JP2020005376A - Fuel cell system, power management server, power management system, and power management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell system, a power management server, a power management system, and a power management method, capable of appropriately controlling the fuel cell system even if it is not possible to directly obtain a hot water quantity or temperature of a hot water storage tank.SOLUTION: The fuel cell system controlled by a power management server and provided with a hot water storage tank, includes: a heat exchange outlet for guiding water to the hot water storage tank; a heat exchange inlet for guiding water from the hot water storage tank; and a communication unit for transmitting a message to the power management server. The communication unit transmits a message including at least a first information element derived from a temperature of the heat exchange inlet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel cell system, a power management server, a power management system, and a power management method.

  In recent years, a technique (for example, VPP (Virtual Power Plant)) using a power storage device as a distributed power source to maintain a power supply and demand balance of a power system has been known (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). It is also conceivable to use a fuel cell system as a distributed power source used in such as.

WO 2015/041010 pamphlet International Publication No. 2016/084396 pamphlet

  By the way, the above-mentioned fuel cell system is sometimes provided with a hot water storage tank for storing hot water, and the amount of hot water in the hot water storage tank or the temperature of the hot water in the hot water storage tank is increased by exhaust heat of the fuel cell system. Generally, the fuel cell system and the hot water storage tank are separate devices, and the fuel cell system does not know the hot water volume or hot water temperature of the hot water storage tank, and notifies the power management server of the hot water volume or hot water temperature of the hot water storage tank. You can't.

  Under such a background, the power management server controls the fuel cell system without using the hot water amount or the hot water temperature of the hot water storage tank. However, if the hot water amount or the hot water temperature of the hot water storage tank is not considered, the following problem occurs. Occurs. For example, when there is a restriction on the amount of hot water or the temperature of the hot water storage tank, if the amount of hot water or the temperature of the hot water has reached the upper limit, a case where the output power of the fuel cell system cannot be increased may be considered. On the other hand, if there is no restriction on the amount of hot water or the temperature of the hot water storage tank, it is possible to increase the output power of the fuel cell system while reducing the amount of hot water or the temperature of the hot water, but the efficiency of exhaust heat recovery of the fuel cell system is reduced Will decrease.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and it is desirable to appropriately control the fuel cell system even if it is not possible to directly obtain the amount of hot water or the temperature of the hot water storage tank. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell system, a power management server, a power management system, and a power management method that can be performed.

  In the first aspect, the fuel cell system controlled by the power management server and provided in parallel with the hot water storage tank has a heat exchange outlet that guides water to the hot water storage tank, a heat exchange inlet that guides water from the hot water storage tank, A communication unit for transmitting a message to the power management server. The communication unit transmits the message including at least a first information element derived from a temperature of the heat exchange inlet.

  In the second aspect, a power management server that controls a fuel cell system provided with the hot water storage tank includes a communication unit that receives a message from the fuel cell system, and a control unit that controls the fuel cell system based on the message. And The communication unit receives the message including at least a first information element derived from a temperature of a heat exchange inlet for guiding water from the hot water storage tank to the fuel cell system.

  In the third aspect, the power management system includes a fuel cell system provided in parallel with the hot water storage tank, and a power management server that controls the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes a heat exchange outlet that guides water to the hot water storage tank, and a heat exchange inlet that guides water from the hot water storage tank. The fuel cell system transmits a message including at least a first information element derived from a temperature of the heat exchange inlet to the power management server. The power management server controls the fuel cell system based on the message.

  In the fourth aspect, a power management method in which a power management server controls a fuel cell system provided along with a hot water storage tank includes: a power management server that controls the fuel cell system; Transmitting a message including a first information element derived from the temperature of the heat exchange inlet for guiding the water, and the power management server controlling the fuel cell system based on the message.

  According to one aspect, a fuel cell system, a power management server, and a power management system that can appropriately control a fuel cell system even when the amount of hot water or the temperature of hot water in a hot water storage tank cannot be directly obtained. And a power management method.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a power management system 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the fuel cell system 310 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hot water storage tank 160 according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the power management server 200 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a first information element according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the power management method according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second information element according to the first modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

  However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and ratios of dimensions may be different from actual ones. Therefore, specific dimensions and the like should be determined in consideration of the following description. It is needless to say that the drawings may include portions having different dimensional relationships or ratios.

