EP3639113A1

EP3639113A1 - Energy virtualization layer with a universal smart gateway and modular energy storage

Info

Publication number: EP3639113A1
Application number: EP18818827.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gerard O'HORA
Original assignee: Syncells Inc
Current assignee: Syncells Inc
Priority date: 2017-06-13
Filing date: 2018-06-13
Publication date: 2020-04-22
Also published as: CN110998484A; EP3639113A4

Abstract

An energy virtualization system may include a physical interface gateway that may include a plurality of common interfaces. The plurality of common interfaces may be coupled to a plurality of energy-producing devices, a plurality of energy-control devices, and a plurality of energy-consuming devices. The system may also include a building network, where the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices can communicate through building network. The system may additionally include a computing device running an energy virtualization layer. The virtualization layer may include a plurality of virtual devices representing the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices; and the plurality of energy-consuming devices. The virtualization layer may also direct energy from the energy-producing devices to the energy-consuming devices according to information received from the energy-control devices.

Description

ENERGY VIRTUALIZATION LAYER WITH A UNIVERSAL SMART GATEWAY AND

MODULAR ENERGY STORAGE

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to the following U.S. applications: U.S. Patent

Application No 15/621,268 filed on June 13, 2017 entitled "ENERGY VIRTUALIZATION LAYER FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATIONS"; U.S. Patent

Application No 15/811,659 filed on November 13, 2017 entitled "ENERGY VIRTUALIZATION LAYER WITH A UNIVERSAL GATEWAY"; and U.S. Patent Application No 15/621,964 filed on June 13, 2017 entitled "PORTABLE AND MODULAR ENERGY STORAGE FOR

MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS."

BACKGROUND

[0002] The technology revolution of the past two decades has led to many changes - from the Internet and social media to mobile phones and tablets. What often gets overlooked are the indirect developments that technology has enabled. Small, power-hungry devices forced research into new battery chemistries such as lithium-ion in the 2000s, and now chemistries are emerging that offer ten times the performance. Technology is enabling the green movement through the Internet of Things (IoT) and the sensors, monitoring, and management capabilities it affords. Technology is also enabling the automotive industry to develop new vehicle platforms that are cleaner, faster, require less maintenance, and soon may not even require a driver. Finally, technology is enabling the energy and utility industries to migrate from fossil-fuel power plants and their clients to avail of more efficient and effective delivery and transmission methods. These industries are now converging around a uniifying concept: energy storage and Energy as a Service (EaaS).

[0003] According to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, of the approximately 95 quads of raw primary energy produced in the United States, more than 58 quads were

rejected/wasted due to system inefficiencies. The primary sources of energy - petroleum, natural gas, coal, etc. - are generally not directly consumed by the end user. Instead, they are used to generate electricity or to power an internal combustion engine. Electrical energy is the energy source that the vast majority of people directly interact with. It powers mobile devices, televisions, power tools, lighting, etc. In short, electrical energy can power the vast majority of end-user applications, from transportation to home/office heating.

[0004] Energy and resources are further wasted when they are restricted to a single application. The generic battery as we know it today originated in the 1800s. The standard AA battery can be used to power a remote control car or a flashlight. Although much research has been performed as of late, primarily to increase energy density, the full potential of the battery is being relegated to very specific applications, such as consumer goods, electric vehicles (EV), or grid storage, based on very restrictive expectations. Furthermore new monopolies and cartels are being created for rare-earth materials, akin to the oil industry, by inefficient use of resources, thereby undermining our energy security.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0005] In some embodiments, a removable modular battery pack may include a first housing, and one or more energy cells enclosed in the first housing. The modular energy pack may also include a processing system enclosed in the housing that aggregates power from the one or more energycells. The modular energy pack may additionally include a first interface that

communicates a status of the modular energy pack to a second housing. The second housing may be configured to removably receive a plurality of modular energy packs. The modular energy pack may further include a second interface that transmits the aggregated power from the one or more energy cells from the processing system to the second housing, and a thermal material enclosed in the first housing. The thermal material may be arranged in the housing adjacent to the one or more energycells to transfer heat away from the one or more energycells and to transfer the heat to the second housing.

[0006] In some embodiments, the aggregated power from the plurality of battery cells may be transmitted to a motor of an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. The thermal material may include a thermally conductive fluid. The battery pack may include an first inlet valve that mates with a first outlet valve on the second housing where the thermally conductive fluid is pumped from the second housing into the first inlet valve, and a second outlet valve that mates with a second inlet valve on the second housing where the thermally conductive fluid is pumped from the modular battery pack through the second outlet valve to the second housing. The processing system may include a temperature sensor; and the processing system may control a flow of the thermally conductive fluid into the first housing based on temperature readings received from the

temperature sensor. The thermal material may include a nonconductive extinguishing agent. The plurality of battery cells may be grouped in a plurality of battery sub-modules that are individually packaged within the first enclosure. Each of the plurality of battery sub-modules may include a processor that communicates with the processing system of the modular battery pack. The battery pack may also include tubing that is routed adjacent to each of the plurality of battery sub- modules, where the thermal material flows through the tubing. [0007] In some embodiments, a method of providing power through a modular energy pack may include inserting the modular energy pack into a second housing. The second housing may be configured to removably receive a plurality of modular energy packs. The method may also include communicating, through a first interface of the modular energy pack, a status of the modular energy pack to the second housing. The method may additionally include aggregating, through a processing system of the modular energy pack, power from a plurality of energy cells enclosed in the first housing. The method may further include providing, through a second interface of the modular energy pack, the aggregated power from the plurality of energy cells from the processing system to the second housing. The aggregated power from the one or more energy cells may be transmitted from the second housing to power a load that is external to the second housing. The method may also include transferring heat away from the plurality of energy cells using a thermally conductive material enclosed in the first housing. The thermally conductive material may be arranged in the housing adjacent to the one or more energy cells to transfer heat away from the one or more energy cells and to transfer the heat to the second housing. The second housing may include a thermally conductive fluid that is circulated around the modular energy pack to absorb the heat transferred from the modular energy pack and transfer the heat away from the modular energy pack.

[0008] In any embodiments, any of the following features may be included in any combination and without limitation. The thermally conductive material may include an electrolyte. The one or more energy cells may include an anode and a cathode, and the electrolyte may flow from the second housing into the first housing between the anode and the cathode. The second housing may include a plurality of openings, at least one of which is sealed by a blanking plate. A layer of carbon nanotubes or graphene may be disposed between the first housing and the second housing. The modular energy pack may include an electronic screen that displays status information from the one or more energy cells. The second housing may be flooded with the thermally conductive fluid when the modular energy pack is inserted into the second housing, and the second housing may be drained of the thermally conductive fluid before the modular energy pack is removed from the second housing. The aggregated power from the one or more energy cells may be transmitted to a motor of an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. The energy pack may include a first inlet valve that mates with a first outlet valve on the second housing, where the thermally conductive fluid may be pumped from the second housing into the first inlet valve; and a second outlet valve that mates with a second inlet valve on the second housing, where the thermally conductive fluid may be pumped from the modular energy pack through the second outlet valve to the second housing. [0009] In some embodiments, an energy virtualization system may include a physical interface gateway tha may include a plurality of common interfaces. The plurality of common interfaces may be coupled to a plurality of energy -producing devices, a plurality of energy-control devices, and a plurality of energy-consuming devices. The system may also include a building network, where the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices can communicate through the building network. The system may additionally include a computing device running an energy virtualization layer. The virtualization layer may inlcude a plurality of virtual devices representing the plurality of energy- producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices; and the plurality of energy-consuming devices. The virtualization layer may also direct energy from the energy-producing devices to the energy-consuming devices according to information received from the energy-control devices.

[0010] In some embodiments, a method of operating an energy virtualization system may include receiving a plurality of energy -producing devices through a plurality of common interfaces in a physical interface gateway of the energy virtualization system. The method may also include receiving a plurality of energy-control devices through a plurality of common interfaces in a physical interface gateway of the energy virtualization system. The method may additionally include receiving a plurality of energy-consuming devices through a plurality of common interfaces in a physical interface gateway of the energy virtualization system. The method may further include communicating between the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices through a building network. The method may also include representing the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices as a plurality of virtual devices on a virtualization layer running on a computing device. The method may additionally include directing energy from the energy-producing devices to the energy-consuming devices according to information received by the virtualization layer from the energy-control devices.

[0011] In any embodiments, any of the following features may be included in any combination and without limitation. The plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices may communicate through building network according to an IP protocol. The energy virtualization system may be installed in a commercial building. The energy virtualization system may be installed in a residential building. The plurality of energy-consuming devices may include an electric vehicle. The energy virtualization layer may be configured to receive an indication that a new device has been connected to the physical interface gateway, determine whether the new device is authorized, receive information associated with a profile from the new device, and interface with the new device according to the profile. The profile may include an operating current and voltage for the new device. The operating current and voltage for the new device may be supplied by the new device to the energy virtualization system. The operating current and voltage for the new device may be provided to the new device from the energy virtualization system. The plurality of energy- consuming devices may include a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the several drawings to refer to similar components. In some instances, a sub-label is associated with a reference numeral to denote one of multiple similar components. When reference is made to a reference numeral without specification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components.

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a power system that includes removable modular battery packs, according to some embodiments. [0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified diagram of a battery subsystem, according to some embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a power subsystem of a SEC, according to some embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates a SEC, according to some embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates a housing of a SEC, according to some embodiments. [0018] FIG. 6 illustrates a rear view of the housing of a SEC, according to some embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 7 illustrates a cutaway view of a SEC, according to some embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 8 illustrates a power subsystem of a smart power system, according to some embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 9 illustrates the physical arrangement of a smart enclosure with a plurality of SECs and a smart power system, according to some embodiments.

[0022] FIG. 10 illustrates a home charging and storage station, according to some embodiments.

[0023] FIG. 11 illustrates a commercial charging and storage station (CCSS), according to some embodiments.

[0024] FIG. 12 illustrates a communication architecture for a CCSS, according to some embodiments. [0025] FIG. 13A illustrates a battery subsystem similar to that described in FIG. 2 within an integrated coolant system.

[0026] FIG. 13B illustrates a battery subsystem using a flowable electrolyte, according to some embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 14 illustrates a SEC comprising an integrated thermal material, according to some embodiments.

[0028] FIG. 15A illustrates a diagram of a smart enclosure and an SEC, according to some embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 15B illustrates an example of how a plurality of smart enclosures can be stacked horizontally/vertically, according to some embodiments.

[0030] FIG. 16 illustrates one example of a locking mechanism for an SEC and/or a blanking plate, according to some embodiments.

[0031] FIG. 17 illustrates an exploded rear view of the locking mechanism of FIG. 16, according to some embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 18 illustrates additional examples of locking mechanisms that may be used interchangeably as blanking plates and/or locking mechanisms for an SEC.

[0033] FIG. 19 illustrates example embodiments of SECs having different user interface displays.

[0034] FIG. 20 illustrates an example of an energy virtualization system that is compatible with the modular power system and smart enclosure described herein, according to some embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 21 illustrates a flowchart of a method for providing power through a modular battery pack, according to some embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 22 illustrates a flowchart of a method for using a power system with independent battery packs to generate a defined power output, according to some embodiments.

[0037] FIG. 23 illustrates an energy system in a commercial building.

[0038] FIG. 24 illustrates an architectural diagram of a smart building virtualized management system, according to some embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 25 illustrates a system for authenticating devices, according to some embodiments. [0040] FIG. 26A illustrates a common interface and adapter for the physical interface gateway, according to some embodiments.

[0041] FIG. 26B illustrates a device that is equipped with a common physical interface, according to some embodiments. [0042] FIG. 27 illustrates a plurality of energy producing devices coupled to the physical interface gateway, according to some embodiments.

[0043] FIG. 28 illustrates a plurality of energy consuming devices coupled to the physical interface gateway according to some embodiments.

[0044] FIG. 29 illustrates a plurality of energy control devices, according to some embodiments. [0045] FIG. 30 illustrates a block diagram of a system for storing and managing energy through the smart grid platform, according to some embodiments.

[0046] FIG. 31 illustrates a simplified circuit diagram that may be found on the smart building virtualization platform for aggregating and providing energy of various forms throughout the system, according to some embodiments. [0047] FIG. 32 illustrates a flowchart of a method for using a smart grid platform to manage energy usage in a building.

