JP2014183625A - Management device, control method for management device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a management device for contributing to optimizing a combination between power supply by a plurality of systems of power sources and power consumption by a device group including a device to be added.SOLUTION: A management device comprises an excess supply capacity calculation unit and a connection destination determination unit. The excess supply capacity calculation unit calculates excess power supply capacity for each of at least two or more power source lines. When the maximum value of calculated excess power supply capacity exceeds power consumption of a device to be added to a system, the connection destination determination unit determines that a power source line having the maximum value of excess power supply capacity is to be a power source line to which the device to be added is connected.

Description

  The present invention relates to a management apparatus, a management apparatus control method, and a program. In particular, the present invention relates to a management device that determines whether to connect a device to any of a plurality of power sources, a control method for the management device, and a program.

  In recent years, with the improvement of network technology, the use of a data center or the like in which a large number of computers (servers or the like) are operated at the same base has been advanced. Such a data center is often supplied with power from a plurality of power sources.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a power consumption management system that inquires of a device adjacent to a network when the power of a device to be controlled is turned on / off, and performs transition control to a power saving mode. In the system disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a control target device requested to shift to the power saving mode checks whether an agent having a predetermined program can acquire the control information and shift to the power saving mode. Thereafter, the control target device calculates the power consumption, which is the surplus power when the mode is shifted to the power saving mode, from the power consumption table, and notifies the request source control target device of the calculation result. From the information collected by the surrounding control target devices, the control target device that shifts to the most effective mode such as the maximum remaining power answer is requested to shift to the power saving mode again.

  Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a home appliance demand control system that performs power suppression control of an electrical device in order to prevent a main breaker from being cut off due to excess power of the home appliance and to save energy. Furthermore, Patent Literature 2 discloses that a controller for suppressing the power of home appliances determines the order of home appliances subject to demand control according to the priority from the priority notification means.

JP 2003-209924 A JP 2010-075015 A

  Each disclosure of the above prior art document is incorporated herein by reference. The following analysis was made by the present inventors.

  As described above, a plurality of power sources are used in a data center or the like. In addition, a large number of computers and the like are accommodated in the data center, and a plurality of computers are often added at a time when maintaining and managing the data center. In such a system with multiple power sources, it is difficult to know which power source is optimally connected to the power source among the multiple power sources when a new device is added. There is a problem.

  The power consumption of the devices connected to the system can be ascertained from catalogs and instruction manuals. This is because the catalog and the like usually contain the rated power consumption of each device and the power value such as an actual measurement value. Also, for example, the system administrator usually knows the capacity of each power source.

  When a device is added to the system, the system administrator needs to determine which power source the device to be added is connected to. At that time, the administrator refers to the above information (power consumption of the device and capacity of the power supply system), and the capacity of each power supply system, each device connected to the power supply, and the consumption of the device to be added. Calculate the difference between the sum and the power. If this difference is a positive value, a device can be added to the power source. The administrator determines the power source to which the device to be added is connected by such a method.

  However, in such a method, it is difficult to optimize a combination of power supply from a plurality of power sources and power consumption of a device group including devices to be added. More specifically, even though a large number of devices are connected to a certain power source A and the power supply capacity is reduced, a small number of devices are connected to another power source B and the power supply capacity remains. It is easy to create a situation. However, it is desirable that the power supply capacity of each power supply system is equal because power can be stably supplied to each device.

  Note that Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above are techniques for performing power management of a device (for example, a home appliance) connected to a single power source. That is, even if the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are applied, it is impossible to obtain a solution to which power source among a plurality of power sources should be connected.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a management device, a control method for a management device, and a program that contribute to optimizing a combination of power supply by a plurality of power sources and power consumption of a device group including devices to be added. And

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a supply surplus power calculation unit that calculates a power supply surplus for each of at least two or more power supply lines, and a device in which the calculated maximum value of the power supply surplus is added to the system. When the power consumption is larger than the power consumption, a management device is provided that includes a connection destination determination unit that determines a power supply line having the maximum power supply capacity as a power supply line to which the device to be added is connected.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a supply surplus power calculating step for calculating a power surplus capacity for each of at least two or more power supply lines, and an apparatus in which the maximum value of the calculated power surplus power is added to the system. And a connection destination determination step for determining a power supply line having the maximum power supply capacity as a power supply line to which the additional device is connected when the power consumption is larger than the power consumption of the management device. The
This method is linked to a specific machine called a management device that determines a connection power line of the device.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a supply surplus power calculation process for calculating a power supply surplus for each of at least two or more power supply lines, and a device in which the calculated maximum value of the power supply surplus is added to the system. When the power consumption is larger than the power consumption, the computer that controls the management apparatus executes the connection destination determination process for determining the power supply line having the maximum power supply capacity as the power supply line to which the added device is connected. A program is provided.
This program can be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can be non-transient such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, or the like. The present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product.

  According to each aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management device that contributes to optimizing a combination of power supply of a plurality of systems and power consumption of a device group including a device to be added, a control method for the management device, and a program, Provided.

It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of one Embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the management apparatus 40 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the management apparatus 40 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of an internal structure of the management apparatus 40 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the apparatus management table which the memory | storage part 45 memorize | stores. It is a figure which shows an example of the power supply line management table which the memory | storage part 45 memorize | stores. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the management apparatus 40 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a control unit 44. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of operation | movement of the system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a display of the management apparatus 40a which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the management apparatus 40a which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a display of the management apparatus 40a which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the management apparatus 40b which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the management apparatus 40c which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a display of the management apparatus 40c which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the system which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the battery management table which the memory | storage part 45 memorize | stores. It is a figure which shows an example of a display of the management apparatus 40d which concerns on 5th Embodiment.

