JP7612478B2 - Power Supply System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention provides a fuel cell system including a power generation unit having a fuel cell that generates power by supplying a fuel gas, and an operation control unit that controls the power generation of the power generation unit,
The present invention relates to a power supply system in which, when stopping power generation of the power generation unit, the operation control unit executes either a normal stop process that stops power generation of the power generation unit in accordance with a normal stop procedure including a cooling process, or an emergency stop process that stops power generation of the power generation unit in accordance with an emergency stop procedure.

As an example of a power supply system, Patent Document 1 shows a fuel cell system that includes a power generation unit having a fuel cell that generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen-containing gas and air, equipment for supplying fuel gas to the power generation unit, a blower for supplying air to the fuel cell, an inverter for adjusting the output power of the fuel cell, and a control unit for controlling these.

This fuel cell system is configured as a cogeneration system that utilizes heat generated during power generation in the fuel cell, and the fuel cell is configured by stacking multiple cells with a solid oxide electrolyte layer. The power generation unit has a reformer that generates reformed gas containing hydrogen as the main component by causing a reforming reaction between fuel gas and reforming steam, and is equipped with an abnormality detection sensor that detects abnormalities in the reformer and associated equipment.

Furthermore, when a normal stop command is input from the operation unit, the control unit executes normal stop processing according to a normal stop procedure including a temperature drop process, and when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection sensor, the control unit is configured to determine that an emergency stop command has been input and to stop power generation by emergency stop processing without going through the temperature drop process.

JP 2015-191863 A

Power supply systems are often installed in, for example, ordinary homes and are operated using city gas as fuel gas. However, the supply of fuel gas may be stopped due to an earthquake. In such a case, the stop of the fuel gas supply is detected and an emergency shutdown process is performed.

However, as described in Patent Document 1, when power generation of the power generation unit is stopped by the emergency stop process, the power generation unit equipped with a fuel cell is more deteriorated than when power generation of the power generation unit is stopped by the normal stop process. Therefore, in order to avoid early deterioration of power generation efficiency, it is desirable to avoid stopping power generation of the power generation unit by the emergency stop process as much as possible.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above situation, and its purpose is to provide a power supply system that can minimize deterioration of the power generation unit regardless of the occurrence of an earthquake.

The power supply system of the present invention includes a power generation unit having a fuel cell that generates power by supplying a fuel gas, and an operation control unit that controls the power generation of the power generation unit,
When the operation control unit stops power generation of the power generation unit, the operation control unit executes either a normal stop process for stopping power generation of the power generation unit according to a normal stop procedure including a temperature decreasing process, or an emergency stop process for stopping power generation of the power generation unit according to an emergency stop procedure, and the characteristic configuration thereof is as follows:
an earthquake arrival determination unit is provided which determines, based on power generation unit location information indicating the installation location of the power generation unit and earthquake information regarding the occurrence of an earthquake, that the installation location is in an earthquake arrival predicted state in which an earthquake of a set magnitude is predicted to occur within a set time;
The operation control unit executes the normal stop process when the earthquake occurrence determination unit determines that the earthquake occurrence is predicted.

In other words, the earthquake arrival discrimination unit determines, based on the power generation unit location information indicating the installation location of the power generation unit and earthquake information regarding the occurrence of an earthquake, that an earthquake of a set magnitude is predicted to occur at the installation location of the power generation unit within a set time.
When the earthquake arrival determination unit determines that an earthquake is predicted to occur, the operation control unit executes normal shutdown processing in advance before the earthquake occurs.

In this way, the operation control unit will start the normal shutdown process before an earthquake occurs, so power generation in the power generation unit can be stopped in accordance with the normal shutdown procedure, including the cooling process, until the earthquake occurs and the supply of fuel gas is stopped. As a result, deterioration of the power generation unit can be minimized regardless of the occurrence of an earthquake.

In short, the characteristic configuration of the power supply system of the present invention can minimize deterioration of the power generation unit regardless of the occurrence of an earthquake.

A further characteristic configuration of the power supply system of the present invention is provided with a supply stop detection unit that detects a supply stop of the fuel gas,
When the supply stop detection unit detects a stop of the supply of the fuel gas while the normal stop process is being performed, the operation control unit stops the normal stop process and executes the emergency stop process.

