JP2024048289A - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program that contribute to the effective use of heat generated with power generation by a fuel cell. [Solution] The information processing device processes information related to the supply of heat generated with power generation by a fuel cell. Based on receiving a first message including information indicating a heat request from a consumer, the information processing device transmits a second message to the consumer including information regarding the possibility of meeting the heat request according to the location from which the consumer requests heat and the location of the fuel cell. [Selected Figure] Figure 5

Description

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

In recent years, various technologies have been proposed to effectively utilize the power generation and/or heat generated by fuel cells. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for supplying electricity and heat to multiple consumers. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for heat management of a cogeneration system. Patent Document 3 discloses a technology for appropriately operating a fuel cell unit during a power outage. Patent Document 4 discloses a technology for controlling a fuel cell system according to the arrival status of users at a building in which the fuel cell system is installed. Patent Document 5 discloses a technology for supplying power by a fuel cell without using an auxiliary power source during a disaster.

JP 2017-20426 A JP 2018-42420 A JP 2020-119829 A JP 2019-71170 A JP 2014-179199 A

It is desirable to make effective use of the heat generated by fuel cells while minimizing waste.

The objective of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that contribute to the effective use of heat generated by fuel cells during power generation.

An information processing device according to one embodiment processes information relating to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with power generation by a fuel cell.
Based on receiving a first message including information indicating a heat request from a consumer, the information processing device transmits a second message to the consumer including information regarding the possibility of meeting the heat request depending on the location from which the consumer requests heat and the location of the fuel cell.

An information processing method according to an embodiment includes:
The present invention relates to an information processing method for an information processing device that processes information relating to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with power generation by a fuel cell.
The information processing method includes:
receiving a first message including information indicative of a heat request from a consumer;
transmitting a second message to the consumer based on receipt of the first message, the second message including information regarding the availability of the heat request depending on the location of the consumer requesting heat and the location of the fuel cell;
including.

A program according to an embodiment includes:
The program is executed by an information processing device for processing information relating to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with power generation by a fuel cell.
The program is for the information processing device to:
receiving a first message including information indicative of a heat request from a consumer;
transmitting a second message to the consumer based on receipt of the first message, the second message including information regarding the availability of the heat request depending on the location of the consumer requesting heat and the location of the fuel cell;
Execute the command.

According to one embodiment, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that contribute to the effective use of heat generated by power generation in a fuel cell.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall system according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic functional configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a temperature change according to a distance of a heat medium. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing interactions between devices included in a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing interactions between devices included in a system according to an embodiment. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an information processing device according to an embodiment. 11 is a flowchart illustrating another operation of the information processing device according to an embodiment. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a temperature change according to a distance of a heat medium. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an information processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a temperature change according to a distance of a heat medium.

Below, an information processing device and a system including an information processing device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are given identical or similar reference symbols. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and the ratios of dimensions may differ from the actual ones. Therefore, specific dimensions should be determined with reference to the following description. In addition, there may be parts in which the dimensional relationships and/or ratios differ between the drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a system including an information processing device according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a system according to an embodiment may include, for example, an information processing device 1, an aggregator AG, a fuel cell FC, and a consumer CS. A system according to an embodiment may not include at least any of the functional units shown in FIG. 1, or may include functional units (devices, etc.) other than the functional units shown in FIG. 1.

The system according to one embodiment appropriately supplies heat generated by the generation of electricity by the fuel cell (for example, heat contained in hot water (water) stored in a hot water tank (heat storage tank) of the fuel cell system) to the consumer based on the heat request from the consumer. Hereinafter, such a demand response for heat from the consumer will be referred to as "demand response for heat" or simply "heat DR". In the system according to one embodiment, each fuel cell may be connected to the consumer (or consumer facility) by a conduit (heat transfer pipe/heat transmission line) that transmits a heat medium such as water or hot water in order to supply heat to the consumer in response to the heat request from the consumer. In FIG. 1, the conduit that transmits the heat medium is omitted. Of course, the system according to one embodiment may supply the electric power generated by each fuel cell to each consumer. Below, the heat DR using the system according to one embodiment will be described, and the supply of electric power in the system according to one embodiment will be omitted.

The fuel cell FC may be any of a variety of known fuel cells. In FIG. 1, three fuel cells are shown as examples: fuel cell FC1, fuel cell FC2, and fuel cell FC3. However, a system according to an embodiment may include any number of fuel cells, one or more. When fuel cell FC1, fuel cell FC2, and fuel cell FC3 are not distinguished from one another, or when fuel cell FC1, fuel cell FC2, and fuel cell FC3 are collectively referred to, they may be simply referred to as "fuel cell FC."

To achieve thermal DR in a system according to one embodiment, the fuel cell FC may be one that generates heat as the fuel cell generates electric power. The fuel cell FC may be any power generation device that generates heat as the fuel cell generates electric power. For example, the fuel cell FC may be a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC), or a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC).

In a system according to one embodiment, the consumer CS may be a party that requests heat generated by the power generation of the fuel cell FC. The consumer CS may also refer to a facility (equipment) at a location where a party that requests heat generated by the power generation of the fuel cell FC requests the heat. In FIG. 1, three consumers are shown as consumer CS1, consumer CS2, and consumer CS3 as an example. However, a system according to one embodiment may include any number of consumers, one or more. When consumer CS1, consumer CS2, and consumer CS3 are shown without distinction from each other, or when consumer CS1, consumer CS2, and consumer CS3 are shown collectively, they may be simply referred to as "consumer CS."

As described above, the system shown in FIG. 1 supplies heat generated in conjunction with power generation by at least one of fuel cells FC1, FC2, and FC3 to at least one of consumer CS1, CS2, and CS3. For this reason, although not shown in FIG. 1, the fuel cell FC may be connected to the location of the consumer CS that requests the heat (or the location where the consumer CS requests the heat) by a conduit or the like that transmits a heat medium.

The aggregator AG may be any entity that mediates the exchange of data between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS. In the system shown in FIG. 1, the aggregator AG may, for example, mediate the exchange of various data between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS. The aggregator AG may have various functions to realize thermal DR in the system shown in FIG. 1. The functions of the aggregator AG will be described further below. The aggregator AG may also have a function to encourage electricity consumers to reduce their electricity usage, for example, when the power company's supply capacity becomes low, such as in the case of electricity demand response.

The information processing device 1 may be any device capable of processing various types of information, such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, a server, a workstation, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The functions of the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment will be described further below.

The network N may be any network that connects the functional units in the system shown in FIG. 1 by at least one of wired and wireless connections. In FIG. 1, the broken lines show how the functional units constituting the system according to one embodiment are connected to the network N by at least one of wired and wireless connections.

In a system according to an embodiment, the information processing device 1 may be installed in any location. For example, in a system according to an embodiment, the information processing device 1 may be installed in the facility of an aggregator AG. Also, in a system according to an embodiment, the information processing device 1 may be installed in the facility of a fuel cell FC. Also, in a system according to an embodiment, the information processing device 1 may be installed in the facility of a consumer CS. Furthermore, in a system according to an embodiment, the information processing device 1 may be installed in a location other than the facility of the aggregator AG, the fuel cell FC, or the consumer CS.

Figure 2 is a block diagram that shows a schematic functional configuration of an information processing device 1 according to one embodiment. Below, the functional configuration of the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment will be further described with reference to Figure 2.

The information processing device according to one embodiment can be configured as a dedicated terminal, for example. On the other hand, the information processing device according to one embodiment may be configured as an electronic device such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, a server, a workstation, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone, as described above. Furthermore, the functions of the information processing device according to one embodiment may be realized as part of the functions of another electronic device. The functions of the information processing device according to one embodiment can also be realized by executing an application program that performs the processing of the information processing device according to one embodiment in any electronic device equipped with a computer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment includes a control unit 10, an input unit 20, an output unit 30, a communication unit 40, and a memory unit 50.

The control unit 10 controls and manages the entire information processing device 1, including each functional unit that constitutes the information processing device 1. The control unit 10 can be configured to include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). In the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment, the control unit 10 may calculate and/or process various information related to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with power generation by the fuel cell FC.

The information processing device 1 may include at least one processor as a control unit 10 to provide control and processing power for performing various functions. According to various embodiments, the at least one processor may be realized as a single integrated circuit (IC) or as multiple communicatively connected integrated circuits and/or discrete circuits. The at least one processor may be realized according to various known techniques.

In one embodiment, the processor includes one or more circuits or units configured to perform one or more data computation procedures or processes. For example, the processor may include one or more processors, controllers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, field programmable gate arrays, or any combination of these devices or configurations, or other known devices or configurations, to perform the functions described below.

