Power control apparatus, fuel cell system, and method of calculating amount of used fuel gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10522858-B2
Application number	US-201615576067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A power control apparatus includes a controller configured to control a fuel cell. The fuel cell generates power and heats water using fuel gas. The fuel gas supplies the power and hot water to a plurality of consumer facilities. The controller obtains an amount of the fuel gas used by the fuel cell. The controller obtains an amount of the hot water supplied to the plurality of consumer facilities. The controller calculates, based on the amount of the fuel gas and the amount of the hot water, an amount of the fuel gas used by each one of the plurality of consumer facilities.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power control apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to control a fuel cell configured to:
generate power and heat water using fuel gas; and
supply power and hot water to a plurality of consumer facilities,

wherein the controller:
receives, via a network, an amount of the fuel gas used by the fuel cell;
receives, via the network, an amount of the hot water supplied to the plurality of consumer facilities;
calculates, based on the amount of the fuel gas and the amount of the hot water, an amount of the fuel gas used by each one of the plurality of consumer facilities; and
allocates, based on the calculated amount of the fuel gas used by each of the plurality of consumer facilities, a portion of cost for the amount of the fuel gas used by the fuel cell to each of the plurality of consumer facilities.

2. The power control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further:
receives, via the network, a calorific value of the hot water heated by the fuel cell;
receives, via the network, an amount of the power generated by the fuel cell; and
calculates, based further on the calorific value of the hot water and the amount of the generated power, an amount of the fuel gas used by the plurality of consumer facilities.

3. The power control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further:
receives, via the network, an amount of the power generated by the fuel cell;
receives, via the network, a table indicating a relation between the amount of the generated power and an amount of power generation gas used for power generation of the fuel cell;
calculates the amount of the power generation gas used for power generation based on the amount of the generated power and the table; and
calculates, based further on the amount of the power generation gas used for power generation, an amount of the fuel gas used by the plurality of consumer facilities.

4. A fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell configured to generate power and heat water using fuel gas and to supply the power and hot water to a plurality of consumer facilities; and
the power control apparatus of claim 1 .

5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller further:
receives, via the network, a calorific value of the hot water heated by the fuel cell;
receives, via the network, an amount of the power generated by the fuel cell; and
calculates, based further on the calorific value of the hot water and the amount of the generated power, an amount of the fuel gas used by the plurality of consumer facilities.

6. The fuel cell system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller further:
receives, via the network, an amount of the power generated by the fuel cell;
receives, via the network, a table indicating a relation between the amount of the generated power and an amount of power generation gas used for power generation of the fuel cell;
calculates the amount of the power generation gas used for power generation based on the amount of the generated power and the table; and
calculates, based further on the amount of the power generation gas used for power generation, an amount of the fuel gas used by the plurality of consumer facilities.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Suzuki Yuki
• Nakamura Kazutaka

Classifications

• H01M8/04701

  Temperature · CPC title

• H01M8/12

  operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M8/04313 Primary

  characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function · CPC title

• F24H1/00

  Water heaters, e.g. boilers, continuous-flow heaters or water-storage heaters (steam boilers F22B) · CPC title

• H01M8/04858

  Electric variables · CPC title