[Embodiment]
(Power management system)
Hereinafter, a power management system according to the embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the power management system 100 includes a power management server 200 and a facility 300. In FIG. 1, facilities 300A to 300C are illustrated as facilities 300.

  Each facility 300 is connected to the power system 110. Hereinafter, the flow of power from power system 110 to facility 300 is referred to as a power flow, and the flow of power from facility 300 to power system 110 is referred to as a reverse flow.

  The power management server 200 and the facility 300 are connected to the network 120. The network 120 may provide a line between the power management server 200 and the facility 300. For example, the network 120 may be the Internet. The network 120 may be a dedicated line such as a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

  The power management server 200 is a server managed by a power company such as a power generation company, a power transmission and distribution company, a retail business company, and a resource aggregator. In a VPP (Virtual Power Plant), the resource aggregator manages power for the power system 110 (power flow control, reverse power flow control, etc.) for a power generation company, a power transmission and distribution business, a retail business, and the like. It is a business. Details of the power management server 200 will be described later (see FIG. 4).

  Here, the power management server 200 may transmit, to the EMS 320 provided in the facility 300, a control message instructing control of the distributed power supply provided in the facility 300. For example, the power management server 200 may transmit a power flow control message (for example, DR; Demand Response) requesting power flow control, or may transmit a reverse power flow control message requesting reverse power flow control. Further, the power management server 200 may transmit a power control message for controlling the operation state of the distributed power supply. The power flow or reverse power flow control degree may be represented by an absolute value (for example, ○ kW) or a relative value (for example, ○%). Alternatively, the degree of control of the power flow or the reverse power flow may be represented by two or more levels. The power flow or reverse power flow control degree may be represented by a power rate (RTP; Real Time Pricing) determined by a current power supply and demand balance, or a power rate (TOU: Time of Use) determined by a past power supply and demand balance. May be represented by

  The facility 300 has a fuel cell system 310 and an EMS 320. The fuel cell system 310 includes equipment for generating power using a fuel such as gas. The details of the fuel cell system 310 will be described later (see FIG. 2). The EMS 320 is a facility (Energy Management System) that controls facilities provided in the facility 300.

  The facility 300 may have a load facility that consumes power. The load facility is, for example, an air conditioner, a lighting facility, an AV (Audio Visual) facility, or the like. The facility 300 may have a distributed power source other than the fuel cell system 310. The distributed power source may include, for example, a facility that generates power using natural energy such as sunlight, wind, or geothermal energy, or may include a storage battery facility.

  In the embodiment, communication between the power management server 200 and the EMS 320 may be performed according to a first protocol. On the other hand, communication between the EMS 320 and the fuel cell system 310 may be performed according to a second protocol different from the first protocol. For example, as the first protocol, a protocol based on Open ADR (Automated Demand Response) or a unique dedicated protocol can be used. For example, as the second protocol, a protocol conforming to ECHONET Lite, SEP (Smart Energy Profile) 2.0, KNX, or an original dedicated protocol can be used. It should be noted that the first protocol and the second protocol may be different, and, for example, both may be unique dedicated protocols as long as they are protocols created according to different rules.

(Fuel cell system)
Hereinafter, the fuel cell system according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the fuel cell system 310 according to the embodiment. The fuel cell system 310 includes at least a fuel cell facility 150. The fuel cell system 310 is provided with the hot water storage tank 160. Here, the description will be continued on the assumption that the fuel cell system 310 includes the fuel cell equipment 150 and is a cogeneration system provided in parallel with the hot water storage tank 160.

  The fuel cell facility 150 is a facility that generates power using fuel such as gas. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell equipment 150 includes a fuel cell 151, a PCS 152, a blower 153, a desulfurizer 154, an ignition heater 155, a radiator 156, a control board 157, It has an exchange outlet 158A and a heat exchange inlet 158B.

  The fuel cell 151 is a facility that generates power using fuel. Specifically, the fuel cell 151 has a reformer 151A and a cell stack 151B.

