Electrolysis apparatus operation system

Abstract

An electrolysis apparatus operation system includes an electrolysis apparatus, a control unit, a target state-of-health value input unit, and a control parameter calculating unit. The electrolysis apparatus has a plurality of electrolytic stacks in which a plurality of electrolytic cells that produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water are stacked. The control unit controls a controlled subject based on a control parameter that affects state-of-health of the controlled subject. The target state-of-health value input unit allows a system user to input a target state-of-health value that is a target value for state-of-health. The control parameter calculating unit calculates a control parameter of the controlled subject based on the target state-of-health value. The controlled subject is the electrolysis apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrolysis apparatus operation system comprising:
 an electrolysis apparatus that has a plurality of electrolytic stacks in which a plurality of electrolytic cells that produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water are stacked;   a control unit that controls a controlled subject based on a control parameter that affects state-of-health of the controlled subject;   a target state-of-health value input unit in which a system user is able to input a target state-of-health value, which is a target value for state-of-health; and   a control parameter calculating unit that calculates a control parameter of the controlled subject based on the target state-of-health value, wherein   the controlled subject is the electrolysis apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the target state-of-health value input unit allows the system user to set the target state-of-health value based on an increase in a cumulative hydrogen production amount or elapse of a cumulative operation time of the electrolysis apparatus.   
     
     
         3 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the controlled subject includes at least either of the electrolytic cells and the electrolytic stacks;   the electrolysis apparatus operation system includes a target state-of-health range value input unit that allows the system user to input a target state-of-health range value which is a target value of a state-of-health range indicating a range of state-of-health of at least either of the plurality of electrolytic cells or the plurality of electrolytic stacks; and   the control parameter calculating unit calculates the control parameter based on the target state-of-health range value.   
     
     
         4 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the target state-of-health range value input unit allows the system user to set the state-of-health range based on an increase in a cumulative hydrogen production amount or elapse of a cumulative operation time of the electrolysis apparatus.   
     
     
         5 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the electrolysis apparatus has a plurality of characteristics including at least any of electrolysis efficiency, a power consumption fluctuation characteristic, a maximum hydrogen production amount, and a variable hydrogen production amount range;   the electrolysis apparatus operation system includes characteristics priority input unit that allows the system user to input a characteristics priority value which is a priority value for each of the plurality of characteristics; and   the control parameter calculating unit calculates the control parameter based on the characteristics priority values.   
     
     
         6 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 an electrolysis apparatus database that records electrolysis apparatus-related information related to the state-of-health of the electrolysis apparatus, the electrolytic cells, and the electrolytic stacks, wherein:   the system user includes an electrolysis apparatus manufacturer that manufactures the electrolysis apparatus and an electrolysis apparatus user that produces hydrogen using the electrolysis apparatus;   the electrolysis apparatus after completion of hydrogen production by the electrolysis apparatus user is able undergo a reuse process by the electrolysis apparatus manufacturer based on the electrolysis apparatus-related information; and   the electrolysis apparatus database records the electrolysis apparatus-related information before the reuse process is performed and the electrolysis apparatus-related information after the reuse process is performed in differing areas.   
     
     
         7 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the electrolysis apparatus-related information includes state-of-health of the controlled subject, a cumulative hydrogen production amount of the controlled subject, a cumulative operation time of the controlled subject, and a serial number of the controlled subject.   
     
     
         8 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the electrolysis apparatus-related information includes initial electrolysis apparatus information before the electrolysis apparatus starts hydrogen production and electrolysis apparatus operation information after the electrolysis apparatus starts to hydrogen production; and   the electrolysis apparatus operation system includes an actual state-of-health value calculation unit that calculates an actual state-of-health value of the controlled subject based on the electrolysis apparatus operation information.   
     
     
         9 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the actual state-of-health value calculation unit calculates electrolysis efficiency of the electrolysis apparatus based on an inputted power amount to the electrolysis apparatus and a hydrogen production amount of the electrolysis apparatus that are included in the electrolysis apparatus-related information, and calculates the actual state-of-health value based on an initial value of the electrolysis efficiency and a current electrolysis efficiency.   
     
