisition unit 111.

[0101] This type of control by the operation control unit 112 enables a response to appropriate supply and demand adjustment commands.

[0102] As described above, the calculation unit 114 may calculate the power generation efficiency using information (external information and internal information) related to the supply of hydrogen and electricity obtained by the information acquisition unit 111.

[0103] As described above, the determination unit 115 may determine whether at least one of the electricity demand and the electricity market price exceeds a predetermined value, or whether at least one of the hydrogen demand and the hydrogen market price exceeds a predetermined value.

[0104] The information transmission unit 116 transmits the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 111, the operation control unit 112, the prediction unit 113, the calculation unit 114, and the determination unit 115 to the energy supply device 200 or the consumer.

[0105] The energy supply system according to this embodiment may have a configuration such as that shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a configuration diagram of an example of the energy supply system 400 according to this embodiment.

[0106] The energy supply system 400 in Figure 6 is an example of an aggregation coordinator system, to which multiple small EMS systems 310, an example of a resource aggregator system, are controllably connected. An example of a consumer's energy resource 311 is the energy supply device 200 mentioned above. Multiple consumer energy resources 311 are connected to the small EMS system 310.

[0107] Figure 6 shows an example of a consumer's energy resource 311, including an electric vehicle and a solar power generation system connected to a rechargeable battery and V2H equipment for charging and discharging, which receive power and hydrogen-related control from a small EMS system 310 via a gateway (GW). The small EMS system 310 can control the consumer's energy resource 311 according to the control from the energy supply system 300. In addition, the control device 100 can control the energy supply device 200 (consumer's energy resource 311) based on the supply and demand adjustment command received from the small EMS system 310.

[0108] Solar power generation systems, which are an example of energy resources 311 for consumers, are an example of renewable energy generation equipment installed in homes and other locations. Battery storage systems are an example of power storage equipment installed in homes and other locations.

[0109] V2H (Vehicle to Home) is a system that uses the onboard battery of an electric vehicle as a power source for the home. The onboard battery of an electric vehicle, connected via V2H equipment for charging and discharging, can be used as a home battery. An electric vehicle is a vehicle that charges its onboard battery with supplied electricity and runs on that electricity as its energy source. An electric vehicle connected via V2H equipment for charging and discharging is an example of a power storage facility that can be used as an alternative to or in conjunction with a battery storage system.

[0110] An electric vehicle may be a vehicle owned by the customer or a vehicle leased by the customer from a leasing company. An electric vehicle charger / discharger is an example of a charger / discharger that charges the onboard battery of an electric vehicle or discharges the onboard battery of an electric vehicle.

[0111] As described above, embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but these embodiments are presented as examples only, and the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various combinations, omissions, substitutions, or modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments and their variations are included in the scope or spirit of the invention, as well as in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims.

[0112] Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed above are specified, for example, by the following embodiments: [1] A control device (100) that controls an energy supply device (200) that supplies hydrogen produced by a dehydrogenation reaction and electricity produced using the hydrogen, wherein the control device (110) controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity. [2] The control device (100) according to [1] controls the control device (110) to supply the hydrogen and the electricity simultaneously. [3] The control device (100) according to [1] or [2] has a dehydrogenation reaction unit (10) that produces hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction and a hydrogen power generation unit (30) that produces electricity using the hydrogen. [4] The control device (100) according to [3] controls the amount of heat obtained by the electricity generation by the hydrogen power generation unit (30) to be supplied to the dehydrogenation reaction by the dehydrogenation reaction unit (10). [5] The control unit (110) is a control device (100) according to [4] that controls the amount of hydrogen introduced into the hydrogen power generation unit (30) according to the amount of heat required for the dehydrogenation reaction by the dehydrogenation reaction unit (10) and the amount of heat obtained by the generation of electricity by the hydrogen power generation unit (30). [6] The control unit (110) is a control device (100) according to any one of [1] to [5] that controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity based on at least one of electricity demand, hydrogen demand, electricity market price and hydrogen market price. [7] The control unit is a control device (100) according to [6] that controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity based on at least one of electricity market price and hydrogen market price. [8] The control unit (110) is a control device (100) according to any one of [1] to [7] that controls the supply ratio of electricity to increase when at least one of electricity demand and electricity market price exceeds a predetermined value. [9] The control unit (110) is a control device (100) according to any one of [1] to [7], which controls the hydrogen supply ratio to increase when at least one of the hydrogen demand and the hydrogen market price exceeds a predetermined value.

[10] The control unit (110) is a control device (100) according to any one of [1] to [9] that controls the power generation efficiency of the energy supply device (200) to 10% or more and 60% or less.

[11] The control unit (110) is a control device (100) according to any one of [1] to

[10] that controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity in accordance with a supply and demand adjustment command.

[12] The energy supply device (200) is a control device (100) according to any one of [1] to

[11] that has a hydrogen separation unit (20) for separating the hydrogen and the dehydrogenated product.

[13] A control method for controlling the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity in an energy supply device (200) that supplies hydrogen produced by a dehydrogenation reaction and electricity produced using the hydrogen.

[14] An energy supply system comprising: an energy supply device (200) having a dehydrogenation reaction unit (10) that generates hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction and a hydrogen power generation unit (30) that generates electricity using the hydrogen; and a control device (100) having a control unit (110) that controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity.

[0113] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-12195, filed with the Japan Patent Office on 28 January 2025, and incorporates all the contents of the said application.

[0114] 100 Control device 110 Control unit 200 Energy supply device 201 Exhaust gas line 202 Circulation line 203 Heat exchanger 10 Dehydrogenation reaction unit 20 Hydrogen separation unit 30 Hydrogen power generation unit 111 Information acquisition unit 112 Operation control unit 113 Prediction unit 114 Calculation unit 115 Judgment unit 116 Information transmission unit 300, 400 Energy supply system 310 Small EMS system 311 Energy resources of consumers

Claims

1. A control device having a control unit that controls an energy supply device that supplies hydrogen produced by a dehydrogenation reaction and electricity produced using the hydrogen, wherein the control unit controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the supply of hydrogen and electricity simultaneously.

3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the energy supply device comprises a dehydrogenation reaction unit that generates hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction and a hydrogen power generation unit that generates electricity using the hydrogen.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the amount of heat obtained by the generation of electricity by the hydrogen power generation unit to be supplied to the dehydrogenation reaction by the dehydrogenation reaction unit.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the amount of hydrogen introduced into the hydrogen power generation unit according to the amount of heat required for the dehydrogenation reaction by the dehydrogenation reaction unit and the amount of heat obtained by the generation of the electricity by the hydrogen power generation unit.

6. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity based on at least one of the electricity demand, hydrogen demand, electricity market price, and hydrogen market price.

7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity based on at least one of the electricity market price and the hydrogen market price.

8. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the supply ratio of the electricity to increase when at least one of the electricity demand and the electricity market price exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the hydrogen supply ratio to increase when at least one of the hydrogen demand and the hydrogen market price exceeds a predetermined value.

10. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the power generation efficiency of the energy supply device to 10% or more and 60% or less.

11. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity in accordance with a supply and demand adjustment command.

12. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the energy supply device has a hydrogen separation unit for separating the hydrogen from the dehydrogenated product.

13. A control method for controlling the supply ratio of hydrogen and electricity in an energy supply device that supplies hydrogen produced by a dehydrogenation reaction and electricity produced using the hydrogen.

14. An energy supply device having a dehydrogenation reaction unit that generates hydrogen by a dehydrogenation reaction and a hydrogen power generation unit that generates electricity using the hydrogen; and a control device having a control unit that controls the supply ratio of the hydrogen and the electricity.

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