  The reformer 151A generates a reformed gas from the fuel from which the odorant has been removed by the desulfurizer 154 described later. The reformed gas is a gas composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

  The cell stack 151B generates power by a chemical reaction between air (oxygen) supplied from a blower 153 described later and the reformed gas. Specifically, the cell stack 151B has a structure in which a plurality of cells are stacked. Each cell has a structure in which an electrolyte is sandwiched between a fuel electrode and an air electrode. A reformed gas (hydrogen) is supplied to the fuel electrode, and air (oxygen) is supplied to the air electrode. A chemical reaction of the reformed gas (hydrogen) and air (oxygen) occurs in the electrolyte, producing electric power (DC electric power) and heat.

  The PCS 152 is a facility (Power Conditioning System) that converts DC power output from the fuel cell 151 into AC power.

  The blower 153 supplies air to the fuel cell 151 (cell stack 151B). The blower 153 is configured by, for example, a fan. The blower 153 cools the cell stack 151B so that the temperature of the cell stack 151B does not exceed the upper limit of the allowable temperature.

  The desulfurizer 154 removes the odorant contained in the fuel supplied from the outside. The fuel may be city gas or propane gas.

  The ignition heater 155 is a heater that ignites fuel that has not chemically reacted in the cell stack 151B (hereinafter, unreacted fuel) and maintains the temperature of the cell stack 151B at a high temperature. That is, the ignition heater 155 ignites the unreacted fuel leaking from the openings of the cells constituting the cell stack 151B. It should be noted that the ignition heater 155 only needs to ignite the unreacted fuel in a case where the unreacted fuel is not burning (for example, when starting up the fuel cell equipment 150). After the start of the combustion of the unreacted gas, the unreacted fuel that slightly overflows from the cell stack 151B continues to burn, so that the temperature of the cell stack 151B is maintained at a high temperature.

  The radiator 156 may cool the cell stack 151B so that the temperature of the cell stack 151B does not exceed the upper limit of the allowable temperature. The water (return path) may be cooled so that the temperature of the water (return path) flowing from the hot water storage tank 160 to the fuel cell equipment 150 does not exceed the upper limit of the allowable temperature.

  The control board 157 is a board on which a circuit for controlling the fuel cell 151, the PCS 152, the blower 153, the desulfurizer 154, the ignition heater 155, and the control board 157 is mounted.

  The heat exchange outlet 158A is a port for guiding water (also referred to as water (outgoing path)) to the hot water storage tank 160. The heat exchange outlet 158A is connected to a reflux pipe 161 to be described later.

  The heat exchange inlet 158B is an inlet for guiding water (also referred to as water (return path)) from the hot water storage tank 160. The heat exchange inlet 158B is connected to a reflux pipe 162 described later.

  The reformer 151A, the blower 153, the desulfurizer 154, the ignition heater 155, and the control board 157 are examples of auxiliary equipment for assisting the operation of the cell stack 151B. Further, a part of the PCS 152 may be treated as an auxiliary machine.

  The operating state of the fuel cell system 310 includes a power generating state, a stopping state, a starting state, a stopping state, an idle state, and the like. For example, the operation state may be referred to as a power generation operation state in the ECHONET Lite.

  The power generation state is a state in which power generation by the fuel cell 151 is being performed. The starting state is a state from the stopped state to the power generating state. The stopped state is a state in which the operation of the fuel cell 151 is stopped. The stop operation state is a state from the power generation state to the stop state. The idle state is a state in which power is not output from the fuel cell system 310, but the temperature of the cell stack 151B is maintained at a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature is a temperature lower than the power generation temperature (for example, 450 ° C. to 600 ° C.), which is approximately the same as the power generation temperature of the cell stack 151B in the power generation state (for example, 650 ° C. to 1000 ° C.). Is also good. In the idle state, the power of the auxiliary equipment may be covered by the power output from the fuel cell 151, or supplied from another distributed power source (for example, a facility that generates power using natural energy or a storage battery facility). The power may be covered by power supplied from the power system 110.

