Abstract: A battery assembly can include a pair of batteries. The battery pair may be electrically coupled by a bimetallic strip. When the temperature of the battery assembly exceeds a threshold temperature, the bimetallic strip deforms so that the coupling between the first and second batteries breaks. In other cases, the battery pair may be coupled by a spring-loaded connector. A sacrificial block configured to melt if the temperature of the battery assembly increases beyond the threshold temperature may force the spring into an energy-storing configuration. When the sacrificial block melts, the spring is released, and the connector is forced in a direction away from the battery terminals. Finally, the battery assembly may include a thermopile and one or more relays. When a temperature gradient of the thermopile exceeds a threshold gradient, the thermopile generates a voltage that causes the relays to disconnect the battery assembly from a charging circuit.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of managing series of heterogeneous battery components that can include the steps of: for each of a plurality of terminal sets having one or more adjacent terminals in the series, measuring a respective voltage difference and a respective current draw over a period of time for the terminal set, and calculating a respective normalized parameter value for the terminal set based on the respective voltage difference and the respective current draw for the terminal set; based on normalized parameter values for two or more terminal sets in the series, calculating a statistical measure of the normalized parameter values; determining a switching duty cycle based on the statistical measure; and activating a relay in electrical communication with at least one of the terminal sets in the series using a pulse-width modulated signal having the determined switching duty cycle.

Abstract: Methods and systems for power management include determining a voltage level of a grid; if the voltage level is below a lower voltage threshold, setting power outputs for one or more distributed generators on the grid to maximum; and if the voltage level is above the lower voltage threshold and below an upper voltage threshold, determining power outputs for one or more distributed generators on the grid using sensitivity-based distributed Q compensation.

Abstract: A hybrid ultracapacitor-battery energy storage system is integrated with a photovoltaic system to help solve fluctuations. A fuzzy-logic-based adaptive power management system enables optimization of the power/energy distributions and a filter-based power coordination layer serving as a rudimentary step for power coordination among the hybrid storage system and a fuzzy-logic-based control adjustment layer that keeps monitoring the operation status of all the energy storage devices, taking into account their dynamic characteristics, and fine-tuning the control settings adaptively.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method or management system which 1) dispatches high efficiency generators first, 2) charges/discharges energy storage units in a way to enhance efficiency of generators in the system or avoid the necessity of dispatching generators during their low efficiency operations at all. In this way the method or management system utilizes its knowledge about the efficiency characteristics of generators in the system and its ability to change the net demand seen by the generators through charge and discharge of energy storage units to increase the overall efficiency of the energy system.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for an energy distribution system having at least one energy storage system and at least one renewable energy resource. The method includes determining distribution optimal power flow optimization models of components of the distribution system. The components at least include the at least one energy storage system and the at least one renewable energy resource. The method further includes generating a composite model of the distribution system by integrating therein the distribution optimal power flow optimization models. The method also includes optimally scheduling, using a processor-based scheduling optimizer, an operation of resources in the distribution system using at least one of a fixed-window iterative optimization technique and a rolling stochastic optimization technique applied to the composite model.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of one or more grid scale energy storage systems (GSESSs). The method includes generating at least one time series model to provide forecasted pricing data for a plurality of markets, determining a reserve capacity for the one or more GSESSs to provide one or more real-time operation services, determining battery life and degradation costs for one or more batteries in the one or more GSESSs to provide battery life and degradation costs, and optimizing bids for the plurality of markets to generate optimal bids based on at least one of the forecasted pricing data, the battery life and degradation costs and the reserve capacity.

Abstract: A method for cooling a heat-generating device, comprising setting a reference surface temperature of the heat-generating device, measuring a temperature of a surface of the heat-generating device, measuring a temperature gradient based on temperature measurements of two or more different locations on the heat-generating device, implementing a closed-loop control based on the reference surface temperature, the measured surface temperature, and the measured temperature gradient of the heat-generating device to compute a rate of application of a cooling material to the surface of the heat-generating device, and providing a command to apply the cooling material to the surface of the heat-generating device at the calculated rate to cool the heat-generating device.

Abstract: A device for reducing temperature variation in a plenum includes at least one pipe and a plurality of sumps containing a fluid operable to vary between a liquid state and a gaseous state depending upon a temperature of the fluid. The plurality of sumps are positioned at various locations within the plenum and the at least one pipe is in fluid communication with the plurality of sumps. In addition, the fluid, in the gaseous state, is caused to move through the at least one pipe and condense, thereby reducing the temperature at the location of the sump where the fluid was vaporized and thereby reducing temperature variation in the plenum.

Abstract: Methods and systems for power management include determining a voltage level of a grid; if the voltage level is below a lower voltage threshold, setting power outputs for one or more distributed generators on the grid to maximum; and if the voltage level is above the lower voltage threshold and below an upper voltage threshold, determining power outputs for one or more distributed generators on the grid using sensitivity-based distributed Q compensation.

