Abstract: Disclosed techniques include enabling controlled refrigeration and liquefaction and energy management. A liquid is pumped into a closed chamber to compress a vapor. Pressure is increased in the closed chamber by pumping additional liquid into the closed chamber. The increasing pressure enables assimilation of the vapor into the liquid. The heat of compression is removed from the vapor simultaneously with compression. The liquid containing the vapor that was assimilated is withdrawn from the chamber. It is flashed to release at least a portion of the vapor that was assimilated. The flashing results in absorbing a latent heat of vaporization from surfaces in thermal contact with the liquid. A first and second heating/cooling circuit are controlled. Gas within the first heating/cooling circuit is cooled and compressed using a liquid piston. A gas is warmed within the second heating/cooling circuit, and expansion is accomplished using a liquid piston.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include software-defined modular energy system design and operation. A set of energy system plant requirements for a mechanical system is obtained. The mechanical system comprises a plurality of components. The plurality of components includes a liquid piston heat engine. One or more processors are used to optimize a plant description. The plant description is based on the set of energy system plant requirements and a library of components. Processors are used to design a specification for an energy system plant. The specification includes components from the library of components and couplings among the components. An energy system plant design is output based on the specification. The design enables energy system plant construction. The energy system plant design is simulated to enable a reliability analysis and to provide feedback about the plant description. The simulating generates operational controls to enable energy system plant functionality.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include controlled liquefaction and energy management. A gas within a first pressure containment vessel is pressurized using a column of liquid. The gas that is being pressurized is cooled using a liquid spray, wherein the liquid spray is introduced into the first pressure containment vessel in a region occupied by the gas. The liquid spray keeps the pressurizing to be isothermal. The gas that was pressurized is metered into a second pressure containment vessel, wherein the metering enables liquefaction of the gas. The gas that was pressurized is stored in a gas capacitor prior to the metering. The gas that was liquefied in the second pressure containment vessel is pushed into a holding tank, wherein the holding tank stores a liquefied state of the gas, and wherein the pushing is accomplished by the pressure of the gas that was metered into the second pressure containment vessel.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include working fluid exergy recovery using hybrid processing. A supply of working fluid at a first pressure and a first temperature is accessed. The working fluid is compressed. The compressing yields the working fluid at a second pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure. The working fluid at the second pressure and a second temperature is warmed using a first heat exchanger. The second temperature is greater than the first temperature. The working fluid at the second temperature is in a gaseous state. The working fluid is expanded in a gaseous state to a third pressure. The expanding is accomplished using a first liquid piston expander. An engine is driven to recover work from the working fluid in a gaseous state. The engine is powered by liquid from the first liquid piston expander.

Abstract: In disclosed techniques, simulations are performed to determine data center performance under certain conditions. The simulations are dynamic and allow for changes in power demand due to temporal data center activities. In order to accommodate predicted and unpredicted fluctuations in power demand of a data center, one or more power caches are configured to supply additional power during periods of peak demand. Power caches provide supplemental power during periods of peak demand. The simulations are used for a variety of purposes, including determining the effects of power caches going offline under various conditions. Disclosed techniques can simulate the cycling of a power cache and can determine if additional configuration changes to the data center are warranted to maintain optimal health of the power caches. Thus, power scenario simulation of a data center can provide information vital to efficient operation of the data center.