The input unit 20 may be any input device used by a user of the information processing device 1 to perform operations, such as keys (physical keys) like a keyboard and/or a pointing device like a mouse or trackball. In one embodiment, the input unit 20 may be any known input device, and therefore a more detailed description will be omitted. In one embodiment, the information processing device 1 may obtain various information related to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with the power generation of the fuel cell FC from the input unit 20.

The output unit 30 displays the results of processing by the information processing device 1. In one embodiment, the output unit 30 may display, for example, as a display, various information related to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with the power generation of the fuel cell FC. In one embodiment, the output unit 30 also displays characters, symbols, and/or images constituting a screen that prompts the user to input specific information in order to output, for example, the above-mentioned information. Data necessary for display on the output unit 30 may be supplied from the control unit 10 or the memory unit 50.

The output unit 30 may be any display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic electro-luminescence panel, or an inorganic electro-luminescence panel. The output unit 30 may display various information such as characters, figures, symbols, or graphs. The output unit 30 may display various objects constituting a GUI, such as a pointer, and icon images, in order to prompt the user operating the information processing device 1 to perform an operation. The output unit 30 may also be configured to include a backlight, etc., as appropriate.

In addition, the output unit 30 is not necessarily limited to a device that provides a visual effect to the user. The output unit 30 may adopt any configuration as long as it can convey various information regarding the supply of heat generated in conjunction with the power generation of the fuel cell FC to the user. For example, the output unit 30 may be substituted with a speaker that conveys various information regarding the supply of heat generated in conjunction with the power generation of the fuel cell FC by voice or the like. Furthermore, such a speaker may be provided in addition to the output unit 30.

In one embodiment, the output unit 30 may be configured together with the input unit 20 as, for example, a touch screen display. In this case, the touch screen display may include, as the output unit 30, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. In addition, in this case, the touch screen display may include, as the input unit 20, a touch sensor or a touch panel that detects the presence or absence of contact by the user and the position of the contact. In such a configuration, for example, keys such as a numeric keypad or icons can be displayed as objects on the output unit 30, and the input unit 20 can detect an operation in which the operator touches the object. The input unit 20 can employ various types of touch panels such as a resistive film type, a capacitive type, or an optical type.

The communication unit 40 may be any functional unit that realizes at least one of transmission and reception of various information between electronic devices other than the information processing device 1. The communication unit 40 can realize various functions including wireless communication. The communication unit 40 may include a modem whose communication method is standardized by the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). The communication unit 40 may wirelessly communicate with an external device such as an external server or a cloud server via a network, for example, via an antenna. In one embodiment, the communication unit 40 may receive various information from an external database such as an external server or a cloud server. The various information received by the communication unit 40 in this manner may be stored in the storage unit 50. In one embodiment, the information processing device 1 may receive or acquire various information related to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with the power generation of the fuel cell FC via the communication unit 40.

The communication unit 40 is not limited to a functional unit that performs wireless communication. For example, the communication unit 40 may have an interface function for wireless and/or wired communication with, for example, an external device. The communication method performed by the communication unit 40 of one embodiment may be a wireless communication standard. For example, the wireless communication standard includes cellular phone communication standards such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. For example, the cellular phone communication standard includes LTE (Long Term Evolution), W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), CDMA2000, PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), GSM (Registered Trademark) (Global System for Mobile communications), and PHS (Personal Handy-phone System). For example, the wireless communication standard includes WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), IEEE802.11, WiFi, Bluetooth (Registered Trademark), IrDA (Infrared Data Association), and NFC (Near Field Communication). The communication unit 40 can support one or more of the above communication standards.

The storage unit 50 stores information acquired from the control unit 10 and the communication unit 40. The storage unit 50 also stores programs executed by the control unit 10. In addition, the storage unit 50 also stores various data such as the results of calculations performed by the control unit 10. The storage unit 50 will be described below as including a work memory for the control unit 10. The storage unit 50 can be configured, for example, by a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk, but is not limited to these and can be any storage device. For example, the storage unit 50 may be an optical storage device such as an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk. For example, the storage unit 50 may be a storage medium such as a memory card inserted into the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment. The storage unit 50 may be an internal memory of the CPU used as the control unit 10. In one embodiment, the information processing device 1 may store various information related to the supply of heat generated by the power generation of the fuel cell FC in the storage unit 50.

In FIG. 2, the input unit 20, output unit 30, communication unit 40, and memory unit 50 may each be built into the information processing device 1, or may be provided outside the information processing device 1.

In the following description, the various calculations and/or processes performed by the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment may be performed by the control unit 10. In the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment, information required for the various calculations and/or processes performed by the control unit 10 may be stored in the storage unit 50, may be acquired from the input unit 20, or may be received from the communication unit 40. Furthermore, in the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment, the results of the various calculations and/or processes performed by the control unit 10 may be stored in the storage unit 50, may be output from the output unit 30, or may be transmitted to the outside from the communication unit 40.

When the information processing device 1 communicates with the fuel cell FC, for example, the communication unit 40 of the information processing device 1 may transmit and/or receive various information with the communication unit of the fuel cell FC. When the information processing device 1 communicates with a consumer CS, for example, the communication unit 40 of the information processing device 1 may transmit and/or receive various information with the communication unit of an electronic device used by the consumer CS. When the information processing device 1 communicates with an aggregator AG, for example, the communication unit 40 of the information processing device 1 may transmit and/or receive various information with the communication unit of an electronic device used in the aggregator AG.

Next, we will explain how heat is supplied in a system according to one embodiment.

As described above, the system according to one embodiment realizes an operation of supplying heat generated by the power generation of the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS. The heat generated by the power generation of the fuel cell FC is supplied to the consumer CS through a conduit by a heat medium such as water or hot water. Here, the temperature of the heat medium may change due to various factors while the heat medium is flowing through the conduit. For example, even if the heat medium is relatively hot when it is generated by the power generation of the fuel cell FC, it is expected that the temperature of the heat medium will decrease while the heat medium is supplied to the consumer CS through the conduit. Such a temperature change may become larger as the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS (or the place (or position) where the consumer CS requests heat) becomes longer. In addition, such a temperature change may also become larger depending on the season and/or time of day when heat is supplied, for example, due to the influence of the outside air temperature of the conduit.

For example, even if the conditions (temperature and/or amount of hot water, etc.) when a consumer CS requests heat satisfy the conditions when heat is generated by power generation by the fuel cell FC, it is assumed that the conditions will no longer be satisfied by the time heat is supplied to the consumer CS. Also, for example, even if the conditions (temperature and/or amount of hot water, etc.) when a consumer CS requests heat satisfy at a certain time of day in a certain season, it is assumed that the conditions will no longer be satisfied in another season or at another time of day.

Therefore, in one embodiment of the system, when the heat generated by the power generation of the fuel cell FC is supplied to the consumer CS, the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS (actually, the length of the conduit connecting the two) is an important factor. In general, when a heat medium with a temperature higher than the outside air temperature flows through a conduit, it is assumed that the temperature of the heat medium approaches the outside air temperature (reaches equilibrium) the longer the distance it flows through the conduit. Conversely, when a heat medium with a temperature lower than the outside air temperature flows through a conduit, it is assumed that the temperature of the heat medium approaches the outside air temperature (reaches equilibrium) the longer the distance it flows through the conduit.

By using the following equation (1), it is possible to calculate the temperature of the heat medium (fluid) that flows from the fuel cell FC side as a starting point to a consumer CS (or a location (or position) where the consumer CS requests heat) located at a distance of x [m] from the fuel cell FC side.

In the above formula (1), T indicates the temperature of the fluid at a point x [m] away from the point where heat is generated. T0 indicates the temperature of the fluid at the point where heat is generated (the fuel cell FC side is the point where heat is generated). Ts indicates the outside air temperature. k indicates the thermal conductivity of the fluid. c indicates the specific heat of the fluid. ρ indicates the density of the fluid. v indicates the flow rate of the fluid. Also, x indicates the distance from the point where heat is generated to the position where the fluid has flowed.

Figure 3 is a diagram explaining the system by which the fuel cell FC can respond to heat requests from consumers CS.

The horizontal axis of FIG. 3 indicates the distance from a certain consumer CS to the fuel cell FC. In particular, the horizontal axis of FIG. 3 may indicate the distance between the position where a certain consumer CS requests heat and the position of the fuel cell FC. The horizontal axis of FIG. 3 also indicates the temperature of the heat medium. The four curves shown in FIG. 3 respectively indicate how the temperature of the heat medium supplied from the fuel cell FC1, the fuel cell FC2, the fuel cell FC3, and the fuel cell FC4 changes depending on the distance to the position of the consumer CS. That is, the curve FC1 shown in FIG. 3 indicates how the temperature of the heat medium supplied from the fuel cell FC1 changes depending on the distance to the position of the consumer CS. The curve FC2 shown in FIG. 3 indicates how the temperature of the heat medium supplied from the fuel cell FC2 changes depending on the distance to the position of the consumer CS. The same applies to the curves FC3 and FC4 shown in FIG. 3. In the cases of fuel cell FC1, fuel cell FC2, fuel cell FC3, and fuel cell FC4, it can be seen that the temperature of the heat medium supplied from each fuel cell FC tends to decrease as the distance to the location of the consumer CS increases.