  In the example shown in FIG. 2, the control board 157 is provided in the fuel cell equipment 150. However, embodiments are not limited to this. Fuel cell system 310 includes a remote controller that receives a user operation, and control board 157 may be provided in the remote controller. Alternatively, the function of the control board 157 may be realized by both the board provided in the fuel cell equipment 150 and the remote controller.

  The hot water storage tank 160 is connected to the fuel cell equipment 150 by a return pipe 161 and a return pipe 162, as shown in FIGS. The reflux pipe 161 forms a flow path of water (outward path) heated by the exhaust heat of the fuel cell equipment 150. The reflux pipe 161 forms a flow path for water (return path) supplied from the hot water storage tank 160 to the fuel cell equipment 150. Hot water storage tank 160 has a hot water supply port 163 and a water supply port 164. Hot water supply port 163 is a port for taking out hot water from hot water storage tank 160. Water supply port 164 is a port for supplying water to hot water storage tank 160. When hot water is taken out from hot water supply port 163, water is supplied from water supply port 164.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a reflux pipe 161 and a hot water supply port 163 are provided in an upper portion of the hot water storage tank 160, and relatively high-temperature water is stored. On the other hand, a reflux pipe 162 and a water supply port 164 are provided below the hot water storage tank 160, and relatively low-temperature water is stored.

  In the embodiment, the fuel cell equipment 150 does not have a function of communicating with the hot water storage tank 160, and does not know the amount of hot water or the temperature of the hot water storage tank 160. Under such a premise, the control board 157 of the fuel cell equipment 150 has a communication module, and forms a communication unit that transmits a message to the power management server 200. The control board 157 may transmit a message to the power management server 200 via the EMS 320. The control board 157 sends a message including at least a first information element derived from the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B.

(Power management server)
Hereinafter, the power management server according to the embodiment will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the power management server 200 includes a management unit 210, a communication unit 220, and a control unit 230. The power management server 200 is an example of a VTN (Virtual Top Node).

  The management unit 210 is configured by a storage medium such as a nonvolatile memory and / or an HDD, and stores data relating to the facility 300 managed by the power management server 200. The facility 300 managed by the power management server 200 may be a facility 300 having a contract with a power company. For example, the data on the facility 300 may be demand power supplied from the power system 110 to the facility 300. The data related to the facility 300 may be the type of the fuel cell system 310 provided in the facility 300, the specifications of the fuel cell system 310 provided in the facility 300, and the like. The specification may be the rated generated power (W) of the fuel cell system 310 or the like. Further, the data regarding the facility 300 may include the capacity of the hot water storage tank 160.

  The communication unit 220 includes a communication module, and communicates with the EMS 320 via the network 120. The communication unit 220 performs communication according to the first protocol as described above. For example, the communication unit 220 transmits a first message to the EMS 320 according to a first protocol. The communication unit 220 receives a first message response from the EMS 320 according to a first protocol. Here, the communication unit 220 receives the power generation amount data from the EMS 320. The communication unit 220 may periodically receive the power generation amount data from the EMS 320.

  In the embodiment, the communication unit 220 receives from the fuel cell system 310 a message including at least a first information element derived from the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B. The communication unit 220 may receive a message including the first information element from the fuel cell system 310 via the EMS 320.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first information element may be an information element indicating the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B. Alternatively, the first information element may be an information element indicating the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B and the temperature of the heat exchange outlet 158A. The first information element may be an information element indicating a difference between the temperature of the heat exchange outlet 158A and the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B. The first information element may be an information element indicating a time change amount of a difference between the temperature of the heat exchange outlet 158A and the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B.

  The control unit 230 includes a memory, a CPU, and the like, and controls each component provided in the power management server 200. For example, the control unit 230 instructs the EMS 320 provided in the facility 300 to control the distributed power supply 310 provided in the facility 300 by transmitting a control message. The control message may be a power flow control message, a reverse power flow control message, or a power control message, as described above.