[0048] FIG. 33 illustrates a diagram of a virtualized energy infrastructure that uses a smart gateway to link together numerous sites, users, virtualization service providers, resources, etc., in a unified system. [0049] FIG. 34 illustrates a simplified computer system, according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Described herein, are embodiments for an energy solution including an energy storage module as part of a modular energy platform and ecosystem that allows the evolving hybrid car and electric vehicle (EV) industry, along with many other industries, to overcome their current battery limitations. Specifically, rather than waiting for an EV to recharge, users can swap out the energy cell modules and be back on the road in possibly less time than it would take to fill an average gas tank. The energy modules may be similar in practice to rechargeable batteries, but may be constructed in a unique manner that allows for high energy density (e.g., on the order of 1 kWh or greater per 10 lb cell or more) using a modular, removable package. This power system is unique in that the energy cell modules may be used across a variety of industries and applications. [0051] In some embodiments, a home charging station can use a standard household outlet to charge multiple energy modules since the charging window may be extended significantly compared to the power demands of charging a vehicle directly. When returning from a trip, users can swap spent energy modules from an EV with fresh energy modules from the home charging station instead of waiting for a non-removable battery to recharge. This same concept can be applied to commercial sites, traditional gas stations, and other available sites. A commercial charging station can store and charge batteries, and through either an automated kiosk setup or a traditional attendant setup, users can swap their spent energy modules with freshly charged units. Unlike traditional gas stations that require large forecourts, storage tanks, special permitting, and environmental challenges, these kiosks that can be sized to occupy less than a standard parking spot can sit in urban areas as self-serve fuel stops. For a Commercial Real Estate (CRE) location, these stations can also support a building's emergency power needs along with providing a service to their tenants.

[0052] This distributed energy storage platform, which can be located in homes, commercial locations, fuel stations, and more, can be an integral part of a utility's demand response (DR) solution. The energy stored in the removable, modular battery packs can flow back into the grid when required, either during peak load or service outages. They can alsosupport the individual site's power needs, thereby offsetting the peak load demand usage.

[0053] The embodiments described herein provide the same energy storage capacity as found in an EV in a package that weighs 800 lbs or less. One benefit of these embodiments is to package these technologies into Smart Energy Cells (SECs) that range from 5-40 lbs, depending on their application, with a 10 lb module being one module size for the typical EV. This provides a manageable weight that an average person can lift to swap modules. Since these SECs make the vehicle significantly lighter, it can achieve higher miles/kW, allowing for greater distance, less battery capacity, or both. This appeals to people who previously shunned EVs because of performance concerns.

[0054] In one embodiment, a SEC will deliver an approximate 48V output and between 1-20 kWh capacity, or more. The 48V output is corresponds to an operating voltage for most communications infrastructures and other systems, and would thus increase the number of compatible applications. Using multiples of that voltage, these embodiments can achieve a normalized 120/240 VAC for both residential and commercial applications, and a 336 VDC for the typical EV motor. However, other specific voltages may be achieved using the architecture described below. [0055] Each SEC can be constructed by using a common chassis physical envelope that incorporates cooling capabilities, electronics, electrical connections, and/or other components. The battery submodules may contain battery cells or supercapacitors that can vary according to evolving battery technologies, including lithium ion-sulphur, carbon nanotubes, or potentially even next generation fuel-cells. Furthermore, the chassis and associated components, may act in reverse - rather than receiving power from an energy module, they may deliver power and

communications to a module in a standardized fashion while cooling said modules and rejecting any heat buildup from the electronic activities occuring therein. These energy receiving modules may perform a variety of functions, from monitoring and control, to networking and computing, either for functions associated with the energy plaform, or those networked with it.

[0056] FIG. 1 illustrates a power system that includes removable modular battery packs, according to some embodiments. The system includes a plurality of smart energy cells (SECs) 106. Throughout this disclosure, the SECs 106 may be referred to as "modular battery packs," "removable modular battery packs," and/or "energy modules," and these terms may be used interchangeably. The SECs 106 represent the basic energy storage components of the power system that allow for the removal and transfer of energy storage from devices and systems that consume power, in contrast to existing batteries, for example, for electric vehicles that are fixed in location and arrangement and require special operations to move or replace.

[0057] Each SEC may include one or more battery subsystems 102. Throughout this disclosure, the battery subsystems 102 may also be referred to as "battery submodules (BSM)," and these terms may be used interchangeably. The battery submodules provide a standardized

structure/framework to support one or more energy storage devices, such as battery cells or super capacitors. Each SEC may also include a power subsystem 104. The power subsystem 104 may also be referred to as a "communication submodule (CSM)," and these terms may be used interchangeably. The power subsystems 104 provide a standardized means to aggregate all of the electrical connections in the SEC and provide a standardized output. The power subsystems 104 also manage communications between each of the battery subsystems 102 and the rest of the power system.

[0058] Each SEC may also include a housing, referred to herein as a "first housing," and/or a handle 116. The handle 116 and the housing combine to make each SEC a removable, modular unit that can be readily removed from the power system by a user and replaced with a similar SEC. In some embodiments, the handle 116 on each SEC can be used to carry the SEC, and to lock the SEC in place within the power system by turning or depressing the handle 116 when the SEC is inserted.

[0059] The power system may include a smart enclosure (SE) 110, which may also be referred to herein as a "second housing" to distinguish it from the first housing of the SECs. The smart enclosure 110 may include a power bus that links the power provided by each of the SECs to a smart power system 108. The smart enclosure 110 may also include a communication bus 120 that communicatively couples each of the SECs to the smart power system 108. The smart enclosure 110 provides a containment unit and structure to support a number of SECs along with their respective electrical connections. The smart enclosure 110 provides physical and electrical couplings that hold the SECs in place and connect the SECs to the rest of the power system.

[0060] The power system may also include a smart power system 118, which may also be referred to herein as a "smart power module (SPM)" and/or a "power module (PM)." The smart power system 108 may include a power subsystem 118 that is similar to the power subsystems 104 of the SECs 106. The power subsystem 118 of the smart power system 108 may also include a housing and handle 116 that is similar to those of the SECs 106. Therefore, the smart power system 108 may have a physical form factor that is similar to or identical to the SECs 106. The power subsystem 118 of the smart power system 108 can communicate with each of the SECs 106 to authenticate their identity and thereby enable the SECs 106 to transmit power to the smart power system 108. The power subsystem 118 can also communicate with the power subsystems 104 of the SECs 106 to identify the electrical characteristics of each of the SECs 106. The power subsystem 118 can then aggregate the power provided by each SEC and generate a waveform (e.g., VDC, VAC, etc.) corresponding to a set of stored parameters in the power subsystem 118. The generated waveform can be transmitted via a power output 124 through the smart enclosure 110 to a load system 114. The load system 114 can, for example, include electric vehicles, consumer and/or residential electrical systems, power grids, and/or the like. Additionally, the power subsystem 118 can include a communication output 126 to provide status, diagnostic, historical, and/or command information to/from the load system 114.

[0061] FIG. 1 represents a general overview of the power system described herein. The remainder of this disclosure will describe each of the components and subsystems described above in greater detail. FIG. 1 also represents only one embodiment of many possible embodiments described below. Many different configurations, battery chemistries, physical arrangements, electrical circuits, and so forth, may be used in addition to those described specifically above. [0062] In some embodiments, electrical battery technologies may be replaced with fuel cell technologies. For example, the SEC's 106 may be replaced by fuel cells. The backplane of the smart enclosure 110 may perform a similar function wherein it aggregates electrical power and/or provides a routing system to flow cooling fluid to or through the individual fuel cells. In some cases, a fuel-cell may be physically larger than an SEC 106, and may be larger than can be accommodated in the existing cutouts of a smart enclosure 110. Therefore, some smart enclosures 110 may include alternate front and/or back plates that can be installed to accommodate the larger sizes that may be typical of fuel cells.

[0063] For example, one embodiment of a smart enclosure 110 may include four sides (e.g., top, bottom, left, and right) with an open front and/or back. A modular backplane can be installed at the back of the smart enclosure to accommodate the different materials that need to be cycled through the fuel cells. Some embodiments may include an air supply, a fuel source (e.g., gas, natural gas, oil, etc.) a low-temperature cooling path, a high-temperature cooling path, wastewater expulsion, and/or electrical or communication interfaces. As will be described in greater detail below, some embodiments of the smart enclosure 110 may include a front plate that can be sealed when the SEC's 106 and/or fuel cells are inserted and locked in place. When the front and back are sealed and the fuel cells are in place, the remaining volume of the smart enclosure 110 can be flooded with cooling liquid. Thus, the fuel cells can be bathed in coolant to remove the higher temperatures (e.g. 600° C) that may be generated by active fuel cells. The backplane of the smart enclosure 110 may include all of the supply/return lines required for each installed fuel-cell.

[0064] Some embodiments, the smart enclosure 110 may part of an integrated hyper-converged platform allows for a combination of energy storage, energy generation, energy management, and so forth, under one physical platform and user interface. For example, fuel cells and/or batteries may be removed from one smart enclosure 110 that is used to power a vehicle, and placed in a second smart enclosure 1 10 that is used to provide power for a computer system, a home or living quarters, a forward operating base, and so forth. Furthermore, the cooling system of the smart enclosure 110 may be integrated with existing utilities. For example, the high temperature loop that floods the smart enclosure 110 may be routed through a large heat exchanger and used to drive industrial processes. A low temperature coolant loop (e.g. 200° C) may be used to supply a hot- water heater for a residential and/or commercial building.

[0065] FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified diagram of a battery subsystem 102, according to some embodiments. Each SEC may include a plurality of battery cells that are used to store and provide electrical power. The plurality of battery cells may be divided into a plurality of groups that can be managed as groups. These groups are represented by the battery subsystem 110. In some embodiments, each SEC may include seven battery subsystems 102, or between five and nine battery subsystems 102.

[0066] The battery subsystem may include a plurality of individual battery cells 214. In some embodiments, the individual battery cells may be implemented using lithium-ion 18650 battery cells. In other embodiments, the individual battery cells may also include other storage

technologies, such as super capacitors. The battery subsystem 102 may include mechanical supports that secure the batteries, either through friction fit or a clamping mechanism. Springs or solder connections may also be used to secure the battery cells 214 within the battery subsystem 102. In one embodiment, each battery subsystem 102 may include 13 lithium-ion 18650 batteries, or between 10 and 16 lithium -ion batteries.

[0067] The battery subsystem 102 may include a physical housing that mechanically fastens to the internal structure of the SEC. The housing may protect the battery cells 214 and keep them fixed in place. In some embodiments, the housing of the battery subsystem 102 may be a rectangular cube such that each of the battery subsystems 102 in the SEC can be inserted adjacently within a rectangular cube housing of the SEC. In some embodiments, the battery subsystem 102 may incorporate or be constructed using an intumescent material for fire protection.

[0068] In addition to providing a physical connection for the plurality of battery cells 214, the battery subsystem 102 may also include a processing system 210 that electrically and/or communicatively couples the battery subsystem 102 to the power subsystem of the SEC. A power bus 206 can receive the power provided from the battery cells 214, and the processing system 210 can perform various functions on the received power. In some embodiments, the processing system may include an overcurrent protection ship that protects the battery cells 214 and the rest of the processing system 210 when both charging and discharging the battery cells 214. The processing system 210 may also include a microcontroller that communicates through a

communication bus 202 and communication interface 218 in the housing of the battery subsystem 201 with the rest of the SEC. The microcontroller can control the state of the battery subsystem 102 with regards to charging and discharging.

[0069] The power system 210 may also include a second power bus 208 and a power interface 216 in the housing of the battery subsystem 102. In some embodiments, the power bus 208 may be replaced with a dedicated wired connection between the SEC and the smart power system 108. The power interface 216 can both receive power from the SEC and provide power to the SEC depending on the state of the processing system 210. During a charging state, a charging circuit can receive power through the power interface 216 and charge the battery cells 214. During a discharging state, the processing system 210 can receive power from the battery cells 214 and use a DC/DC regulator to provide clean power to the power interface 216. The power interface 216 can connect to internal power rails of the SEC, which can be combined to provide the overall electrical output of the SEC. The output from each battery subsystem 102 may be controlled by the power subsystem of the SEC that governs the status, performance, and functionality of the SEC.

[0070] In some embodiments, the processing system 210 may also include a memory that stores lifecycle information for the battery cells 214 and/or for the battery submodule 102 specifically. The memory can store a number of charge/discharge cycles that the battery cells 214 have undergone. The memory can also store specific voltage/current capabilities of the power cells 214 and of the battery subsystem 102 as a whole. The memory can store a serial number or other identification number for the battery subsystem 102. The microcontroller can transmit the serial number through the communication interface 218 to the power subsystem of the SEC, which can then use the serial number to determine the electrical characteristics of the battery cells 214. For example, lithium-ion batteries may have a longer lifetime than super capacitors, but may charge more slowly. These electrical characteristics can be considered by the microcontroller when governing the operations of the charging circuit. In some embodiments, battery management and monitoring capabilities may be used to auto-detect the chemistries of the connect the battery cells. In these embodiments, the processing system 210 can predict the remaining lifecycle of the battery cells 214.

[0071] In some embodiments, the processing system 210 may also include state of health sensors that provide a real-time status of the battery subsystem 102. For example, some embodiments may include a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the battery cells 214. As battery cells are discharged, they often generate excessive heat that can damage the battery cells 214 and/or the processing system 210. As will be described below in greater detail, the battery subsystem 102 may include an integrated cooling system that is configured to extract heat from the battery cells 214 and transfer the heat to the smart enclosure (second housing) of the power system. The temperature sensor of the processing system 210 can monitor the temperature of the battery cells 214 in real time. The microcontroller can then communicate with the power subsystem of the SEC to regulate the flow of coolant through the SEC and/or the battery subsystem 102. For example, when the temperature increases according to the temperature sensor, the microcontroller can request coolant to flow at a higher rate through the battery subsystem 102 and/or the SEC. Conversely, when the temperature decreases or is below an optimal operating temperature, the microcontroller can request coolant to flow at a lower rate through the battery subsystem 102 and/or the SEC. Some embodiments may also include electrical heating coils in the battery subsystem 102 that can be used to heat the battery cells 214 in cold environments.