For example, suppose that a consumer CS1 issues a heat request for a certain amount of heat at a temperature of 40 degrees or more at a certain time. In this case, if the consumer CS1 is to receive heat from, for example, fuel cell FC1, as shown in FIG. 3, the consumer CS1 needs to be located at a distance of 8000 m from fuel cell FC1. If the consumer CS1 is to receive heat from, for example, fuel cell FC2, as shown in FIG. 3, the consumer CS1 needs to be located at a distance of 7000 m from fuel cell FC2. If the consumer CS1 is to receive heat from, for example, fuel cell FC3, as shown in FIG. 3, the consumer CS1 needs to be located at a distance of 5000 m from fuel cell FC3. If the consumer CS1 is to receive heat from, for example, fuel cell FC4, as shown in FIG. 3, the consumer CS1 needs to be located at a distance of 3000 m from fuel cell FC4.

Therefore, if the distance between the location where the consumer CS1 requests heat and the location of each fuel cell FC is known, it can be determined whether each fuel cell FC can respond to the heat request issued by the consumer CS1. For example, if the distance between the location where the consumer CS1 requests heat and the location of the fuel cell FC1 is within 8000 m, the fuel cell FC1 can respond to the heat request of the consumer CS1. On the other hand, if the distance between the location where the consumer CS1 requests heat and the location of the fuel cell FC1 is, for example, 9000 m, the fuel cell FC1 cannot respond to the heat request of the consumer CS1. For example, if the distance between the location where the consumer CS1 requests heat and the location of the fuel cell FC2 is, for example, 6000 m, the fuel cell FC2 can respond to the heat request of the consumer CS1. On the other hand, if the distance between the location where the consumer CS1 requests heat and the location of the fuel cell FC2 is, for example, 8000 m, the fuel cell FC1 cannot respond to the heat request of the consumer CS1.

In a system according to one embodiment, as shown in the above formula (1), it is possible to determine whether or not the fuel cell FC can handle the thermal DR based on the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS. According to a system according to one embodiment, the aggregator AG can determine in advance whether or not each fuel cell FC can handle such a thermal DR.

Next, we will explain the heat demand and how to handle the heat demand in a system according to one embodiment.

Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing the exchange between the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment, the fuel cell FC, and the consumer CS. In Figure 4, a specific fuel cell FC is shown as an example, but the system according to one embodiment may include multiple fuel cells FC. In this case, the fuel cell FC shown in Figure 4 may represent each of the multiple fuel cells FC. For example, Figure 4 may be a diagram showing the exchange of data between the information processing device 1 shown in Figure 1, any of the fuel cells FC1, fuel cells FC2, and fuel cells FC3 shown in Figure 1 (fuel cell FC), and the consumer CS. In Figure 4, the information processing device 1 may be provided in the aggregator AG, may be provided in the fuel cell FC, or may be provided in both the aggregator AG and the fuel cell FC. When the information processing device 1 is provided in the aggregator AG, the following exchange between the information processing device 1 and the fuel cell FC can be essentially rephrased as the exchange between the aggregator AG and the fuel cell FC.

The information processing device 1 shown in FIG. 4 may have a configuration similar to that of the information processing device 1 described in FIG. 2. The consumer CS shown in FIG. 4 may represent, for example, an information processing device or electronic device used by the consumer CS. The fuel cell FC shown in FIG. 4 may represent, for example, an information processing device or electronic device used in the facility in which the fuel cell FC is installed.

When the operation shown in FIG. 4 starts, the fuel cell FC transmits the location information of the fuel cell FC to the information processing device 1 (step S11). The location information of the fuel cell FC may be physically transmitted (in writing, etc.) to the aggregator AG when the fuel cell is installed or when registering for participation in the system, and may be set in the information processing device 1. In this case, step S11 may be omitted.

After receiving (setting) the location information of the fuel cell FC, when the information processing device 1 receives an inquiry about a heat request from a certain consumer CS (step S12), it transmits a confirmation of the possibility of fulfilling the heat request to the fuel cell FC (step S13). The information transmitted in step S12 is also referred to as a "first message" or "first message M1". The first message M1 may include information requesting information about the heat medium held by the fuel cell FC. The first message M1 may also include information indicating a heat request (hereinafter also referred to as a "heat request TD") from a certain consumer CS.

When the fuel cell FC receives confirmation of the ability to meet the heat request TD, it responds (replies) to the ability to meet the heat request in accordance with the contents of the first message M1 (step S14). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, when the first message M1 requests information about the heat medium held by the fuel cell FC, the information indicating the ability to meet the heat request may include various information. For example, the information indicating the ability to meet the heat request may include information indicating the temperature of the heat medium (water or hot water) that can meet the heat request TD, the amount of the heat medium (water or hot water) that can be met, and/or the distance from the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS.

When the information processing device 1 receives a response from the fuel cell FC regarding the possibility of responding to the heat request TD, it determines whether or not the heat request TD requested by the consumer CS can be responded to (step S15). In this determination, it also determines whether each of the multiple fuel cells FC can respond to the heat request TD. In step S15, the information processing device 1 may determine whether or not the heat request TD can be responded to based on various conditions. For example, the information processing device 1 may determine whether or not the fuel cell FC can respond to the heat request TD based on the temperature, amount, and/or distance from the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS of the heat request TD of the fuel cell FC ...

Based on the determination result of step S15, the information processing device 1 responds to the consumer CS regarding the possibility of responding to the heat request TD (step S16). The information transmitted in step S16 is also referred to as the "second message" or "second message M2". The second message M2 may include information regarding the possibility of responding to the heat request TD. The second message M2 may indicate the current possibility of responding to the heat request TD. The second message M2 may also indicate the possibility of responding to the heat request TD after a predetermined time.

The consumer CS that receives the second message M2 may transmit a heat request TD to the information processing device 1 based on the contents of the second message M2 (step S17). On the other hand, the consumer CS may include the heat request TD itself in the inquiry about the heat request TD in step S12, rather than waiting for a response to the second message M2 (step S16). In this case, step S17 may be omitted.

When there is a heat request TD from the consumer CS, or when it is determined that the heat request TD can be accommodated, the information processing device 1 may instruct the fuel cells FC that can accommodate the heat request TD to actually accommodate the heat request TD (step S18). Here, the information processing device 1 may instruct each of the fuel cells FC that responded that they can accommodate the heat request TD as to whether or not they need to accommodate it. Furthermore, when the information processing device 1 determines that a fuel cell FC cannot accommodate the heat request TD, it does not need to instruct that fuel cell FC to accommodate the heat request TD. In this case, the subsequent operations from step S18 to step S22 do not need to be executed.

When the fuel cell FC receives the response instruction in step S18 and actually responds to the heat request TD, it may transmit to the information processing device 1 a notification that the response to the heat request TD has been implemented (step S19). In step S19, the fuel cell FC may transmit to the information processing device 1 information such as the temperature and amount of heat medium (water or hot water) actually provided to the consumer CS and/or the distance from the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS.

After receiving an execution report from the fuel cell FC that has responded to the heat request TD, the information processing device 1 may report to the consumer CS that the response to the heat request TD has been completed (step S20). The information transmitted in step S20 is also referred to as the "third message" or "third message M3". The third message M3 may be information used to grasp or determine, for example, the degree of contribution of the fuel cell FC that has responded to the heat request TD to the heat request TD. Therefore, the third message M3 may be information including, for example, the amount of heat and/or the amount of hot water actually supplied by the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS. In this way, the third message M3 can be used to evaluate and/or calculate an incentive for the fuel cell FC responding to the heat request TD. When the incentive is calculated in the information processing device 1, the information processing device 1 may also report the result of the incentive to, for example, the consumer CS.

When the consumer CS receives a report from the information processing device 1 that the response to the heat request TD has been completed (step S20), the consumer CS pays a predetermined incentive to the information processing device 1 or the aggregator AG (step S21). In this case, the consumer CS may calculate the predetermined incentive based on the incentive information from the information processing device 1 or the calculation result of the consumer CS itself.

When the incentive payment is received from the consumer CS, the information processing device 1 (aggregator AG) may distribute the incentive to each fuel cell FC corresponding to the heat demand TD based on the degree of contribution to the heat demand TD (step S22). The operations from step S18 to step S22 may be performed in the same way as the demand response for electricity, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

In this manner, in the operation shown in FIG. 4, the possibility that the fuel cell FC will meet the heat request TD is determined according to the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS. Therefore, convenience can be improved by allowing the information processing device 1 to grasp the possibility that the fuel cell FC will meet the heat request TD through the operation shown in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 4, a manner in which the information processing device 1 determines whether a certain fuel cell FC can handle a heat request has been described. On the other hand, in a system according to an embodiment, whether a certain fuel cell FC can handle a heat request may be determined by the fuel cell FC itself.

Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing the exchange between an information processing device 1 according to one embodiment, and a fuel cell FC and a consumer CS. Figure 5 explains how the fuel cell FC determines whether or not it can meet a heat request in the operation shown in Figure 4. Below, content that is the same or similar to that already explained in Figure 4 will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 5, the information processing device 1 receives an inquiry about a heat request from a certain consumer CS (step S12). In this case, the information processing device 1 transmits distance information between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS to the fuel cell FC as a first message M1 confirming the possibility of meeting the heat request (step S13). The information processing device 1 may generate distance information between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS from the previously received position information of the fuel cell FC (step S11) and the position information of the consumer CS that issued the heat request. The distance information may be the length of a conduit that transmits a heat medium between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS, or may be a straight-line distance if it is difficult to calculate the distance of the conduit.

When the fuel cell FC receives the distance information between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS, it determines whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD (step S31). In step S231, the fuel cell FC may determine whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD based on various conditions. For example, the fuel cell FC may determine whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD based on the temperature of the heat medium (water or hot water) required by the heat request TD, the amount of the heat medium, and/or the distance from the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS.

When the fuel cell FC determines that it can meet the heat request TD, it responds (answers) to the information processing device 1 about its ability to meet the heat request (step S14). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the information indicating its ability to meet the heat request may include information indicating the temperature of the heat medium (water or hot water) that can meet the heat request TD, the amount of the heat medium (water or hot water) that can be met, and/or the distance from the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS. Thereafter, the exchange between the information processing device 1 and the consumer CS and/or fuel cell FC may be performed in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

On the other hand, if the fuel cell FC determines that the fuel cell FC cannot meet the heat requirement TD, it may respond (answer) to that effect to the information processing device 1 (step S14). If the fuel cell FC cannot meet the heat requirement TD, the operations in the subsequent steps do not need to be performed.

In this way, whether or not a certain fuel cell FC can meet the heat demand may be determined at the fuel cell FC itself. The information processing device 1 may determine, based on the collected information, the operating states of the multiple fuel cells FC, and then, for example, rank the multiple fuel cells FC in order of their likelihood of meeting the demand.

Next, the operation of the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment will be further described.

Figure 6 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment. As explained in Figure 4, Figure 6 explains the operation including the aspect in which the information processing device 1 determines whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request. Based on receiving a first message M1 including a heat request TD from a consumer CS, the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment transmits a second message M2 including information regarding the possibility of meeting the heat request TD.

When the operation shown in FIG. 6 starts, the information processing device 1 (control unit 10) determines whether or not a first message M1 including a heat request TD has been received from the consumer CS (step S101). In step S101, the information processing device 1 may receive the first message M1, for example, from the communication unit 40. Also, in step S101, the information processing device 1 may receive the first message M1, for example, from the input unit 20. Also, in step S101, the information processing device 1 may read out the first message M1 stored in, for example, the memory unit 50.

When the first message M1 is received in step S101, the information processing device 1 creates information (distance information) indicating the distance between the location from which the consumer CS requests heat and the fuel cell FC (step S102). To perform the operation of step S102, the information processing device 1 may acquire location information of the fuel cell FC and store it, for example, in the memory unit 50. The information processing device 1 may also acquire the location from which the consumer CS requests heat and store it, for example, in the memory unit 50. The location from which the consumer CS requests heat may also be included in the first message M1, for example.

In step S102, if distance information between the location where the consumer CS requests heat and the fuel cell FC has already been acquired, the information processing device 1 may read out the acquired information. On the other hand, in step S102, if distance information between the location where the consumer CS requests heat and the fuel cell FC has not been acquired, the information processing device 1 may receive the information from the communication unit 40 or input it from the input unit 20.

When distance information between the location where the consumer CS requests heat and the fuel cell FC is generated in step S102, the information processing device 1 requests heat information (temperature and amount of heat medium (water or hot water)) from the fuel cell FC as a possibility of responding to the heat request (step S103). Here, the information processing device 1 may transmit the request from, for example, the communication unit 40. Also, in step S103, the information processing device 1 may store the request for heat information in, for example, the memory unit 50.

Then, the information processing device 1 determines whether or not the thermal information requested in step S103 has been received from the fuel cell FC (step S104). In step 104, the information processing device 1 may receive the thermal information, for example, from the communication unit 40. Also, in step S104, the information processing device 1 may store the thermal information in, for example, the memory unit 50.

Based on the heat information received from the fuel cell FC in step S104 and the distance information generated in step S102, the information processing device 1 determines whether or not it is possible to meet the heat request of the consumer CS (step S105). If the heat information and distance information are stored in the memory unit 50 in step 104, the information processing device 1 may read the information from the memory unit 50.

Next, the information processing device 1 makes a comprehensive judgment as to whether or not it is possible to meet the heat request of the consumer CS based on the heat information received from each fuel cell FC in step 104 and the distance information generated in step S102 (step S106). In step 104, if the heat information and distance information are stored in the memory unit 50, the information processing device 1 can read the information from the memory unit 50.

The information processing device 1 transmits a second message including information regarding the possibility of meeting the heat request TD to the consumer CS based on the results of the judgment or overall judgment made in step S105 and/or step S106 (step S107). In step S107, the information processing device 1 may transmit the second message M2, for example, from the communication unit 40. Also, in step S107, the information processing device 1 may output the second message M2, for example, from the output unit 30. Also, in step S107, the information processing device 1 may store the second message M2 in the memory unit 50, for example.

In addition, in step S107, it may be determined whether or not to transmit the second message M2 depending on whether various conditions, including the content of the first message M1, are satisfied. In addition, in step S107, the content of the second message M2 to be transmitted may be changed depending on whether various conditions, including the content of the first message M1, are satisfied.

For example, in step S107, if the temperature and/or amount of the heat medium generated in conjunction with the power generation of the fuel cell FC satisfies the condition of the heat request TD from the consumer CS, the information processing device 1 may transmit a second message indicating that the heat request TD can be met. Also, as described above, even if the temperature and/or amount of the heat medium satisfies the condition of the heat request TD when it is generated in the fuel cell FC, it is assumed that the temperature and/or amount of the heat medium will not satisfy the condition of the heat request TD as the heat medium flows through the conduit. Therefore, in step S107, if the distance between the position of a certain fuel cell FC and the position where the consumer CS requests heat is within a predetermined distance, the information processing device 1 may transmit a second message indicating that the heat request TD can be met. That is, if the temperature of the heat medium generated in the fuel cell FC satisfies the condition of the heat request TD even if it flows through the conduit to the position where the consumer CS requests heat, the information processing device 1 may transmit a second message indicating that the heat request TD can be met.

On the other hand, in step S107, if the heat medium generated in conjunction with the power generation of the fuel cell FC does not satisfy the conditions of the heat request TD from the consumer CS, the information processing device 1 does not need to send a second message indicating that the heat request TD can be met. In this case, the information processing device 1 may also send a second message indicating that the heat request TD cannot be met.

The information processing device 1 may store a map showing the relationship between the temperature of the heat medium and the distance in the storage unit 50 in advance. In this case, the information processing device 1 may read out the map when receiving a first message M1 including a heat request TD from a certain consumer CS. The information processing device 1 may then determine whether there is a fuel cell FC whose distance between the consumer CS and the fuel cell FC does not satisfy the heat request requested by the consumer CS. If the distance between the consumer CS and the fuel cell FC clearly does not satisfy the heat request requested by the consumer CS, the information processing device 1 may not transmit distance information in step S104 and/or request heat information in step S107 for the fuel cell FC. In addition, the information processing device 1 may not include the fuel cell FC in the second message M2 to the consumer CS.

Figure 7 is a flowchart explaining another operation of the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 7 explains the operation of the information processing device 1 when the fuel cell FC determines whether or not the fuel cell FC can meet a heat request, as explained in Figure 5. Below, content that is the same or similar to that already explained in Figure 6 will be omitted as appropriate.

The operations of steps S101 and S102 shown in FIG. 7 may be performed in the same manner as the operations of steps S101 and S102 shown in FIG. 6.

When each fuel cell FC determines whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat demand TD, after steps S101 and S102, the information processing device 1 transmits distance information to the fuel cell FC (step S121). In step S121, the information processing device 1 may transmit the distance information from, for example, the communication unit 40. Also, in step S121, the information processing device 1 may output the distance information from, for example, the output unit 30. Also, in step S121, the information processing device 1 may store the distance information in, for example, the memory unit 50.

