Patent Publication Number: US-2023150389-A1

Title: Power supply management system

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-186849 filed on Nov. 17, 2021. The content of the application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a power supply management system. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, there has been proposed a system for determining which electric power is used for charging an electric vehicle by comparing: a price of the electric power charged in the storage battery; and a price of the electric power supplied from the commercial power system, when charging an electric vehicle (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-138534). 
     The above conventional system makes it possible to reduce electric power cost in charging the electric vehicle. However, since electric vehicles are expected to be more widespread, there is a demand for technique capable of utilizing the storage batteries provided in the electric vehicles as a power buffer. 
     The present invention has been made in view of this background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a power supply management system capable of utilizing an electric moving body whose power source is electric power such as an electric automobile, for a power buffer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect to achieve the above object includes a power supply management system including: a charge history information acquisition unit for acquiring charge history information on a charge history of a moving body storage battery provided in an electric moving body, the electric moving body being left in a predetermined area covered by a transmission and distribution network; a transmission and distribution network power cost information acquisition unit for acquiring transmission and distribution network power cost information on a cost of electric power supplied from the transmission and distribution network; a stored electric charge value evaluation unit for evaluating a value of an electric charge based on the charge history information, the electric charge being stored in the moving body storage battery; and a power supply control unit: for executing power supply processing for supplying electric power to an electric load located in the predetermined area; and for determining which of first supply power and second supply power is used by the power supply processing as electric power to be supplied to the electric load, based on a cost of the second supply power and a value of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery, the first supply power being discharged from the moving body storage battery, the second supply power being transmitted from the transmission and distribution network, the cost of the second supply power being recognized from the transmission and distribution network power cost information, the value of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery being evaluated by the stored electric charge value evaluation unit. 
     The above power supply management system may be configured such that: the charge history information includes information of a carbon credit or a cost of electric power used for charging the moving body storage battery; and the stored electric charge value evaluation unit determines a value of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery by setting a cost or a carbon credit of electric power, used for giving a charge of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery, to a target for value evaluation, and evaluates a value of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery. 
     The above power supply management system may be configured such that: the stored electric charge value evaluation unit evaluates a cost of electric power used for giving a charge of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery as a value of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery; and the power supply control unit compares a cost of the first supply power with a cost of the second supply power, and supplies electric power with a lower cost to the electric load, the cost of the first supply power being based on a cost of electric power used for giving a charge of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery, the cost of electric power used for giving the charge of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery being evaluated by the stored electric charge value evaluation unit. 
     The above power supply management system may further include a charge control unit for executing a recovery charge processing, to recover a remaining electric charge amount of the moving body storage battery, the recovery charge processing being processing for charging the moving body storage battery, the remaining electric charge amount of the moving body storage battery having been reduced by discharge of the first supply power when the power supply control unit executes the power supply processing using the first supply power. 
     The above power supply management system may be configured such that the power supply control unit: determines, for a plurality of the electric moving bodies including a first electric moving body, whether the power supply processing supplies the first supply power to an electric load by discharging electric power from a moving body storage battery; and sets a first moving body storage battery to the electric load when the recovery charge processing is executed by the charge control unit after the power supply processing supplies the first supply power to the electric load by discharging the first moving body storage battery, determines which of first supply power, to be discharged from a moving body storage battery other than the first electric moving body, and second supply power is used by the power supply processing, and executes the power supply processing, the first moving body storage battery being provided in the first electric moving body, the second supply power being transmitted from the transmission and distribution network. 
     The above power supply management system allows an electric moving body whose power source is electric power to be utilized as a power buffer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a configuration diagram of a power supply management system; 
         FIG.  2    is a first flowchart of power supply management processing using a parked electric vehicle as a power buffer; 
         FIG.  3    is a second flowchart of power supply management processing using a parked electric vehicle as a power buffer; and 
         FIG.  4    is an explanatory diagram of information recorded in a user DB. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     1. Power Supply Management System Configuration 
     The following describes a configuration of a power supply management system  1  of the present embodiment with reference to  FIG.  1   . The power supply management system  1  performs a management processing on power supply for an electric load in an area AR, which is an electric power supply area of a transmission and distribution network  100 . The power supply management system  1  uses a battery  61  (moving body storage battery) provided in an electric vehicle  60 , parked in the area AR of the transmission and distribution network  100 , as a power buffer. 