     
         10 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the control parameter calculating unit calculates the control parameter based on the actual state-of-health value.   
     
     
         11 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a target value reset recommending unit that issues a reset recommendation notice regarding resetting of the target state-of-health value to the system user, wherein   the target value reset recommending unit issues the reset recommendation notice to the system user when the actual state-of-health value falls below the target state-of-health value.   
     
     
         12 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the target value reset recommending unit generates a predictive model that predicts future state-of-health based on the actual state-of-health value when the actual state-of-health value falls below the target state-of-health value, and notifies the system user of the predictive model.   
     
     
         13 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a control trigger generation unit that generates a control trigger serving as a trigger for the calculation of the control parameter by the control parameter calculating unit, wherein   the control trigger generation unit generates the control trigger when at least any of the following conditions is met:
 an operation start instruction for the electrolysis apparatus from the system user is detected, 
 input of a new target state-of-health value in the target state-of-health value input unit is detected, 
 input of new characteristics priority values in the characteristics priority input unit is detected, 
 input of a new target state-of-health range value in the target state-of-health range value input unit is detected, 
 the reset recommendation notice from the target value reset recommending unit is detected, 
 the cumulative hydrogen production amount of the electrolysis apparatus reaches a control interval hydrogen production amount set in advance, and 
 a cumulative operation time of the electrolysis apparatus reaches a control interval operation time set in advance. 
   
     
     
         14 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the control trigger generation unit changes the control interval hydrogen production amount and the control interval operation time when the operation start instruction for the electrolysis apparatus from the system user is detected.   
     
     
         15 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the control trigger generation unit changes the control interval hydrogen production amount and the control interval operation time when the reset recommendation notification for the target state-of-health value from the target value reset recommending unit is detected or the reset recommendation notification for the target state-of-health range value from the target value reset recommending unit is detected.   
     
     
         16 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a target value change amount calculating unit that calculates a target value change amount for changing the target state-of-health value of the electrolysis apparatus when the control trigger generating unit generates the control trigger, wherein   the control parameter calculating unit calculates the control parameter based on the target value change amount, and   the target value change amount calculating unit sets the target value change amount to zero when the target state-of-health value is equal to or less than the actual state-of-health value, and sets the target value change amount to a value obtained by subtracting the actual state-of-health value from the target state-of-health value when the target state-of-health value is greater than the actual state-of-health value.   
     
     
         17 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 the target value change amount calculating unit calculates the target value change amount for each of the electrolysis apparatus, the electrolytic cell, and the electrolytic stack; and   the control parameter calculating unit sets an order of priority for reflection in the calculation of the control parameters to the target value change amount of the electrolysis apparatus, the target value change amount of the electrolytic stack, and the target value change amount of the electrolytic cell.   
     
     
         18 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an influencing factor map in which a predicted change value for deterioration of performance related to hydrogen production of the electrolysis apparatus is associated with the control parameter, wherein   the control parameter calculating unit calculates the control parameter using the influencing factor map.   
     
     
         19 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 18 , wherein:
 after calculating the control parameter using the influencing factor map, should the predicted change value differ from an actual change value for degradation of performance related to hydrogen production of the electrolysis apparatus after a value of the control parameter is changed, the control parameter calculating unit changes the predicted change value set in the influencing factor map based on the actual change value.   
     
     
         20 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control parameter includes at least any one of control items that are a voltage of the controlled subject, a current of the controlled subject, a voltage change rate of the controlled subject, a current change rate of the controlled subject, a power change rate of the controlled subject, a temperature of the controlled subject, and a temperature change rate of the controlled subject.   
     
     
         21 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the control parameter calculating unit calculates an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the control item.   
     
     
         22 . The electrolysis apparatus operation system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the controlled subject includes the electrolytic cell;   the electrolysis apparatus operation system includes a target state-of-health distribution value input unit that allows the system user to input a target state-of-health distribution value that is a target value of a state-of-health distribution that is a distribution of the state-of-health of a plurality of electrolytic cells; and   the control parameter calculating unit calculates the control parameter based on the target state-of-health distribution value.