In other words, the operation control unit will start the normal shutdown process before an earthquake strikes, but if the supply stoppage detection unit detects a fuel gas supply stoppage before the normal shutdown process is completed, the normal shutdown process will be stopped and emergency shutdown process will be executed.

Therefore, even if the supply of fuel gas is stopped before the normal shutdown process that was started before the earthquake is completed, the power generation unit can be stopped by emergency shutdown processing, so power generation by the power generation unit can be appropriately stopped while preventing major problems such as breakdown of the power generation unit from occurring.

In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power supply system of the present invention, even if the supply of fuel gas is stopped before the normal shutdown process that was started before the earthquake arrives is completed, power generation by the power generation unit can be properly stopped.

A further characteristic feature of the power supply system of the present invention is that when the earthquake occurrence determination unit acquires earthquake occurrence information with seismic intensity notification indicating the region where an earthquake has occurred and the seismic intensity as the earthquake information, if the installation location is included in the region where an earthquake has occurred and the seismic intensity is equal to or greater than a set determination seismic intensity, it determines that the earthquake is predicted to occur.

That is, as earthquake information, the Japan Meteorological Agency and other organizations transmit earthquake occurrence information with seismic intensity reporting, which indicates the region where the earthquake occurred and the seismic intensity.
When the earthquake arrival determination unit acquires intensity notification earthquake occurrence information, if the location of the power generation unit is included in the earthquake occurrence area and the seismic intensity is equal to or higher than the set determination intensity, it will determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur, and the operation control unit will initiate normal shutdown processing.

In addition, when the earthquake occurrence determination unit acquires seismic intensity notification earthquake occurrence information, if the location of the power generation unit is not included in the earthquake occurrence area or if the seismic intensity is less than the set determination seismic intensity, it will not determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur, and the operation control unit will not unnecessarily start normal shutdown processing.

In other words, if the location of the power generation unit is included in the earthquake-prone area and the seismic intensity is equal to or greater than the set seismic intensity, there is a high possibility that the supply of fuel gas (city gas, etc.) to the power generation unit will be stopped, and normal shutdown processing will be appropriately initiated. However, if the location of the power generation unit is not included in the earthquake-prone area or if the seismic intensity is less than the set seismic intensity, normal shutdown processing will not be initiated unnecessarily.

In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power supply system of the present invention, when there is a high possibility that the supply of fuel gas to the power generation unit will be stopped, the normal shutdown process can be appropriately initiated, while preventing the normal shutdown process from being initiated unnecessarily.

A further characteristic feature of the power supply system of the present invention is that the earthquake arrival determination unit determines that the system is in the earthquake arrival prediction state when, within a set period of time, the installation location is included in the earthquake occurrence area and the seismic intensity notification earthquake occurrence information is acquired a set number of times in which the seismic intensity is equal to or greater than a set preliminary seismic intensity that is lower than the set seismic intensity.

In other words, when the earthquake occurrence determination unit acquires a set number of times (e.g., three or more) of seismic intensity notification earthquake occurrence information in which the location of the power generation unit is included in an earthquake occurrence area and the seismic intensity is equal to or greater than the set preliminary seismic intensity, which is lower than the set seismic intensity, within a set period (e.g., within 24 hours), it determines that an earthquake is predicted to occur, and the operation control unit starts normal shutdown processing.

In other words, if the location of the power generation unit is included in an earthquake-prone area and the seismic intensity notification earthquake occurrence information is transmitted a set number of times (e.g., three or more times) from the Japan Meteorological Agency or other organizations, and the seismic intensity is equal to or greater than the set preliminary seismic intensity, which is lower than the set seismic intensity, there is a high possibility that the supply of fuel gas (city gas, etc.) will be stopped, for example, by a gas company, and so on, so normal shutdown processing can be initiated.

In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power supply system of the present invention, even if an earthquake with a high seismic intensity does not occur, if there is a high possibility that the supply of fuel gas to the power generation unit will be stopped, normal shutdown processing can be appropriately initiated.

A further characteristic feature of the power supply system of the present invention is that when the earthquake arrival determination unit acquires, as the earthquake information, intensity reporting earthquake occurrence information indicating the epicenter and the intensity of the earthquake, it determines that the earthquake is predicted to arrive if the installation position is within a set distance from the epicenter and the intensity is equal to or greater than a set determination value.