     Here, first supply power denotes electric power supplied from the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60 , and second supply power denotes electric power supplied from the transmission and distribution network  100 . The power supply management system  1  determines which electric power of the first supply power and the second supply power is supplied to an electric load. The electric loads include, for example, electric equipment used in a management facility of an airport AP, and a battery  61  when it is charged. 
       FIG.  1    shows a situation in which a plurality of electric vehicles  60  are parked in a parking lot  70  provided close to the airport AP. A charge-discharge device  71  is set in each parking space of the parking lot  70 . The electric vehicle  60  is an electric automobile, a plug-in hybrid automobile, or the like provided with a battery  61 , which is a power source. Charge-discharge cables of the charge-discharge device  71  are connected to a charging port of the electric vehicle  60 , and thereby the charge-discharge device  71  charges and discharges the battery  61 . The electric vehicle  60  corresponds to an electric moving body of the present disclosure. The charge-discharge device  71  detects a remaining electric charge amount in the battery  61  of the connected electric vehicle  60 , and executes charge-discharge processing of the battery  61 . 
     The charge-discharge device  71  is connected to a charge-discharge device controller  72 . The charge-discharge device controller  72  is a control unit configured with a processor, a memory, an interface circuit, and the like. The charge-discharge device controller  72  receives input of battery status information indicating the status of the battery  61  detected by the charge-discharge device  71 . Further, the control signal output from the charge-discharge device controller  72  to the charge-discharge device  71  sets what processing is performed to charge and discharge the battery  61  by the charge-discharge device  71 . 
     The power supply management system  1  is a computer system configured with a processor  10 , a memory  20 , a communication unit  30 , a power distribution circuit  31 , a battery  32 , and the like. The power distribution circuit  31  is connected to the charge-discharge device controller  72 , and transmits electric power to and from the charge-discharge device  71  via the charge-discharge device controller  72 . Further, the power distribution circuit  31  is connected to the transmission and distribution network  100 , and transmits electric power (buys and sells electric power) to and from the transmission and distribution network  100 . Here, the electric power transmitted by the transmission and distribution network  100  includes electric power generated by renewable energy (solar energy, wind power, geothermal power, etc.). 
     The battery  32  is connected to the power distribution circuit  31 , is charged with electric power output from the power distribution circuit  31  as needed, and also supplies electric power to the power distribution circuit  31 . Further, the power distribution circuit  31  is connected to a management facility  90  in the airport AP, and supplies electric power from the transmission and distribution network  100  or the battery  61  to the electric equipment in the management facility  90 . 
     The communication unit  30 , via a communication network  200 , communicates with: an electric vehicle management server  210 ; an electric power company server  220 ; a charge-discharge device controller  72 ; an electric vehicle  60 ; a mobile terminal  50  used by a user U of the electric vehicle  60 ; a management facility  90  in the airport AP; and the like. Although  FIG.  1    illustrates one user U, the power supply management system  1  actually communicates with a plurality of mobile terminals  50  respectively used by a plurality of users U. The electric vehicle management server  210  and the electric power company server  220  are computer systems configured with processors, memories, communication units, and the like. The mobile terminals  50  include smartphones, tablet terminals, mobile phones. 
     The electric vehicle management server  210  includes a charge history DB (database)  211  in which the charge history of the battery  61  provided in the electric vehicle  60  is recorded. The charge history includes the charge date and time, the cost of the electric power used for charging, the carbon credit of the electric power used for charging, and the like. The electric vehicle management server  210 , when the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60  is charged, receives charging information of the battery  61  transmitted via the communication network  200  from the electric vehicle  60 , the charge-discharge device  71 , or the charge-discharge device controller  72 , and thereby recognizes the charge status of the battery  61 . Then, the electric vehicle management server  210  records the recognized charge status of the battery  61  in the charge history DB  211 . The electric power company server  220  includes a power supply DB  221  in which there is recorded information such as the cost (power charge) of the power to be supplied (commercial power) and the excess or deficiency of power (supply and demand situation) in the area AR. 
     The memory  20  of the power supply management system  1  stores: a control program  21  of the power supply management system  1 ; and a user DB  22  in which there is recorded information on the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60  used by the user U who has been registered for use of the power supply management using the power supply management system  1 . As shown in  FIG.  4   , the user DB  22  contains the following records of each user U: an ID of the user U; a vehicle ID of the electric vehicle  60  used by the user U; an amount of electric charge stored in the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60 ; a cost of the electric charge stored in the battery  61  (cost required for charging); a carbon credit amount of electric charge stored in the battery  61  (carbon credit amount of electric power used for charging); a priority specified by the user U (giving priority to cost or giving priority to carbon credit); and necessity of recovery charge of the battery  61  specified by the user U. 
