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Title:
PARALLEL COGENERATION PROCESS OF ELECTRICAL AND THERMAL ENERGY FROM SUSTAINABLE RENEWABLE SOURCES SUCH AS WIND OR PHOTOVOLTAICS, EQUIPPED WITH A MICRO PLANT THAT ENABLES ENERGY TO BE TRANSFORMED AND STORED THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF GREEN HYDROGEN WITHOUT THE USE OF BATTERIES BY MEANS OF A CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGNED TO MANAGE AND REDUCE WASTE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2023/223156
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The proposed procedure aims to overcome the limits associated with the production of renewable energy. Said procedure consists of the following phases; phase one: concerns the procurement of electricity from renewable photovoltaic and wind energy sources; phase two: management of the energy produced in the first phase; phase three: production of green hydrogen through hydrolysis of water already present in the micro-plant following softening; phase four: heat production, in the absence of combustion and emissions, thanks to the presence of previously stored oxygen combined with the filtered air; phase five: distribution of electricity reconverted from hydrogen, to meet the demand from users.

Inventors:
RIZZO ANTONIO
SANSONE FRANCESCO
Application Number:
PCT/IB2023/054904
Publication Date:
November 23, 2023
Filing Date:
May 12, 2023
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
RTH ENERGY S R L S (IT)
International Classes:
H02J3/28; H02J3/38; H02J15/00
Domestic Patent References:
WO2022064344A12022-03-31
WO2011060953A22011-05-26
Foreign References:
US20090048716A12009-02-19
US8288888B22012-10-16
CN113279001A2021-08-20
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
SIRONI, Stefania (IT)
Download PDF:
Claims:
1.4.-CLAIMS

1 The "Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable "wind or photovoltaic energy; equipped with a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste" is characterised by the fact that it consists of five phases that take place within a micro plant in the following sequence:

1- Phase one: energy supply using a photovoltaic panel or wind turbine equipped with an inverter to transform the electric current from alternating to direct current - equipped with photovoltaic panels or a micro wind turbine.

2- Phase two: power management via modem, which allows power to be supplied directly to the utilities' request for consumption or sent to and requested from the module mentioned in phase three. Equipped with a controller for the simultaneous management of power flows to the consumers and in the event of overproduction to the electrolyser.

3- Phase three: Creation of a conversion reaction from electricity to chemistry using an electrolytic cell from which oxygen and hydrogen are obtained in a gaseous state, which is possible thanks to the use of water previously purified with the aid of a water softener; equipped with an electrolytic cell in which the conversion reaction from electricity to chemistry takes place in which the splitting of oxygen and hydrogen in the gaseous state takes place. Also equipped with a softener that sends purified water to the electrolytic cell.

4- Phase four: utilisation of oxygen for energy production by means of an exothermic reaction and storage of hydrogen by adsorption using a series of flat cartridges capable of storing and making available hydrogen to be subsequently reconverted into electrical energy by passage through the PEM-type fuel cell. Equipped with metal hydride flat cartridges.

5- Phase five: conversion of hydrogen back into electricity.

2.- The "Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable wind or photovoltaic energy; equipped with a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste", as per previous claim, is characterised by the fact that the energy obtained in phase one can be stored by means of the hydrogen carrier and heat that is transmitted through a coil according to the instantaneous demand.

3.- The ’Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable "wind or photovoltaic power; equippedwith a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means ofa control system designed to manage and reduce waste’, as per the main independent claim, is characterised by the fact that the storage of the converted energy through electrochemical hydrolysis of water and subsequent conveyance of the hydrogen produced in a series of flat cartridges with a pressure value of 30 Bar each. Equipped with flat metal hydride cartridges with 30Bar pressure valves.

4.- The "Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable wind or photovoltaic power; equippedwith a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means ofa control system designed to manage and reduce waste", as per previous claim is characterised by the fact that the hydrogen stored is 99.9% pure as the process is equipped with a purification filter designed according to the quality of water available on site. Equipped with water softener and storage tank.