That is, as earthquake information, the Japan Meteorological Agency and other organizations issue intensity-based earthquake occurrence information indicating the epicenter and intensity of the earthquake.
When the earthquake arrival discrimination unit acquires intensity notification earthquake occurrence information, if the installation location of the power generation unit is within a set distance from the epicenter and the intensity of the earthquake is equal to or greater than the set discrimination value, it will determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur, and the operation control unit will initiate normal shutdown processing.

In addition, when the earthquake arrival discrimination unit acquires intensity notification earthquake occurrence information, if the installation location of the power generation unit is farther away from the epicenter than the set distance or if the earthquake's intensity is less than the set discrimination value, it will not determine that an earthquake is predicted to arrive, and the operation control unit will not unnecessarily start normal shutdown processing.

In other words, if the installation location of the power generation unit is within a set distance from the epicenter and the intensity of the earthquake is equal to or greater than the set discrimination value, it is highly likely that the supply of fuel gas (city gas, etc.) to the power generation unit will be stopped, and normal shutdown processing will be appropriately initiated. However, if the installation location of the power generation unit is farther away from the epicenter than the set distance or if the intensity of the earthquake is less than the set discrimination value, normal shutdown processing will not be initiated unnecessarily.

In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power supply system of the present invention, when there is a high possibility that the supply of fuel gas to the power generation unit will be stopped, it is possible to appropriately start normal shutdown processing while preventing normal processing from being started unnecessarily.

A further characteristic feature of the power supply system of the present invention is that the earthquake arrival determination unit determines that the system is in an earthquake arrival prediction state when, within a set period of time, the installation location is within a set distance from the epicenter and the intensity reporting earthquake occurrence information is acquired a set number of times with the intensity being equal to or greater than a set preliminary determination intensity that is lower than a set determination value.

In other words, when the earthquake occurrence discrimination unit receives a set number of times (e.g., three or more) of intensity-alert earthquake occurrence information indicating that the installation location of the power generation unit is within a set distance from the epicenter and the intensity of the earthquake is equal to or greater than the set preliminary discrimination intensity, which is lower than the set discrimination value, within a set period (e.g., within 24 hours), it will determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur, and the operation control unit will start normal shutdown processing.

In other words, if the Japan Meteorological Agency or other such organization issues a set number of intensity-alert earthquake occurrence information (e.g., three or more times) indicating that the location of the power generation unit is within a set distance from the epicenter and the earthquake's intensity is equal to or exceeds a set preliminary discrimination intensity that is lower than the set discrimination value, then normal shutdown processing can be initiated, since there is a high possibility that the supply of fuel gas will be stopped, for example, by a gas company stopping the supply of fuel gas (city gas, etc.).

In short, according to a further characteristic configuration of the power supply system of the present invention, even if a large earthquake does not occur, if there is a high possibility that the supply of fuel gas to the power generation unit will be stopped, normal shutdown processing can be appropriately initiated.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a power supply system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an operation control device. 4 is a flowchart of power generation stop control.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Outline of the power supply system]
As shown in FIG. 1, a cogeneration type power supply system A is configured to include a power generation module M (an example of a power generation unit) that generates electricity using city gas (hereinafter sometimes referred to as fuel gas) supplied from outside as fuel gas, a power conversion unit 1 that converts the generated electricity into alternating current, a waste heat recovery heat exchange unit 2 that recovers exhaust heat generated during power generation in the power generation module M, a hot water storage tank 3 that heats water with the exhaust heat recovered in the exhaust heat recovery heat exchange unit 2 and stores it as hot water, and an operation control device C (an example of an operation control unit) that controls the entire system.

This power supply system A is placed outside a house such as an ordinary home, and is configured to be operated by an indoor remote controller 4. It is also configured to supply hot water stored in a hot water tank 3 indoors, and the generated electricity is converted to AC in a power conversion unit 1 and supplied to electrical equipment inside the house.

[Specific configuration of the power supply system]
1, the power generation module M is configured as a hot module by housing a vaporizer 5, a reformer 6, a cell stack 7 (an example of a fuel cell) in which multiple cells are stacked, and a burner 8 for burning a portion of the city gas in a case 9. The multiple cells that make up the cell stack 7 are solid oxide fuel cells.