Having received the distance information transmitted from the information processing device 1 by the operation of step S121, the fuel cell FC determines whether or not it can accommodate the heat request of the consumer CS, as shown in step S31 of FIG. 5. Here, the fuel cell FC may determine whether or not it can accommodate the heat request of the consumer CS based on the distance information received from the information processing device 1 and the heat information (temperature and amount of the heat medium (water or hot water)) held by the fuel cell FC. Next, the fuel cell FC may transmit the determination result of whether or not it can accommodate the heat request of the consumer CS to the information processing device 1.

The information processing device 1 then determines whether or not it has received a determination result from the fuel cell FC (step S122). In step S122, the information processing device 1 may receive the determination result from the fuel cell FC from the communication unit 40, or may input the result from the input unit 20. Upon receiving the determination result in step S122, the information processing device 1 makes a comprehensive determination as to whether or not it is possible to meet the heat demand of the consumer CS based on the determination results received from each fuel cell FC (step S123). The operation of the next step S107 may be performed in the same manner as described in FIG. 6.

In one embodiment, the information processing device 1 may perform an operation as shown in FIG. 7 when it is possible to determine whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request. On the other hand, when the information processing device 1 is unable to determine whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request, it may perform an operation as shown in FIG. 6. That is, the information processing device 1 may decide whether to perform an operation as shown in FIG. 7 or an operation as shown in FIG. 6, depending on whether it is possible to determine whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request.

As described above, the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment processes information related to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with power generation by the fuel cell FC. The information processing device 1 may also receive a first message M1 including information indicating a heat request TD from the consumer CS. Based on receiving the first message M1, the information processing device 1 may also transmit a second message M2 to the consumer CS including information related to the possibility of meeting the heat request TD from the consumer CS, depending on the location from which the consumer CS requests heat and the location of the fuel cell FC.

In addition, the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment may transmit a second message M2 depending on whether the distance between the location where the consumer CS requests heat and the location of the fuel cell FC is within a predetermined distance. Here, the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment may transmit a second message M2 with different content depending on whether the distance between the location where the consumer CS requests heat and the location of the fuel cell FC is within a predetermined distance.

Normally, the position of the fuel cell FC when it is installed is rarely changed thereafter. Therefore, when the fuel cell FC is installed, the position of the fuel cell FC can be registered. In other words, it is not necessary to include the position information of the fuel cell FC in the first message each time, and it is sufficient that the position information of the fuel cell FC is included in the initial first message. In this case, thereafter, the position information of the fuel cell FC may be transmitted only when the fuel cell FC is capable of meeting the heat demand TD.

When implementing thermal DR in a system according to one embodiment, the distance between the fuel cell FC and the location where the consumer CS requests heat is an important factor. It is expected that simply registering the location information of the fuel cell FC on the web, for example, when the fuel cell FC is installed will make it difficult to ensure the authenticity of the location information. In that case, for example, the location information of the fuel cell FC may be transmitted at least once from the main body of the fuel cell FC (including a remote control). Here, the location information of the fuel cell FC may be transmitted from a remote control for the fuel cell FC, for example.

When the information processing device 1 determines whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD, the temperature and/or amount of the heat medium, in other words, information on the heat amount of the heat medium, is an important element. When the fuel cell FC determines whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD, information indicating whether the heat request can be met is an important element. Furthermore, if the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD and actually meets the heat request TD, information on the heat amount of the heat medium may be transmitted.

In one embodiment, the second message M2 may include various information regarding the specific heat amount of the heat medium that can meet the heat demand of the consumer CS. For example, in one embodiment, the second message M2 may include information indicating at least one of the amount of hot water that can be supplied by the fuel cell FC and the hot water supply temperature.

In one embodiment, the second message M2 may include information indicating at least one of the current heat storage state and the future heat storage state of the fuel cell FC. Since the second message M2 includes information indicating the current heat storage state of the fuel cell FC, the consumer CS can grasp the possibility of the fuel cell FC meeting the heat request TD at the present time. Furthermore, since the second message M2 includes information (prediction information) indicating the future heat storage state of the fuel cell FC, the consumer CS can grasp the possibility of meeting the heat request TD at a future time.

In the system according to one embodiment, the response to the heat demand TD may be, for example, to collect and utilize surplus heat from the fuel cell FC. Specifically, the response to the heat demand TD depends on the temperature and/or amount of hot water present in the heat storage tank when the fuel cell FC generates electricity. Therefore, when responding to the heat demand TD, it is preferable to have information indicating the heat storage state of the heat storage tank. Here, the information indicating the heat storage state of the heat storage tank may indicate the temperature and amount of hot water that can be supplied from the heat storage tank, excluding the hot water stored in the heat storage tank for self-consumption. For example, if the heat storage tank is nearly full, a lot of hot water can be supplied. On the other hand, if the hot water in the heat storage tank has been used up and is being boiled by the backup boiler, hot water cannot be supplied, and therefore the heat demand TD cannot be met. In the system according to one embodiment, the hot water (which may be, for example, 70 to 80°C) in the heat storage tank of the fuel cell FC may be used directly without adding water.

According to a system of one embodiment, the information processing device 1 can determine whether each fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD from the consumer CS by receiving information on the heat amount of the heat medium transmitted from each fuel cell FC. According to a system of one embodiment, the information processing device 1 can determine whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD based on the temperature of heat requested by the consumer CS and/or the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS. Therefore, the information processing device 1 included in the system of one embodiment can contribute to the effective use of heat generated in conjunction with power generation by the fuel cell.

In one embodiment, the second message M2 may include information indicating at least one of the amount and temperature of hot water planned to be used in the facility in which the fuel cell FC is installed. By including such information in the second message M2, the consumer CS can grasp the possibility of meeting the heat request TD, taking into account the amount and temperature of hot water planned to be used in the facility in which the fuel cell FC is installed.

The information processing device 1 may also take into account the operation pattern of the fuel cell FC when determining whether the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD. Here, the operation pattern of the fuel cell FC may include, for example, information such as the standard amount of hot water used and/or the time period of use. In this way, by reflecting the operation pattern of the fuel cell FC, even if the fuel cell FC meets the heat request TD, the impact on the heat consumed by the user of the fuel cell FC can be reduced. More specifically, when the fuel cell FC is for home use, for example, when filling the bathtub with hot water, a lot of hot water is used. For this reason, the heat storage state of the heat storage tank is affected by the timing of such hot water filling. For this reason, if the timing of filling the bathtub with hot water by the fuel cell FC overlaps with the timing corresponding to the heat request TD, the possibility of meeting the heat request TD is reduced. On the other hand, if the timing of filling the bathtub with hot water by the fuel cell FC does not overlap with the timing corresponding to the heat request TD, the possibility of meeting the heat request TD is increased.

In one embodiment, the operation pattern of the fuel cell FC described above may reflect, for example, the lifestyle pattern of the user of the fuel cell FC. Also, in one embodiment, the operation pattern of the fuel cell FC may be calculated from an average of a predetermined period (e.g., about three days to one week) prior to the command corresponding to the heat request TD. Usually, the bath time of the user of the fuel cell FC is influenced by lifestyle patterns such as work. Therefore, in this case, the operation pattern of the fuel cell FC may be differentiated between weekdays and holidays. Also, the operation pattern of the fuel cell FC may take into account reservations such as filling the water with hot water.

Figure 8 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 8 may show the operation performed by the information processing device 1 when taking into account the operating pattern of the fuel cell FC as described above.

When the operation shown in FIG. 8 starts, the information processing device 1 checks whether it can meet the heat request TD from the consumer CS (step S31). The operation of step S31 shown in FIG. 8 may correspond to the operation of step S13 shown in FIG. 4.

Next, the information processing device 1 reads out the usage schedule of the fuel cell FC (step S32). In step S32, the information processing device 1 may read out the above-mentioned operating pattern of the fuel cell FC as the usage schedule of the fuel cell FC. In step S32, the information processing device 1 may read out the usage schedule of the fuel cell FC that is stored in advance in, for example, the memory unit 50, or may receive the usage schedule of the fuel cell FC from, for example, the communication unit 40.

Next, the information processing device 1 responds (answers) whether it can meet the heat request TD based on the read-out usage schedule of the fuel cell FC (step S33). The operation of step S33 shown in FIG. 7 may correspond to the operation of step S16 shown in FIG. 4.