     The amount, cost, and carbon credit amount of the electric charge stored in the battery  61  are recorded by the stored electric charge value evaluation unit  13 , as is to be described below. The priority and the necessity of recovery charge are set by a user U accessing the power supply management system  1  with the mobile terminal  50  or the like. 
     The processor  10  reads and executes the control program  21  stored in the memory  20 , and thereby functions as a charge history information acquisition unit  11 , a transmission and distribution network power cost information acquisition unit  12 , a stored electric charge value evaluation unit  13 , a power supply control unit  14 , and a charge control unit. The charge history information acquisition unit  11  accesses the electric vehicle management server  210  to refer to the charge history DB, and thereby acquires the charge history information of the electric vehicle  60  parked in the parking lot  70 . 
     The transmission and distribution network power cost information acquisition unit  12  accesses the electric power company server  220  to refer to the power supply DB  221 , and thereby acquires the transmission and distribution network power cost information. The stored electric charge value evaluation unit  13  evaluates the value of the electric charge stored in the battery  61  based on the charge history information of the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60  acquired by the charge history information acquisition unit  11 . The stored electric charge value evaluation unit  13  evaluates the value of the electric charge stored in the battery  61  using the cost and carbon credit as evaluation factors, and records the evaluation result (electric charge cost, carbon credit of electric power used for charging) in the user DB  22 . 
     The power supply control unit  14  executes a power supply processing of supplying the first supply power from the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60  or the second supply power from the transmission and distribution network  100  to the electric load in the area AR. The charge control unit  15  executes a recovery charge processing of recovering the remaining electric charge amount of the battery  61  whose remaining electric charge amount has been reduced by being used for the power supply processing. The charge control unit  15 , by the recovery charge processing, charges the battery  61  basically up to the remaining electric charge amount immediately before being used for the power supply processing. However, the charge control unit  15  may fully charge the battery  61  according to a specification of a user U, or may set a degree of recovery of the remaining charge amount of the battery  61  according to a specification of a user U. 
     2. Power Supply Management Processing 
     There is to be described a power supply management processing for the electric load, which is executed by the power supply management system  1  according to the flowcharts shown in  FIGS.  2  to  3   . The following describes a case in which the electric equipment used in the management facility  90  in the airport AP is an electric load and power supply is performed to the management facility  90 . 
     In step S 1  of  FIG.  2   , when receiving the power supply request information for requesting power supply from the management facility  90 , the power supply control unit  14  advances processing to step S 2 . In step S 2 , the charge history information acquisition unit  11  accesses the electric vehicle management server  210 , refers to the charge history DB  211 , and thereby acquires the charge history information of the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60  parked in the parking lot  70 . 
     In the next step S 3 , the transmission and distribution network power cost information acquisition unit  12  accesses the electric power company server  220  to refer to the power supply DB  221 , and thereby acquires the transmission and distribution network power cost information. In the following step S 4 , the stored electric charge value evaluation unit  13  evaluates the value (cost and carbon credit) of the electric charge stored in the battery  61  based on the charge history information. In this case, when there are the plurality of parked electric vehicles  60 , the evaluation of the value of the electric charge may be performed on the total electric charge amount of the batteries  61  of a plurality of electric vehicles  60 , or may be performed on the average of evaluations for electric charges of the individual batteries  61 . 
     In the next step S 5 , the power supply control unit  14  determines whether the power supply requester (here, the requester for power supply to the management facility) has given an instruction of giving priority to carbon credit. Then, the power supply control unit  14  advances processing to step S 20  if there is the instruction of giving priority to carbon credit, and advances processing to step S 6  if there is no instruction of giving priority to carbon credit (if there is an instruction of giving priority to cost). 
     Note that an upper limit of the cost may be set in the instruction of giving priority to carbon credit. In other words, for example, the instruction may be such that: if the cost of the first supply power from the battery  61  is up to the cost of the second supply power from the transmission and distribution network  100 +α, the carbon credit is prioritized and the power supply processing is executed using the first supply power; and if the cost of the first supply power exceeds the cost of the second supply power+α, the power supply processing is executed using the second supply power. 
     In step S 6 , the power supply control unit  14  recognizes the cost of the second supply power supplied from the transmission and distribution network  100 , from the transmission and distribution network power cost information. In the following step S 7 , the power supply control unit  14  recognizes the cost of the first supply power supplied from the battery  61 , from the value evaluation of the electric charge of the battery  61  made by the stored electric charge value evaluation unit  13 . In the following step S 8 , the power supply control unit  14  determines whether the cost of the first supply power is lower than the cost of the second supply power. 