The power supply system A has a gas supply system in which an electromagnetic fuel valve 12, a gas pressure sensor 13, a gas blower 14, and a desulfurizer 15 are arranged in this order along a gas supply passage 11 to which city gas is supplied, and the city gas that passes through the desulfurizer 15 is supplied to the vaporizer 5 of the power generation module M.
Incidentally, when the gas pressure sensor 13 detects that the supply pressure of city gas has dropped below a set pressure, it functions as a supply stop detection unit that determines that the supply of city gas (fuel gas) has been stopped.

In the gas supply flow path 11 configured in this manner, the supply of city gas can be switched on and off by controlling the electromagnetic fuel valve 12, and the pressure of the city gas can be detected by the gas pressure sensor 13. In addition, the gas blower 14 has a blower driven by an electric motor, and the supply of city gas can be switched on and off by controlling the electric motor.

The power supply system A is provided with a reforming water pump 19 for a reforming water flow path 18 that sends reforming water stored in a reforming water tank 17, and the reforming water from the reforming water flow path 18 is supplied to the vaporizer 5.

The power supply system A has an air supply passage 21 that supplies air to the case of the power generation module M, and is equipped with an air blower 22 that sends air to this air supply passage 21.

In the power generation module M, a high-temperature environment is created in the internal space of the case 9 by burning a portion of the city gas with the burner 8, and the reformer 6 is also heated to a high temperature in this high-temperature environment. Therefore, in the power generation module M, city gas is supplied from the gas supply passage 11 to the reformer 6 via the vaporizer 5, and water supplied from the reforming water passage 18 to the reformer 6 via the vaporizer 5 is converted to steam, which mixes with the city gas in the reformer 6 and undergoes a chemical reaction, resulting in reforming into a fuel gas containing a large amount of hydrogen.

Fuel gas is supplied to the anode of each cell that constitutes the cell stack 7, and shared air from the air supply passage 21 is supplied to the cathode of each cell that constitutes the cell stack 7. This generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction, and the electricity is sent to the power conversion unit 1. In addition, an exhaust gas passage 23 is formed to send out high-temperature exhaust gas from the case 9 of the power generation module M, and this exhaust gas passage 23 is equipped with an exhaust heat recovery heat exchange unit 2.

A circulation flow path 25 is formed to supply the water (hot water) stored in the hot water tank 3 to the exhaust heat recovery heat exchange section 2 and return it to the hot water tank 3, and a circulation pump 26 is provided to circulate water through this circulation flow path 25. In addition, a water supply flow path 27 is provided to supply water (basically tap water) to the hot water tank 3, and an electromagnetic hot water valve 29 is provided on the hot water flow path 28 that sends the water (hot water) stored in the hot water tank 3 to the outside.

Although not shown in the drawing, a water temperature sensor is provided to detect the water temperature in the hot water tank 3, and when the water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor falls below a set value, the operation control device C drives the circulation pump 26 to increase the water temperature.

[Regarding operation control devices]
The operation control device C is equipped with a microprocessor, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc., and executes processing according to a program stored in advance.

As shown in FIG. 2, the operation control device C includes a power generation control unit 31, a hot water control unit 32, a start control unit 33, a stop control unit 34, and an earthquake occurrence determination unit 35, all of which are implemented by software. Furthermore, the operation control device C includes a memory unit 36, a location information acquisition unit 37, and a receiving unit 38.

In addition, the power generation control unit 31, the hot water control unit 32, the start control unit 33, and the stop control unit 34 may be configured to be combined with hardware so that some of the software control is performed by the hardware.

Figure 2 shows an overview of the targets from which information related to the power generation stop control described below is acquired and the targets from which control information is output. In other words, the operation control device C receives information from the remote controller 4, as well as information from the gas pressure sensor 13, the start switch 40, the stop switch 41, and the GPS receiving unit 42.

The operation control device C also outputs control information to the fuel valve 12, the gas blower 14, the reforming water pump 19, the air blower 22, and a display 43 (an example of an information output unit). The receiving unit 38 is connected to an earthquake information server 45 that transmits information related to the occurrence of an earthquake via the Internet IN as a communication network.
Incidentally, the earthquake information server 45 is a server of the Japan Meteorological Agency or a management server of a gas company that acquires information on earthquakes transmitted by the Japan Meteorological Agency and transmits the information.