[0072] FIG. 3 illustrates a power subsystem 104 of a SEC, according to some embodiments. The power subsystem 104 provides a standardized means to aggregate all of the electrical connections and provide monitoring and control of the power flow from each of the battery subsystems in the SEC. First, the power subsystem 104 may include a DC combiner circuit 302 that is electrically coupled to the power interface 216 of each of the battery subsystems in the SEC. The DC combiner circuit can combine each of the DC voltages from the battery subsystems into a DC signal 328 using a ladder of diode-connected circuits.

[0073] In some embodiments, a DC/DC converter 322 can be programmed to provide varying levels of DC voltage to the rest of the power system. In some embodiments, the DC/DC converter 322 can provide a 48 V, 45 A signal to a DC port 316. In these embodiments, the native output of each of the battery subsystems may also be 48 V. The DC/DC converter 322 can be programmed, in the case of a failure, to simply provide the raw voltage from the DC combiner circuit 302 to the DC port 316.

[0074] The DC port 316 can also receive AC or DC voltage from the power system, which can be used to charge the battery subsystems in the SEC. Switches 318, 320 can be controlled by a microprocessor 310 to change the state of the SEC from a discharging mode to a charging mode. A charging circuit 338 can selectively provide charging power to each of the battery subsystems individually. For example, a particular battery subsystem in the SEC may have discharged more rapidly than the rest, and the charging circuit 338 can direct the power received through the DC port 316 to that particular battery subsystem. In some embodiments, the DC port 316 may include a wired two-pole output connection (+/-) that can be connected in serial/parallel with other SECs. [0075] Some embodiments may also include a wireless power interface to transmit power to the rest of the power system. The power subsystem 104 may include one or more

receiving/transmitting coils 334 connected to a wireless power circuit 336. The wireless power circuit 336 can transmit power from the DC combiner circuit 302 or from the DC/DC converter 322 during a discharging state. The wireless power circuit 336 can also receive power that is delivered to the charging circuit 338 during a charging state.

[0076] The power subsystem may also include various communication devices that are used to communicate with both the battery subsystems and the rest of the power system external to the

SEC. A battery subsystem to communication bus 332 can be connected to a wired communication chip 326 and used to communicate status/state information to/from each of the individual battery subsystems. Additionally or alternatively, the power subsystem 104 may include a wireless communication chip 324, such as a Bluetooth chip, a Wi-Fi chip, and/or the like. The wireless communication chip 324 can be used to communicate with the individual battery subsystems. In some embodiments, both the wired communication chip 326 and the wireless communication chip 324 may be provided, one serving as a backup system to the other.

[0077] The wireless communication chip 324 may also be used to communicate with the rest of the power system. For example, the wireless communication chip 324 can communicate with the power subsystem 118 of the smart power system 108 of FIG. 1. Additionally or alternatively, a wired communication chip 312 can communicate via a second wired bus 314 that is shared with other SECs when communicating with the smart power system 108.

[0078] The processor 310 can be communicatively coupled to a memory 304 that stores historical information 306 and configuration information 308 for each of the battery subsystems in the SEC. The historical information 306 may include a number of charge/discharge cycles over the lifetime of each battery subsystem, charge/discharge times, times since the last charge, discharge/charge rates, manufacturing dates, expiration information, and so forth. The

configuration information 308 may include serial numbers and identification numbers,

battery/energy cell types, numbers of battery/energy cells, voltage outputs, maximum currents, temperature operating ranges, and so forth. [0079] In some embodiments, the power subsystem 104 can require authentication information to be verified before power is transmitted through the DC port 316. Switch 318 can be opened until proper authentication information is validated. For example, cryptographic keys and/or signatures may be exchanged between the power subsystem 104 and the smart power system 108 of FIG. 1. An authentication module 330 can perform algorithms that would be known to one having skill in the art to verify that the power subsystem 104 is authorized to provide power through the DC port 316. Handshake information comprising serial number identification and status/state information can be exchanged before the power subsystem 104 allows power to flow through the DC port 316. This authentication feature can be used to prevent theft and enforce lifecycle requirements on the SEC. Because the SECs are designed to be modular and removable, these security features may be beneficial. In some embodiments, the diagnostic systems of the power subsystem 104 and of each of the battery subsystems can detect failures or voltages/currents that are outside the normal operating range. In the case of a failure, the processor 310 can open switches 318, 322 to disable the SEC and prevent the SEC from being used. The switches 318, 322 can also be closed to prevent power flowing from the SEC when the number of charge cycles for the SEC surpasses a threshold, when a battery voltage dips below a threshold voltage, or when the malfunction is detected in the SEC.

[0080] FIG. 4 illustrates a SEC, according to some embodiments. The SEC includes a plurality of battery subsystems 102 (102a, 102b, 102c, etc.), each of which includes a plurality of individual battery cells and a processing system as described above in relation to FIG. 2. The SEC may also include a power subsystem 104 as described in relation to FIG. 3. A power bus 408 can electrically couple each of the battery subsystems 102 with the power subsystem 104. Note that in some embodiments, the power bus 408 may have dedicated connections between each battery subsystem and an individual DC port on the power subsystem 104. Additionally, a

communication bus 406 can communicatively couple each of the battery subsystems 102 to the power subsystem 104.

[0081] The SEC may also include a housing 410 that encloses the battery subsystems 102 and the power subsystem 104. In some embodiments, the housing 410 of the SEC may be hermetically sealed, such that access to the internal SEC systems is only available through interfaces in the housing. A first interface 402 can provide communication for status and/or command information to/from the SEC. A second interface 404 can provide a DC voltage from the SEC to the smart power system 108.

[0082] FIG. 5 illustrates a housing of a SEC, according to some embodiments. While the physical form and volume of the SEC housing can take any shape or size, some embodiments may be approximately 0.25 cubic feet. These embodiments may be approximately 6" x 6" x 12".

Other embodiments may be approximately 0.125 cubic feet. These embodiments may be approximately 3" x 6" x 12". SECs may be stackable in a Lego-like fashion on top of each other such that a plurality of SECs can be connected together in a modular fashion and removed/inserted into the rest of the power system. The housing of the SEC may include a mechanically and structurally strong and thermally conductive material such as aluminum. Internally, the SEC may include a chassis to which all of the subsystems (i.e., battery subsystems and the power subsystem) can be mechanically fastened to on both sides. The chassis can be perforated to allow circulation of a thermal material and for wire connections. In some embodiments, the housing can use molded material along the sides that inset between aluminum panels on the top/bottom where thermal transfer may be required.

[0083] A handle 504 can be used to insert/remove the SEC from the smart enclosure of the power system. Additionally, the handle 504 can also be used as a locking mechanism to ensure physical contact with the interfaces connecting the SEC with the smart enclosure. By locking the SEC in place, this can guarantee positive engagement between the interfaces and contact with heat transfer mechanisms and electrical terminals. The locking mechanism may be comprised of a screw through the center of the SEC to secure the SEC to the containment unit. Alternatively, the SEC can use locking tabs that extend from the sides of the SEC upon rotation of the handle 504. The handle can be spring-loaded such that the handle disengages the locking mechanism when turned. In another embodiment, the SEC may be secured by closing a lid, cover, or other components over the SECs when they are inserted into the smart enclosure. This locking process may engage a master electrical switch, allowing no power flow unless properly engaged, or to act as a master reset on all control, monitoring, and microprocessor activities.

[0084] In some embodiments, the housing of the SEC may include a display 502. The display 502 can be implemented using an LED/LCD active/passive display. The display 502 can be used to communicate status or state of health information of the SEC to a user. Alternatively or additionally, the status or state of health information can be transmitted through NFC or other wireless protocols to a user's smart phone or a similar device. In some embodiments, the status or state of health information can be transmitted to an app, web portal, or electrical control unit of an electric vehicle.

[0085] In some embodiments, the SEC may include electrical conductors as part of its frame that can also be used as a means to connect other SEC units together. A pair of guide rails 508 may be used for power transfer with one exposed (typically the negative terminal) and the other recessed. The guide rails 508 can also aid with alignment and stability when inserting/removing the SEC from the smart enclosure.

[0086] To allow for easy repair, replacement, recycling, and upgrades for the battery subsystems as battery technologies and chemistries advance, the housing of the SEC may include an accessible cover 506. The cover 506 can be formed from one or more pieces on the outer structure of the SEC and held in place with fasteners, such as screws. The cover 506 can also act as a heat sink between the SEC and the smart enclosure. In embodiments where the SEC is not hermetically sealed, the cover 506 can be vented to allow for airflow.

[0087] In some embodiments, the SEC may be hermetically sealed or at least watertight. As described below, when a dangerous condition such as overheating is detected, the housing of the SEC can be flooded with an electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive, and/or fire retardant fluid or material that can absorb heat and prevent any fire hazards. In some

embodiments, the SEC can be continuously flooded with these types of materials. [0088] FIG. 6 illustrates a rear view of the housing of a SEC, according to some embodiments. The housing may include one or more power ports 602, 604 that are recessed into the housing to prevent short-circuits. The power ports 602, 604 are also offset from the center of the housing to ensure correct alignment and polarity upon insertion into the smart enclosure. Alternatively, the guide rails 508 from FIG. 5 may also be used for power transfer as described above.

[0089] The housing may also include a communication port 606 that allows for communication between the SEC and the smart power system of the smart enclosure. Some embodiments (not shown) that use liquid cooling systems may also include valves that are recessed into the housing that can accept liquid coolant through corresponding ports in the smart enclosure. [0090] The example of FIG. 6 uses wired communication and power ports. However, as described above, other embodiments may use wireless communication devices (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, etc.) to communicate between the SEC and the smart power module of the smart enclosure. Additionally, other embodiments may use wireless power transfer between the SEC and the smart power system of the smart enclosure. Therefore, the wired communication and power ports of FIG. 6 are not meant to be limiting.

[0091] FIG. 7 illustrates a cutaway view of a SEC, according to some embodiments. As illustrated, the battery subsystems 106 can be enclosed in respective housings and aligned and/or mounted with in the housing of the SEC. This modularity allows for battery subsystems to gain storage capacity or reduce weight depending on the price/performance criteria for each application as battery storage chemistries evolve. The battery subsystem 106 in FIG. 7 includes 15 individual battery cells. As described above, battery subsystems 106 may include varying numbers of battery cells depending on the application.

[0092] FIG. 8 illustrates a power subsystem 118 of a smart power system 108, according to some embodiments. The power subsystem 118 may be similar to the power subsystem 104 of the SECs. The power subsystem 118 may include a DC receiver circuit 802 that aggregates the DC voltage signals received from each of the SECs. A multi-tap transformer 820 can receive each of the DC signals from the SECs and generate a final DC output 826 based on stored parameters. The DC receiver circuit 802 can receive one input connection per SEC which may be made via an electrical bus connector or a molex-type connector for wiring. [0093] The power subsystem 118 can include a memory that stores configurable parameters such that the power subsystem 118 can be programmed to provide different waveforms. These parameters may form part of an energy profile that can be authenticated, updated in real-time, and stored. In addition to a DC port 826, the power subsystem 118 can include an AC port 824 that is electrically coupled to an AC inverter 818. A processor 810 can retrieve stored parameters and determine what type of AC signal should be generated by the power subsystem 118. For example, the processor 810 can access stored parameters that determine the voltage/current and frequency of an AC output. A load device, such as the electrical system of electric vehicle can communicate the needed electrical characteristics of the output of the power system. When the power subsystem 118 communicates with the load system, it can be dynamically programmed with the proper parameters according to the needs of the load system. For example, the DC output can be configured for between 12 and 48 VDC, between 110-336 VAC, and up to 320 A in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the DC ports 826 and the AC port 824 can be combined into the same physical connection to the smart enclosure, such that the same two-port interface can be used for both output types.

[0094] Like the power subsystems of the SECs, the power subsystem 118 may include a communication bus 814 that is communicatively coupled to each of the SECs, a wired

communication chip 812, and/or a wireless communication chip 814. An authentication module 808 can be coupled to the processor 810 (or may be an integrated part of the processor 810) and can be used to authenticate communications with the various SECs such that they are enabled to provide power to the power subsystem 118. A wired communication chip 816 and a

communication bus 822 can be used to communicate with the load device, such as the electrical system of electric vehicle to receive configuration parameters. [0095] FIG. 9 illustrates the physical arrangement of a smart enclosure 110 with a plurality of SECs 106 and a smart power system 108, according to some embodiments. As illustrated, the smart power system 108 can be constructed to have the same form factor as each of the SECs. Specifically, the smart power system 108 may be constructed from a mechanically strong and thermally conductive material such as aluminum and have an internal chassis that components can be mechanically fastened to on both sides. The housing of the smart power system 108 can incorporate the rotating locking handle to secure the smart power system 108 to the smart enclosure 110. The housing of the smart power system 108 may also be watertight to allow the unit to be flooded with electrically nonconductive and thermally conductive fluid that will absorb heat and act as a fire retardant. As with the SECs described above, the body of the smart enclosure 110 may be used as one or more current carrying conductors to reduce the number of electoral connectors required. For example, the body of the smart enclosure 110 may be used as a negative (-) Pole. [0096] When the SECs 106 and the smart power system 108 are inserted into the smart enclosure 110, the smart power system 108 can process the status of each of the SECs that are connected to it to monitor the charge level, temperature, voltage, current, and so forth. In some embodiments, the smart power system 108 can regulate the flow of power to/from the individual SECs 106. For example, if one SEC 106a experiences a voltage sag, the smart power system 108 can take the SEC 106a off-line and compensate using other SECs (106b, 106c, 106d).