  First, an outline of an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the reference numerals of the drawings attached to the outline are attached to the respective elements for convenience as an example for facilitating understanding, and the description of the outline is not intended to be any limitation.

  As described above, a management device that contributes to optimizing a combination of power supply from a plurality of power sources and power consumption of a device group including devices to be added is desired.

  Therefore, the management apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is provided as an example. The management apparatus 100 has a supply capacity calculation unit 101 that calculates a power supply capacity for each of at least two or more power supply lines, and the maximum value of the calculated power supply capacity is larger than the power consumption of the apparatus added to the system. In this case, a connection destination determination unit 102 that determines a power supply line having a maximum power supply capacity as a power supply line to which an apparatus to be added is connected is provided.

  The management device 100 calculates a power supply surplus for each of the plurality of power supply lines. Further, when the maximum value of the power supply surplus calculated for each power supply line is larger than the power consumption of the added device, the management device 100 determines to add the device to the power supply line having the maximum power supply surplus. I do. The management device 100 preferentially selects the power supply line with the largest power supply capacity as the connection destination of the device, thereby achieving uniform power supply among a plurality of power supplies (resolving variations in power supply). As a result, the combination of power supply by a plurality of power sources and power consumption of the device group including the added device is optimized. Further, by comparing the power consumption of the device and the maximum value of the power supply surplus, it is ensured that the power supply capability of the power supply line after the device is connected is ensured.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
The first embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, power lines 10-1 to 10-3, power meters 20-1 to 20-3 connected to the power lines, and computers 30-1 to 30-6 connected to the power lines. And the management device 40 constitute a system. Note that the system shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and is not intended to limit the number of power supply lines and computers included in the system. Naturally, the number of power lines and computers included in the system can be increased or decreased.

  In the following description, when there is no particular reason for distinguishing the power supply lines 10-1 to 10-3, they are referred to as “power supply line 10”. Similarly, when there is no particular reason for distinguishing the wattmeters 20-1 to 20-3, the wattmeter 20-1 is written as “wattmeter 20”. The computers 30-1 to 30-6 are also expressed as “computer 30” if there is no particular reason for distinguishing them.

  Each power line 10 is independent. The upper limit of power that can be supplied from each power line 10 to each computer 30 is determined in advance. That is, the power capacity that can be supplied to the load (for example, the computer 30) connected to each power line 10 is determined in advance. In other words, an allowable upper limit (power supply capacity) of power consumed by devices connected to each power supply line 10 is determined in advance. For example, when the power supply line 10 is supplied with power from a commercial power supply, the contract power corresponds to the power supply capacity. The power supply capacity of each power supply line 10 may be the same or different.

  The wattmeter 20 is a sensor for measuring the power actually used (consumed) in the power supply line 10 (hereinafter referred to as actual used power). That is, the wattmeter 20 measures the total power consumed by the devices connected to each power line 10. The wattmeter 20 outputs the measured power to the management device 40.

  The computer 30 is a device that consumes power. That is, the computer 30 is a load of each power supply line 10. An apparatus connected to the system is not limited to a computer, and any apparatus that consumes power may be used. For example, the device connected to the system may be a home appliance such as an air conditioner. Further, the power consumption of each computer 30 may be the same or different.

  The management device 40 is requested by a system administrator (a user of the management device 40, hereinafter simply referred to as a user) to determine a power line to connect to when a new device is added to the system. The Such a request is referred to as a connection power supply line determination request and will be described below. Upon receiving the connection destination power line determination request, the management device 40 displays, for example, an “additional device information input screen” as shown in FIG.

  The user inputs details of the device to be added using an input device such as a keyboard. More specifically, the user inputs the name of the device to be added and information on the power of the device (measured power consumption value, rated power consumption, maximum power consumption). After inputting the details of the device to be added, the user presses the determination button in FIG. 3 to request the management device 40 to determine the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added.

  Of the information on the power of the device, the rated power consumption and the maximum power consumption can be obtained from the catalog of the device. In addition, the actual power consumption value can be obtained by operating the apparatus with a power meter connected to the apparatus to be added. Alternatively, the rated power consumption may be regarded as the same as the rated power consumption and the actual power consumption measurement value, and the rated power consumption may be used as the actual power consumption measurement value. Furthermore, information regarding the power of the device to be added may be obtained from a database server storing information regarding the name and power of the device.

  The management device 40 determines the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added based on the information on the device to be added and the information on the power line 10, and presents it to the user (see FIG. 4).

  The management device 40 collects actual power used in the power supply line 10 from the power meter 20. Note that the management device 40 may measure the actual power used in the power supply line 10 by using an ammeter that measures the current flowing in the power supply line 10 instead of the wattmeter 20. In that case, the management device 40 calculates the actual power used in the power supply line 10 by multiplying the predetermined voltage by the current measured by the ammeter.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the management apparatus 40. Referring to FIG. 5, the management device 40 includes an operation unit 41, a display unit 42, a communication unit 43, a control unit 44, and a storage unit 45. The management device 40 may be a server accessible from a terminal operated by a user via a network. In that case, the user makes a connection destination power line determination request for the device to be added to the management device 40 (server) using a terminal connected to the network. Thereafter, the management device 40 determines a connection destination power line of the device to be added, and responds to the terminal used by the user.

  The operation unit 41 is a unit that receives a user operation by an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard. The operation unit 41 outputs the received user operation to the control unit 44. The display unit 42 is means for providing information to the user through a display device such as a liquid crystal panel. The display unit 42 displays an image according to an instruction from the control unit 44. The communication unit 43 is means for communicating with the power meter 20 and inputting the actual power used in the power supply line 10 measured by the power meter 20. In addition, although this embodiment demonstrates the form which the wattmeter 20 transmits measured power and the management apparatus 40 receives measured power, the form which accesses the wattmeter 20 from the management apparatus 40, and acquires the measured power It may be.