The power generation control unit 31 controls power generation by determining the amount of city gas supplied to the power generation module M, the amount of reformed water supplied, the amount of air supplied, the temperature inside the case 9, etc. The hot water control unit 32 controls the temperature of the hot water (water) stored in the hot water tank 3 and controls the hot water supply.

The start control unit 33 starts power generation in the power generation module M that is in a stopped state based on the operation of the start switch 40. The stop control unit 34 executes control to stop the power generation module M. The control form of the stop control unit 34 will be described later.

The memory unit 36 includes a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM. The location information acquisition unit 37 acquires location information of the power generation module M (power supply system A) based on information from multiple positioning satellites received by the GPS receiving unit 42. The location information acquired in this manner is longitude information and latitude information, and in addition to this longitude information and latitude information, address information or land address information is stored in the memory unit 36 as location information.

The receiving unit 38 acquires information from the Internet IN (communications network). The display 43 (information output unit) is an example of an information output unit that outputs information in a form that can be recognized by humans, and is assumed to be provided in an exposed state on the outer surface of the housing of the power supply system A, and displays information.

The earthquake arrival determination unit 35 determines, based on the power generation unit location information indicating the installation location of the power generation module M and earthquake information regarding the occurrence of an earthquake, that an earthquake of a set magnitude is predicted to occur within a set time at the installation location of the power generation module M.

In FIG. 2, the start switch 40, the stop switch 41, and the display 43 are shown as being directly connected to the operation control device C, but they may also be configured to be provided in the remote controller 4.

[Outline of stop control]
Gas meters that measure the amount of gas used in ordinary homes have a function to detect earthquakes of high seismic intensity and automatically stop the gas supply. When the gas meter stops the city gas supply in this way when an earthquake occurs, the city gas pressure detected by the gas pressure sensor 13 drops significantly, and the stop control unit 34 performs emergency stop processing in cooperation with this.

This emergency shutdown process stops power generation in the power generation module M in accordance with emergency shutdown procedures that prioritize rapid shutdown when a drop in gas pressure is detected. When a drop in gas pressure is detected, this emergency shutdown process immediately stops the gas blower 14, the reforming water pump 19, and the air blower 22, thereby lowering the temperature inside the case 9 of the power generation module M through natural heat dissipation.

During power generation, the temperature inside the case 9 of the power generation module M is maintained at a high temperature that enables reforming and power generation, and the temperatures of the fuel electrodes and air electrodes of the cells that make up the cell stack 7 are also maintained at high temperatures. However, if the supply of city gas is stopped by emergency shutdown processing, the temperature will drop without being managed, causing the fuel electrodes and air electrodes to deteriorate, leading to a decrease in power generation efficiency.

For this reason, the stop control unit 34 is configured to perform normal stop processing to stop power generation in the power generation module M in accordance with a normal stop procedure that includes a temperature reduction process that prioritizes protection of the power generation module M (power generation unit).

In other words, in normal shutdown processing, the shutdown control unit 34 controls the gas blower 14, the reforming water pump 19, and the air blower 22 to gradually reduce the supply of city gas, reforming water, and air over time, achieving a slower temperature drop (cooling down process) than natural heat dissipation. To enable such normal shutdown processing, the power generation module M is equipped with multiple temperature sensors (not shown), and the shutdown control unit 34 has a program that enables control in accordance with such normal shutdown procedures.

Normal shutdown processing requires a longer time to complete than emergency shutdown processing, and the temperature of the power generation module M is lowered to a set temperature under controlled conditions through a temperature reduction process. After this temperature drop is confirmed, the supply of city gas, reforming water, and air is completely stopped to prevent deterioration of the fuel electrode and air electrode. In addition, in normal shutdown processing, the timing of stopping the air blower 22 may be delayed in order to lower the temperature in multiple stages during heat dissipation.