  In the embodiment, the control unit 230 controls the fuel cell system 310 based on a message including the first information element. Specifically, control unit 230 determines whether there is room for increasing the output power of fuel cell system 310 based on the first information element, and controls fuel cell system 310 based on the determination result. I do. For example, control unit 230 may perform control to increase the output power of fuel cell system 310 when the amount of hot water or the temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 is estimated to be smaller than the threshold value. The fuel cell system 310 is controlled. Control unit 230 may perform control to increase the output power of fuel cell system 310 when it is estimated that the amount of hot water used in hot water storage tank 160 is large. On the other hand, when it is estimated that the amount of hot water or the temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 is larger than the threshold, control unit 230 does not need to perform control to increase the output power of fuel cell system 310. The fuel cell system 310 is controlled. Control unit 230 does not have to perform control to increase the output power of fuel cell system 310 when it is estimated that the amount of hot water used in hot water storage tank 160 is small.

  In such a case, the control unit 230 does not perform control to increase the output power of the fuel cell system 310 when the current generated power of the fuel cell system 310 has reached a threshold (for example, rated generated power). When the current power generated by the fuel cell system 310 is smaller than the threshold, control may be performed to increase the output power of the fuel cell system 310. The current generated power of the fuel cell system 310 may be estimated based on the measured instantaneously generated power or the measured instantaneous gas consumption. A message including an information element indicating at least one of the current generated power, the instantaneous generated power measurement value, and the instantaneous gas consumption measurement value may be transmitted from the fuel cell system 310 to the power management server 200.

(1) Temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B In the case where the first information element includes an information element indicating the temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B, control unit 230 determines the amount of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 or the amount of hot water based on the temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B. Estimate hot water temperature. For example, when the temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B is lower than the threshold, control unit 230 estimates that the amount or temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 is lower than a predetermined value, and leaves room for increasing the output power of fuel cell system 310. Is determined to be large. On the other hand, when the temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B is higher than the threshold value, control unit 230 estimates that the amount or temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 is higher than a predetermined value, and increases the output power of fuel cell system 310. It is determined that the room is small. The control unit 230 may determine the room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310 at two or more stages by comparing the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B with two or more threshold values.

  In such a case, control unit 230 may set the above-described threshold based on the capacity of hot water storage tank 160. This is because the relationship between the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B and the amount or temperature of hot water in the hot water storage tank 160 has a correlation with the capacity of the hot water storage tank 160.

(2) The temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B and the temperature of the heat exchange outlet 158A In the case where the first information element includes the information element indicating the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B and the temperature of the heat exchange outlet 158A, the control unit 230 performs the heat exchange. Based on the difference between the temperature of outlet 158A and the temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B, the amount or temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 is estimated. For example, when the above-described difference is larger than the threshold, control unit 230 estimates that the amount or temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 is smaller than a predetermined value, and determines that there is much room for increasing the output power of fuel cell system 310. judge. On the other hand, when the above-described difference is smaller than the threshold value, control unit 230 estimates that the amount or temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 is larger than a predetermined value, and there is little room for increasing the output power of fuel cell system 310. Is determined. The control unit 230 may determine the room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310 in two or more stages by comparing the difference with the two or more threshold values.

  In such a case, control unit 230 may set the above-described threshold based on the capacity of hot water storage tank 160. The relationship between the above difference and the amount or temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 has a correlation with the capacity of hot water storage tank 160.

(3) Difference between Temperature of Heat Exchange Outlet 158A and Temperature of Heat Exchange Inlet 158B In the case where the first information element includes a difference between the temperature of heat exchange outlet 158A and the temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B, the control unit 230: The amount or temperature of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 may be estimated in the same procedure as in (2) to determine whether there is room for increasing the output power of fuel cell system 310.

(4) Time change amount of difference between temperature of heat exchange outlet 158A and temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B The first information element is time change amount of difference between temperature of heat exchange outlet 158A and temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B. In this case, control unit 230 estimates the use state of hot water in hot water storage tank 160 based on the time change amount of the difference between the temperature of heat exchange outlet 158A and the temperature of heat exchange inlet 158B. For example, when the above-described time change amount is larger than the threshold value, control unit 230 estimates that the amount of hot water used in hot water storage tank 160 is large, and determines that there is much room for increasing the output power of fuel cell system 310. . On the other hand, when the above-mentioned time change amount is smaller than the threshold, control unit 230 estimates that the amount of hot water used in hot water storage tank 160 is small, and determines that there is little room for increasing the output power of fuel cell system 310. I do. The control unit 230 may determine the room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310 at two or more stages by comparing the above-mentioned time variation with two or more threshold values.