5.- The ’Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable wind or photovoltaic power; equipped with a micro plant for transforming and storing energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste’, as per the main independent claim, is equipped with a programmed control board for the identification of the system state variables to be managed by means of identification algorithms expressly dedicated for this purpose, identification algorithms with linear processes and Kalman filters including identification clusters with neural networks. Equipped with controller.

6.- The ’Parallel cogeneration process of electric and thermal energy from sustainable wind or photovoltaic power; equipped with a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy by means of the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste’, as per the main claim, is characterised by the fact that the hydrogen is stored by means of specially designed taps. Equipped with piping, valves and connections suitable for storing and transferring hydrogen, which allow gas to pass from one cell to another and move process water and dedicated process air compressors.

7.- The ’Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable "wind or photovoltaic power; equippedwith a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means ofa control system designed to manage and reduce waste’, as per the main claim, is characterised by the fact that each element of the plant within which the process takes place is connected to the valves of the system that allow the passage of gas from one cell to another, to the pumps that move the process water and to the compressors dedicated to the process air.

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 25 September 2023 (25.09.2023)

1.4.-CLAIMS

1 The "Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable wind or photovoltaic energy; equipped with a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste" is characterised by the fact that it consists of five phases that take place within a micro plant in the following sequence:

1- Phase one: energy supply using a photovoltaic panel system (Pos. La, table 1) or a micro wind turbine, Pos. 1 b, table 1, equipped with an inverter for the transformation of the electrical current from alternating to direct one.

2- Phase two: management and control of the electricity produced in phase one through a control card, Pos.2, table 1, for the supply of energy requested by domestic users and simultaneous dispatch of the excess electricity to the module referred to in phase 3.

3- Phase three: production of hydrogen through the use of an electrolytic cell with the use of water available on site previously purified with the aid of a water softener.

4- Phase four: storage of hydrogen in flat cartridges, Pos.3b, table 1, through its chemical adsorption by means of metal hydrides, the hydrogen can be immediately released to flow into the fuel cell for the production of electricity; the heat necessary for its release is recovered from the fuel cell by means of the heat exchanger.

Phase five: conversion of hydrogen into electrical energy inside the PEM fuel cell (Pos.6, table 1) and recovery of the heat emitted by the fuel cell to be sent to the hydrogen storage system, Pos.3b, table 1.

2.- The "Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable wind or photovoltaic energy; equipped with a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by mecms of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste ", as per the previous claim, it is characterized by the fact that the energy obtained in phase one can be stored in the form of hydrogen inside special flat cartridges, Pos.3b, table 1, and the heat released by the fuel cell ,Pos. 6, table 1, can be used by the end user thanks to the presence of a heat exchanger.

3.- The 'Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable wind or photovoltaic power; equipped with a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste', as per the main independent claim, it is characterized by the fact that the storage of the energy converted in the form of hydrogen gas through electrochemical hydrolysis, Pos.3, table 1, of the water molecule and subsequent convoy storage of the hydrogen produced in a series of flat cartridges, Pos.3b, Tablet, with a pressure value of 30 barg each.

4.- The "Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable "wind or photovoltaic power; equipped "with a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen "without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste", as per the previous claim, it is characterized by the fact that the stored hydrogen is 99.9% pure as the process is equipped with a water softener device, Pos: 4, table 1, designed and customized according to the quality of water available on site.

5.- The ’Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable "wind or photovoltaic power; equipped "with a micro plant for transforming and storing energy through the production of green hydrogen "without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste ', as per the main independent claim, it is equipped with a control card, Pos.2, table 1, programmed for the identification of the system state variables to be managed through identification algorithms expressly dedicated for this purpose, identification algorithms with linear processes and Kalman filters which include clusters of identification with neural networks.