Additionally, the smart power system 108 can regulate the flow of cooling fluid to each of the SECs 106 based on temperature readings and/or requests received from each of the SECs 106.

[0097] The smart enclosure 110 provides the containment unit with the structure to support each of the SECs 106 and the smart power system 108. The smart enclosure 110 also provides electrical and cooling connections as illustrated by FIG. 1. Typically, the smart enclosure 110 can support between three and five (or more) SECs 106 and at least one smart power system 108 to govern power flow through the system. In some embodiments, the smart enclosure 110 can have an overall form factor that fits within a standard 19 inch IT rack. In some embodiments the SECs may be located between the rails and skin of an IT enclosure, or within doors or other body panels of an electric vehicle. The internal backplane of the smart enclosure 110 includes electrical and/or communication bus connections as described above that allow for push-pull connections as the different modules are inserted. This can also enable plug-and-play operation as modules are swapped in and out of the smart enclosure 110. [0098] In some embodiments, the smart enclosure 110 may include a coolant flow system that pumps liquid coolant through each of the SECs 106 and/or the smart power system 108. In some embodiments, the structure of the smart enclosure 110 is hollow to allow cooling to flow and circulate through the smart enclosure 110 to remove heat from the modules. For example, instead of pumping coolant through each of the modules in the smart enclosure 110, the smart enclosure can pump coolant through the structure of the smart enclosure to remove heat from the modules themselves. Although not shown, the structure of the smart enclosure 110 can include two ports on opposite ends of the unit that allow cooling connections to be made with a solenoid for flow control. These cooling connections can be coupled to the cooling system of an electronic vehicle.

[0099] In some embodiments, the smart enclosure 110 may include an electro-mechanical actuator that allows the smart enclosure 110 to be raised and lowered in the application environment. For example, the smart enclosure 1 10 can be embedded into a floor or trunk of an electric vehicle. When swapping any of the modules in the smart enclosure 110, the smart enclosure 110 can be raised or lowered such that the modules can be retrieved from the smart enclosure 110. After swapping, the smart enclosure 110 can be lowered into the floor/trunk of the electric vehicle for convenience.

[0100] FIG. 10 illustrates a home charging and storage station (HCSS), according to some embodiments. The HCSS comprises a system that stores SECs and provides charging, net metering, and other management capabilities. In practice, the HCSS can be used to store and charge individual SECs after they are removed from an electric vehicle. For example, when returning home from a drive, a user can remove SECs from the smart enclosure of the electric vehicle and place them in the HCSS to be recharged. At the same time, the user can remove charged SECs from the HCSS, which can then be inserted into the smart enclosure of the electric vehicle immediately.

[0101] The size of the HCSS can vary, but will typically support at least six SECs and one smart power system. The internal surface of the HCSS can mirror the SEC profile and have a similar thermal transfer system as the smart enclosure described above. The HCSS can also include alignment and locking tabs that can mirror those used by the smart enclosure. In short, inserting a SEC into the HCSS can be a very similar experience for a user as inserting and SEC into a smart enclosure in an electric vehicle. The HCSS can support additional cooling systems. For example, the HCSS can include fan-assisted air cooling systems and additional heat sinks that would be too bulky for the smart enclosure.

[0102] The HCSS can be connected to a home's electrical power system. During times of low energy usage by the home, the HCSS can charge the SECs stored therein. During times of high energy usage by the home, the HCSS can draw power from charged SECs to provide additional power to the home. Additionally, during demand response (DR) events on the local power grid, the SECs in the HCSS can source additional power to the power grid to take advantage of DR programs offered by a local utility provider. Consequently, the HCSS can incorporate electrical switchgear to prevent backfeeding the grid in the event of a power failure, but can also support net- metering in cases where on-site generation (wind, solar, etc.) is available. From a utility perspective, the HCSS can incorporate meter sockets and intelligence for smart utility meters and other utility-focused features. For example, the HCSS can include a utility meter slot along with provisions to accept conduits another service distribution feeds. The HCSS can function like a basic power source to provide clean power to the consumer and allow the service/utility feed to be disconnected and/or supplemented in the event of a blackout or brownout. The HCSS gateway acts as the communications, monitoring and control hub of the system, which may be deployed as a physical or virtual machine. Aside from local communications and monitoring, the system may also support secure back-channel communications to form an encrypted, mesh network to allow systems, and dependent, authorized users, to communicate status and general data across multiple nodes. This may be supported via wired or wireless technologies, using utility or other

communications networks to aggregate data and provide ISP access points. An authorized user, device, or system with the necessary digital certificate and account statue may gain universal access to the network.

[0103] FIG. 11 illustrates a commercial charging and storage station (CCSS), according to some embodiments. As with the HCSS described above, the CCSS comprises a system that stores SECs (and therefore energy), and provides charging, net-metering, and other management capabilities. This may be similar in function to the HCSS, but the CCSS can operate at a larger scale and capacity. For example, the CCSS may typically be of a sufficient size to support up to 500 SECs, and may be the size of a 20 foot shipping container. Inside the CCSS, SECs can be mounted a floor-standing 19" rack that can be up to approximately 7 feet tall. Each rack can include a smart power system that supports and manages all of the SECs in that rack. At the top of each rack, one or more cooling manifolds may be provided (e.g., one for supply, one for return) to connect to each of the cooling fluid ports on the SECs. A heat exchanger can cool the circulated coolant fluid.

[0104] In one commercial embodiment, the CCSS can support up to 1 MWh of capacity, 3- phase power, and a 480V AC input/output with a 48V DC feed. As with the HCSS, the CCSS can function like a basic power source to provide clean power to the consumer, and allow the service/utility feed to be disconnected and/or supplemented in the event of a blackout or brownout. Because of its large capacity, the CCSS can be a valuable resource in the utility company's DR strategy. Since the typical CCSS will be on the order of several hundred kWh of capacity and highly distributed, they avoid major utility upgrades and redesign. [0105] In some embodiments, the CCSS can be fully automated like a gas or service station for traditional vehicles. The CCSS can include an automated self-service interface 1100 akin to an ATM at a bank or credit card payment system at a gas pump. The interface 1100 allows a user to exchange discharged SECs for freshly charged SECs through a guided, automated process. The discharged SEC may be placed into a slot/chute, and a freshly charged SEC can be returned in its place. Within the CCSS, a robotic arm can take the discharged SEC and place it in an open slot, allowing it to recharge. The robotic arm can then place a freshly charged SEC back in the user slot. Alternatively, the CCSS may forgo the use of robotics and allow an attendant to manually handle the transaction. Alternatively, the robotics system may extend out from the CCSS, interacting with the vehicle to swap used/charged modules. The robotics may be mounted to the CCSS, or mounted in a separate structure, in ground or otherwise. The robotics system may employ a variety of sensors, controls, and machine learning technology to accurately align and actuate release mechanisms, swap modules, and cycle them from vehicle to/from the CCSS. [0106] FIG. 12 illustrates a communication architecture for a CCSS 1200, according to some embodiments. As described above, a plurality of SECs 106 can be stored in the CCSS 1200 and governed by at least one smart power system 108. A smart cell gateway 1206 can act as a network interface and data management hub for the on-site infrastructure of the CCSS. The Gateway can receive input from various sensors within the SECs 106, the smart power system 108, and/or the CCSS 1200. The gateway 1206 can also provide local control, continuity, and/or autonomy in the event of a network outage. The gateway 1206 can also be mounted in the standard 19" rack within the enclosure of the CCSS 1200.

[0107] The smart power system 108 manages how energy is delivered to/from each of the connected SECs 106. The smart power system 108 can also retrieve status and/or configuration information from each of the SECs 106. The Gateway 1206 can then transmit the

status/configuration information to a local customer database 1208. The Gateway 1206 can also transfer this information through the Internet 1202 to a smart cell data center 1204. The data center 1204 can universally store information for each of the SECs registered with the smart cell system. This can also allow other vendors to log into the data center 1204 to locate different SECs and monitor their performance.

[0108] As described briefly above, each of the SECs, battery subsystems, and smart power systems may include integrated cooling systems to remove heat from the battery cells. FIG. 13A illustrates a battery subsystem similar to that described in FIG. 2 with an integrated coolant system. In this embodiment, the battery subsystem may include a thermal material 1310 that is disposed adjacent to the battery cells 214 such that heat can be transferred from the battery cells 214 outside of the battery subsystem. In some embodiments, the thermal material may include a solid material that is thermally conductive and injected into the battery subsystem to substantially fill gaps and spaces between the battery cells 214 and the housing of the battery subsystem. This thermal material can then transfer heat from the battery cells 214 through the thermally conductive housing of the battery subsystem. The thermal material may also include gels or thermal greases that can fill empty space within the battery subsystem. The thermal material may also include a vapor compression that evaporates a liquid that is then condensed away from the battery cells. [0109] The thermal material may also include tubing 1304 that allows liquid coolant to flow through the battery subsystem. In some embodiments, the tubing 1304 can be wrapped around individual battery cells 214 or groups of battery cells 214 to absorb a maximal amount of heat. The tubing 1304 can be coupled to a pair of connectors 1306, 1308 that can be attached to an external coolant flow system.

[0110] FIG. 13B illustrates a battery subsystem using a flowable electrolyte, according to some embodiments. As part of an active cooling solution, the individual battery cells can be replaced by a cathode block 1320 and an anode block 1322. Instead of circulating the liquid coolant around individual battery cells, the liquid coolant can be flowed around the cathode block 1320 and the anode block 1322. By replacing the individual battery cells, the entire battery subsystem 102 can act as a battery module, enabling technologies such as lithium-air battery technologies or metal-air battery technologies. The fluid being circulated through the pair of connectors 1306, 1308 can serve a dual function as both a liquid coolant and an electrolyte for the battery subsystem 102. For example, while the exact fluid base may be determined for each battery chemistry based on a variety of parameters, it may be a super-oxygenated water for conductive criteria, or fluids such as 3M Novec® for non-conductive criteria.

[0111] The flow rate of the coolant/electrolyte can be dynamically monitored and adjusted by the power subsystem 104 of the SEC 106 and/or the power subsystem 118 of the smart power system 108. As described above, the power subsystem 104 of each SEC 106 can

interrogate/authenticate each battery subsystem 102 to identify the type of energy cell technology. Energy cells can store serial numbers that can be used by the power subsystem 104/118 to look up operating characteristics, or energy cells can provide operating characteristics (e.g., voltage, current, cycle time, etc.) directly to the power subsystem through a resource profile 104/118. Different technologies may require different types of electrolytes at different flow rates to effectively cool the battery subsystems 102 and provide the right electrochemistry. After identifying the battery technology, the power subsystem 104 can communicate with the power subsystem 118 of the smart power system 108 to flow the right type of electrolyte at the proper flow rate.

[0112] For example, oxygen is one of the required elements of the chemical reaction in a lithium-air battery technology. The cooling system can be leveraged as a medium by which an electrolyte and oxygen can both be provided to the battery cells. By oxygenating the liquid that is flowed between the anode block 1322 and the cathode block 1320, enough oxygen can be present between the anode block 1322 and the cathode block 1320 for the lithium-air reaction. To oxygenate the liquid, air bubbles can be injected into the liquid, much like how the water in a fish tank is oxygenated using an oxygenation unit 1324. In other embodiments, the oxygenation unit 1324 may be replaced by other units that introduce additional elements into the electrolyte fluid flow (e.g., sodium hydroxide). [0113] FIG. 14 illustrates a SEC 106 comprising an integrated thermal material, according to some embodiments. Like the battery subsystem described above, the SEC 106 can also include a thermal material 1410 that is injected into the housing of the SEC to substantially fill any gaps between the battery subsystems 102, the power subsystem 104, and the housing of the SEC. The thermal material may include a solid thermally conductive material. The thermal material may also include gels or thermal grease is that couple the internal components of the SEC 106 with the housing of the SEC.

[0114] Similar to the battery subsystem, the thermal material 1410 of the SEC 106 may also include tubing 1406 and/or liquid coolant that is circulated through the SEC 106. A pair of connectors 1404, 1402 can be connected to the tubing 1406 and configured to receive liquid coolant that is pumped and provided by the smart enclosure. For example, connector 1402 may comprise an input port, and connector 1404 may comprise an output port. In some embodiments, the tubing 1406 can be wrapped around each of the individual battery subsystems 102 to extract heat from the battery subsystems 102. In some embodiments, the tubing can connect to connectors, such as connectors 1306, 1308 in FIG. 13A on each of the battery subsystems 102. Thus, coolant can flow from the smart enclosure to the tubing 1406 of the SEC 106, then into the tubing 1304 of each of the battery subsystems. Connectors 1402 and 1404 may comprise push- pull connectors that can couple automatically as the SEC 106 is inserted into the smart enclosure.