  In such a case, control unit 230 may set the above-described threshold based on the capacity of hot water storage tank 160. This is because the relationship between the amount of change over time and the usage state of the hot water tank 160 has a correlation with the capacity of the hot water tank 160.

  Here, it should be noted that when a message including the first information element is periodically received, the above-described time change amount can be obtained even in the case of (2) or (3).

(Power management method)
Hereinafter, a power management method according to the embodiment will be described. In FIG. 6, it is assumed that there is a need to increase the output power of the fuel cell system 310 due to factors such as a tight power supply and demand balance of the power system 110.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in step S11, the fuel cell system 310 transmits a message including the first information element to the power management server 200. The fuel cell system 310 may periodically transmit a message including the first information element to the power management server 200. The first information element is as illustrated in FIG.

  In step S12, the power management server 200 determines whether there is room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310 based on the first information element.

  In step S13, power management server 200 transmits a control message for controlling fuel cell system 310 to fuel cell system 310 based on the determination result. For example, when there is room to increase the output power of the fuel cell system 310, the power management server 200 transmits a control message instructing an increase in the output power of the fuel cell system 310.

(Action and effect)
In the embodiment, the fuel cell system 310 transmits to the power management server 200 a message including at least a first information element derived from the temperature of the heat exchange inlet 158B. According to such a configuration, the power management server 200 can determine whether there is room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310 and control the fuel cell system 310 appropriately.

[Modification 1]
Hereinafter, a first modification of the embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the first modification, the fuel cell system 310 transmits a message including a second information element different from the first information element to the power management server 200. The second information element may be included in a message including the first information element, or may be included in a message different from the message including the first information element. As shown in FIG. 7, the second information element includes at least one of the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell system 310 and the exhaust heat recovery efficiency of the fuel cell system 310.

(1) Power Generation Efficiency The power generation efficiency of the fuel cell system 310 is an efficiency defined by the relationship between gas consumption and output power. Generally, the higher the temperature of the fuel cell 151, the higher the power generation efficiency. In other words, the higher the output power, the higher the power generation efficiency. Therefore, when the power generation efficiency is lower than the threshold, the power management server 200 may determine that there is much room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310. The power management server 200 may determine that there is little room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310 when the power generation efficiency is higher than the threshold.

(2) Exhaust Heat Recovery Efficiency The exhaust heat recovery efficiency of the fuel cell system 310 is an efficiency at which the exhaust heat of the fuel cell system 310 contributes to the temperature rise of the water in the hot water storage tank 160. For example, when water (incoming path) is cooled by the radiator 156 described above, the exhaust heat recovery efficiency decreases. Therefore, the power management server 200 may determine that there is much room to increase the output power of the fuel cell system 310 when the exhaust heat recovery efficiency is higher than the threshold. The power management server 200 may determine that there is little room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310 when the exhaust heat recovery efficiency is lower than the threshold.

(Action and effect)
In the first modification, the fuel cell system 310 transmits to the power management server 200 a message including a second information element including at least one of the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell system 310 and the exhaust heat recovery efficiency of the fuel cell system 310. I do. According to such a configuration, the power management server 200 can determine whether there is room for increasing the output power of the fuel cell system 310 and control the fuel cell system 310 appropriately.

[Modification 2]
Hereinafter, a second modification of the embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the embodiment, the power management server 200 is the main body that estimates the amount or temperature of the hot water in the hot water storage tank 160 or the main body that estimates the usage status of the hot water in the hot water storage tank 160. On the other hand, in the second modification, these subjects are the fuel cell system 310.