6.- The ’Parallel cogeneration process of electrical and thermal energy from sustainable "wind or photovoltaic power; equipped "with a micro plant that enables the transformation and storage of energy through the production of green hydrogen without the use of batteries by means of a control system designed to manage and reduce waste’, as per the main claim, it is characterized by the fact that each element of the system within which the process takes place is connected to the valves of the system which allow the passage of gas from one cell to another, to the pumps which move the water process and compressors dedicated to process air.

Description:
2 1.3. DESCRIPTION 1.3.1. FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY AND STATE OF THE ART The use of renewable energy sources is continuously developing. New projects focus on environmentally sustainable technologies, with the aim of reducing pollution or even 5 eliminating it, while also ensuring continuity of service delivery as well as independence from distribution networks. Installations for generating electricity from renewable energies, in particular wind or photovoltaic power, have always been used on a stand-alone basis, to provide energy in both public and private locations in any geographical areas. Both photovoltaic and wind power lend 10 themselves particularly well to these uses. However, the two sources suffer from the respective limitations of intermittency and randomness, as they can only be structured limited to the period of daytime insolation, in the case of photovoltaics, or in areas of adequate windiness, for wind power. Throughout history, and particularly since the early 1900s, attempts have been made to find a viable solution to produce energy without the use of fossil fuels, while trying to minimise 15 polluting emissions. Through numerous experiments and the constant evolution of available technology, in 2009 the total installed capacity worldwide was 20.6 GW, of which 19.6 GW in the last decade alone. In that period, the world's photovoltaic market grew by 390% in use, demonstrating the interest in these new technologies and their improving effects, while still leaving consumers dependent on a utility's grid. Given the still important pollutant factor and 20 the impossibility of guaranteeing efficient and constant operation throughout the day and over time by photovoltaic and wind power plants, operators in the sector are continuously searching for new technologies suitable for maximising and optimising the production capacity of these energy tools, while minimising the consumption of non-renewable raw materials and the emission of pollutants to the environment. 25 In other words, the limitation of the technologies currently in use lies in the fact that, although they allow electricity to be generated directly, at certain times or phases of use (e.g., during the night, or when there is not enough wind), the plants need to be connected to a supplier via the electricity grid to meet the electricity needs, resulting in an increase in pollutant emissions and a return to the previous supply systems. This is undoubtedly the first problem the process aims 30 to solve. Some systems could be stand-alone, but need to be equipped with a charge controller and storage system. Accumulators make it possible to store excess energy, bypassing the connection to a supplier's grid for short periods, but the storage system, which stores the energy produced and then uses it when needed, requires maintenance due to wear and tear over time, resulting 3 in a loss of charge value and also an additional financial commitment both in the installation phase and for subsequent maintenance and replacement. This is the second problem that the process aims to solve. The storage of electrical energy is only possible with storage systems; those currently in use 5 can be electrical, chemical, etc. The most common electrical storage solution is provided by rechargeable batteries, including alkaline, lithium, lithium polymer, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride and zinc carbon batteries. These are highly polluting, both in their generation phase and in their end-of-life disposal. Chemical storage uses hydrogen, in solutions already known, through various processes 10 including stream reforming, non-catalytic partial oxidation of hydrocarbons, coal gasification and water electrolysis. In the first method, methane is reacted with water vapour to produce CO and hydrogen; in the second method, oxygen and water vapour are allowed to react to produce CO2, it is therefore a polluting method. In coal gasification, a partial oxidation reaction of coal is carried out in which, in addition to pollution, there are also very high costs. The electrolysis 15 of water, which has been used until now, produces hydrogen by splitting it from oxygen. Three photovoltaic cells are currently most widespread in Italy, and they differ in the shape of the silicon crystal that forms the molecular structure of the material and the degree of impurity. First-generation photovoltaics: monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon cells By more traditional techniques, single crystal silicon is obtained by a process of fusion 20 solidification and subsequent doping. Second-generation photovoltaics: amorphous silicon thin-film cells Amorphous silicon technology originated in the 1980s. The basic concept is that silicon is gasified and sprayed onto the substrate surface. Unfortunately, this method creates non- crystalline structures that decisively decrease efficiency. Another feature is that the gap energy 25 rises from 1.12 eV to 1.75 eV. Third-generation photovoltaics: It uses a sponge of nano-particles in this way: the area actually available for light absorption is increased a thousandfold; sunlight is converted into electricity with efficiencies in the order of 7.1%. Nowadays, the cell that has already achieved an efficiency of 11% consists of two 30 transparent conductor surfaces, e.g. two sheets of glass, to which an oxide layer (ITO) is applied. Wind turbines transform the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. In Italy today, there are aerogenerators, which produce electrical energy, and aeromotors, which produce mechanical energy. 4 Commercially available aerogenerators can be either vertical-axis or horizontal-axis; the latter must receive the wind orthogonally in order to be oriented; they are inconvenient for maintenance and, as far as fauna is concerned, are very dangerous. Those with a vertical axis have the mechanical equipment at ground level, so it is easier to 5 intervene for maintenance. There are single grid-connected aerogenerators, equipped with electrical accumulators for isolated settlements, or wind farms, i.e., grid-connected wind farms with powers ranging from 20 kW to 20 MW. Another important aspect is the number of blades, which can change the appearance by increasing or reducing noise pollution; singlebladed ones are cheaper but not widespread; twin-bladed ones have an intermediate cost and performance 10 and are widespread for smaller installations; triple-bladed ones are expensive. Vertical axis generators are more resistant to strong gusts of wind. Those on the market are of the SavoniusRoter, DarreniusRoter and H-roter types. Wind energy production cannot completely replace traditional sources, such as fossil fuels, and therefore finds its scope of application in the integration of existing networks. 15 The choice of one of the systems described above to produce energy involves the use of individual plants, each specific in its technical field, which in any case do not allow the user, except for short periods of time, to be disconnected from the grid of an energy supplier. 1.3.2. DESCRIPTION The process proposed with this patent application for an invention seeks to overcome the 20 limitations arising from the technologies described above, as the use of energy from renewable sources currently requires connections and dependencies on the electricity grid. The problems arising from currently known clean energy production processes are fully solved by the use of the mini-plant that forms an integral part of the process subject of this application. The process aims to make buildings and facilities completely autonomous and totally green. 25 The systems currently in use, in fact, as already mentioned, do indeed use energy from renewable sources, but their use is subject to the use of accumulators, such as batteries, which, however, generate pollution and a continuous production of waste during their production and disposal. The process solves this problem by replacing the use of batteries with a hydrogen storage process, a completely green and environmentally friendly technique that also saves 30 money. The process subject of this application can be divided into five phases: In the first phase, solar or wind energy is collected through solar panels or wind blades and transformed, via inverters, from alternating to direct energy, and channelled to a modem for control and management of flow data and energy itself. In the second phase, the energy from the renewable source is distributed by the modem directly to the consumers within the necessary 5 limits determined by the recorded demand, while the surplus is channelled towards conversion into green hydrogen. With the third phase, the excess energy from the modem reaches an electrolytic cell where the water flowing into the system through a communicating vessel is present and previously purified of undesirable substances such as chlorine, calcium carbonate, 5 copper salts, etc., through a process of electrolysis inside a softener. In this phase, the process allows the creation, within the electrolytic cell, of a conversion reaction from electrical energy into chemical energy, obtaining oxygen and hydrogen in a gaseous state and which will be managed in different ways. Phase four: The oxygen obtained from the conversion reaction is sent to the fuel cell where, when it comes into contact with the air previously filtered in the 10 system, it will initiate an exothermic chemical reaction which then produces electrical energy without combustion. The reaction produces heat, which is partly used to produce hot water for