     Then, if the cost of the first supply power is lower than the cost of the second supply power, the power supply control unit  14  advances processing to step S 9 . In step  9 , the power supply control unit  14  uses the first supply power from the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60  to execute a power supply processing of supplying electric power to the management facility  90 , and advances processing to step S 10 . On the other hand, if the cost of the first supply power is the same as the cost of the second supply power, or the cost of the first supply power is higher than the cost of the second supply power, the power supply control unit  14  advances processing to step S 30 . In step S 30 , the power supply control unit  14  uses the second supply power from the transmission and distribution network  100  to execute a power supply processing of supplying electric power to the management facility  90 , and advances processing to step S 12 . 
     In step S 10 , the charge control unit  15  refers to the user DB  22  and determines whether there is an electric vehicle  60  with specification of need for recovery charge among the electric vehicles  60  having been discharged from the battery  61  in the power supply processing. Then, if there is an electric vehicle  60  with specification of need for recovery charge, the charge control unit  15  advances processing to step S 11  to execute recovery charge processing for the electric vehicle  60  with specification of need for recovery charge. 
     The recovery charge processing is configured such that: the battery  61  (corresponding to the first mobile storage battery of the present disclosure) of the electric vehicle  60  (corresponding to the first electric moving body of the present disclosure), which is the target of the recovery charge processing, is determined to be the electric load; and the processing of steps S 2  to S 12 , S 20 , S 21 , and S 30  described above is performed on the other electric vehicles  60  and the transmission and distribution network  100 , determining whether to use the first supply power or the second supply power for the recovery charge processing. On the other hand, if there is no electric vehicle  60  with specification of need for recovery charge among the electric vehicles  60  discharged from the battery  61  in the power supply processing, the charge control unit  15  advances processing to step S 12 . 
     In step S 20  of  FIG.  2   , the power supply control unit  14  refers to the user DB  22 . Then, the power supply control unit  14  selects an electric vehicle  60 , from the electric vehicles  60  parked in the parking lot  70 , to be used for the power supply processing so that the total amount of carbon credit becomes large in the electric charge of the battery  61  to be used for power supply processing. In the following step S 21 , the power supply control unit  14  uses the first supply power from the batteries  61  of the selected electric vehicles  60  to execute power supply processing for supplying electric power to the management facility, and advances processing to step S 10  in  FIG.  3   . 
     3. Other Embodiments 
     The above embodiment illustrates the electric moving body of the present disclosure with the electric vehicle  60 , but the electric moving body of the present disclosure may be any moving body whose power source is a storage battery, and may be an electric moving body other than a vehicle such as a flying body or a ship. In the case of an electric flying body, the electric flying body parked at a tarmac is used for an electric power buffer, and in the case of an electric ship, the electric ship moored in a mooring area is used for an electric power buffer. 
     In the above embodiment, the stored electric charge value evaluation unit  13  targets the cost and the carbon credit for the value evaluation of the electric charge stored in the battery  61 . However, the target of the value evaluation may be only any one of the cost and the carbon credit. Further, the target of the value evaluation of the electric charge may be other than the cost and the carbon credit. 
     In the above embodiment, the charge control unit  15  is provided to execute recovery charge processing for recovering the remaining electric charge amount of the battery  61  of the electric vehicle  60 , which has been used for the power supply processing. However, the configuration may be such that no recovery charge processing is executed. 
     Note that  FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the power supply management system  1  divided based on main things to be processed to facilitate the understanding of the invention of the present application, and the power supply management system  1  may be configured with another division. Further, the processing of each component may be executed by one hardware unit, or may be executed by a plurality of hardware units. Further, the processing by each component according to the flowcharts shown in  FIGS.  2  to  3    may be executed by one program, or may be executed by a plurality of programs. 
     4. Configuration Supported by the Above Embodiments 
     The above embodiments are specific examples of the following configurations. 
     (Configuration 1) 
     A power supply management system, including: a charge history information acquisition unit for acquiring charge history information on a charge history of a moving body storage battery provided in an electric moving body, the electric moving body being left in a predetermined area covered by a transmission and distribution network; a transmission and distribution network power cost information acquisition unit for acquiring transmission and distribution network power cost information on a cost of electric power supplied from the transmission and distribution network; a stored electric charge value evaluation unit for evaluating a value of an electric charge based on the charge history information, the electric charge being stored in the moving body storage battery; and a power supply control unit: for executing power supply processing for supplying electric power to an electric load located in the predetermined area; and for determining which of first supply power and second supply power is used by the power supply processing as electric power to be supplied to the electric load, based on a cost of the second supply power and a value of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery, the first supply power being discharged from the moving body storage battery, the second supply power being transmitted from the transmission and distribution network, the cost of the second supply power being recognized from the transmission and distribution network power cost information, the value of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery being evaluated by the stored electric charge value evaluation unit. 
