Plant Control Device for Hydrogen Supply Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies do not effectively utilize variable renewable energy to maximize the economic value of substances manufactured from it, such as hydrogen, which can be further processed into other valuable substances or used for power generation.
Innovation Solution
A plant control method and device that automatically determine the supply amounts of hydrogen and other products to various destinations such as power generation, manufacturing, and sales, based on current and predicted prices of these products and power, to optimize revenue generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydrogen is manufactured and stored temporarily, then variable renewable energy can be utilized and revenue can be increased through strategic sales, but the complexity of managing multiple products and supply destinations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device segments the management of hydrogen and other products into distinct supply destinations (power generation, manufacturing, sales) with separate control mechanisms. Each destination has dedicated flow rate control valves and monitoring, allowing independent optimization of revenue while maintaining overall system manageability through modular control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the supply amounts to different destinations based on real-time price variations and predicted prices. The control device continuously monitors market conditions and automatically modifies operational parameters such as flow rates and production quantities to maximize revenue, transforming a static system into an adaptive one that responds to changing economic conditions.
2Productivity
If automatic control is implemented to optimize revenue based on price variations, then revenue maximization is achieved, but the measurement and detection of multiple parameters becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The control device incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor prices of hydrogen, other products, and power, as well as storage quantities and supply amounts. This real-time feedback enables the system to detect market conditions and adjust operations automatically, simplifying the measurement complexity through integrated sensing and automated data processing across all monitoring points.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the plant focuses on utilizing variable renewable energy for multiple purposes, then the economic value of manufactured substances increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device is designed with universal functionality to manage multiple supply destinations and product types through a single integrated system. It can simultaneously control hydrogen supply to power generation facilities, manufacturing processes, and sales channels, as well as manage storage quantities and flow rates across all destinations, eliminating the need for separate control systems for each function.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computation unit (202) acquires a first price, which is the unit sales price of a first product, a second price, which is the unit sales price of a second product, and a third price, which is the unit sales price of electric power generated by a power generation device (50), respectively. The computation unit 202 determines, on the basis of at least one of the first price, the second price, and the third price, a first supply quantity, which is the supply quantity of the first product to a means (60) for sales, a second supply quantity, which is the supply quantity of the first product to a second manufacturing device (40), and a third supply quantity, which is the supply quantity of the first product to the power generation device (50). A control signal output unit (203) outputs a control signal so that the first product is supplied to the means (60) for sales in the determined first supply quantity, the first product is supplied to the second manufacturing device (40) in the determined second supply quantity, and the first product is supplied to the power generation device (50) in the determined third supply quantity.