  The storage unit 45 is configured by a storage medium such as a hard disk. The storage unit 45 stores at least information necessary for determining the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added. More specifically, the storage unit 45 includes a device management table for managing devices (for example, the computers 30-1 to 30-6) included in the system, and a power supply line management table for managing the power supply line 10. And memorize.

  The control unit 44 controls the entire management device 40. In addition, the control unit 44 accesses the storage unit 45 and appropriately updates the device management table and the power line management table. Furthermore, the control unit 44 includes a supply surplus power calculation unit 201 and a connection destination determination unit 202. The control unit 44, the supply surplus power calculation unit 201, and the connection destination determination unit 202 are realized by a computer program that causes a computer mounted on the management device 40 to execute processing that will be described in detail later using the hardware. You can also.

  The surplus supply capacity calculation unit 201 is a unit that calculates the surplus power supply capacity of each power supply line 10 based on the power supply line management table stored in the storage unit 45. That is, the surplus supply capacity calculation unit 201 calculates a surplus power supply capacity for each of at least two power supply lines 10. The supply surplus power calculation unit 201 may calculate the power supply surplus for all of the power supply lines 10 included in the system, or may calculate the power supply surplus for a part of the power supply lines 10 included in the system. . When the supply surplus power calculation unit 210 calculates the power supply surplus for some of the power supply lines 10, the connection destination determination unit 202 described later uses the power supply line 10 calculated by the power supply surplus as a candidate for the connection destination of the apparatus. To do.

  The connection destination determination unit 202 is a unit that determines the power supply line 10 to which a device to be added is connected based on the power supply surplus calculated by the supply surplus power calculation unit 201 and the power consumption of the device to be added to the system. Note that when the connection destination determination unit 202 determines the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added, the power consumption of the device to be used is any one of the measured power consumption value, the rated power consumption, and the maximum power consumption.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device management table stored in the storage unit 45. Referring to FIG. 6, the device management table stores information on the device name, information on the power of the device (measured power consumption value, rated power consumption, maximum power consumption), and connection destination power line 10. Note that the device name shown in FIG. 6 is used to identify a device connected to the power supply line 10 and may be any information that can uniquely identify the device.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the power line management table stored in the storage unit 45. Referring to FIG. 7A, the power supply line management table stores information on the name of the power supply line 10, the power supply capacity (maximum value of power that can be supplied), and the power used. Since the user (system administrator) knows the power capacity of each power line 10, the name of the power line 10 (may be an identifier for identifying the power line 10) and the corresponding power capacity Are previously registered in the power line management table. The power used in each power line represents the power used (consumed) in each power line 10. More specifically, the used power stored in the power supply line management table is an index indicating the sum of the power consumed by each device connected to each power supply line 10.

  The used power is information used by the control unit 44 when determining the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added, and is not information input in advance by the user. For example, the control unit 44 stores the actual power used in the power supply line 10 obtained from the power meter 20 as the power used. Further, as will be described later, the power consumption in the power line management table may be calculated from the power consumption of the devices connected to each power line 10. Alternatively, the management device 40 may store the fluctuation of the actual power consumption in the power supply line 10 and use the stored maximum value of the actual power consumption as the power consumption in the power supply line 10.

  In addition, the user may set a use priority for each power supply line 10 (see FIG. 7B). For example, when there is a situation such as a charge being different for each power supply line 10, it is conceivable to make a setting to preferentially use the power supply line 10 with a low charge.

  Next, the operation of the management device 40 will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the management device 40.

  In step S01, the control unit 44 determines whether or not an operation related to a determination request for the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added has been received from the user via the operation unit 41.

  When an operation related to the determination request for the power supply line 10 is received (step S01, Yes branch), the control unit 44 executes the process according to step S02. The details of the process related to step S02 (hereinafter referred to as a connection destination power line determination process) will be described later.

  When an operation relating to the determination request for the power supply line 10 is not received (step S01, No branch), the control unit 44 executes the processes according to steps S03 and S04.

  In step S <b> 03, the control unit 44 determines whether or not the power measured by the wattmeter 20 (actual power used in the power supply line 10) has been received via the communication unit 43.

  If the measured power of the wattmeter 20 has not been received (step S03, No branch), the control unit 44 returns to step S01 and continues the process.

  If the measured power is received from the wattmeter 20 (step S03, Yes branch), the control unit 44 updates the power supply line management table stored in the storage unit 45 based on the received measured power. More specifically, the control unit 44 rewrites the power used in the power supply line 10 to which the wattmeter 20 that transmits the measured power is connected with the acquired measured power. Thereafter, the control unit 44 returns to step S01 and continues the processing.

  Next, the connection power line determination process according to step S02 of FIG. 8 will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control unit 44 that executes the connection destination power line determination process.

  In step S <b> 101, the control unit 44 displays, for example, an “additional device information input screen” illustrated in FIG. 3 on the display unit 42.

  In step S102, the control unit 44 adds an entry to the device management table stored in the storage unit 45 based on information input by the user. At this time, since the power supply line 10 to which the device to be added is connected has not been determined, this item is blank.

  In step S <b> 103, the surplus supply capacity calculation unit 201 calculates a surplus power supply capacity for each power supply line 10. More specifically, the surplus supply capacity calculation unit 201 calculates the surplus power supply capacity by subtracting the used power from the power capacity of each power line 10. For example, the remaining power supply capacity of the power supply line 10-1 is A1-B1. The supply surplus power calculation unit 201 temporarily stores the calculated power supply surplus in a memory or the like not shown in FIG.