     The power supply management system of the configuration 1 makes it possible to utilize the electric moving body as a power buffer and determine supplying electric power from the moving body battery to the electric load based on the value of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery. 
     (Configuration 2) 
     The power supply management system according to configuration 1, wherein: the charge history information includes information of a carbon credit or a cost of electric power used for charging the moving body storage battery; and the stored electric charge value evaluation unit determines a value of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery by setting a cost or a carbon credit of electric power, used for giving a charge of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery, to a target for value evaluation, and evaluates a value of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery. 
     The power supply management system of the configuration 2 makes it possible: to target the cost or the carbon credit for value evaluation of the electric power used for giving a charge of the electric charge stored in the moving body battery, to evaluate the value of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery; and to determine whether the first supply power from the moving body storage battery or the second supply power from the transmission and distribution network is supplied to the electric load, depending on the cost consciousness or environmental consciousness of the user of the electric load. 
     (Configuration 3) 
     The power supply management system according to configuration 2, wherein: the stored electric charge value evaluation unit evaluates a cost of electric power used for giving a charge of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery as a value of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery; and the power supply control unit compares a cost of the first supply power with a cost of the second supply power, and supplies electric power with a lower cost to the electric load, the cost of the first supply power being based on a cost of electric power used for giving a charge of an electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery, the cost of electric power used for giving the charge of the electric charge stored in the moving body storage battery being evaluated by the stored electric charge value evaluation unit. 
     The power supply management system of configuration 3 makes it possible to supply electric power with the lower cost, of the first supply power from the moving body storage battery and the second supply power from the transmission and distribution network, to the electric load; and to reduce the cost of using the electric load. 
     (Configuration 4) 
     The power supply management system according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, further including a charge control unit for executing a recovery charge processing, to recover a remaining electric charge amount of the moving body storage battery, the recovery charge processing being processing for charging the moving body storage battery, the remaining electric charge amount of the moving body storage battery having been reduced by discharge of the first supply power when the power supply control unit executes the power supply processing using the first supply power. 
     The power supply management system of configuration 4 makes it possible that, when the moving body storage battery has a remaining electric charge amount reduced when being utilized as a power buffer, the recovery charge processing recovers the remaining electric charge amount of the moving body storage battery. This can prevent a movement using the electric moving body from being hindered due to insufficient remaining electric charge amount in the moving body storage battery. 
     (Configuration 5) 
     The power supply management system according to configuration 4, wherein the power supply control unit: determines, for a plurality of the electric moving bodies including a first electric moving body, whether the power supply processing supplies the first supply power to an electric load by discharging electric power from a moving body storage battery; and sets a first moving body storage battery to an electric load when the recovery charge processing is executed by the charge control unit after the power supply processing supplies the first supply power to the electric load by discharging the first moving body storage battery, determines which of first supply power, to be discharged from a moving body storage battery other than the first electric moving body, and second supply power is used by the power supply processing, and executes the power supply processing, the first moving body storage battery being provided in the first electric moving body, the second supply power being transmitted from the transmission and distribution network. 
     The power supply management system of configuration 5 makes it possible to reduce the electric power cost when the recovery charge processing charges the moving body storage battery. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       1  . . . power supply management system,  10  . . . processor,  11  . . . charge history information acquisition unit,  12  . . . transmission and distribution network power cost information acquisition unit,  13  . . . stored electric charge value evaluation unit,  14  . . . power supply control unit,  15  . . . charge control unit,  20  . . . memory,  21  . . . control program,  22  . . . user DB,  30  . . . communication unit,  31  . . . power distribution circuit,  32  . . . battery,  50  . . . mobile terminal,  60  . . . electric vehicle (electric moving body),  61  . . . battery (moving body storage battery),  70  . . . parking lot,  71  . . . charge-discharge device,  72  . . . charge-discharge device controller,  100  . . . transmission and distribution network,  200  . . . communication network,  210  . . . electric vehicle management server,  211  . . . charge history DB,  220  . . . electric power company server,  221  . . . power supply DB, U . . . user, AP . . . airport, AR . . . area covered by transmission and distribution network.