For example, suppose that it has been confirmed that fuel cell FC1 can meet the heat request TD from 18:00 to 19:00 in the evening. Then, the usage schedule of fuel cell FC1 is read out and it is found that hot water is scheduled to be used from 18:30. In this case, fuel cell FC1 may respond that it is not possible to meet the heat request TD. On the other hand, suppose that it has been confirmed that fuel cell FC2 can meet the heat request TD from 18:00 to 19:00 in the evening. Then, the usage schedule of fuel cell FC2 is read out and it is found that hot water is scheduled to be used from 20:30. In this case, fuel cell FC2 may respond that it is possible to meet the heat request TD. Also, suppose that it has been confirmed that fuel cell FC3 can meet the heat request TD from 18:00 to 19:00 in the evening. Then, the usage schedule of fuel cell FC3 is read out and it is found that hot water is scheduled to be used in the shower from 7:00 the next morning. In this case, the fuel cell FC3 may respond that it is possible to meet the heat request TD.

Furthermore, the system according to one embodiment may include, for example, an acquisition unit that acquires location information related to the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS (or the location where the consumer CS requests heat). Here, the location information may be, for example, the location information of each of the fuel cell FC and/or the consumer CS (or the location where the consumer CS requests heat), or it may be the location information of the consumer CS (or the location where the consumer CS requests heat) as seen from the fuel cell FC. If the equipment in the fuel cell FC and/or the consumer CS (or the location where the consumer CS requests heat) is equipped with a GPS, information may be acquired from the GPS.

The system may also include a communication unit that transmits the location information acquired by the acquisition unit to the fuel cell FC. The information transmitted from the communication unit may be location information of the consumer CS or information on the location from which the consumer CS requests heat, or information on the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS (or the location from which the consumer CS requests heat).

As shown in the above formula (1), whether or not the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD depends on the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS (or the location where the consumer CS requests heat). Therefore, the information processing device 1 and/or the fuel cell FC may be configured to determine whether or not the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD. The system described here may perform operations such as those shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, for example.

The system according to one embodiment may also include a communication unit that transmits, for example, information indicating the temperature and/or amount of the requested heat medium to the fuel cell FC as information regarding the heat request TD from the consumer CS. By transmitting information regarding the heat request TD from the consumer CS to the fuel cell FC, the fuel cell FC can determine whether or not it can meet the heat request TD. In this case, the communication unit may receive information including the location information of the fuel cell FC. Here, the communication unit may include information indicating the amount of heat stored in the heat storage tank of the fuel cell FC, the operating pattern of the fuel cell FC, and/or the lifestyle pattern of the user of the fuel cell FC, instead of or in addition to the information including the location information of the fuel cell FC.

As shown in the above formula (1), whether or not the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD is determined depending on the distance between the fuel cell FC and the consumer CS (or the location where the consumer CS requests heat). Therefore, the fuel cell FC may be able to use the above information when determining whether or not it can meet the heat request TD. The system according to one embodiment may determine whether or not it can meet the heat request TD by reflecting the operating pattern of the fuel cell FC (standard hot water usage and/or time period of use). By making such a determination, the system according to one embodiment may reduce the impact on the heat consumed by the user of the fuel cell FC. Furthermore, the system according to one embodiment may use information on the time period when the frequency of hot water usage in the fuel cell FC was the highest in the past when determining whether or not the fuel cell FC can meet the heat request TD. The system described here may perform an operation such as that shown in FIG. 5, for example.

As described above, the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment may transmit, as the second message M2, a message including information indicating that the heat request TD from the consumer CS cannot be accommodated when a schedule is set to use heat from the fuel cell FC. Furthermore, the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment may transmit, as the second message M2, a message including information indicating that the heat request TD from the consumer CS cannot be accommodated when the distance between the location where the consumer CS requests heat and the location of the fuel cell FC is not within a predetermined distance.

By using this type of control, the consumer CS and/or the information processing device 1 can identify the fuel cell FC that cannot meet the heat requirement TDI. Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to one embodiment can facilitate effective use of the heat generated by the fuel cell during power generation.

Above, we have described a system according to one embodiment and the information processing device 1 included in the system. Next, we will explain other embodiments.

(Another embodiment 1)
According to the "2000 Fiscal Year Results Report on Research and Development on Energy Systems for Factories" (May 2001) by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan, temperature zones are specified for each of gas exhaust heat, hot water exhaust heat, and solid exhaust heat. For example, hot water exhaust heat of 100°C or higher (including steam) is specified as temperature zone H100. Hot water exhaust heat of 80°C-99°C is specified as temperature zone H080. Hot water exhaust heat of 60°C-79°C is specified as temperature zone H060. Hot water exhaust heat of 40°C-59°C is specified as temperature zone H040.

As such, there are categories for the exhaust heat temperature zone, and the temperature category required in the heat requirement TD may differ depending on the use of the exhaust heat. Therefore, the system according to one embodiment may determine a fuel cell FC that can meet the heat requirement TD for each temperature category required in the heat requirement TD.

Like FIG. 3, FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining the ability of the fuel cell FC to respond to a heat request from a consumer CS. The content shown in FIG. 9 may be interpreted in the same way as the content shown in FIG. 3. Therefore, in FIG. 9, explanations that are the same as or similar to FIG. 3 will be omitted as appropriate.

The dashed reference line at the bottom of Figure 9 indicates that the fuel cell FC1 can handle a heat request of 40°C or higher (temperature zone classification H040). That is, it can be seen that the fuel cell FC1 can handle a heat request of 40°C or higher if the distance to the consumer CS is approximately 8000m. It can also be seen that the fuel cell FC2 can handle a heat request of 40°C or higher if the distance to the consumer CS is approximately 7000m. It can be seen that the fuel cell FC3 can handle a heat request of 40°C or higher if the distance to the consumer CS is approximately 5000m. It can also be seen that the fuel cell FC4 can handle a heat request of 40°C or higher if the distance to the consumer CS is approximately 3000m.

The dashed reference line at the top of Figure 9 indicates that the fuel cell FC1 can handle a heat request of 60°C or more (temperature zone classification H060). In other words, it can be seen that the fuel cell FC1 can handle a heat request of 60°C or more if the distance to the consumer CS is approximately 3000 m. It can also be seen that the fuel cell FC2 can handle a heat request of 60°C or more if the distance to the consumer CS is approximately 2000 m. It can be seen that the fuel cells FC3 and FC4 have difficulty handling a heat request of 60°C or more.

(Other embodiment 2)
For example, if a fuel cell FC is capable of supplying heat at 70° C., even if the heat request TD requests a temperature of 60° C. or higher (temperature zone H060), the fuel cell FC can accommodate the heat request TD. However, in such a situation, a situation is also conceivable in which the fuel cell FC receives a heat request TD requesting a temperature of 40° C. or higher (temperature zone H040). In this case, responding to the heat request TD of temperature zone H040 even though the fuel cell FC is capable of responding to the heat request TD of temperature zone H060 seems to be an ineffective use of heat. However, if there is no plan for a heat request TD of temperature zone H060, not responding to some heat request TD also seems to be an ineffective use of heat.

Therefore, in a system according to one embodiment, the information processing device 1 may check the schedule for the next heat request TD and may take into consideration the lifestyle pattern of the user of the fuel cell FC. If there is no scheduled heat request TD in temperature zone H060 before the fuel cell FC is next fully charged, the information processing device 1 may respond to the heat request TD in temperature zone H040. On the other hand, if there is a scheduled heat request TD in temperature zone H060, the information processing device 1 may not respond to the heat request TD in temperature zone H040, but may respond to the heat request TD in temperature zone H060 until the fuel cell FC is fully charged.

Figure 10 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment described above. Figure 10 may show the operation performed by the information processing device 1 when a fuel cell FC receives a signal indicating its ability to meet a heat request TD of a predetermined temperature, and is also capable of meeting a heat request TD that exceeds the predetermined temperature.

When the operation shown in FIG. 10 starts, the information processing device 1 checks whether it can meet the heat request TD of 40°C-59°C (temperature zone classification H040) from the consumer CS (step S41). The operation of step S41 shown in FIG. 10 may correspond to the operation of step S13 shown in FIG. 4 or step S31 shown in FIG. 8.

Next, the information processing device 1 confirms from the current state of the fuel cell FC that it is capable of meeting the heat demand TD of 70°C (temperature zone classification H060) (step S42). That is, in step S42, the information processing device 1 confirms that the fuel cell FC is capable of supplying a heat medium at 70°C. In step S42, the information processing device 1 may read out the operating status of the fuel cell FC stored in, for example, the memory unit 50, or may receive the operating status of the fuel cell FC from, for example, the communication unit 40.

Next, the information processing device 1 checks whether there are plans to implement a heat request TD of 60°C-79°C (temperature zone classification H060) from the consumer CS by the time the fuel cell FC next becomes fully charged (step S43).

If the fuel cell FC is not scheduled to execute a heat request TD of temperature zone H060 by the next full charge (No in step S43), the information processing device 1 responds that it can handle a heat request TD of 40°C-59°C (temperature zone H040) (step S44). On the other hand, if the fuel cell FC is scheduled to execute a heat request TD of temperature zone H060 by the next full charge (Yes in step S43), the information processing device 1 responds that it cannot handle a heat request TD of 40°C-59°C (temperature zone H040) (step S44). The operations of steps S44 and S45 shown in FIG. 10 may correspond to the operations of step S16 shown in FIG. 4 or step S33 shown in FIG. 8.