  In step S <b> 104, the connection destination determination unit 202 compares the power supply surplus that has been calculated in the previous step and has the largest value with the power consumption of the added device. As the power consumption of the added device, a value selected from a measured power consumption value, a rated power consumption, and a maximum power consumption is used. In the present embodiment, the control unit 44 selects an actual power consumption value. For this reason, the connection destination determination unit 202 compares the maximum power supply surplus value of the power supply line 10 with the actual power consumption measurement value of the device to be added.

  As a result of the comparison, if the maximum value of the power supply surplus is smaller than the power consumption of the device to be added (step S104, No branch), the connection destination determining unit 202 determines that the device cannot be added (step). S105). In this step, the control unit 44 deletes the entry added in step S102. This is because the management device 40 cannot connect the device requested by the user to the system.

  On the other hand, if the maximum value of the power supply surplus is equal to or higher than the power consumption of the device to be added (step S104, Yes branch), the connection destination determination unit 202 determines the power supply line 10 having the maximum power supply surplus. The connection destination power line 10 is determined (step S106). The control unit 44 reflects it in the device management table stored in the storage unit 45 as the connection destination power line 10 of the device to which the power line 10 determined in this step is added.

  In step S107, the control unit 44 displays the result determined in steps S105 and S106 on the display unit 42 (see FIG. 4).

  Next, the operation of the system according to this embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the system according to the present embodiment.

  The wattmeter 20 measures the actual power used in the power supply line 10 at regular intervals, for example (step S21). The wattmeter 20 transmits the measured power to the management device 40 (step S22). The management device 40 receives the measured power transmitted from the wattmeter 20, and updates the power supply line management table stored in the storage unit 45 (step S31).

  In step S <b> 41, when adding a device to the system, the user requests the management device 40 to determine the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added.

  In step S <b> 32, the management device 40 determines the power supply line 10 to which the device to be added is connected based on information input by the user (information on the device to be added) and the power supply capacity of each power supply line 10.

  In step S <b> 33, the management device 40 displays the power line 10 as a connection destination of the device to be added on the display unit 42. Thereafter, the user connects a device to be added to the designated power line 10 (step S42).

  In the present embodiment, the supply surplus power calculation unit 201 uses the measured power of the wattmeter 20 (actual power used in the power supply line 10) when calculating the power supply surplus power of the power supply line 10. However, the information stored in the device management table stored in the storage unit 45 can also be used when the supply margin calculation unit 201 calculates the power supply margin. For example, the supply surplus power calculation unit 201 calculates the sum of the power consumption of the devices connected to each power supply line 10 (any of measured power consumption, rated power consumption, or maximum power consumption) from the power supply capacity of each power supply line 10. By subtracting, the power supply surplus capacity can be obtained. Note that when the power supply surplus is calculated from the information stored in the device management table, the wattmeter 20 of the system shown in FIG. 2 is not necessary.

  In this embodiment, the measured power consumption value is used as the power consumption when determining the connection destination power line 10 of the device added by the connection destination determination unit 202, but other power can be used. More specifically, the connection destination determination unit 202 may determine the connection destination power line 10 by comparing the maximum value of the power supply surplus with the rated power consumption or maximum power consumption of the device to be added. it can. At that time, when the rated power consumption is selected as the power consumption of the device to be added, the management device 40 assumes that the device connected to each power line 10 is operating in a steady state. The power source line 10 is determined. On the other hand, when the maximum power consumption is selected as the power consumption of the device to be added, the management device 40 can increase the margin of the power supply capability in each power supply line 10.

  Further, when the user gives priority to the power supply line 10 (see FIG. 7B), the connection destination determination unit 202 gives priority to the power supply line 10 to which high priority is given. Connect the device to be added to. As a result, even when there are a plurality of power supply lines 10 whose power supply capacity is greater than the power consumption of the device to be added, for example, a power supply with a low charge can be preferentially used. Alternatively, when there are a plurality of power supply lines 10 whose power supply capacity is larger than the power consumption of the added device, a device to be preferentially added from the power supply line 10 having a large power supply capacity may be connected. A device to be preferentially added may be connected from the power supply line 10 having a small size.

  As described above, the management device 40 according to the present embodiment calculates the power supply capacity for each of the plurality of power supply lines 10. Furthermore, the management apparatus 40 determines the power supply line 10 having the maximum power supply capacity out of the calculated power supply capacity as the power supply line 10 to which the device to be added is connected. As a result, each time a device is added, the device is added to the power supply line 10 having a large power supply capacity, so that the power supply of each power supply line 10 can be made uniform. In other words, the management device 40 according to the present embodiment can optimize the combination of power supply from a plurality of power sources and power consumption of a device group including devices to be added.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  In the first embodiment, the case where one device is added to the plurality of power supply lines 10 has been described. In the second embodiment, a case where a plurality of devices are added to the plurality of power supply lines 10 will be described.

  Since the configuration of the system according to the present embodiment does not differ from the configuration shown in FIG. 2, further description is omitted. In addition, the internal configuration of the management device 40a according to the present embodiment does not differ from the configuration illustrated in FIG. The difference between the management device 40 and the management device 40a is the operation of the control unit 44 (connection destination determination unit 202).