Abstract: In disclosed techniques, datacenter power management uses AC and DC power sources. An AC power distribution topology within a datacenter provides one or more AC power sources to computing devices. A DC power distribution topology within the datacenter provides one or more DC power sources to computing devices. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is provisioned to a rack of computing devices, wherein the UPS is capable of receiving the one or more AC power sources using the AC power distribution topology and the one or more DC power sources using the DC power distribution topology. The one or more DC power sources are evaluated for energizing the DC power distribution topology. The one or more DC power sources are connected to the UPS which is provisioned to the rack of computing devices, based on the evaluating and a datacenter power requirement.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include liquid purification with pressure vessels. Access to a set of at least two pressure vessels is obtained. The pressure vessels are interconnected using piping and computer-controlled switching valves. A first pressure vessel of the set is filled with a liquid. A second pressure vessel of the set is filled with a pressurized gas. The pressurized gas is sharp interface immiscible with the liquid. Switching valves are controlled to enable the pressurized gas in the second pressure vessel to force the liquid from the first pressure vessel into a purification chamber. Additional switching valves are controlled to enable a third pressure vessel to fill with liquid while a fourth pressure vessel is filled with purification chamber retentate. The liquid is prepurified prior to filling the first pressure vessel. The prepurifying is enabled by compressed air. The purification chamber includes a reverse osmosis chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include gas liquefaction using hybrid processing. A gas is compressed adiabatically to produce a compressed gas at a first pressure. The compressing a gas adiabatically is accomplished using one or more compressing stages. Heat is extracted from the compressed gas at a first pressure. The heat that is extracted is collected in a thermal store. The compressed gas at a first pressure is further compressed. The further compressing is accomplished using a first liquid piston compressor. The further compressing produces a compressed gas at a second pressure. The first liquid piston compressor is cooled using a liquid spray. The compressed gas at a second pressure is cooled using a heat exchanger. The cooling accomplishes liquefaction of the compressed gas at a second pressure. The gas that was liquefied is stored for future use. The gas that was liquefied is used to perform work.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include energy management based on modularized energy control using pooling. Operating data is obtained from a plurality of energy modules within an energy storage system. The plurality of energy modules is pooled. One or more operating goals are obtained for the plurality of energy modules. The operating goals can be based on cost, availability, or energy module status. One or more processors are used to analyze the operating data, the one or more operating goals, energy demand, and energy module operating health. The operation of one or more of the plurality of energy modules is controlled based on the analysis. The energy modules can be a pooled homogeneous bank of energy modules. The homogeneous banks can be pooled into heterogeneous energy modules. The pools can include dynamically added energy module peers.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include energy storage and buffering using multiple pressure containers. Liquid and gas are pumped into a subterranean container. The liquid and gas are pressurized in the subterranean container. A pump is coupled to the subterranean container to accomplish the pressurizing of the subterranean container. The pump and the subterranean container are coupled to an above-ground pressure vessel. The above-ground pressure vessel is pressurized using the pump. The above-ground pressure vessel receives excess flow from the pump beyond the flow provided to the subterranean container. The above-ground pressure vessel provides buffering for pressure flowing into or out of the subterranean container. The gas includes air and the liquid includes water. Pressure is extracted from the first subterranean container to drive a turbine. The pressure from the above-ground pressure vessel supplements pressure from the subterranean container to drive the turbine at a substantially constant rate.

Abstract: Embodiments provide techniques for datacenter power management using variable power sources. Power from the variable power sources is stored in a power cache. An optimization engine receives input criteria such as power availability from non-variable and variable power sources, as well as one or more power management goals. The optimization engine implements a dispatch strategy that dispatches stored energy from the power cache and feeds it to the datacenter, resulting in a mixture of non-variable and variable power sources used to achieve the power management goals, such as reduced power cost, increased power availability, and lowered carbon footprint for the datacenter.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include desalination using pressure vessels. Access to a set of at least three pressure vessels is obtained. The pressure vessels are interconnected using piping and computer-controlled switching valves. A first pressure vessel of the set is filled with a prepurified liquid. A second pressure vessel of the set is filled with a pressurized gas. The pressurized gas is sharp interface immiscible with the prepurified liquid. The switching valves are controlled to enable the pressurized gas in the second pressure vessel to force the prepurified liquid from the first pressure vessel into a reverse osmosis chamber. The switching valves are controlled to enable a third pressure vessel of the set to fill with additional prepurified liquid. The switching valves are controlled to enable the pressurized gas that entered the first pressure vessel to force the additional prepurified liquid from the third pressure vessel into the reverse osmosis chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include control and configuration of software-defined machines. A hardware design for a mechanical system is obtained. The mechanical system includes a plurality of components that includes a liquid piston heat engine. Couplings between the plurality of components are described. A plurality of layers for the mechanical system is defined. The mechanical system that includes the liquid piston heat engine is implemented. The implementation is across the plurality of layers. The implementation is based on the couplings between the plurality of components. The couplings are described using connectivity maps. The implementation is based on construction rules. An application programming interface is used to communicate information on the plurality of layers for the mechanical system. The plurality of layers provides progressive levels of abstraction for the mechanical system.

Abstract: Dynamic tiering of datacenter power for workloads is disclosed. A power capacity, including redundant power capacity and granular power capacity values within a datacenter, is determined. An outage time duration requirement for the power capacity that was determined is evaluated, where the outage time duration requirement is a number of minutes. A hold time duration requirement for the power capacity is evaluated, where the hold time duration is a number of minutes. A number of allowable occurrences of power outage for the power capacity is evaluated. A power requirement metric, based on the outage time duration requirement, the hold time duration requirement, and the number of occurrences, is calculated. A power topology within the datacenter is modified based on the power requirement metric. The modifying provides dynamic power tiering within the datacenter. The dynamic tiering includes a variable service level agreement for power within the datacenter.