  In such a case, fuel cell system 310 may transmit a message including an index indicating an estimated value of the amount of hot water or hot water in hot water storage tank 160 as first information element to power management server 200. For example, the index is an information element that indicates an estimated value of the hot water temperature or the hot water quantity in stages. Alternatively, the fuel cell system 310 may transmit, to the power management server 200, a message including, as a first information element, an index indicating an estimated value of the hot water usage state of the hot water storage tank 160. For example, the index is an information element that indicates the use status of hot water in stages.

[Other embodiments]
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above-described embodiments, it should not be understood that the description and drawings forming part of this disclosure limit the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples, and operation techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  The embodiment has exemplified the case where it is determined whether or not there is room to increase the output power of the fuel cell system 310 based on the first information element. However, embodiments are not limited to this. For example, it may be determined whether there is room to reduce the output power of the fuel cell system 310 based on the first information element.

  In the embodiment, the management unit 210 is provided in the power management server 200, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the management unit 210 may be provided in a server connected to the power management server 200 via the network 120.

  The fuel cell equipment 150 is a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell). However, the fuel cell equipment 150 may be a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC: Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell), or a molten carbonate. Type fuel cell (MCFC: Molt Carbonate Fuel Cell).

  In the embodiment, the case where the first protocol is a protocol based on Open ADR2.0 and the second protocol is a protocol based on ECHONET Lite has been described as an example. However, embodiments are not limited to this. The first protocol may be a protocol standardized as a protocol used for communication between the power management server 200 and the EMS 320. The second protocol may be any protocol that is standardized as a protocol used in the facility 300.

  100 power management system, 110 power system, 120 network, 150 fuel cell equipment, 151 fuel cell, 151A reformer, 151B cell stack, 152 PCS, 153 blower, 154 desulfurizer, 155: ignition heater, 156: radiator, 157: control board, 158A: heat exchange outlet, 158B: heat exchange inlet, 160: hot water storage tank, 200: power management server, 210: management unit, 220: communication unit, 230: control Part, 300: facility, 310: fuel cell system, 320: EMS

Claims (10)

A fuel cell system controlled by a power management server and provided alongside a hot water storage tank,
A heat exchange outlet that guides water to the hot water storage tank,
A heat exchange inlet for guiding water from the hot water storage tank,
A communication unit for transmitting a message to the power management server,
The fuel cell system, wherein the communication unit transmits the message including at least a first information element derived from a temperature of the heat exchange inlet.   The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first information element includes an information element indicating a temperature of the heat exchange inlet.   The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first information element includes an information element indicating a temperature of the heat exchange outlet and a temperature of the heat exchange inlet.   The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first information element includes an information element indicating a difference between a temperature of the heat exchange outlet and a temperature of the heat exchange inlet.   The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the first information element includes an information element indicating a time change amount of a difference between the temperature of the heat exchange outlet and the temperature of the heat exchange inlet.   2. The fuel according to claim 1, wherein the first information element includes an information element indicating at least one of an estimated value of the amount or temperature of the hot water in the hot water storage tank and an estimated value of a usage state of the hot water in the hot water storage tank. 3. Battery system.   7. The communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits a message including a second information element indicating at least one of a power generation efficiency of the fuel cell system and an exhaust heat recovery efficiency of the fuel cell system. 8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1. A power management server for controlling a fuel cell system provided in parallel with the hot water storage tank,
A communication unit that receives a message from the fuel cell system;
A control unit that controls the fuel cell system based on the message,
The power management server, wherein the communication unit receives the message including at least a first information element derived from a temperature of a heat exchange inlet for guiding water from the hot water storage tank to the fuel cell system. A fuel cell system provided with the hot water storage tank,
A power management server that controls the fuel cell system,
The fuel cell system,
A heat exchange outlet that guides water to the hot water storage tank,
A heat exchange inlet for guiding water from the hot water storage tank,
The fuel cell system transmits a message including a first information element derived from at least the temperature of the heat exchange inlet to the power management server,
The power management system, wherein the power management server controls the fuel cell system based on the message. A power management method in which a power management server controls a fuel cell system provided along with a hot water storage tank,
Transmitting from the fuel cell system to the power management server a message including a first information element derived from a temperature of a heat exchange inlet that guides water from at least the hot water storage tank to the fuel cell system;
Controlling the fuel cell system based on the message by the power management server.

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