  When the management device 40a receives a determination request for the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added from the user, the management device 40a displays a screen as shown in FIG. When the information about a plurality of devices to be added to the system is input through the interface shown in FIG. 11, the management device 40a executes a connection destination power line determination process shown in FIG. In FIG. 12, the same processes as those in FIG. 9 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In step S <b> 106, the connection destination determination unit 202 determines the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added based on the remaining power supply capacity of the power line 10 and the power consumption of the device to be added. Thereafter, the supply surplus power calculation unit 201 updates the power usage of the power line management table stored in the storage unit 45 (step S108). More specifically, the supply surplus power calculation unit 201 adds the power consumption (for example, measured power consumption value) of the device to be added to the power used in the power supply line 10 for which the addition of the device has been determined. As a result, the surplus supply capacity calculation unit 201 can grasp the power used in the power supply line 10 in a state where the device to be added is connected. That is, the supply surplus power calculation unit 201 updates the power consumption in the power supply line 10 determined by the connection destination determination unit 202 according to the power consumption of the device to be added, and based on the updated power consumption, The power supply surplus is calculated again every 10th. Thereafter, the connection destination determination unit 202 determines the power supply line 10 that is the connection destination of a device that is different from the device that previously determined the power supply line 10 that is the connection destination, based on the recalculated power supply capacity. .

  In step S109, the control unit 44 determines whether or not the determination of the connection destination has been completed for the device instructed to be added by the user.

  If there is a device whose connection destination is undetermined (step S109, Yes branch), the control unit 44 executes the process according to step S103. Thereafter, in step S <b> 108, the supply surplus power calculation unit 201 calculates the power supply surplus of each power supply line 10 using the updated power supply line management table.

  If there is no device whose connection destination is undetermined (step S109, No branch), the control unit 44 executes the process according to step S107. Specifically, the control unit 44 displays, for example, the display shown in FIG.

  As described above, the management device 40a according to the present embodiment determines an optimal combination of the power supply of the power supply line 10 and the power consumption of the plurality of devices for the plurality of power supply lines 10 and the plurality of devices. Further, since the processing shown in FIG. 12 is repeated until the connection destinations of a plurality of devices are determined, power is supplied as much as possible within the range of the power supply capacity of each power supply line 10, so there is no waste. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of assigning devices to the power supply line 10, the management device 40a can add as many devices as possible to the system.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  Since the configuration of the system according to the present embodiment does not differ from the configuration shown in FIG. 2, further description is omitted. In addition, the internal configuration of the management apparatus 40b according to the present embodiment does not differ from the configuration shown in FIG. The difference between the management device 40a and the management device 40b is the operation of the control unit 44 (connection destination determination unit 202).

  When adding a device to the system, the management device 40b according to the present embodiment receives a determination request for the connection destination power line 10 by giving priority to each device to be added. The user gives priority to a plurality of devices to be added using the interface as shown in FIG.

  When executing the connection destination power line determination process according to the flowchart of FIG. 12, the management device 40b first selects a high priority device and determines the power line 10 to be connected. For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 14, the management device 40b determines the connection destination power line 10 of the device K3 after determining the connection destination power line 10 for the device K3.

  Note that when determining the connection destination power line 10 of a plurality of devices, the priority of the device to be added may be higher than the priority of the device already connected to the power line 10. In such a case, the management apparatus 40 can also decide to exclude a low-priority apparatus from the power supply line 10 and connect a high-priority apparatus to the power supply line 10.

  As described above, the management apparatus 40b according to the present embodiment determines the connection destination power line 10 according to the priority (that is, the power supply priority or the operation priority of the apparatus) given to the added apparatus. As a result, it is possible to operate in order from an important device.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  Since the configuration of the system according to the present embodiment does not differ from the configuration shown in FIG. 2, further description is omitted. In addition, the internal configuration of the management device 40c according to the present embodiment does not differ from the configuration shown in FIG. The difference between the management device 40a and the management device 40c is the operation of the control unit 44.

  In the second and third embodiments, for example, when a measured power consumption value or a rated power consumption is selected as the power consumption of the device to be added, a problem arises when a plurality of devices are connected to the same power line 10 at the same time. There is.

  If the maximum power consumption is selected as the power consumption of the device to be added, even if a plurality of devices are connected to the same power supply line 10 at the same time, the power supply capacity of the power supply line 10 has sufficient capacity. Can be started simultaneously. However, when the rated power consumption is selected as the power consumption of the device to be added, if a plurality of devices are connected to the same power supply line 10 at the same time, an inrush current temporarily flows in the power supply line 10. The power supply capacity may be insufficient. This is because a computer or the like normally consumes a large amount of power when it is started up.

  Therefore, the management device 40c according to the present embodiment instructs the user not to connect a plurality of devices to the same power supply line 10 at the same time when presenting the connection destination power lines 10 of the plurality of devices to the user.

  The difference between the management device 40a and the management device 40c is the operation of the control unit 44. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the management device 40c. In FIG. 15, the same processes as those in FIG. 12 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  When a plurality of devices are designated by the user and the management device 40c receives a request for determining the connection destination power line 10 of the device to be added, the management device 40c executes a connection destination power line determination process shown in FIG.

  The connection destination determination unit 202 of the management device 40c adds the power supply capacity even if the power supply capacity of the power supply line 10 is smaller than the maximum power consumption of the device to be added in the process according to step S104a of FIG. If the power consumption is smaller than the rated power consumption of the device, it is determined that the device can be connected to the power line 10.

  However, if a plurality of devices whose total power consumption exceeds the power supply capacity are connected to the same power supply line 10, the power supply capacity of the power supply line 10 is insufficient, so the control unit 44 shifts the connection timing. The display is performed on the display unit 42 (step S107a).