[0115] FIG. 15Aillustrates a diagram of a smart enclosure 110 and an SEC 106, according to some embodiments. This particular smart enclosure 110 includes a plurality of bay openings 1506 into which the SECs 106 can be inserted. The smart enclosure 110 includes a front face 1502 that completely encloses a front portion of the smart enclosure 110. The front face 1502 can be formed from a single piece of material such that the only openings in the front face 1502 are the bay openings 1506 designed for the insertion of the SECs 106 and the insertion of the smart power system 108. In some embodiments, the form factor of the smart power system 108 may be substantially the same as a form factor of the SECs 106. In other embodiments, the form factor of the smart power system 108 may be approximately sized such that it occupies two or more slots where SECs 106 could be inserted. [0116] When the SECs 106 are inserted into the bay openings 1506 in the front face 1502 of the smart enclosure 110, a liquid-tight seal can be formed between the front face 1502 and the SECs 106. For example, the front of each SEC 106 can include a bezel 1504 that stops the inward motion of the SEC 106 as it is inserted into the bay opening 1506 in the front face 1502. The bezel 1504 may protrude radially from the casing of the SEC 106 such that the bezel 1504 is wider than the corresponding bay opening 1506 in the front face 1502. The side of the bezel 1504 that comes in contact with the front face 1502 may include a seal or O-ring such that when the bezel 1504 is pressed against the front face 1502, the bay opening 1506 is completely sealed against gas and/or fluid leakage. The handle 116 of the SEC 106 can provide a user control that actuates to lock the SEC 106 in place such that the bezel 1504 presses against the front face 1502 and the gas-/liquid- tight seal between the SEC 106 and the front face 1502 is maintained while the handle 116 remains in a locked position in the bay opening 1506.

[0117] FIG. 15Aillustrates a diagram of a smart enclosure 110 and an SEC 106, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the interior of the bay opening 1506 may comprise a walled cavity that conforms to the exterior contours of the corresponding SEC 106. In the example of FIG. 15, the interior of the bay opening 1506 may include flat bottom and side walls with an angled ceiling to conform to the shape of the SEC 106. Other shapes, contours, and mechanisms may be used to provide a keyed, and self-aligning module to simplify and aid insertion. The walled cavity inside the bay opening 1506 may be completely sealed internally such that fluid circulating inside of the smart enclosure 110 will be kept out of the walled cavity. When each of the wall cavities within the bay openings 1506 are sealed, the remaining interior of the smart enclosure 110 can be flooded with cooling fluid. The cooling fluid can be actively circulated through the interior of the smart enclosure such that it flows freely around each of the walled cavities holding the SECs 106. In some embodiments, instead of flooding the remaining interior of the smart enclosure 110 with cooling fluid, the cooling fluid can be pumped through channels, tubes, or other routing mechanisms that are wrapped around each of the walled cavities in the bay openings 1506. This may ensure that the cooling fluid is actively circulated around each of the walled cavities so as to extract heat that is transferred from the inserted SECs 106.

[0118] While the bay openings 1506 include a walled cavity that are sealed relative to the rest of the interior of the smart enclosure 110, some embodiments may include mechanisms that maintain thermal contact between the exterior of the SEC 106 and the interior of the walled cavity. These bay dividers may be removable to support a full-width modules such as fuel cells. As energy cells heat up during use, some battery chemistries or fuel-cell embodiments will thermally expand during operation. As this expansion occurs, the SEC 106 may expand radially, longitudinally, and/or laterally depending on the orientation and electrochemistry involved. Ideally, the smart enclosure 110 is agnostic towards the particular type of energy cell inside it each SEC 106.

Therefore, the interior of the walled cavity may include floating heat transfer panels that automatically align with the walls of the cavity in the bay opening 1506. The heat transfer panels may include compressible and/or inflatable material that bleeds air and removes free space out of the walled cavity. For example, the heat transfer panel may be aligned with the top and/or bottom face of the SEC 106 to (1) maintain thermal contact between the exterior of the SEC 106 and the interior of the walled cavity, and (2) expand to remove any air or empty space in which condensation might build up. In some embodiments, the heat transfer panel does not need to stop expansion in any direction, but rather simply needs to absorb the expansion and maintain contact between surfaces. Some embodiments may use materials that have thermal properties that expand in an amount similar to a known expansion of the SEC 106 during operation. Other embodiments may be designed so as to accommodate any SEC 106 expanding in any direction. For example, some heat transfer panels may be comprised of an elastic, compressible, or compliant material that is allowed to expand and/or contract as the SEC 106 thermally expands and/or contracts. Some heat transfer panels may replace one or more of the walls in the walled cavity of the bay opening 1506.

[0119] In addition to using the heat transfer panels, some embodiments may use a thermal interface paste or similar material to increase thermal bridging between the surfaces of the SEC 106 and the walled cavity of the bay opening 1506. In some embodiments, carbon nanotubes and/or graphene can be used as a thermal interface to increase operating temperature ranges. Carbon nanotubes are extremely efficient at transferring heat to increase the contact surface area between two surfaces. They can also be used to adhere a surface to a heat source. Some embodiments use a graphene foam module to provide a thermal bridge between the interior of the walled cavity and the exterior of the SEC 106. Carbon nanotubes may be particularly beneficial in cases where passive heat conduction is difficult and the power density of the SECs 106 are high (e.g., 13 battery cells may correspond to a 24 W array in a single SEC 106) with a limited area through which to conduct excess heat. As described above, the power subsystem 118 of the smart power system 108 can authenticate and/or interrogate each SEC 106 to determine the thermal characteristics and thermal transfer needs of each particular SEC 106. The graphene foam inserts can be designed to accommodate the "worst-case scenario" for the thermal needs of possible battery chemistries and/or fuel cells. In some embodiments, the carbon nanotubes that form the thermal interface can also provide a gripping property that secures the SEC 106 into the bay opening 1506 (similar to that way that traditional hook-and-loop fasteners prevent lateral movement). It should be noted that the heat transfer problems addressed by the embodiments described herein are unique to the present system that is agnostic towards the particular battery technology and provides such high power densities.

[0120] Some embodiments may maintain a static fluid and/or solid thermal material inside of the SEC 106. The enclosure of the SEC 106 may form a sealed module against any external gas or liquid. As described above, the SEC 106 may include inlet/outlet ports for circulating an electrolyte and/or cooling fluid through the SEC 106. The SEC 106 may also include one or more electrical interfaces that allow for communication, authentication/interrogation, and power transfer between the SEC 106 and the smart power system 108. Heat can be passively transferred away from the energy source inside of the SEC 106 via the internal thermal material/fluid through the walls of the SEC 106. In some embodiments, the sealed case of the SEC 106 can replace at least a portion of the walled cavity inside the bay opening 1506. Instead, the smart enclosure 110 can simply provide an interface at the rear of the smart enclosure 110 for the corresponding electrical interface on the SEC 106. Some embodiments may also include slots or guides that guide the SEC 106 into the electrical interface as it is inserted. Then, the interior of the smart enclosure 110 can be flooded to bathe the inserted SECs 106 in cooling fluid. The seal between the bezel 1504 and the front face 1502 of the smart enclosure 110 keeps the cooling fluid from leaking out of the smart enclosure 110 during operation.

[0121] The locking system actuated by the handle 116 can be configured to communicate with pressure and/or fluid sensors that maintain the handle 116 in a locked position while the smart enclosure 110 is flooded with cooling fluid. The mechanical system of the load device and/or the smart enclosure 110 may include a fluid pump, a reservoir, and/or a heat exchanger. Before removing one of the SECs 106, the fluid pump can drain the smart enclosure 110 of cooling fluid. An interlock process between the inlet and outlet ports of the smart enclosure 110 can ensure that the smart enclosure 110 is completely drained of cooling fluid before the user is allowed to remove one of the SECs 106. Some embodiments may also include a thin liner or membrane into which the SECs 106 are inserted to keep them having direct contact with the cooling fluid as the smart enclosure 110 is flooded. Other embodiments may allow the cooling fluid to have direct contact with the housing of the SEC 106. Putting the cooling fluid in direct contact with the surface of the SEC 106 bridges the thermal gap between the interior of the SEC 106 and the cooling fluid. In some embodiments, the cooling fluid may be selected such that it evaporates quickly after the smart enclosure 110 is evacuated (, e.g., 3M™ Novec™). This interlock process may also apply to safe shut-down procedures for electronic components. [0122] In embodiments where the smart enclosure 110 is flooded with cooling fluid, each bay opening 1506 may need to be sealed before the smart enclosure 110 can be flooded. Some embodiments may require that an actual SEC 160 inserted into each of the bay openings 1506. Other embodiments may provide blanking plates that can be attached to the front face 1502 to cover any of the bay openings 1506 that do not have corresponding SECs 106 inserted. In some embodiments, the blanking plate can be comprised of the same front portion of an SEC 106 with the bezel 1504, handle 116, and seal or O ring. The blanking plate can be installed by placing the blanking plate over the bay opening 1506 and actuating the handle 116 to engage locking mechanism. The blanking plate can prevent air from entering the smart enclosure 110 where condensation may build up as the cooling fluid flows internally. Other embodiments may use blanking plates that use alternative latching techniques that are different from the SECs 106.

Some embodiments may also use a complete housing of an SEC 106 used as a dummy cartridge to fill the space in the smart enclosure 110. In this case, the housing of the SEC 106 can have the internal energy cells and/or electronics removed. [0123] The mounting configuration for the SECs 106 illustrated in FIG. 15A is just one example of how the SECs 106 can be arranged in the smart enclosure 110. Furthermore, the smart enclosure 110 can be stacked with other smart enclosures in the same modular fashion as the SECs 106 are stacked within the smart enclosure 110. FIG. 15B illustrates an example of how a plurality of smart enclosures 110 can be stacked horizontally/vertically, according to some embodiments. The smart enclosure 110 may include modular electrical and/or coolant interfaces 1525 that will automatically connect when stacked in vertical/horizontal configurations. Some embodiments may include electrical/cooling connectors 1525 on the top of the smart enclosure 110 that mate with corresponding connectors on the bottom side of other smart enclosures 110. Thus, a plurality of smart enclosures 110 can be stacked on top of each other in a vertical configuration and automatically provide electrical/cooling connections between the smart enclosures 110. In some embodiments, the smart enclosures 110 may alternatively or additionally include similar connectors 1525 on each of the sides such that the smart enclosures 110 can be arranged in a horizontal fashion and/or a vertical fashion. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 15B, the smart enclosures 110 are shown to be stacked horizontally and vertically such that the horizontal and vertical connectors 1525 are aligned to form a grid of smart enclosures 110. Thus, the grid of smart enclosures 110 can provide one or more electrical/communication inputs/outputs, as well as one or more valves for coolant, electrolytes, waste, fuel, etc.

[0124] When multiple smart enclosures 110 are coupled horizontally and/or vertically, they can aggregate and share electrical signals and/or coolant. In some embodiments, a separate power module 1535 may be provided that handles the aggregated electrical power generated from multiple smart enclosures 110. This may be particularly advantageous because efficient power inverters typically require a large physical volume, and may fill most of the available space for the smart power system 108 for a single smart enclosure (e.g., 2.5 kW). However, by instead chaining together multiple smart enclosures 110 and aggregating electrical power into a single smart power module 1535, larger and more efficient power inverters 1540 may be used. Additionally, the single smart power module 1535 can authenticate/interrogate each of the individual smart power systems 108 of the chained smart enclosures 110 to configure how the connections are aggregated from each smart enclosure. For example, the single smart power module 1535 for the group of smart enclosures 110 can configure each smart enclosure 110 to provide combinations of serial connections and/or parallel connections between the smart enclosures 110 to increase the voltage and/or current provided by the system as a whole. Note that each of the smart enclosures 110 does not need to include a power module. When the smart enclosures 110 are chained together, power modules can be removed from the smart enclosures, and the space can instead be used for additional SECs 106. In some embodiments, the smart enclosures 110 may be restricted to a horizontal connection rather than the vertical and horizontal connection illustrated in FIG. 15B. Thus, each row of smart enclosures 110 can aggregate power from the SECs 106 horizontally such that only a single power module is needed for the row.

[0125] FIG. 16 illustrates one example of a locking mechanism for an SEC 106 and/or a blanking plate, according to some embodiments. This example uses a handle 116 as shown in FIG. 15A. In an unlocked position, the handle 116 can be rotated 30° on a center axis in a counterclockwise direction. Other embodiments may also allow the handle 116 to be rotated in a clockwise direction. As the user begins to turn the latching handle 116, an initial input torque can be applied by a spring mechanism against the rotation of the handle. This initial input torque can be gradually increased as the handle is rotated in a clockwise direction. Latches 1602 on the top and/or bottom of the SEC 106 can begin to extend outward in a radial direction away from the housing of the SEC 106 such that they engage with corresponding indentations in the smart enclosure 110. As the handle 116 reaches a 90° rotation, a center button on the handle 116 can spring outwards and the handle 116 can lock in place. At this point, the latches 1602 are fully extended and the torque applied to handle 116 in a direction opposite of its rotation will be at a maximum. To release the handle, the smart enclosure 110 can be drained of cooling fluid, the center button can be depressed, and the handle 116 can be rotated away from the center 90° locked position. [0126] FIG. 17 illustrates an exploded rear view of the locking mechanism of FIG. 16. This exploded view illustrates how rotating the handle 116 can radially extend the latches 1602.

