Power management system, server, and power supply and demand adjustment method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11870116-B2
Application number	US-202117521979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2021
Priority date	Dec 22, 2020
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A power management system includes a plurality of power adjustment resources electrically connected to a microgrid, and a CEMS server that manages the plurality of power adjustment resources. The plurality of power adjustment resources include a plurality of FCEVs that supply electric power to the microgrid. Each of the plurality of FCEVs executes a refresh process that removes an oxide film formed on a catalyst electrode of an FC stack by causing the FC stack to generate electric power exceeding prescribed electric power. The CEMS server adjusts execution timings of the refresh process in the plurality of FCEVs during power supply to the microgrid, so as to respond to a request to adjust power supply and demand in the microgrid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power management system comprising:
a plurality of power adjustment resources electrically connected to a power grid; and
a server that manages the plurality of power adjustment resources, wherein
the plurality of power adjustment resources include a plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles that each supplies electric power to the power grid,
the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles each executes a refresh process that removes an oxide film formed on a platinum catalyst electrode of a fuel cell by causing the fuel cell to increase generated electric power to exceed prescribed electric power for a period of time of approximately several hundred milliseconds to several seconds, and
the server controls the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles such that each of the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles repeats the refresh process intermittently, and adjusts execution timings such that the refresh process is repeated without any overlap of the execution timings in the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles.

2. The power management system according to claim 1 , wherein
the execution timings are regular.

3. The power management system according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of power adjustment resources further include a plurality of power storage facilities that store electric power transmitted to the power grid, and
the server selects, from the plurality of power storage facilities, a power storage facility that absorbs an increase in the electric power supplied to the power grid due to the refresh process.

4. A server that manages a plurality of power adjustment resources electrically connected to a power grid, wherein
the plurality of power adjustment resources include a plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles that each supplies electric power to the power grid,
the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles each executes a refresh process that removes an oxide film formed on a platinum catalyst electrode of a fuel cell by causing the fuel cell to increase generated electric power to exceed prescribed electric power for a time period of approximately several hundred milliseconds to several seconds,
the server includes:
a processor; and
a memory that stores a program executed by the processor, and

the processor adjusts execution timings of the refresh process in the at least one fuel cell electric vehicle during power supply to the power grid such that the refresh process is repeated without any overlap of the execution timings in the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles.

5. A power supply and demand adjustment method that manages a plurality of power adjustment resources electrically connected to a power grid, wherein
the plurality of power adjustment resources include a plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles that each supplies electric power to the power grid,
the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles each executes a refresh process that removes an oxide film formed on a platinum catalyst electrode of a fuel cell by causing the fuel cell to increase generated electric power to exceed prescribed electric power for a time period of approximately several hundred milliseconds to several seconds,
the method comprising:
determining execution timings of the refresh process in the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles during power supply to the power grid, and transmitting a command to execute the refresh process based on a result of the determination, the determining including adjusting the execution timings such that the refresh process is repeated without any overlap of the execution timings in the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles; and
causing a fuel cell electric vehicle that receives the command, of the plurality of fuel cell electric vehicles, to execute the refresh process.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hamada Shigetaka
• Hirose Haruka
• Horii Yusuke
• Nakamura Toru
• Sano Takaaki

Classifications

• H02J2105/51

  according to a condition being electrical · CPC title

• H02J2101/30

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0494 Primary

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H02J3/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks · CPC title