In this way, the information processing device 1 may send, as the second message M2, a message including information indicating that the heat demand TD of the first temperature T1 can be met. This operation may be executed when the first message M1 includes information indicating the heat demand TD of the first temperature T1, and the fuel cell FC is capable of supplying heat at a second temperature T2 higher than the first temperature T1, and when no information indicating the heat demand TD of the second temperature T2 is received for a predetermined period of time. Through the above-described control, the heat generated by the power generation of the fuel cell can be effectively utilized.

(Other embodiment 3)
Alternatively or in addition to the above-described embodiment, the information processing device 1 may transmit a third message M3 (other than the second message M2) in a predetermined case, for example.

For example, when a fuel cell FC meets a heat request TD, the communication unit 40 of the information processing device 1 may transmit a third message M3 to, for example, the consumer CS or a server owned by the consumer CS. Here, the third message M3 may be information indicating that the fuel cell FC has actually met the heat request TD. The third message M3 may also be information used, for example, to grasp or determine the degree of contribution of the fuel cell FC to the heat request TD. Thus, the third message M3 may be information including, for example, the amount of heat and/or the amount of hot water actually supplied by the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS. In this way, the third message M3 can be used to evaluate and/or calculate an incentive for the fuel cell FC meeting the heat request TD.

In addition, even if the temperature of heat supplied to a consumer CS is the same (unchanging), if the time when heat of that temperature is supplied is different, it is expected that the value of the heat will differ depending on the time when the heat is supplied. For example, in a country such as Japan where the temperature change between seasons is relatively large, the value of heat at 40 degrees tends to be greater (e.g., economically) as heat in winter than in summer in many cases. For this reason, when a fuel cell FC responds to a heat request TD, the communication unit 40 of the information processing device 1 may transmit a third message M3 including information indicating the outside air temperature in the area where the fuel cell FC is installed, for example to the consumer CS or a server owned by the consumer CS.

As described above, the information processing device 1 may transmit a third message M3 including information indicating at least one of the amount of heat and the amount of hot water supplied by the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS based on the fuel cell FC responding to the heat request TD. In this case, the third message M3 may include information indicating the outside air temperature of the area in which the fuel cell FC is installed. In this way, the incentive for the fuel cell FC responding to the heat request TD can be determined based on the contribution of the fuel cell FC, taking into account the outside air temperature when the fuel cell FC responded to the heat request TD. For example, the incentive for the fuel cell FC responding to the heat request TD may be set (determined) to be higher the greater the difference between the temperature of the heat requested in the heat request TD and the outside air temperature when the fuel cell FC responded to the heat request TD.

(Other embodiment 4)
In each of the above-described embodiments, the incentive for the fuel cell FC responding to the heat demand TD may be determined from various perspectives.

For example, the incentive for the fuel cell FC responding to the heat request TD may be determined based on the contribution of each power generation device FC, taking into account the heat amount of the heat medium actually used by the consumer CS as well as the reference temperature (for each season). As shown in the above formula (1), even if the inlet temperature of the heat medium (fuel cell FC) is the same, the outlet temperature of the heat medium (the location where the consumer CS requests heat) may change depending on the air temperature. However, the outlet temperature of the heat medium will never be lower than the air temperature. Therefore, in one embodiment, the reference temperature may be, for example, the air temperature. Furthermore, the air temperature may be measured each time the heat request TD is received and/or when responding to the heat request TD, or may be set to a constant value, for example, each month.

For example, in one embodiment, the incentive for responding to a thermal request TD may be calculated according to the following formula (2):
(Outlet temperature of heat transfer medium - Reference temperature (e.g., air temperature)) x Flow rate of heat transfer medium x Predetermined coefficient (2)

(Other embodiment 5)
In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, each fuel cell FC may include at least a heat medium unit that stores a heat medium that retains heat and is connected to a heat conductor pipe (including sewage heat) that outputs the heat. In this way, the heat medium unit and the heat utilization part may be connected by a heat conductor pipe, thereby making it possible to exchange heat. For example, by connecting a plurality of buildings with a heat conductor pipe, it is possible to exchange heat between the buildings, so to speak, to utilize heat on a surface level. According to such a configuration, since water can be used as a heat medium, it is not necessary to significantly change the design of the existing facilities. Here, there is an advantage that the hot water in the heat medium unit has a small amount of impurities and can be used as it is in the heat utilization part without undergoing processing such as impurity removal.

The temperature required in the above-mentioned heat demand TD may be, for example, the outlet hot water temperature. In the case of a fuel cell FC, it is difficult to measure the outlet hot water temperature unless hot water is discharged as a heat medium. Measuring such an outlet hot water temperature generally requires the installation of a separate temperature sensor. Therefore, in one embodiment, for example, the above-mentioned outlet hot water temperature may be converted from the temperature of the heat storage tank of the fuel cell FC.

(Other embodiment 6)
In each of the above-described embodiments, heat may be supplied by connecting the off-gas generated in the power generation unit of the fuel cell FC to the heat utilization portion via a heat conduit.

The off-gas that has just come out of the power generation unit of a fuel cell FC is relatively hot at about 250°C, which makes it possible to expand the usable temperature range in the heat utilization section. When the off-gas passes through a combustion catalyst, carbon monoxide and hydrogen are removed, which has the advantage of being very safe. Another advantage of this is that it can be used directly in the heat utilization section without undergoing any processing such as impurity removal.

When connecting the off-gas and the heat utilization section with a heat conduit, for example, a three-way valve may be used so that the off-gas normally flows to the heat exchanger side and flows to the heat utilization section only when the heat demand TD is met. In addition, in the above-mentioned configuration, a combustion catalyst may be disposed on the heat conduit side. In this case, for example, the temperature of the off-gas may be measured as the temperature required in the heat demand TD. However, in such a configuration, it is difficult to measure the temperature of the off-gas unless the off-gas is actually discharged. In order to measure the temperature of such an off-gas, it is generally necessary to install a separate temperature sensor. Therefore, in one embodiment, for example, the temperature of the above-mentioned off-gas may be converted from the temperature of the combustion catalyst thermistor.

Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the temperature change according to the distance of the off-gas described above. Like Figures 3 and 9, Figure 11 is a diagram explaining the ability of the fuel cell FC to respond to a heat request from a consumer CS. The contents shown in Figure 11 may be interpreted in the same way as the contents shown in Figures 3 and 9. Therefore, in Figure 8, explanations that are the same or similar to those in Figures 3 and 9 will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 11, by using off-gas (approximately 250°C) that has passed through a combustion catalyst as the heat medium, a system according to one embodiment can meet the heat demand TD, which requires heat in a wider range of temperature ranges than water or hot water. In the above formula (1), the specific heat of water is approximately 1 kcal/kg°C, while the specific heat of air is relatively small, approximately 1/4.181 kcal/kg°C. Therefore, even if off-gas is used, it is possible to meet the heat demand TD, although the rate of temperature drop due to the distance between the fuel cell FV and the location where the consumer CS requires heat becomes somewhat large.

(Other embodiment 7)
In each of the above-described embodiments, depending on the fuel cell FC, it is assumed that there may be a desire to avoid a situation in which the amount of heat available for self-consumption decreases as a result of responding to the heat demand TD, or a desire to prepare for the next heat demand TD. Therefore, in a system according to one embodiment, for example, the power generation side (fuel cell FC) may be controlled.

For example, when a heat request TD is received from the consumer CS, the duty ratio of the heat transfer pump of the fuel cell FC may be increased. By recovering the exhaust heat from the heat exchanger, the temperature of the heat storage tank (hot water) that has dropped can be raised again, making the hot water available for use. In addition, the bathroom may be drained multiple times as necessary. This contributes to the effective use of the exhaust heat from the heat exchanger.

For example, the fuel utilization rate may be reduced in the fuel cell FC. In this way, the amount of hydrogen contained in the exhaust gas increases, causing the temperature of the exhaust gas to rise, and the temperature of the heat storage tank (hot water) that has been lowered may be raised again, making it possible to use the hot water.

Furthermore, the output of the fuel cell FC may be increased (for example, to the rated output) so that the surplus power is consumed by a heater. The heat from the surplus power heater may be used to heat the medium line, thereby raising the lowered temperature of the heat storage tank (hot water) again, making the hot water usable. In this way, by raising the output to the rated output, the amount of exhaust heat can be increased and the hot water can be used.

(Other embodiment 8)
For example, in an apartment building, fuel cells FC (heat storage tank units thereof) may be connected to each other by heat ducts. In such a configuration, the system according to one embodiment may supply hot water from a fuel cell FC that has an excess of heat medium (hot water) to a fuel cell FC that is short of heat medium (hot water) in response to a heat request TD command.