Additionally, a spring element 1702 can be attached to the rotation mechanism on one end and to a non-moving portion of the mechanism at the other end. As the handle 116 rotates away from the 90° locked position in a counterclockwise direction, the spring will gradually extend and progressively apply more rotational force to oppose the rotation. As described above, the exploded view in FIG. 17 can be mounted to the front of an SEC 106. This mechanism can also be assembled in the absence of an SEC 106 and used as a blanking plate to be installed over vacant bay openings 1506 in the front face 1502 of the smart enclosure 110. [0127] It should be noted that the locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 is but one example of many locking mechanisms that may be used to secure a blanking plate and/or an SEC 106 to the front face 1502 of the smart enclosure 110. FIG. 18 illustrates three additional examples of locking mechanisms that may be used interchangeably as blanking plates and/or locking mechanisms for an SEC 106. Locking mechanism 1802 illustrates a screw-drive locking mechanism whereby turning the handle 116-1 gradually turns the screw drive, thereby causing the latches 1602-1 to extend into the bay opening 1506. Locking mechanism 1804 has a compressible interior section of the handle 116-2 to pull the latches 1602-2 out of the bay opening 1506 as the interior section of the handle 116-2 is compressed. Locking mechanism 1808 illustrates a "car door"-style locking mechanism whereby pulling handle 116-3 outwards polls the latches 1602-3 out of the bay opening 1506. Many other locking mechanisms may also be used that perform similar functions and achieve the same results as those illustrated by FIGS. 17-18. After reading this disclosure, one having skill in the art may also be able to modify existing locking mechanisms such that they would be compatible with the smart enclosure 110 and/or the SECs 106 disclosed herein. [0128] The locking mechanism may also be electromechanical, whereby a button press, or control input from an external electronic device, will activate a motor to rotate a set of gears to extend a locking mechanism. These locking mechanisms be chamfered slightly to form a wedge shape, whereby further extension increases the force against of the bezel against the enclosure, and thereby increases the pressure on seals. A similar electromechanical system may be used to gang or assemble a number of modules together in series, or parallel, to effectively create a larger module that may be carried or otherwise managed with a single handle. The locking mechanisms on one module may engage with corresponding mechanisms on a second module to physically and electrically integrate the units. In some embodiments, an SEC 106 may include three major components: the front bezel and locking mechanism, the main battery (energy) module, and the rear interface module for power, control and management components. The battery module may have a number of connectors for power, communications, coolant, and additional connectors as needed in the front and back that allow them to be ganged together, completing their respective circuits. For manufacturing, serviceability, assembly, capacity, and other reasons, these modules may be aggregated for a complete working system. Furthermore, additional battery modules may be assembled between the front bezel and rear interface module to increase the effective electrical capacity of the assembled unit. [0129] FIG. 19 illustrates example embodiments of SECs having different user interface displays. SEC 1902 includes a handle 1903 the can be rotated clockwise/counterclockwise as described above. Additionally, SEC 1902 includes a user interface element comprised of five LED-illuminated indicators 1906. The indicators 1906 can display different colors (e.g., red, green, yellow, etc.) to indicate different statuses of the SEC 1902. In some modes of operation, the number of indicators 1906 that are illuminated can be proportional to an amount charge left in the SEC 1902. The indicators 1906 can also be activated, or "blink," to indicate different status events, such as when the SEC 1902 is installed correctly, is ready to use, is installed incorrectly, is low on charge, is in an error condition, is in a dangerous condition, and so forth.

[0130] SEC 1904 includes user input elements 1908 that allow a user to interact with the SEC 1904. For example, the user input elements 1908 may include buttons, touch screens, actuatable switches, and so forth. The user input elements 1908 can be used to set an operating mode of the SEC 1904; to set operational parameters, such as current, voltage, or other configurations; to turn the SEC 1904 on/off; and so forth. The SEC 1904 also includes an electronic display 1910 that can provide more detailed information to a user, such as an amount of remaining charge, a number of total charges over the lifetime of the SEC 19104, a date of the last charge, a number of miles driven or time units left before the SEC 1904 needs to be replaced, a serial number or other identifier of the SEC 1904, and so forth.

[0131] SEC 1904 also includes an embodiment of a handle 1912 that can be used to lock, insert, and/or remove the SEC 1904 from the smart enclosure 110. A recess 1914 may be included behind the handle 1912 such that the user can insert a finger or fingers behind the handle 1912 to grip the handle 1912. After gripping the handle 1912, the user can then pull the handle 1912 outwards away from the front face of the SEC 1904. As the handle 1912 rotates on a hinge of the bottom of the front face of the SEC 1904, this rotation of the handle 1912 in an outward direction can release the latches that hold the SEC 1904 in place within the smart enclosure 110. The handle 1912 can be spring-loaded such that it retracts back into the front face of the SEC 1904 after it is released. In some embodiments, the handle 1912 can remain extended when the SEC 1904 is removed from the smart enclosure 110. When the SEC 1904 is fully inserted into the smart enclosure 110, the handle 1912 can be rotated back against/into the front face of the SEC 1904 to engage the latches that hold the SEC 1904 in place.

[0132] It will be understood that the user interface elements, indicators, and/or handles displayed in FIG. 19 are merely examples and not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may use different user interface elements, such as touch screens, active-matrix displays, LED displays, sound speakers, microphones, voice recognition, interfaces with smart-home devices such as the Amazon Alexa®, or Google Home®, fingerprint readers, retinal scanners, cameras, and so forth.

[0133] In addition to the hybrid/electric vehicle applications that have been described above, the SEC's, smart enclosure, power subsystems, and smart power systems could also be used in a number of different applications. For example some embodiments may allow a user to transfer SEC's from the smart enclosure in their hybrid/electric vehicle and install the SEC's into a similar smart enclosure in their home or commercial office building. Thus, the SEC's can provide energy to vehicles, industrial systems, commercial systems, residential systems, mobile systems, and so forth. In seeking to address the energy challenges of the future, the embodiments described herein in provide methods of using energy virtualization to provide a hyper-converged

commercial/residential energy system that can be used in many different applications and/or industries. This approach described below allows home users, commercial buildings, utilities, industrial complexes, and transportation elements to securely interoperate and complement each other to provide energy efficiency and/or energy security.

[0134] FIG. 20 illustrates an example of an energy virtualization system that is compatible with the modular power cells and smart enclosure described herein, according to some embodiments. An energy virtualization layer 2002 can be implemented on a smart home controller or home computer in a residential installation, or in conjunction with or in place of a building management system in a commercial installation. The energy virtualization layer 2002 can manage all energy consuming devices, control devices, and energy sources by aggregating available power, determining energy needs, and distributing energy where needed. The virtualization layer abstracts the physical interfaces from the user and management interfaces, allowing other control layers and services to intercept and monitor the data flow between all. The energy virtualization layer 2002 may include a standard uniform interface for energy consuming devices 2006, an interface for control devices 2008, and an interface for energy sources 2004. Each of these uniform interfaces may receive energy and electrical inputs and/or outputs. To interface with the energy

virtualization layer 2002, each device simply needs to support a connection to the standard interfaces 2004, 2006, 2008. For example, an HVAC system 2018 and smart appliances 2016 can be connected to the energy consuming device interface 2006. Control devices such as a thermostat 2014 and the smart phone 2030 can be connected to a control device interface 2008. Energy sources such as solar panels 2010 and an electrical power grid 2012 can be connected to the energy sources interface 2004.

[0135] As described above, the smart enclosure 110 and the modular power cells therein can be installed in many different applications, such as electric vehicles, mobile power stations, residential buildings, commercial buildings, and so forth. In some embodiments, the smart enclosure 110 can be connected to the energy virtualization layer 2002 of a commercial/residential installation to provide and/or receive power through the energy virtualization layer 2002. For example, when the user arrives home from a drive in an electric vehicle, the user can swap the individual SECs 106 from a smart enclosure 110 in the electric vehicle to the smart enclosure 110 of their home for connection to the energy virtualization layer 2002. Thus, the smart enclosure 110 can be configured to interface with the energy sources interface 2004 of the energy

virtualization layer 2002. Any energy left in the SECs 106 can provide energy to the energy virtualization layer 2002 for distribution throughout the home. At times when the home energy needs are met by other energy sources, the energy virtualization layer 2002 can also provide energy to the SECs 106 and the smart enclosure 1 10 for charging battery cells. After charging, the user can again swap the SECs 106 from the smart enclosure 110 of their home and install the charged SECs 106 in the electric vehicle.

[0136] FIG. 21 illustrates a flowchart of a method for providing power through a modular battery pack, according to some embodiments. The method may include inserting the modular battery pack into a second housing (2102). The modular battery pack may be one of the SECs described above, and the second housing may include the smart enclosures described above. The modular battery pack may include a first housing such as the housing of the SECs described above, and may have a volume of at least 0.125 cubic feet or 0.25 cubic feet. The second housing of the smart enclosure may be configured to removably receive a plurality of modular battery packs in the form of SECs.

[0137] The method may also include communicating, through a first interface of the modular battery pack, a status of the modular battery pack to the second housing (2104). The method may further include aggregating, through a processing system of the modular battery pack, power from a plurality of battery cells enclosed in the first housing (2106). The plurality of battery cells may provide at least 1 kW. Furthermore, the processing system of the modular battery pack may include the power subsystem of the SECs described above. The aggregated power may represent a DC signal transmitted from the SEC to the smart power system of the smart enclosure described above.

[0138] The method may further include providing, through a second interface of the modular battery pack, the aggregated power from the plurality of battery cells from the processing system to the second housing (2108). The first interface of the modular battery pack may include the communication port of the SEC that is connected to the smart enclosure. The second interface of the modular battery pack may include the power interface of the SEC that is connected to the smart enclosure.

[0139] The method may further include transferring heat away from the plurality of battery cells using a thermal material enclosed in the first housing (21 10). The thermal material may include a thermally conductive solid, gel, and/or grease. The thermal material may also include tubing and/or liquid coolant. The thermal material may be circulated through the modular battery pack. Additionally, the thermal material may draw heat away from the battery pack and expel the heat through the first housing of the modular battery pack into the smart enclosure.

[0140] It should be appreciated that the specific steps illustrated in FIG. 21 provide particular methods of providing power through modular battery pack according to various embodiments of the present invention. Other sequences of steps may also be performed according to alternative embodiments. For example, alternative embodiments of the present invention may perform the steps outlined above in a different order. Moreover, the individual steps illustrated in FIG. 21 may include multiple sub-steps that may be performed in various sequences as appropriate to the individual step. Furthermore, additional steps may be added or removed depending on the particular applications. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations, modifications, and alternatives.

[0141] FIG. 22 illustrates a flowchart of a method for using a power system with independent battery packs to generate a defined power output, according to some embodiments. The method may include inserting a plurality of modular battery packs into a second housing of the power system (2202). The second housing of the power system may include the smart enclosure described above, and the plurality of modular battery packs may include a plurality of SECs described above. Each of the modular battery packs may include a first housing, a plurality of battery cells, a first interface that communicates information associated with the modular battery pack, and a second interface that transmits power from the plurality of battery cells in the modular battery pack.

[0142] The method may also include receiving, at a processing system of the power system, the information from each of the plurality of modular battery packs (2204). The processing system of the power system may include the smart power system 108 described in FIG. 1 and elsewhere throughout this disclosure. The information may indicate electrical waveform characteristics for the power received from each of the modular battery packs. For example, the information may include a serial number that can be used to look up voltage/current characteristics and/or battery types for each of the SECs.

[0143] The method may additionally include causing, at a processing system of the power system, a waveform generation circuit to aggregate the power received from each of the plurality of modular battery packs according to the respective electrical waveform characteristics (2206). The method may further include causing, at a processing system of the power system, the waveform generation circuit to generate an output electrical signal based on stored parameters (2208).

Energy Virtualization

[0144] The embodiments described herein provide a system that provides and delivers - whether stored or directly delivered via a wired or wireless connection - accessible, flexible, consistent, efficient, economically simpler, and financially viable electrical energy and management in the form of a hyper-converged smart services platform. From a physical perspective, this system may be comprised of modular, interchangeable, and standardized components known as Smart Energy Modules (SEMs). These may include energy storage devices, fuel cells, computing devices, and/or any combination thereof. These SEMs can be used across a variety of platforms and applications, including home and office environments, electric vehicles, power tools, and so forth. The SEMs may be managed under a single interface and management system, making the details simple and easy to manage, as well as modular and easily upgradable. From a logical perspective, the embodiments described herein provide a "Virtualization Layer" (VL) that allows energy consumption, control, and sourcing to be dynamically virtualized with innate security capabilities. [0145] Some embodiments described herein may be comprised of a physical layer and a virtualized middleware layer (i.e., the VL). In the physical layer, energy modules may be designed to simplify and standardize the physical embodiment of energy systems, making them easy to install, maintain, use, and swap across platforms and applications. The VL may interface with the physical layer to aggregate energy resources, determine energy needs and consumption requirements, receive and manage energy control inputs and schedules, and interface with energy consuming devices to provide energy from the energy resources.