Incidentally, when the power generation module M is stopped by emergency stop processing, the load placed on the cell stack 7, etc. may be, for example, about 10 times the load placed on the cell stack 7, etc. when the power generation module M is stopped by normal stop processing, and it is therefore desirable to avoid stopping the power generation module M by emergency stop processing as much as possible.
For this reason, when the earthquake arrival determination unit 35 determines that an earthquake is predicted, the stop control unit 34 executes normal stop processing, which will be described in detail later. Then, when the stop control unit 34 is executing the normal stop processing and the gas pressure sensor 13 detects a supply of fuel gas due to an earthquake or the like, the stop control unit 34 stops the normal stop processing and executes emergency stop processing.

[Details of earthquake arrival detection unit]
The earthquake arrival determination unit 35 is configured to determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur when it receives earthquake intensity notification type earthquake occurrence information indicating the earthquake occurrence area and seismic intensity where an earthquake occurred as earthquake information, if the installation location of the power generation module M is included in the earthquake occurrence area and the seismic intensity is equal to or higher than the set determination seismic intensity (for example, seismic intensity 4 or higher).

The earthquake arrival determination unit 35 is also configured to determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur when, within a set period (e.g., within 24 hours), the installation location of the power generation module M is included in an earthquake-prone area, and when seismic intensity notification earthquake occurrence information is acquired a set number of times (e.g., three or more times) with a seismic intensity equal to or higher than a set preliminary seismic intensity (e.g., seismic intensity 2 or higher) that is lower than a set seismic intensity (e.g., seismic intensity 4).

The earthquake arrival determination unit 35 is also configured to determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur when it receives earthquake occurrence information indicating the epicenter and intensity of an earthquake that has occurred as earthquake information, if the installation position of the power generation module M is within a set distance from the epicenter (e.g., within a radius of 20 km) and the intensity is equal to or greater than a set determination value (e.g., magnitude 5 or greater).

The earthquake arrival discrimination unit 35 is also configured to determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur when, within a set period (e.g., within a 24-hour period), the installation position of the power generation module M is within a set distance (e.g., within a radius of 20 km) from the epicenter and intensity notification earthquake occurrence information with an intensity equal to or greater than a set preliminary discrimination intensity (e.g., magnitude 3 or greater) that is lower than a set discrimination value (e.g., magnitude 5) is acquired a set number of times (e.g., three or more times).

In other words, the earthquake arrival determination unit 35 is configured to determine that an earthquake is predicted to occur if any of the above four conditions are satisfied when the earthquake intensity notification type earthquake occurrence information and the earthquake strength notification type earthquake occurrence information are acquired.

[Details of control operation of the stop control unit]
Next, the control operation of the stop control unit 34 when the gas pressure sensor 13 detects a fuel gas supply stop and when the earthquake occurrence determination unit 35 determines that an earthquake is predicted to occur is as follows:
The following description will be given based on the flow chart of FIG.

First, it is determined whether the gas pressure sensor 13 has detected a fuel gas supply stoppage and whether the fuel gas supply has been stopped (#1). If the fuel gas supply has been stopped, emergency stop processing is executed (#2).

If it is determined in process #1 that the fuel gas supply is not stopped, the earthquake occurrence determination unit 35 then determines whether an earthquake is predicted (#3), and if it is not, the process proceeds to process #1.

If it is determined in the process of #3 that an earthquake is predicted, normal shutdown processing is executed (#4). Next, it is determined whether or not the shutdown of the power generation module M has been completed by the started normal shutdown processing (#5). If the shutdown is not complete, it is determined whether or not the gas pressure sensor 13 has detected a fuel gas supply stoppage and the fuel gas supply has been stopped (#6). If the fuel gas supply is not stopped, the process moves to #4.

If it is determined in process #6 that the fuel gas supply has been stopped, the emergency stop process in #2 is executed, and if it is determined in process #5 that the power generation module M has been completely stopped, the stop control process is terminated.

In other words, when the normal shutdown process of #4 is started, the normal shutdown process of #4 will be executed until the power generation module M is stopped by the normal shutdown process, but if it is determined that the fuel gas supply is stopped while the normal shutdown process is being executed, the power generation module M will be stopped in an emergency by the emergency shutdown process of #2.

[Another embodiment]
Next, other embodiments are listed. (a) In the above embodiment, an example was given of the case where the earthquake arrival discrimination unit 35 is configured in the operation control device C as an operation control unit. However, the earthquake arrival discrimination unit 35 may be configured as a control unit separate from the operation control device C, and the discrimination result of the earthquake arrival discrimination unit 35 may be communicated to the operation control device C.

