Hydrogen Production Planning Under Pressure Accumulator Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production cost of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles is not sufficiently reduced due to the capacity limitations of pressure accumulators, which restrict the amount of fuel that can be produced.
Innovation Solution
A production plan generation system that acquires condition information including the amount of fuel suppliable to vehicles and generates a production plan considering supply and storage constraints, using mathematical programming to optimize hydrogen production based on power prices and fuel tank capacities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If hydrogen is produced during low power price periods to reduce production cost, then production cost is reduced, but the amount of fuel produced is limited by pressure accumulator capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension to the production planning by considering multiple time periods (morning, afternoon, evening) with different power prices. The system produces hydrogen during low-power-price periods and stores it in the pressure accumulator, then supplies it during high-power-price periods. This temporal dimension allows the system to overcome the capacity limitation by producing fuel in advance when conditions are favorable, rather than being constrained by immediate demand and storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary hydrogen production during low-power-price periods before the actual fuel supply is needed. By producing and storing hydrogen in advance during periods of low power cost, the system prepares the fuel supply in advance, allowing the pressure accumulator to be filled before high-demand periods occur, thus reducing overall production cost while meeting future demand requirements.
2Quantity of substance
If the pressure accumulator capacity is increased to store more fuel, then the amount of fuel that can be supplied increases, but the production cost reduction is not sufficiently achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the hydrogen production system by dynamically adjusting production timing based on power price variations. Instead of continuously producing hydrogen or increasing storage capacity, the system optimizes production timing by operating during low-power-price periods and idle periods, then storing the produced hydrogen in the pressure accumulator for later supply. This parameter optimization achieves both increased fuel supply capability and cost reduction without requiring physical expansion of storage capacity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system allows for controlled hydrogen production during low-power periods, reducing production costs by optimizing fuel supply and storage, thereby enhancing the economic efficiency of hydrogen provision to vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
Hydrogen supplied as fuel to an FC (Fuel Cell) mobility, such as a fuel cell vehicle, is produced, for example, by a hydrogen production facility that performs water electrolysis
Data Source
AI summary
A production cost of fuel provided to a vehicle is reduced.A production plan generation system 10 generates a production plan for fuel or a vehicle and includes a condition information acquisition unit 11 acquiring condition information including information indicating an amount of fuel suppliable to a vehicle to which a produced fuel can be supplied and a production plan generation unit 12 generating the production plan including a production time of the fuel and an amount of fuel produced on the basis of the condition information acquired by the condition information acquisition unit 11.