In this case, the party that received the heat transfer medium (hot water) does not need to use a backup boiler. Therefore, by applying for the greenhouse gas reduction amount for, for example, J-Credit, economic benefits may be provided to the party that supplied the heat transfer medium (hot water) and/or the aggregator AG (for example, the owner of an apartment building).

In addition, in a system according to an embodiment, a greater incentive may be given to fuel cells FC that meet the heat demand TD, for example, those that make efforts to reduce heat loss in thermal insulation materials. Furthermore, in a system according to an embodiment, a raw material produced by methanation using a co-electrolytic SOEC (Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell) may be used. In this way, the environmental value of the heat exchanged in response to the heat demand TD can be increased.

Furthermore, in one embodiment of the system, the heat request TD may be executed using sewage heat. That is, the fuel cell FC may discharge sewage heat into a heat conduit, allowing the consumer CS to use the sewage heat. For example, if future improvements in insulation for piping make it possible to ignore (or nearly ignore) heat loss in heat conduits, the effectiveness of such a configuration may be enhanced. In such a configuration, as long as the fuel cell FC and the location where the consumer CS requests heat are connected, the heat request TD can be met.

(Other embodiment 9)
The system according to one embodiment may tally up the total based on the detected amount of heat supplied from the fuel cell FC (heat immediately after it leaves the fuel cell FC) and/or the distance between the fuel cell FC and the location where the consumer CS requests heat. Based on the results thus tallied, the system according to one embodiment may determine an incentive based on the contribution of each fuel cell FC.

From the viewpoint of each fuel cell FC, it may be more convenient to determine the incentive when responding to the heat request TD based on the amount and/or temperature of hot water discharged by itself. However, with such a configuration, the temperature of the heat medium (hot water) may drop before it is supplied to the consumer CS, and the drop in the temperature of the heat medium may vary. For this reason, the consumer CS cannot determine the temperature of the heat medium (hot water, steam, etc.) that flowed from which fuel cell FC. To measure such temperatures, a separate temperature sensor is generally required to be installed. However, installing such a temperature sensor increases costs. Therefore, for example, the information processing device 1 may compile information overall and determine the incentive when responding to the heat request TD based on the contribution of each fuel cell FC.

Here, the system according to one embodiment may tally up the detected amount of heat (estimated amount of heat at the time of supply to the consumer CS) supplied from the fuel cell FC to the consumer CS and the total amount of heat. The system according to one embodiment may then determine an incentive for responding to the heat request TD based on the contribution of each fuel cell FC.

(Other embodiment 10)
In the system according to the embodiment described above, it is possible that the temperature of the hot water (or steam, etc.) as the heat medium drops before it flows to the location where the consumer CS requests heat. However, the outlet temperature of the heat medium (the temperature in the pipe connected to the consumer CS) can be calculated by the above formula (1) based on the inlet temperature of the heat medium (the converted outlet temperature of the fuel cell FC) and the distance between the fuel cell FC and the location where the consumer CS requests heat. Therefore, the incentive for responding to the heat request TD may be determined based on the result of this calculation.

For example, in one embodiment, the incentive for responding to a thermal request TD may be calculated according to the following formula (3):
Heat transfer medium outlet temperature × heat transfer medium flow rate × specified coefficient (3)

As mentioned above, when heat is used over a wide area, it is expected that the temperature of the hot water at the mixed area may change if it is mixed with hot water from another fuel cell FC. However, even in such a case, calculations may be made on the assumption that the hot water flows without any change in temperature to the location where the consumer CS requires heat.

(Other embodiment 11)
In the system according to the embodiment described above, the inlet temperature of the heat medium (the outlet temperature of the fuel cell FC) may be used as an index for calculating an incentive for the fuel cell FC meeting the heat demand TD.

For example, in one embodiment, the incentive for responding to a thermal request TD may be calculated according to the following formula (4):
Heat medium inlet temperature × heat medium flow rate × specified coefficient (4)

For example, if the incentive for responding to a heat request TD is calculated based on the outlet temperature as in the embodiment described above, when heat requests TD are received simultaneously from multiple consumer CSs, it may not be possible to supply heat to the other consumer CSs by simply supplying heat to the one closest in distance. Therefore, in a system according to one embodiment, if the outlet temperature on the consumer CS side meets the conditions of the heat request TD, the fuel cell FC may be able to respond to the heat request TD.

In this case, the amount of heat medium (hot water) supplied may be allocated according to the distance between the fuel cell FC and the location where the consumer CS requests heat. For example, if the distance to the location where consumer CS1 requests heat is 2 km and the distance to the location where consumer CS2 requests heat is 4 km, the ratio of the amount of heat medium (hot water) may be, for example, 4:2. In this way, heat can be utilized more efficiently overall while still supplying heat to other consumers (e.g. consumer CS2).

In one embodiment, the money paid by the consumer CS that has requested heat to the aggregator AG may be calculated based on the inlet temperature. In this case, for example, even if the temperature of heat supplied to consumer CS2 is lower than that of consumer CS1, it may be possible to prevent consumer CS2 from suffering a loss as a result. In a system according to one embodiment, the information processing device 1 may, for example, calculate an incentive for responding to a heat request TD based on the inlet temperature by tallying up the entire data.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications or corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or each step can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided. Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described mainly with respect to the device, the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized as a method including steps executed by each component of the device. The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized as a method, a program executed by a processor or the like included in the device, or a storage medium or storage medium on which a program is recorded. It should be understood that these are also included in the scope of the present disclosure.

The above-described embodiments are not limited to implementation as a system. For example, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a control method for a system, or as a program executed in a system. Also, for example, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as an electronic device such as the information processing device 1 according to the above-described embodiment. Also, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a control method for an electronic device such as the information processing device 1. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a program executed by an electronic device such as the information processing device 1, or as a storage medium or recording medium on which the program is recorded.

In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the second message M2 may include, for example, information indicating that the heat request TD from the consumer CS can be accommodated, or may include information indicating that the heat request TD from the consumer CS cannot be accommodated (or will not be accommodated). Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the second message M2 may include, for example, information indicating the degree to which the heat request TD from the consumer CS can be accommodated (such as an 80% possibility of accommodating, or a 30% possibility of accommodating, etc.).

1 Information processing device 10 Control unit 20 Input unit 30 Output unit 40 Communication unit 50 Memory unit FC Fuel cell CS Consumer TD Heat demand N Network

Claims (12)

An information processing device that processes information related to the supply of heat generated in association with power generation by a fuel cell,
An information processing device that, based on receiving a first message including information indicating a heat request from a consumer, transmits a second message to the consumer including information regarding the possibility of meeting the heat request depending on the location from which the consumer requests heat and the location of the fuel cell. The information processing device according to claim 1, which transmits the second message depending on whether the distance between the location where the consumer requests heat and the location of the fuel cell is within a predetermined distance. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second message includes information indicating at least one of the current heat storage state and the future heat storage state of the fuel cell. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second message includes information indicating at least one of the amount of hot water that can be supplied by the fuel cell and the temperature of the hot water. The information processing device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the second message includes information indicating at least one of the amount and temperature of hot water to be used in the facility in which the fuel cell is installed. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the first message includes information indicating a heat request at a first temperature and the fuel cell is capable of supplying heat at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, when information indicating the heat request at the second temperature is not received for a predetermined period of time, the information processing device transmits, as the second message, a message including information indicating that the heat request at the first temperature can be accommodated. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when a schedule for using heat from the fuel cell is set, a message including information indicating that the heat request cannot be met is transmitted as the second message. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein if the distance between the location where the consumer requests heat and the location of the fuel cell is not within a predetermined distance, the second message is sent as a message including information indicating that the heat request cannot be met. The information processing device according to claim 1, which transmits a third message including information indicating at least one of the amount of heat and the amount of hot water supplied by the fuel cell to the consumer based on the fuel cell responding to the heat request. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein the third message includes information indicating the outside air temperature of the area in which the fuel cell is installed. 1. An information processing method for an information processing device that processes information related to the supply of heat generated in conjunction with power generation in a fuel cell, comprising:
receiving a first message including information indicative of a heat request from a consumer;
transmitting a second message to the consumer based on receipt of the first message, the second message including information regarding the availability of the heat request depending on the location of the consumer requesting heat and the location of the fuel cell;
A method comprising: A program for processing information regarding the supply of heat generated in association with power generation by a fuel cell,
In the information processing device,
receiving a first message including information indicative of a heat request from a consumer;
transmitting a second message to the consumer based on receipt of the first message, the second message including information regarding the availability of the heat request depending on the location of the consumer requesting heat and the location of the fuel cell;
A program to execute.

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