consumers, and partly sent to the storage system. This consists of a cartridge that facilitates the hydrogen release process, thus increasing efficiency and further reducing emissions. Phase five: The hydrogen, accumulated and stored through a chemical process called adsorption in special 15 metal hydride cartridges, is reconverted through a chemical reaction in the fuel cell and redirected to the consumers when the renewable source, solar or wind, is absent, such as at night, or inefficient. In this way, it is possible to make the plant autonomous with respect to the supply of electricity by third parties. The efficiency of the electrolytic cell is significantly increased by the use of electrodes made 20 of innovative high-efficiency materials such as molybdenum nickel sulphide or doped ruthenium oxides. The PEM-type fuel cell also generates a continuous flow of atoms, so the electric current generated by the latter can be used directly. In addition to environmental sustainability, the PEM-type cell used has operating conditions of a pressure of around 30 bar and a temperature of between 70° and 100° Centigrade, which guarantee greater safety and 25 reliability of use than other types of cells, which require significantly higher values. Moreover, the efficiency of cells operating at high temperatures decreases as the ambient temperature changes. The process is enabled by a micro-plant to achieve its intended result, and is composed of complementary phases, capable of producing electrical energy, heat and pure, completely green 30 hydrogen at the same time. This is a novelty compared to the current systems on the market, which produced grey and blue hydrogen for storage and subsequent use in the absence of power sources. The process is entirely sustainable, as no combustion processes are involved. No gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide are emitted, nor is there any production of 6 fine particulate matter; the various modules that make up the micro-plant are connected to each other and no type of battery is used for energy storage. The process enables the storage of energy, includes the generation and utilisation of hydrogen, and enables the continuous production of electricity and heat, which is required 365 days a year. The latter process will be 5 activated whenever the renewable source, sun or wind, does not produce the exact amount of energy or heat required by consumers. Similarly, for the wind source, the excess electricity production obtained during optimal operation of the wind system, in constant wind, will be stored in the form of hydrogen gas. The process that takes place within the micro-plant also solves the problem of maintenance and 10 related costs, as it will have a lifespan of twenty years, subsequently extendable to longer periods. In addition, it will be possible to carry out improvements and monitoring so that continuous efficiency is maintained, which can be managed both remotely and on-site. 1.3.3. SUMMARY OF THE PROCESS The parameters obtained by the photovoltaic system are those relating to current; those relating 15 to voltage, on the other hand, are collected by the wind system. Once received, these parameters are recorded and sent simultaneously: A) to the fuel cell, which will allow heat to be sent to the consumers, B) to the electrolyser, which will allow, together with water, the separation of hydrogen and oxygen, and C) to the hydride storage system, which will allow the hydrogen to be stored in order to exploit it, if necessary, by converting it back into energy, or to use it as 20 pure hydrogen. The two variables, voltage and current, once received and decoded by the individual modules, will be managed through algorithms with Kalman filters with the aim of optimising them for subsequent use, dealing above all with the analysis of the average life of the components implementing the process, which can be extended at any time, and the optimisation of thermal 25 performance, heating performance, electrical performance and energy efficiency. Each element that makes up the five phases of the process to achieve optimum operation must be connected to the system valves that allow gas to pass from one cell to another, to the pumps that move the process water and to the compressors dedicated to the process air. The feedback of the individual components implementing the five phases of the process is 30 analysed through mechanical actuators, pumps and valves, electrical panels indicating KW requirements, and electromechanical filters for air filtration. This information on the status of the components, together with indicators of leakage or malfunctioning and danger indicators for the user, will reach the plant operator, i.e., RTH Energy, who can activate the system shutdown if necessary. 