Abstract: A hybrid ultracapacitor-battery energy storage system is integrated with a photovoltaic system to help solve fluctuations. A fuzzy-logic-based adaptive power management system enables optimization of the power/energy distributions and a filter-based power coordination layer serving as a rudimentary step for power coordination among the hybrid storage system and a fuzzy-logic-based control adjustment layer that keeps monitoring the operation status of all the energy storage devices, taking into account their dynamic characteristics, and fine-tuning the control settings adaptively.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method or management system which 1) dispatches high efficiency generators first, 2) charges/discharges energy storage units in a way to enhance efficiency of generators in the system or avoid the necessity of dispatching generators during their low efficiency operations at all. In this way the method or management system utilizes its knowledge about the efficiency characteristics of generators in the system and its ability to change the net demand seen by the generators through charge and discharge of energy storage units to increase the overall efficiency of the energy system.

Abstract: A refrigeration system for controlling airflow around an air-cooled heat generating device having a plurality of components includes a refrigerant line split into second refrigerant lines, which are arranged in a parallel configuration with respect to each other. Evaporators are positioned along the second refrigerant lines and in the path of airflow supplied into the components or airflow exhausted from the components. The refrigeration system further includes a variable speed compressor and a controller for controlling the speed of the variable speed compressor. Furthermore, the refrigeration system includes a temperature sensor configured to transmit signals related to a detected temperature to the controller, and the controller is configured to vary the speed of the variable speed compressor based upon the detected temperature.

Abstract: A device for sensing at least one environmental condition in a data center. The device includes a chassis, a propelling mechanism, a power supply, a steering mechanism, and a controller supported on the chassis. The chassis also supports at least one environmental condition sensor and is operable to travel through the data center and sense at least one environmental condition at various locations throughout the data center.

Abstract: Carbon footprint management for structures is disclosed. In an example, a method includes determining a value of a first carbon footprint of the structure when operated at an existing demand for a first time period, and comparing the value of the first carbon footprint to a value of a prorated carbon cap of the structure for the first time period. If the first carbon footprint is less than or equal to the prorated carbon cap, the structure is operated for a second time period according to the existing demand or other demand that keeps a second carbon footprint of the structure below a prorated carbon cap for the second time period. Otherwise, the demand is adjusted to bring the second carbon footprint to approximate the prorated carbon cap for the second time period, and the structure is operated according to the adjusted demand for the second time period.

Abstract: A system for cooling an electronic device having a heat-generating component includes a passive cooling device having a cooling ability designed to expire after a predetermined amount of heat is absorbed from the heat-generating component and an active cooling device configured to at least one of dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating component and cool the passive cooling device, when the active cooling device is activated. The system also includes a controller configured to activate the active cooling device after a determination that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred, wherein the predetermined threshold condition is selected to occur after the passive cooling device cooling ability has substantially expired, to thereby substantially minimize power consumption of the active cooling device in cooling the heat-generating component.

Abstract: A method for securely communicating sensed data over a network that includes receiving sensed data from a sensor, dynamically switching through a plurality of multi-cast group addresses as destinations for sending the received sensed data to a client device based on time measurements, encryption keys, or pseudorandom numbers, and transmitting the sensed data to each of the plurality of multi-cast group addresses through the dynamic switching of the plurality of multi-cast group addresses for receipt by the client device.

Abstract: A method for cooling a heat-generating device, comprising setting a reference surface temperature of the heat-generating device, measuring a temperature of a surface of the heat-generating device, measuring a temperature gradient based on temperature measurements of two or more different locations on the heat-generating device, implementing a closed-loop control based on the reference surface temperature, the measured surface temperature, and the measured temperature gradient of the heat-generating device to compute a rate of application of a cooling material to the surface of the heat-generating device, and providing a command to apply the cooling material to the surface of the heat-generating device at the calculated rate to cool the heat-generating device.

Abstract: A device for sensing at least one environmental condition in a data center. The device includes a chassis, a propelling mechanism, a power supply, a steering mechanism, and a controller supported on the chassis. The chassis also supports at least one environmental condition sensor and is operable to travel through the data center and sense at least one environmental condition at various locations throughout the data center.

Abstract: A method for cooling a heat-generating device, comprising setting a reference surface temperature of the heat-generating device, measuring a temperature of a surface of the heat-generating device, measuring a temperature gradient based on temperature measurements of two or more different locations on the heat-generating device, implementing a closed-loop control based on the reference surface temperature, the measured surface temperature, and the measured temperature gradient of the heat-generating device to compute a rate of application of a cooling material to the surface of the heat-generating device, and providing a command to apply the cooling material to the surface of the heat-generating device at the calculated rate to cool the heat-generating device.