Abstract: Datacenter current injection for power management is disclosed. A controller for managing power control modules and current sensing for a datacenter power infrastructure unit is provided. At least three power control modules coupled to the controller are each connected to each phase of a three-phase datacenter power grid. Current sense inputs for each phase of the datacenter power grid are coupled to the controller. At least three battery modules are coupled to a corresponding power control module. The coupling provides an energy path between a battery module and phase of the three-phase datacenter power grid. The coupling is managed by the controller. Each power control module includes a battery charging unit and a current mode grid tie inverter unit. The current mode grid tie inverter unit enables current injection into each phase of the three-phase datacenter power grid at constant voltage and in-phase AC frequency for the phase.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include enabling controlled refrigeration and liquefaction and energy management. A liquid is pumped into a closed chamber to compress a vapor. Pressure is increased in the closed chamber by pumping additional liquid into the closed chamber. The increasing pressure enables assimilation of the vapor into the liquid. The heat of compression is removed from the vapor simultaneously with compression. The liquid containing the vapor that was assimilated is withdrawn from the chamber. It is flashed to release at least a portion of the vapor that was assimilated. The flashing results in absorbing a latent heat of vaporization from surfaces in thermal contact with the liquid. A first and second heating/cooling circuit are controlled. Gas within the first heating/cooling circuit is cooled and compressed using a liquid piston. A gas is warmed within the second heating/cooling circuit, and expansion is accomplished using a liquid piston.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include energy transfer using high-pressure vessels. Liquid is pumped into a high-pressure vessel to pressurize a gas. The gas can include air. Liquid is sprayed into the high-pressure vessel to cool the gas. Heat exchange is performed to cool the liquid before spraying the liquid into the high-pressure vessel. The spraying liquid into the top and the bottom of the high-pressure vessel is accomplished using nozzles in a top portion and nozzles in a bottom portion of the high-pressure vessel. The pressurized gas is transferred into a storage reservoir. The storage reservoir can include an underground cavern or aquifer. Gas from the storage reservoir is delivered to drive a turbine to recover stored energy. The extracting gas from the storage reservoir is accomplished using an additional high-pressure vessel. Heat exchange is performed to warm the liquid before spraying the liquid into the additional high-pressure vessel.

Abstract: In disclosed techniques, augmented power control within a datacenter uses predictive modeling. A power usage by a first data rack within a datacenter is measured, using one or more processors, over a first period of time. A predicted power usage by the first data rack over a second period of time is generated on a computing device, wherein the second period of time is subsequent to the first period of time. A power correlation model is calculated that correlates a power prediction to an actual power usage. The predicted power usage for the second period of time is refined, based on the predicted power usage and the power correlation model. The refining is accomplished using a power prediction model comprising the predicted power usage and the power correlation model. Datacenter power structure is configured, based on the refined power usage prediction.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include controlled liquefaction and energy management. A gas within a first pressure containment vessel is pressurized using a column of liquid. The gas that is being pressurized is cooled using a liquid spray, wherein the liquid spray is introduced into the first pressure containment vessel in a region occupied by the gas. The liquid spray keeps the pressurizing to be isothermal. The gas that was pressurized is metered into a second pressure containment vessel, wherein the metering enables liquefaction of the gas. The gas that was pressurized is stored in a gas capacitor prior to the metering. The gas that was liquefied in the second pressure containment vessel is pushed into a holding tank, wherein the holding tank stores a liquefied state of the gas, and wherein the pushing is accomplished by the pressure of the gas that was metered into the second pressure containment vessel.

Abstract: Disclosed techniques include power management across point of source to point of load. Energy is obtained from points of energy generation, where data obtained at a time of energy generation includes information on energy and metadata about the energy. Connection is enabled from the points of energy generation to a large-scale energy storage subsystem. Load information is received from points of load, where the points of load are connected to an energy grid. Processors are used to calculate an energy control policy, based on information on the energy, the energy metadata, availability of the large-scale energy storage subsystem, and the load information. Routing of the energy is controlled from the points of energy generation to the points of load based on the energy control policy. The large-scale energy storage subsystem is controlled based on the energy control policy.