The community system includes a hydrogen source, a hydrogen storage, an FC power generating facility, a house group that uses hydrogen supplied from at least one of the hydrogen source and the hydrogen storage, and a management system that manages hydrogen in the community system. The management system manages hydrogen possession allocated to each house in the house group.

A system for optimally controlling gas flows in a pipeline network having gas import points, gas export points, and pipelines connected therebetween. The pipelines are interconnected by at least one junction. Each gas import point, gas export point and junction has a sensor and a flow control device, both of which correspond to a unique smart meter. Each smart meter includes a communication network interface and a flow control device controller. Each smart meter is capable of repeatedly: (1) receiving system gas data and first local gas request parameters from at least one other smart meter; (2) controlling the flow control device via the flow control device controller; (3) generating local gas values based on an output from the corresponding sensor; (4) calculating second local gas request parameters based on the local gas values and the system gas data; and (5) transmitting the system gas data.

A system for optimally controlling gas flows in a pipeline network having gas import points, gas export points, and pipelines connected therebetween. The pipelines are interconnected by at least one junction. Each gas import point, gas export point and junction has a sensor and a flow control device, both of which correspond to a unique smart meter. Each smart meter includes a communication network interface and a flow control device controller. Each smart meter is capable of repeatedly: (1) receiving system gas data and first local gas request parameters from at least one other smart meter; (2) controlling the flow control device via the flow control device controller; (3) generating local gas values based on an output from the corresponding sensor; (4) calculating second local gas request parameters based on the local gas values and the system gas data; and (5) transmitting the system gas data.

A method for collecting and analyzing operational information from a network of components associated with a liquid energy commodity comprises the steps of: (a) measuring an amount of the liquid energy commodity in storage at one or more storage facilities in the network, and storing that measurement data; (b) determining a flow rate of the liquid energy commodity in one or more selected pipelines in the network, and storing that flow rate data; (c) ascertaining an operational status of one or more processing facilities in the network, and storing that operational status information; (d) analyzing the measurement data, the flow rate data, and the operational status information to determine a balance of the liquid energy commodity in the network or a selected portion thereof at a given time; and (e) communicating information about the balance of the liquid energy commodity to a third-party market participant.

A method for collecting and analyzing operational information from a network of components associated with a liquid energy commodity comprises the steps of: (a) measuring an amount of the liquid energy commodity in storage at one or more storage facilities in the network, and storing that measurement data; (b) determining a flow rate of the liquid energy commodity in one or more selected pipelines in the network, and storing that flow rate data; (c) ascertaining an operational status of one or more processing facilities in the network, and storing that operational status information; (d) analyzing the measurement data, the flow rate data, and the operational status information to determine a balance of the liquid energy commodity in the network or a selected portion thereof at a given time; and (e) communicating information about the balance of the liquid energy commodity to a third-party market participant.

Various methods and systems are provided for controlling a supply of medical gas to a gas delivery system, such as an anesthesia machine, via a medical gas delivery module. In one example, a method includes supplying a medical gas from a pipeline gas supply source to a gas delivery system via a first conduit, measuring a quality of the medical gas in the first conduit, comparing the measured quality to an allowable range, switching to an alternative gas supply source for supplying the medical gas to the gas delivery system and communicating a pipeline gas supply fault in response to the measured quality being outside of the allowable range, and continuing supplying the medical gas to the gas delivery system from the pipeline gas supply source in response to the measured quality being inside of the allowable range.

Embodiments of the invention provide an electric heat trace (EHT) control system for use with a piping system having pipes and capable of transporting a fluid. The EHT control system includes an EHT circuit for heating the piping system, a temperature sensor outputting a temperature value, a flow status sensor outputting a flow status value, and an EHT management system. The EHT management system can include a controller connected to the EHT circuit in order to selectively energize the EHT circuit. The controller can be connected to the temperature sensor in order to receive the temperature value and the flow status sensor in order to receive the flow status value. The controller can be configured to execute an EHT management program including the steps of receiving the temperature value, receiving the flow status value, and utilizing the temperature value and/or the flow status value to determine whether or not to energize the EHT circuit.

Embodiments of the invention provide an electric heat trace (EHT) control system for use with a piping system having pipes and capable of transporting a fluid. The EHT control system includes an EHT circuit for heating the piping system, a temperature sensor outputting a temperature value, a flow status sensor outputting a flow status value, and an EHT management system. The EHT management system can include a controller connected to the EHT circuit in order to selectively energize the EHT circuit. The controller can be connected to the temperature sensor in order to receive the temperature value and the flow status sensor in order to receive the flow status value. The controller can be configured to execute an EHT management program including the steps of receiving the temperature value, receiving the flow status value, and utilizing the temperature value and/or the flow status value to determine whether or not to energize the EHT circuit.

There is provided a system of determining a metric of obstruction of a series of infrastructure segments transporting a fluid, the system comprising a processing circuitry configured to: obtain: a) a fluid depth in a segment of the series of infrastructure segments, and b) a time-of-traversal of the fluid through the series of segments; and calculate the metric of obstruction in accordance with, at least: the obtained fluid depth, the obtained time-of-traversal, and a total length of the series of segments, an average slope of the series of segments, and respective diameters of one or more segments of the series of segments.

There is provided a system of determining a metric of obstruction of a series of infrastructure segments transporting a fluid, the system comprising a processing circuitry configured to: obtain: a) a fluid depth in a segment of the series of infrastructure segments, and b) a time-of-traversal of the fluid through the series of segments; and calculate the metric of obstruction in accordance with, at least: the obtained fluid depth, the obtained time-of-traversal, and a total length of the series of segments, an average slope of the series of segments, and respective diameters of one or more segments of the series of segments.