  As described above, when the management device 40c according to the present embodiment connects a plurality of devices to the same power supply line 10, even if the power supply capability of the power supply line 10 is temporarily insufficient, By instructing not to connect these devices simultaneously to the power supply line 10 (see FIG. 16), the lack of power supply capability is overcome.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  Devices that can be connected to the power supply line 10 include rechargeable secondary batteries. That is, the secondary battery at the time of charging can be said to be a device that receives power supply from the power supply line 10. On the other hand, the secondary battery also operates as a power supply source. Therefore, the management device 40d according to the present embodiment treats the secondary battery that has been charged as a power supply source.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 17, the same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. The difference between the systems shown in FIGS. 17 and 2 is that the secondary battery 50 is connected to the power supply line 10-1, and that the battery control unit 203 is included in the management device 40d. Note that the management device 40d according to the present embodiment includes the control unit 44 described with reference to FIG. Therefore, the description corresponding to FIG. 5 for the management device 40d is omitted.

  The secondary battery 50 is a storage battery that can be charged and discharged. The secondary battery 50 may be a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery. Alternatively, the secondary battery 50 may be used as the sodium / sulfur battery, although there are limitations on the operating temperature range (the differential temperature range is around 300 °). That is, the secondary battery 50 may be any battery as long as it can be charged and discharged.

  The secondary battery 50 includes an AC / DC converter that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) inside, and can be charged by receiving power from the power supply line 10-1. Further, the secondary battery 50 includes a DC / AC converter that converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) therein, and can supply power to a device connected to the power supply line 10-1. At that time, the DC / AC converter supplies AC power to the power supply line 10-1 in synchronization with the frequency and phase of the power supply line 10-1. Further, the secondary battery 50 has a switch inside and supplies power from the secondary battery 50 itself to a device connected to the secondary battery or supplies power to the device via the power line 10. Can be switched.

  The battery control unit 203 is means for managing the state of the secondary battery 50 and controlling the operation of the secondary battery 50. The battery control unit 203 instructs the secondary battery 50 to perform a charging operation, a power supply operation to the power supply line 10, or a power supply operation to the device via the power supply line 10.

  The storage unit 45 of the management device 40d stores a battery management table for grasping the specifications of the secondary battery 50.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a battery management table stored in the storage unit 45. Since the user knows the specifications of the secondary battery 50, the specifications (power capacity) of the secondary battery 50 are registered in the battery management table of the storage unit 45. At that time, the management device 40d may display a screen similar to that shown in FIG. 3 on the display unit 42 and request the user to input information on the secondary battery. In addition, information regarding the power supply line 10 to which the secondary battery 50 is connected is also registered in the battery management table.

  The management device 40d also handles the power capacity of the secondary battery 50 as part of the power capacity of the power line 10-1. For example, as described in the fourth embodiment, when a plurality of devices are connected to the same power supply line 10, the power supply capability of the power supply line 10 may be insufficient. Even in such a case, if the power supply surplus calculated from the sum of the power supply capacities of the power supply line 10 and the secondary battery 50 is larger than the sum of the maximum power consumption of the devices to be added, the plurality of devices are simultaneously made the same. Can be connected to the power line 10. Therefore, in such a case, the connection destination determination unit 202 determines to connect the device to be added to the power supply line 10 to which the secondary battery 50 is connected.

  Further, the battery control unit 203 supplies power to the added device from the secondary battery 50 for a predetermined period after the added device is connected to the power supply line 10 to which the secondary battery 50 is connected. The secondary battery 50 is controlled. Thereafter, the battery control unit 203 controls the secondary battery 50 so that power is supplied from the power line 10 to which the secondary battery 50 is connected to the device connected to the secondary battery 50. In addition, when the battery control unit 203 switches the power supply to the device from the secondary battery 50 to the power line 10, the battery control unit 203 supplies power to both devices during the switching time, and the power supply to the device is interrupted. It may not be possible.

  Alternatively, when the battery control unit 203 determines that the secondary battery 50 needs to be charged, after the plurality of devices are activated (after the plurality of devices are in a steady state), the battery control unit 203 starts from the power supply line 10-1. An instruction to perform charging may be given to the secondary battery 50. In other words, when the connection destination determination unit 202 determines that the device to be added is connected to the secondary battery 50, the battery control unit 203 performs a secondary operation for a predetermined period after the device to be added to the secondary battery 50 is connected. The secondary battery 50 is controlled so that electric power is supplied from the battery 50 to the apparatus. Thereafter, the battery control unit 203 may instruct the secondary battery 50 to perform a charging operation after a predetermined period has elapsed.

  Furthermore, the management device 40d may request an input of a time zone in which the device is operated when inputting information on the device added by the user. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the user is requested to input an operating time zone corresponding to the added device.

  The management device 40d is a case where there is a device that is used only in a specific time zone, and the sum of the power consumption of such a device is the power capacity of the secondary battery 50 (when there are a plurality of batteries, Such a device is preferentially connected to the secondary battery 50 if it is less than the sum of the power capacities of the plurality of batteries. For example, in the example of FIG. 19, both the devices K5 and K6 are used only during the time periods T1 to T2, so if the sum of the power consumption of the devices K5 and K6 is less than or equal to the power capacity of the secondary battery 50, The devices K5 and K6 are connected to the secondary battery 50.

  The battery control unit 203 instructs the secondary batteries 50 to supply power to the devices K6 and K6 in the time zones T1 to T2. On the other hand, the battery control unit 203 instructs the secondary battery 50 to charge from the power supply line 10-1 in a time zone different from the time zones T1 to T2.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the management device 40d is provided with means for controlling the secondary battery 50 has been described, but a control device for controlling the secondary battery may be separately prepared.

  As described above, the system according to the present embodiment can use the secondary battery 50 as a preliminary power source for the power supply line 10-1. As a result, the peak of power supplied from the power supply line 10-1 can be suppressed.

  A part or all of the above embodiments can be described as in the following supplementary notes, but is not limited thereto.