[0146] FIG. 23 illustrates an energy system in a commercial building, according to some embodiments. A building management system (BMS) 2302 or a building automation system (BAS) is a computer-based control system installed in buildings that controls and monitors the building's mechanical and electrical equipment, such as ventilation, lighting, power systems, fire systems, security systems, and so forth. The BMS 2302 may be comprised of hardware and/or software to interact with an information bus 2304, such as an Ethernet, a Building Area Network (BAN), and so forth. Prior to this disclosure, the BMS 2302, a building automation system (BAS), and/or an energy management system (EMS) all followed the same basic operating principle, specifically, the systems received a user action, such as requesting more heat through a thermostat, and then facilitated a corresponding change by turning on an air-handler or other mechanical systems to increase the temperature in the area of the building in which the thermostat was located. Generally, this was accomplished through the BMS 2302 as a central console. Prior to this disclosure a BMS was hard-coded with static devices which cannot keep pace with the emerging "Internet of Things" (IoT) paradigm. Energy virtualization abstracts the physical from the logical, allowing dynamic resource integration, monitoring, and management.

[0147] Through the information bus 2304, the BMS 2302 can communicate through a number of different gateways 2308, 2310, 2312 with various components of the building system. These gateways 2308, 2310, 2312 may use a variety of different serial communication protocols, such as the LonTalk protocol optimized for control, the Modbus protocol, the BACnet communication protocol specifically for building automation and control networks, and so forth. These gateways can receive and transmit information from the BMS 2302 to components such as a thermostat 2316, a lighting system 2318, an HVAC system 2320, and so forth. In addition to the gateways 2308, 2310, 2312, a bus controller 2314 can receive commands from the BMS 2302 to control components such as a boiler 2322. Additionally, the system may include various sensors, such as a carbon monoxide sensor 2306, that provide information through a gateway 2312 to the BMS 2302. [0148] In the system of FIG. 23, the BMS 2302 retains total control and remains the central gateway to each of the resources in the building system. This is an understandable architecture based on the time period in which the systems were originally designed. However, this central gateway has now become a fundamental flaw in the way the system operates. Prior to this disclosure, the system of FIG. 23 was still based on a legacy hub-and-spoke model which dates back to the 1950s. Such models require centralized control, and thus have a single point of failure. The systems are also very inflexible, making changes or updates difficult, as each device must be connected back to the central controller 2302. To change this requires time and money to rewire the system. From a building owner's perspective, this creates a monopolized environment where after the BMS 2302 is installed, every future tenant is forced to use that BMS 2302 exclusively, making it extremely unlikely that any single tenant will be motivated to replace the BMS 2302 or upgrade any of the attached systems. Additionally, the security of existing BMS systems is notoriously poor. They typically do not have security built in, and depend on security provided through the network or other interfaces. This security deficiency is attributable to design engineers who are building management experts rather than security experts, as well as contractors installing systems who are not certified cyber-security or networking professionals. Too often, these networks are exposed or not sufficiently protected, creating backdoors and opportunities to access the systems therein. Such limitations were the root cause of the retail store Target® being hacked in 2013, which resulted in the identities of over 70 million people being compromised.

[0149] Although FIG. 23 specifically shows a BMS system for a commercial installation, modern Smart Home automation vendors for residential installations have many of the same problems. The only way to provide modularity is to subscribe to a market leader, such as

Google® or Apple®, which force consumers to buy their products exclusively as part of a brand ecosystem. Partners with brand ecosystems must be "certified," which limits innovation and advancements outside of a predetermined norm.

[0150] The embodiments described herein overhaul the traditional BMS system depicted in FIG. 23 through a concept described herein as "energy virtualization." The energy virtualization platform is an improvement over current technologies in that it: (1) creates an energy platform that is built on an open standard; (2) uses a highly scalable, secure, flexible, and reliable operating system that uses virtualization techniques for cross-platform support; (3) applies the virtualization concept to energy consumption in residential, commercial, automotive, retail spaces, and more; and (4) provides a lower cost of energy for the consumer, along with a lower cost of ownership for energy consuming devices and a lower cost of development for new residential/commercial infrastructures.

[0151] The overall architecture of the system described herein may be referred to as a

"virtualized grid." The virtualized grid for a commercial, residential, and/or industrial installation may include a hardware/software layer referred to as the energy virtualization layer that provides a plug-and-play interface for energy providing devices, energy consuming devices, and/or energy control device. The smart grid provides a stable, local platform in which new devices can be installed, upgraded, and removed dynamically and seamlessly through the energy virtualization layer. [0152] FIG. 24 illustrates an architectural diagram of a virtualized grid, according to some embodiments. The software engine that runs the virtualized grid is the virtualization layer 2402, which abstracts the traditional physical resources from the control systems and the user interfaces. The virtualization layer 2402 acts as a virtualized middleware layer, similar to a hypervisor, to manage virtualized resources. The virtualization layer 2402 may run on a small computing device, and can perform a number of functions - unlike the traditional BMS 2302 depicted in FIG. 23.

The virtualization layer 2402 can also manage numerous control systems and support a number of different outputs, inputs, and requests in parallel. As an "open" system, the virtualization layer 2402 can accept input from any authenticated device that is allowed to connect with the virtualization layer 2402, provided the authenticated device conforms to the virtualized grid framework. The virtualization layer 2402 acts as a hypervisor layer, and the dynamic resource pool traditionally governed by a hypervisor represents the energy devices that can be

added/removed to/from the system dynamically. Analogous to traditional hardware virtualization, instead of running various operating systems on top of the hypervisor, various user interfaces or energy control devices can be run on top of the virtualization layer. Similarly, a manufacturer can run a maintenance or optimization routine on top of the virtualization layer.

[0153] The virtualized grid may also include a number of devices. These devices may include various sensors, such as the thermostat 2316 and the carbon monoxide sensor 2306. The thermostat 2316 may also be classified as a control device, as it receives inputs from users and generates automated commands based on a difference between a setpoint temperature and an ambient temperature detected in the enclosure. Generally, sensor devices provide inputs characterizing an environment, including electrical environments, temperature/humidity/pressure environments, occupancy statuses, security system sensors, and so forth. Control devices generally provide inputs to the virtualization layer 2402 that can be used to govern how the virtualization layer 2402 distributes energy to the rest of the virtualized grid. [0154] Another class of devices may include energy consuming devices, such as a lighting system 2318, an HVAC system 2320, and a boiler 2322. Energy consuming devices may be characterized in that they receive commands from the virtualization layer 2402 and consume energy provided by the virtualization layer 2402. Although not shown explicitly in FIG. 24, another class of devices may include energy providing devices. Energy providing devices (or "energy producing devices") may include solar panels, wind turbines, fuel cells, battery cells, a connection to a local energy grid, and so forth. As will be described in greater detail below, each of these devices (e.g., energy control devices, energy consuming devices, energy producing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the virtualization layer 2402 through a physical interface gateway 2404. The boiler 2322 can be connected to an IP controller 2410.

[0155] As will be described in greater detail below, each device can be viewed by the virtualization layer 2402 as a logical resource. Each logical resource may be associated with a profile that includes resource information, such as a serial number, product codes, licensing information, physical attributes for the actual device, operating parameters, control parameters, and so forth. When connecting to the virtualization layer 2402, an authentication process may be provided in order to connect to the virtualization layer 2402. Additionally, the virtualization layer 2402 can poll each device periodically to determine its status and ensure that each device is in line with a current operating mode. This ensures that no unauthorized device has intercepted or piggy- backed onto the physical connection.

[0156] Analogous to today's mechanical and electrical environments, each device may include an actuator that takes electrical input and converts it to a specific mechanical action, such as turning on or opening a damper, igniting a water heater, turning on a fan, and so forth. Prior to this disclosure, that "actuator" was initiated at a BMS-proprietary controller component in which the control wiring from the BMS interfaced with the device. For example, the BMS would include proprietary wiring connections to an HVAC system 2320 or to a lighting system 2318. In the virtualized grid scenario of FIG. 24, this proprietary connection may be replaced with a small, inline IP interface module that connects via the Building Area Network (BAN) 2304 to

communicate an action or receive a status request from the virtualization layer 2402. Initially, these IP interface modules may be provided for each specific device type to conform to a uniform interface both logically at the virtualization layer 2402 and physically at the physical interface gateway 2404. Over time, these IP interface modules may be built into each device natively, for example, through the use of an RJ-45 data connector, to provide quick and simple plug-and-play set up. The physical layer gateway may operate according to the OSI model to govern how network-based devices communicate.

[0157] As opposed to the legacy hub-and-spoke configuration of FIG. 1, the smart grid of FIG. 24 can leverage a contemporary mesh network design that supports multiple processes, users, devices, etc. in parallel. Specifically, any resource in the system can access any other shared resource in parallel, be it an energy consuming system, energy providing system, or control system. Therefore, a failure in one node or element does not undermine the entire system. For example, operating the HVAC system 2322 to achieve a desired temperature in a particular office space is not dependent on a single core system providing access and/or control to a third-party to effect a change in temperature. The virtualized grid neutralizes that concept, thus making the system less proprietary and preventing operational bottlenecks or system failure.

[0158] The virtualization layer 2402 acts as a virtual interconnect for each resource in the system. The number of resources may be very large - potentially millions in a large building with every lighting device individually connected. In one example, a first tenant 2420-1 can run their preferred BMS service on the smart grid to provide their building automation. This allows the first tenant 2420-1 to be integrated into their headquarters BMS by relating data for cost information, and so forth. A second tenant 2420-2 can run their BMS system both independently and in parallel with the first tenant 2420-1. In addition to tenants, an external network 2406, such as the Internet or a WAN, can provide access for a vendor 2410 to remotely monitor the building system. For example, a vendor may support the building to run maintenance/upgrade routines and/or monitor a security system. In some embodiments, the vendor 2410 may provide supplies and maintenance to the building itself. For example, the vendor 2410 may monitor the lighting system 2318 or HVAC system 2320 and generate a work order when a particular lightbulb or fan coil needs to be replaced. It should be noted that this level of integration from an external vendor to an individual resource in the system is not possible in existing building management systems. In existing solutions, such as lighting controllers, a manufacturer needs to deploy a physical gateway or other interface to support their proprietary connectivity requirements. Through the virtualized grid they can simply provide a lightweight software service that translates their control criteria to the virtualized controller. [0159] In addition to a remote vendor 2410, the external network 2406 may also provide access for remote or mobile users 2408 such that they can connect to the building virtual grid through their mobile device. Local access may also be granted to a local user/engineer workstation 2412. This may correspond to an administrative workstation and/or individual control devices in various locations throughout the building. For example, touchscreen panels may be provided in each office to provide local control of HVAC temperature, ventilation airflow, lighting, security systems, and so forth. A firewall device 2414 may also be provided to grant access to less secure devices that may connect with the system through the BAN 2304. [0160] In some embodiments, the advantages inherent in the virtualization layer 2402 may be particularly pronounced when new resources or physical assets and to the system. For example, some embodiments may include users with electric vehicles who want to swap batteries or fuel cells from the vehicle with an energy system in their office building. Previously, the operating characteristics of the batteries or fuel cells would need to be known when the system was designed in order to handle such a transfer between the electric vehicle and the building. In these embodiments, the virtualization layer 2402 can detect a new fuel cell or battery module inserted into a receptacle, interrogate/authenticate the battery module to receive profile information, determine the operating characteristics of the battery module or fuel cell from the profile information, and integrate the operation of the battery module or fuel cell into the smart grid.

Depending on the energy level of the battery module or fuel-cell, the virtualization layer 2402 can classify it as an energy consuming device or an energy providing device. As an energy consuming device, the smart grid can charge or refuel the battery module or fuel-cell, and as an energy providing device, the virtualization layer 2402 can cause the receptacle to extract energy from the battery module or fuel -cell for use in other resources throughout the building. The ability to assess, authenticate, integrate, report, etc., on devices that are dynamically added or removed into the smart grid ecosystem can be accomplished without a priori knowledge of how those devices operate. In essence, the interface both logically and physically is standardized between individual resources in the ecosystem and the virtualization layer 2402 and physical interface gateway 2404. [0161] The virtualization grid abstracts the physical from the logical representations of devices on the system. This allows for dynamic resource integration, monitoring, and management.

Instead of running virtual machines, the virtualization layer can run virtual devices representing energy devices. Additionally, the virtualization layer can run user interfaces or containers to support vendor services or support utility integration. Another difference between traditional hardware virtualization in the IT world and the energy virtualization layer of the grid described herein is distribution. Traditional virtualization is done on a single physical system. In contrast, the virtualization layer can be distributed across many different devices since the system uses the IP network to interconnect these remote devices.