(b) In the above embodiment, the gas pressure sensor 13 that detects the gas pressure of the fuel gas flowing through the gas supply flow passage 11 is used to detect the stop of the fuel gas supply. However, a flow rate sensor that detects the flow rate of the fuel gas flowing through the gas supply flow passage 11 may be provided, and the stop of the fuel gas supply may be detected when the flow rate of the fuel gas falls below a set flow rate.

(c) In the above embodiment, an example was given of the case where the earthquake arrival discrimination unit 35 discerns the predicted state of an earthquake based on the earthquake intensity notification type earthquake occurrence information or the earthquake intensity notification type earthquake occurrence information that is reported after an earthquake actually occurs as earthquake information related to the occurrence of an earthquake. However, in cases where the earthquake intensity notification type earthquake occurrence information that is predicted before an earthquake occurs is reported as earthquake information related to the occurrence of an earthquake, the embodiment may be implemented in a form in which the predicted state of an earthquake arrival is discerned based on that information.

(d) In the above embodiment, the power generation unit location information indicating the installation position of the power generation module M as the power generation unit is obtained using the GPS receiving unit 42, but the form of inputting the power generation unit location information indicating the installation position can be changed in various ways, for example, by manually inputting and storing an address as the installation position in advance.

(e) In the above embodiment, city gas was used as an example of the fuel gas, but various hydrocarbon gases can be used as the fuel gas.

The configurations disclosed in the above embodiment (including other embodiments) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided no contradictions arise. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. They can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

The present invention can be used in a power supply system that has a power generation unit that generates electricity by supplying fuel gas.

7 Fuel cell 35 Earthquake arrival determination unit C Operation control unit M Power generation unit

Claims (6)

a power generation unit having a fuel cell that generates power by supplying a fuel gas; and an operation control unit that controls the power generation of the power generation unit,
a power supply system in which, when stopping power generation of the power generation unit, the operation control unit executes either a normal stop process for stopping power generation of the power generation unit according to a normal stop procedure including a temperature decreasing process or an emergency stop process for stopping power generation of the power generation unit according to an emergency stop procedure,
an earthquake arrival determination unit is provided which determines, based on power generation unit location information indicating the installation location of the power generation unit and earthquake information regarding the occurrence of an earthquake, that the installation location is in an earthquake arrival predicted state in which an earthquake of a set magnitude is predicted to occur within a set time;
The power supply system, wherein the operation control unit executes the normal shutdown process when the earthquake occurrence determination unit determines that the system is in the earthquake occurrence predicted state. a supply stop detection unit that detects a stop of the supply of the fuel gas,
The power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein when the supply stop detection unit detects a stop in the supply of the fuel gas while the normal stop process is being performed, the operation control unit stops the normal stop process and performs the emergency stop process. The power supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the earthquake occurrence determination unit acquires earthquake occurrence information with seismic intensity notification, which indicates the region where an earthquake has occurred and the seismic intensity as the earthquake information, if the installation location is included in the region where an earthquake has occurred and the seismic intensity is equal to or greater than a set determination seismic intensity, the system determines that the earthquake is in a predicted state. The power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the earthquake arrival determination unit determines that the system is in the earthquake arrival prediction state when, within a set period, the installation location is included in the earthquake occurrence area and the seismic intensity notification earthquake occurrence information is acquired a set number of times in which the seismic intensity is equal to or greater than a set preliminary seismic intensity that is lower than the set seismic intensity. The power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the earthquake arrival determination unit, when acquiring intensity reporting earthquake occurrence information indicating the epicenter and intensity of the earthquake as the earthquake information, determines that the installation position is within a set distance from the epicenter and that the intensity is equal to or greater than a set determination value, and determines that the system is in the earthquake arrival prediction state. The power supply system of claim 5, wherein the earthquake arrival determination unit determines that the system is in an earthquake prediction state when, within a set period, the installation location is within a set distance from the epicenter and the intensity reporting earthquake occurrence information is obtained a set number of times, the intensity of which is equal to or greater than a set preliminary determination intensity that is lower than a set determination value.

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