[Appendix 1]
The management apparatus according to the first aspect described above.
[Appendix 2]
The management apparatus according to appendix 1, wherein the surplus supply capacity calculation unit calculates the surplus power supply capacity by subtracting power used in the power supply line from a power supply capacity of the power supply line.
[Appendix 3]
When adding at least two or more devices to the system,
The supply surplus power calculation unit updates the power usage in the power supply line determined by the connection destination determination unit according to the power consumption of the device to be added, and based on the updated power usage, for each power supply line To calculate the power supply surplus again,
The management device according to supplementary note 2, wherein the connection destination determination unit determines a power supply line that connects a device different from the device that has previously determined the power supply line of the connection destination, based on the recalculated power supply capacity.
[Appendix 4]
The management apparatus according to supplementary note 3, wherein the connection destination determination unit determines a power line to which a device to be added is connected in the order of priority given to the at least two or more devices to be added.
[Appendix 5]
When the plurality of devices are connected to the same power supply line and the sum of the power consumption of the plurality of devices is larger than the power supply capacity of the power supply line, the connection destination determination unit powers each of the plurality of devices. The management device according to supplementary note 3 or 4 that determines to change the timing of connection to a line.
[Appendix 6]
The supply surplus power calculation unit, when a secondary battery is connected to the power line,
The sum of the power supply capacity of the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected and the power supply capacity of the secondary battery is used as the power supply capacity of the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected, and the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected The management device according to appendix 5, wherein the surplus power supply capacity is calculated.
[Appendix 7]
The secondary battery can switch between supplying charged power to the device or supplying power to the device via a power line,
When the connection destination determining unit determines that the device to be added is connected to the power line to which the secondary battery is connected, the device to be added is connected to the power line to which the secondary battery is connected. The secondary battery is controlled to supply power to the additional device from the secondary battery for a predetermined period of time,
Item 6. The additional control 6 further includes a battery control unit that controls the secondary battery so that power is supplied to a device connected to the secondary battery from a power line to which the secondary battery is connected after the predetermined period has elapsed. Management device.
[Appendix 8]
When information about the operation time zone is given to the device connected to the secondary battery,
The battery control unit controls the secondary battery to supply power to the device from the secondary battery during the operation time period,
The management device according to appendix 7, wherein the secondary battery is charged in a time zone different from the operation time zone.
[Appendix 9]
It is as the control method of the management apparatus which concerns on the above-mentioned 2nd viewpoint.
[Appendix 10]
The control method for the management device according to appendix 9, wherein the surplus supply capacity calculating step calculates the surplus power supply capacity by subtracting the power used in the power line from the power capacity of the power line.
[Appendix 11]
When adding at least two or more devices to the system,
The supply surplus power calculation step updates the power consumption in the power supply line determined in the connection destination determination step in accordance with the power consumption of the device to be added, and based on the updated power consumption, for each power supply line To calculate the power supply surplus again,
The control of the management device according to appendix 10, wherein the connection destination determination step determines a power supply line that connects a device different from the device that previously determined the power supply line of the connection destination based on the recalculated power supply capacity. Method.
[Appendix 12]
The management device control method according to supplementary note 11, wherein the connection destination determination step determines a power supply line to which a device to be added is connected in order of priority given to the at least two or more devices to be added.
[Appendix 13]
In the connection destination determination step, when a plurality of devices are connected to the same power supply line, when the sum of power consumption of the plurality of devices is larger than the power supply capacity of the power supply line, each of the plurality of devices is powered The control method of the management device according to appendix 11 or 12, wherein it is determined to change a timing of connection to a line.
[Appendix 14]
In the supply margin calculation step, when a secondary battery is connected to the power line,
The sum of the power supply capacity of the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected and the power supply capacity of the secondary battery is used as the power supply capacity of the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected, and the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected The control method of the management apparatus according to appendix 13, wherein the power supply surplus is calculated.
[Appendix 15]
The secondary battery can switch between supplying charged power to the device or supplying power to the device via a power line,
When the connection destination determining step determines that the device to be added is connected to the power line to which the secondary battery is connected, the device to be added is connected to the power line to which the secondary battery is connected. Controlling the secondary battery to supply power from the secondary battery to the additional device for a predetermined period of time from
Controlling the secondary battery so as to supply electric power to a device connected to the secondary battery from a power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected after the predetermined period of time;
The control method of the management apparatus of Additional remark 14 further including these.
[Appendix 16]
When information about the operation time zone is given to the device connected to the secondary battery,
The operation time zone is a step of controlling the secondary battery so as to supply power to the device from the secondary battery;
A time zone different from the operating time zone is a step of charging the secondary battery;
The control method of the management apparatus of Additional remark 15 containing these.
[Appendix 17]
It is as the program which concerns on the above-mentioned 3rd viewpoint.
[Appendix 18]
The program according to appendix 17, wherein the supply surplus power calculation process calculates the power supply surplus power by subtracting the power used in the power supply line from the power supply capacity of the power supply line.
[Appendix 19]
When adding at least two or more devices to the system,
The supply surplus power calculation process updates the power consumption in the power supply line determined by the connection destination determination process according to the power consumption of the device to be added, and based on the updated power consumption, for each power supply line To calculate the power supply surplus again,
The program according to appendix 18, wherein the connection destination determination process determines a power supply line that connects a device different from the device that has previously determined the power supply line of the connection destination based on the recalculated power supply capacity.
[Appendix 20]
The program according to appendix 19, wherein the connection destination determination process determines a power line to which a device to be added is connected in order of priority given to the at least two or more devices to be added.
[Appendix 21]
In the connection destination determination process, when a plurality of devices are connected to the same power supply line, when the sum of power consumption of the plurality of devices is larger than the power supply capacity of the power supply line, each of the plurality of devices is powered on. The program according to appendix 19 or 20, which decides to change the timing of connection to a line.
[Appendix 22]
The supply margin calculation process is performed when a secondary battery is connected to the power line.
The sum of the power supply capacity of the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected and the power supply capacity of the secondary battery is used as the power supply capacity of the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected, and the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected The program according to appendix 21, wherein the remaining power supply capacity is calculated.
[Appendix 23]
The secondary battery can switch between supplying charged power to the device or supplying power to the device via a power line,
When the connection destination determination process determines that the device to be added is connected to the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected, the device to be added is connected to the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected. A process of controlling the secondary battery so as to supply power from the secondary battery to the device to be added for a predetermined period of time,
A process of controlling the secondary battery so as to supply power to a device connected to the secondary battery from a power line connected to the secondary battery after the predetermined period has elapsed;
The program of appendix 22 that causes
[Appendix 24]
When information about the operation time zone is given to the device connected to the secondary battery,
The operation time zone is a process of controlling the secondary battery so as to supply power to the device from the secondary battery;
The time zone different from the operating time zone is a process of charging the secondary battery,
The program of appendix 23 that executes
[Appendix 25]
A wattmeter that measures the actual power used for each of at least two power lines;
The power supply surplus power of the power supply line is calculated from the actual power consumption of the power supply line measured by the power meter and the power capacity of the power supply line, and the maximum value of the calculated power supply surplus is added to the system. When the power consumption of the device is larger, a management device that determines the power supply line having the maximum power supply capacity as a power supply line to which the device to be added is connected;
Including system.
Note that the system of Supplementary Note 25 can be expanded to Supplementary Note 2 to Supplementary Note 8, similarly to Supplementary Note 1.