7 This is managed by a control board that monitors the operating parameters and improves the efficiency of the components and their modules through an algorithm. The control board consists of a circuit comprising a CPU component, a computer (central processing unit) and a modem for communication between data inputs and outputs. The CPU is from the STM32 line; 5 the modem, on the other hand, is pin-to-pin compatible with the new types of modems with different connection bands. The board also features a shield that can be easily installed on the motherboard, without having to detach any components. Information is read and written via 4 digital inputs and their respective outputs, 4 analogue inputs and their respective outputs. The board is also equipped with an LCD or TFT display for communicating the various 10 parameters and the necessary configurations, which can also be controlled remotely. 1.3.4. FORM OF IMPLEMENTATION The process subject of this application, which allows autonomy from energy distribution networks and the production of green hydrogen, can be carried out following a preliminary inspection of the site chosen for the installation of the components activating the process, aimed 15 at analysing the average meteorological parameters and adopting the consequent optimal choices (photovoltaic or wind power plant). The wind or photovoltaic structures include a control board equipped with a modem that, at the same time, sends KW directly to the utilities that will use them in the form of thermal, electrical and water energy. Excess energy, on the other hand, will be sent to the electrolyser thanks to the presence of a processor that controls 20 the amount of power required relative to energy needs. The analysis of the KW required by the utilities and produced by the five stages of the process will be done through an algorithm with Kalman filters, which will make it possible to calculate for each utility the amount of energy required, avoiding any waste. The electrolyser described above receives, via a pump, the water resulting from a softening process, where it is broken down through hydrolysis into oxygen and 25 hydrogen. The hydrogen will be stored in special flat metal hydride cartridges, which will subsequently, in the absence of sunlight, send the energy to the utilities following a reconversion of the hydrogen itself from its gaseous state into electricity and heat. Oxygen, on the other hand, combined with ambient air, previously filtered through a filter, will either produce combustion and thus send heat to the utilities or undergo recirculation to the water 30 softening plant so that the water inside the system continues to be used for continuous storage processes. 1.3.5. DRAWINGS The drawings attached to this patent application for an invention are intended to summarise in graphic form the process that takes place within the micro plant. In table 1, the purpose is to 8 represent the distribution of electrical energy by indicating the movements of the flows by means of the numbered balloons in the drawing. In table 1 position 1a, represents the photovoltaic source, position 1b, represents the wind source. Table 1 position 2 shows the controller whose function is to distribute the energy produced partly directly to the consumers 5 and partly to the electrolytic cell for the production of hydrogen. In table 1 position 3 depicts the electrolyser which receives the remaining energy. Table 1 position 4 depicts the water tank that is sent to position 3. Table 1 position 4a depicts the stage where the water is softened before being sent to position 3. In table 1 position 3a represents the splitting into oxygen while in table 1 position 3b shows the splitting into hydrogen. In table 1 position 5 represents the filtration of 10 air afterwards. Table 1 position 6 shows the fuel cell where the filtered air is conveyed. In table 1 position 7a represents the transformation of hydrogen into electricity. In table 1 position 7 shows the heating phase. In table 1 from position 6 the water is sent from the fuel cell to the recirculation system position 4 so that it can be used later by feeding it back to the storage system. In table 1, position 8 represents the consumers within the building. In table 2, the 15 diagram represents, in the form of 5 modules, the 5 phases comprising the entire process of electricity distribution and management as well as hydrogen production described above in the implementation form of the present invention patent application. In table 2, position M1 includes all processes above the black line, comprising the steps from the production of electricity to the electrolyser. In table 2, position M2 identifies the module comprising the 20 horizontal steps from the softener position 4 to the utility summarised in position 8. In table 2 position M3 identifies the module comprising, air filtration position 5, up to position 7 including position 4b which identifies the recirculation of water in the water softening system to the hydrogen to current conversion step 7a up to position 7 in which the heating of the hot water required by the consumer takes place. In Table 2, position M4 includes the storage of hydrogen 25 position 3b and subsequent conveyance to the consumers position 8 or use as pure hydrogen. In Table 2, position M5 represents the demand from the consumers indicated in Table 2 with position 8. 30 In Table 2, position M5 represents the demand from the consumers indicated in Table 2 with position 8.