Real-time control system and method for carbon intensity compliance in a hydrogen supply network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025298393-A1
Application number	US-202418610542-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2024
Priority date	Mar 20, 2024
Publication date	Sep 25, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of operating a hydrogen supply network responsive to carbon intensity (CI) requirements comprising: determining the CI for hydrogen produced at the hydrogen production facilities; determining a network flow solution for the hydrogen supply network, the network flow solution defining a network solution space specifying a range of values for production rates of the hydrogen production facilities and a range of values of delivery rates for the hydrogen delivery points which satisfy predefined operational constraints of the hydrogen supply network; allocating production rates from the hydrogen production facilities to each of the plurality of delivery points based on predetermined criteria associated with the delivery points to define an allocation mapping for the hydrogen supply network; generating control variables for controlling the production rates of each of the hydrogen production facilities; and controlling the hydrogen production facilities in accordance with the determined control variables.

First claim

1 . A computer-implemented method of operating a hydrogen supply network responsive to carbon intensity (CI) requirements, the hydrogen supply network comprising a plurality of hydrogen production facilities and a plurality of hydrogen delivery points, the method being executed by at least one hardware processor and comprising:
a) determining, using a computer system, the CI for hydrogen produced at the plurality of hydrogen production facilities; b) determining, using a computer system, a network flow solution for the hydrogen supply network, the network flow solution defining a network solution space specifying a range of values for production rates of the plurality of hydrogen production facilities in the network and a range of values of delivery rates for the plurality of hydrogen delivery points in the network which satisfy a plurality of predefined operational constraints of the hydrogen supply network; c) allocating, using a computer system and within the determined network solution space, production rates from each of the plurality of hydrogen production facilities to each of the plurality of delivery points based on predetermined criteria associated with the delivery points to define an allocation mapping for the hydrogen supply network; d) generating, using a computer system and based on the allocation mapping, control variables for controlling the production rates of each of the plurality of hydrogen production facilities; and e) controlling the plurality of hydrogen production facilities in accordance with the generated control variables.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein step a) comprises utilizing one or more computational models configured to allocate greenhouse gas emissions to coproducts by one or more of: mass allocation; molar allocation; energy-basis allocation; and economic allocation.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more computational models comprises at least one surrogate model comprising expressions for CI which are dependent upon one or more operational parameters of at least one hydrogen production facility.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more operational parameters comprises efficiency as a function of production rate.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein step b) comprises determining production rates for the hydrogen production facilities to satisfy a plurality of operational constraints comprising one or both of: customer demand; and network hydraulic constraints.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein step b) comprises utilizing mixed integer quadratic analysis.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein steps b) and c) are performed simultaneously in a coupled optimization process.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein step c) further comprises determining the rate of a low-carbon or renewable feedstock to one or more of the hydrogen production facilities.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein step c) further comprises allocating an inventory depletion rate to each hydrogen delivery point based on the amount of stored and transported hydrogen, and an inventory accrual rate to each hydrogen production facility based on a respective hydrogen production rate.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein step c) further comprises allocating production rates such that the sum of the production rates and one or more inventory depletion rates allocated to a delivery point equals a hydrogen reception rate at the delivery point.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein in step c) the predetermined criteria consist of one or more of: a current or projected hydrogen demand at a delivery point; a sustainability metric of hydrogen produced by a production facility; a carbon intensity of hydrogen production by a production facility; or a carbon intensity limit for a delivery point.

12 . A system for operating a hydrogen supply network responsive to carbon intensity (CI) requirements, the hydrogen supply network comprising a plurality of hydrogen production facilities and a plurality of hydrogen delivery points, the system comprising:
at least one hardware processor; a CI determination module configured to determine the CI for hydrogen produced at the plurality of hydrogen production facilities; an allocation mapping module configured to:
determine a network flow solution for the hydrogen supply network, the network flow solution defining a network solution space specifying a range of values for production rates of the plurality of hydrogen production facilities in the network and a range of values of delivery rates for the plurality of hydrogen delivery points in the network which satisfy a plurality of predefined operational constraints of the hydrogen supply network; and
allocate, within the determined network solution space, production rates from each of the plurality of hydrogen production facilities to each of the plurality of delivery points based on predetermined criteria associated with the delivery points to define an allocation mapping for the hydrogen supply network;
a production control module configured to generate, based on the allocation mapping, control variables for controlling the production rates of each of the plurality of hydrogen production facilities; and a process controller configured to control the plurality of hydrogen production facilities in accordance with the generated control variables.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the CI determination module is configured to utilize one or more computational models configured to allocate greenhouse gas emissions to coproducts by one or more of: mass allocation; molar allocation; energy-basis allocation; and economic allocation.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the allocation mapping module is configured to determine production rates for the hydrogen production facilities to satisfy a plurality of operational constraints comprising one or both of: customer demand; and network hydraulic constraints.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the allocation mapping module is configured to determine a network flow solution and allocate production rates and delivery rates simultaneously in a coupled optimization process.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the allocation mapping module is further configured to determine the rate of a low-carbon or renewable feedstock to one or more of the hydrogen production facilities.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the allocation mapping module is further configured to allocate an inventory depletion rate to each hydrogen delivery point based on the amount of stored and transported hydrogen, and an inventory accrual rate to each hydrogen production facility based on a respective hydrogen production rate.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the allocation mapping module is further configured to allocate production rates such that the sum of the production rates and one or more inventory depletion rates allocated to a delivery point equals a hydrogen reception rate at the delivery point.

19 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined criteria consist of one or more of: a current or projected hydrogen demand at a delivery point; a sustainability metric of hydrogen produced by a production facility; a carbon intensity of hydrogen production by a production facility; or a carbon intensity limit for a delivery point.

20 . A non-transitory computer

Assignees

• Air Prod & Chem

Inventors

• Isom Joshua D
• Urich Matthew D
• Goheen Christopher H
• Rando Matos Sonia

Classifications

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G05B19/418

  Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] · CPC title

• G05B13/04

  involving the use of models or simulators · CPC title

• G06Q50/26

  Government or public services (business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40) · CPC title