  Each disclosure of the cited patent documents and the like cited above is incorporated herein by reference. Within the scope of the entire disclosure (including claims) of the present invention, the embodiments and examples can be changed and adjusted based on the basic technical concept. Various disclosed elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) within the scope of the claims of the present invention, Selection is possible. That is, the present invention of course includes various variations and modifications that could be made by those skilled in the art according to the entire disclosure including the claims and the technical idea. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or small range included in the range should be construed as being specifically described even if there is no specific description.

10, 10-1 to 10-3 Power line 20, 20-1 to 20-3 Wattmeter 30 30-1 to 30-6 Computer 40, 40a to 40d, 100 Management device 41 Operation unit 42 Display unit 43 Communication unit 44 Control unit 45 Storage unit 50 Secondary battery 101, 201 Supply margin calculation unit 102, 202 Connection destination determination unit 203 Battery control unit

Claims (10)

For each of at least two or more power supply lines, a supply capacity calculation unit that calculates a power supply capacity,
When the calculated maximum power supply capacity is larger than the power consumption of the device to be added to the system, the power line having the maximum power supply capacity is determined as the power line connecting the device to be added. A connection destination determination unit to
A management device comprising:   The management device according to claim 1, wherein the supply surplus power calculation unit calculates the power supply surplus power by subtracting power used in the power supply line from a power supply capacity of the power supply line. When adding at least two or more devices to the system,
The supply surplus power calculation unit updates the power usage in the power supply line determined by the connection destination determination unit according to the power consumption of the device to be added, and based on the updated power usage, for each power supply line To calculate the power supply surplus again,
The management device according to claim 2, wherein the connection destination determination unit determines a power supply line that connects a device different from the device that previously determined the power supply line of the connection destination based on the recalculated power supply capacity.   The management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connection destination determination unit determines a power supply line to which a device to be added is connected in order of priority given to the at least two or more devices to be added.   When the plurality of devices are connected to the same power supply line and the sum of the power consumption of the plurality of devices is larger than the power supply capacity of the power supply line, the connection destination determination unit powers each of the plurality of devices. The management device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein it is determined to change a timing of connection to a line. The supply surplus power calculation unit, when a secondary battery is connected to the power line,
The sum of the power supply capacity of the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected and the power supply capacity of the secondary battery is used as the power supply capacity of the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected, and the power supply line to which the secondary battery is connected The management device according to claim 5, wherein the remaining power supply capacity is calculated. The secondary battery can switch between supplying charged power to the device or supplying power to the device via a power line,
When the connection destination determining unit determines that the device to be added is connected to the power line to which the secondary battery is connected, the device to be added is connected to the power line to which the secondary battery is connected. The secondary battery is controlled to supply power to the additional device from the secondary battery for a predetermined period of time,
The battery control part which controls the said secondary battery so that electric power may be supplied to the apparatus connected to the said secondary battery from the power supply line to which the said secondary battery was connected after the said predetermined period passed. Management device. When information about the operation time zone is given to the device connected to the secondary battery,
The battery control unit controls the secondary battery to supply power to the device from the secondary battery during the operation time period,
The management device according to claim 7, wherein the secondary battery is charged in a time zone different from the operation time zone. A supply capacity calculation step for calculating a power supply capacity for each of at least two or more power supply lines;
When the calculated maximum power supply capacity is larger than the power consumption of the device to be added to the system, the power line having the maximum power supply capacity is determined as the power line connecting the device to be added. A connection destination determination step to be performed;
A control method for a management device including: Supply margin calculation processing for calculating a power supply margin for each of at least two or more power supply lines;
When the calculated maximum power supply capacity is larger than the power consumption of the device to be added to the system, the power line having the maximum power supply capacity is determined as the power line connecting the device to be added. Connection destination determination processing to be performed,
That causes a computer that controls the management apparatus to execute the program.

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