[0162] FIG. 25 illustrates a system for authenticating devices, according to some embodiments. As used herein the term "authenticating" refers to a process of receiving an indication that a new device is connected to the smart grid system, sending an interrogation to the new device, receiving information that indicates whether the new device is compatible with the virtualized grid system, and receiving a module profile that informs the smart grid system how to interact with the new device. In this example, one of the power consuming/producing devices may include a virtual grid chassis 2508, and the new device may include a modular battery 2510 that is being inserted into the smart grid chassis 2508. The virtual grid platform 2504 may include the network,

virtualization layer and the physical interface gateway described above. When a new device is detected by the system, the virtual grid platform 2504 can automatically interrogate, authorize, and begin functioning with the new device. In some embodiments, the remote user 2408 and/or a cloud-based virtual grid hosting service 2502 can also initialize the authentication process. In some embodiments, the virtual grid hosting service 2502 can communicate directly with the virtual grid platform 2504, while in other embodiments such communication may be facilitated through an external network 2406. [0163] Once a new device is detected, a determination can be made whether the device is authorized to work with the virtual grid platform 2504 (2512). This determination can be made by examining one or more of the operating characteristics in the module profile described below in determining whether the operating characteristics are compatible with the virtual grid platform 2504. In some embodiments, this determination can be made by reading a serial number or other identifier from the new device and comparing the serial number to a list of compatible devices either stored locally on the smart grid platform 2504 or remotely at the virtualized grid hosting service 2502. Some embodiments may use a cryptographic authentication process whereby cryptographic keys are used to authenticate (in a cryptographic sense) the identity of the new device by providing an authenticating digital signatures. For example, public/private key pairs may be used on both the virtual grid platform 2504 and the new device to authenticate the identity of the new device. If the device is not authorized, the virtual grid platform 2504 can disable be physical connection between the new device and the virtual grid chassis 2508 (2520).

[0164] If the device is authorized, the virtual grid platform 2504 can then determine whether a user account associated with the virtual grid platform 2504 may allow the new device to be integrated with the virtual grid platform 2504. In some embodiments, a determination can be made whether the user account is in good standing with the virtual grid hosting system 2502. Some embodiments may use a subscription-based service, where the virtual grid platform 2504 is provided as an Energy as a Service (EaaS) platform. Under an EaaS user account, the

hardware/software for the virtual grid platform 2504 can be installed at the building, but ownership of the hardware/software may remain with the smart grid company. Instead of purchasing the equipment/software, the user may instead subscribe to a service that allows them to reactivate their account on a periodic basis, such as monthly. A determination as to whether the account permits a new device to be added may include ensuring that the user account is currently active and in good standing. In other embodiments, the smart grid hardware/software may be purchased by the building owner/manager. In this case, the user may set up permissions and controls that determine whether certain brands of devices or types of devices are allowed on the network. Therefore, even though a device may be authorized, the user account itself may prohibit such a device from being activated on the smart grid platform 2504. If the user account is not determined to allow the device to be connected, the connection can be disallowed as described above (2520).

[0165] If the account is approved for the new device, the virtual grid platform 2504 can determine whether the function performed by the device is approved (2516). As described below, each device may perform a specific function, such as an HVAC function, a temperature control function, a lighting function, a door lock function, and so forth. Some device functions may be incompatible with the building structure and may thus be disallowed. For example, a security system controller may not be compatible with a building that does not include security system sensors. If the function is not allowed, then the connection to the new device may be interrupted as described above (2520).

[0166] In some embodiments, the virtual grid platform 2504 may request a set of operating parameters and/or characteristics from the new device (2518). The operating

parameters/characteristics may be stored in a module profile 2506 that is transmitted from the new device to the virtual grid platform 2504 as part of the authentication process. Alternatively or additionally, the new device may send some identifying information to the virtual grid platform 2504, and the virtual grid platform 2504 can look up the module profile 2506 in a local database or online through the virtual grid hosting service 2502. If parameters are provided and they are compatible with the virtual grid platform 2504, the device can be connected to the virtual grid platform 2504 (2522).

[0167] The operating parameters/characteristics in the module profile 2506 may include a wide variety of information. In the example of FIG. 25, the module profile 2506 includes a category of device classifying new device as an energy storage device (as opposed to an energy consuming device or energy control device). The module profile 2506 may also include a serial number and/or other identifying information, such as a manufacturer, a part number, a series number, and so forth. The module profile 2506 may also include digital rights information, such as a software license or encryption keys that allow the software required to interact with the new device to be downloaded and/or used by the virtual grid platform 2504. In the case of energy

consuming/producing devices, the module profile 2506 may include electrical operating parameters, such as a voltage provided/required, a current provided/required, a battery chemistry, a fuel cell type, a maximum number of charge cycles, a history of charge cycles, a storage capacity, a charge level, a maximum number of charge cycles, waveform timing characteristics, minimum/maximum error ranges, operating temperature ranges, cooling requirements, flowable waste/electrolyte requirements, and so forth. This information may be required by the virtual grid platform 2504 in order to properly extract energy from the new device and/or provide energy to the device. Note that some devices, such as the battery 2510 in FIG. 25, may be classified as both an energy storage device and/or energy consuming device. When the battery 2510 has sufficient charge, the battery 2510 the be used as an energy providing device to provide energy to the virtual grid platform 2504 for use with other energy consuming devices. Alternatively, when the battery 2510 does not have sufficient charge (e.g., below a threshold amount), the battery 2510 can be used as an energy consuming device, and may be charged by energy received from the virtual grid platform 2504.

[0168] In some embodiments, the module profile 2506 provides the virtual grid platform 2504 with all the information necessary to interact with the new device in a plug-and-play fashion. This allows new devices to be developed without requiring a software upgrade to the virtualization layer of the virtual grid platform. Instead, the virtualization layer treats every new device as a virtual resource, part of a dynamic resource pool, and relies on the virtual resource to provide information necessary for its integration into the rest of the virtual grid ecosystem. The module profile 2506 in FIG. 25 is specific to an energy storage/providing device. In cases where the new device is an energy consuming device, the module profile 2506 may include AC/DC current, voltage, and/or waveform requirements to power the device, along with communication protocols and/or recognized commands that can be provided to/from the new device. An energy control device may have a module profile that includes similar information for powering the energy control device, along with commands and/or communication protocols that may be transmitted to/from the energy control device. [0169] FIG. 26A illustrates a common interface and adapter for the physical interface gateway, according to some embodiments. The module profile described in relation to FIG. 25 allows the virtualization layer to interact with any device by treating it as a virtualized resource. The physical interface gateway 2404 of the virtual grid platform provides a standardized physical interface for any of the energy consuming/producing/control devices that may be physically attached to the virtual grid system. The embodiment of FIG. 26A includes an adapter 2612 that can be inserted between the physical interface gateway 2404 and the device 2610. The physical interface gateway 2404 may include a common physical interface 2604 that can accommodate nearly any energy consuming/producing/control device. The common physical interface 2604 may include an AC power connection, a DC power connection, a communication bus interface, and/or one or more digital I/O signals. An example of this interface will be described in greater detail below in relation to FIG. 10. The AC/DC power connections can provide power to or retrieve power from the device 2610. Alternatively Power over Ethernet (PoE) may be used to provide

communications to/from the controller electronics along with the power necessary to operate them. The communication bus interface can send/receive commands to/from the device 2610, including status information profile information, and function actuation commands. The one or more digital I/O signals can include reset signals, enable signals, and other status commands/signals.

[0170] When interfacing with the device 2610, many devices may not be initially compatible with the common physical interface 2604 of the virtual grid platform. For example, the device 2610 may include a proprietary interface 2608 that includes its own energy input/outputs, control signals, communication interface, and so forth. The proprietary interface 2608 may or may not be compatible with the common physical interface 2604. Therefore, the hardware adapter 2612 may be coupled physically between the device 2610 and the physical interface gateway 2404, acting as both a physical and logical adapter. The adapter 2612 may include a first interface 2606 that is compatible with the proprietary interface 2608 of the device 2610. Thus, each specific device 2610 that is not inherently compatible with the common physical interface 2604 may use its own unique adapter with a first interface 2606 that is compatible with the device 2610. The adapter 2612 may additionally include circuitry that translates the signals received from the device 2610 into signals that are compatible with the common physical interface 2604. The circuitry may include bus interface/translation integrated circuits (ICs), voltage-level-shifting circuits, modulation and/or delay circuits, and so forth. The first interface 2604 may also include physical connectors that matching the physical interface of the device 2610.

[0171] Although the adapter 2612 for each device 2610 may include a unique first interface 2606, a second interface 2602 may be uniform across each adapter 2612. The second interface 2602 may include an interface that is both physically and logically compatible with the common physical interface 2604 of the physical interface gateway 2404. Therefore, by inserting the adapter 2612 between the device 2610 and the physical interface gateway 2604, the device 2610 will transparently appear to the physical interface gateway 2404 as though it has an interface inherently that is compatible with the common physical interface 2604. Similarly, it will appear to the device 2610 as though it is interfacing with a compatible device with the first interface 2606 rather than with the physical interface gateway 2404. This allows existing legacy devices to be integrated seamlessly into the virtual grid platform and can interface with the virtualization layer without requiring software/hardware upgrades to either device or platform. [0172] FIG. 26B illustrates a device 2610 that is equipped with a common physical interface 2602, according to some embodiments. As the common physical interface 2604 of the virtual grid system becomes standardized and more widely used, more devices may come equipped inherently with a common physical interface 2602 rather than one of the many proprietary interfaces. In this case, the adapter can be removed from the connection between the physical interface gateway 2404 and the device 2610.

[0173] FIG. 27 illustrates a plurality of energy producing devices coupled to the physical interface gateway 2404, according to some embodiments. Each of the plurality of energy producing devices may be coupled to unique instance of the common physical interface 2604. The specific energy producing devices depicted in FIG. 27 are merely examples and are not meant to be limiting. In some embodiments, the electrical power grid 2710 that provides commercial electrical power to the building can be coupled to the physical interface gateway 2404. The electrical grid 2710 may be connected through a traditional electrical box that is then modified to include a connection to the virtualization layer described above. [0174] In addition to the electrical power grid 2710, some embodiments may also include local energy generation and/or storage. For example, a residential or commercial building may include solar panels 2708 that generate electricity specifically for the particular building. The solar panels 2708 may provide electrical power to the physical interface gateway 2404. Similarly, some installations may include other energy producing devices, such as a wind turbine 2706, hydroelectric power generation, and so forth. In these cases, excess energy may be provided by these local energy generation devices such that the electrical grid 2710 can also be classified as an energy consuming device. In other words, electricity generated and/or stored by the local energy producing devices can be used to provide power to the electrical grid 2710. The virtualization layer can track an amount of energy provided to the electrical grid 2710, as the user may be eligible for rebates, incentives, or payments from an electrical utility provider.

[0175] Some embodiments may include a chassis that allows for the insertion of battery modules 2702 and/or fuel cells 2704. Like the electrical grid 2710, the battery modules 2702 and/or fuel cells 2704 may be classified as both energy producing devices as well as energy consuming devices depending on whether the physical interface gateway 2404 provides electrical power and/or fuel to charge the battery modules 2702 and/or fuel cells 2704, or whether the physical interface gateway 2404 receives electrical power from the battery modules 2702 and/or fuel cells 2704. [0176] FIG. 28 illustrates a plurality of energy consuming devices coupled to the physical interface gateway 2404 according to some embodiments. As described above for the energy producing devices of FIG. 27, the energy consuming devices may each be coupled to a unique instance a common physical interface 2604. Energy consuming devices may include an HVAC system 2320, a lighting system 2318, a boiler system 2322, a water heater, any number of smart appliances, and so forth. Some devices that may be classified as control devices may also be classified as energy consuming devices, such as environmental sensors, a security system, a thermostat, and so forth.

[0177] As described above in relation to FIG. 24, the physical interface of each device may include an IP module that allows direct communication between devices and between devices in the virtualization layer over the BAN in the smart grid platform. The IP controller may be associated with an IP address that allows devices to address other devices using their IP addresses. One such example in FIG. 28 is the boiler device 2322, which can communicate via an IP controller 2410. [0178] FIG. 29 illustrates a plurality of energy control devices, according to some embodiments. Note that many of the energy control devices depicted in FIG. 29 may also qualify as energy consuming devices. These energy control devices may include a thermostat 2316, a security system 2902, carbon monoxide sensors 2306, hazard detectors, smoke detectors, and so forth. Additionally, a control device may include one or more mobile computing devices 2904. Mobile computing devices 2904 may communicate wirelessly with the virtual grid platform. To facilitate wireless communications, a wireless adapter 2906 may be connected to one of the common physical interfaces 2604. Alternatively, some embodiments of the physical interface gateway 2404 may include a dedicated wireless communication port that is compatible with common wireless communication standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Thread, and so forth. [0179] FIG. 30 illustrates a block diagram of a system for storing and managing energy through the virtual grid platform 3050, according to some embodiments. The virtual grid platform 3050 may include connections to a number of devices through the physical interface gateway 2404. Each of these devices may provide energy to the virtual grid platform 3050. The virtual grid platform 3050 may also include a central energy storage device 3006, which may be comprised of super capacitors, battery chemistries, battery cells, fuel cells, and/or the like. Energy received through the physical interface gateway 2404 can be managed by the virtualization layer and stored in the central energy storage device 3006. Similarly, when energy consuming devices require energy from the virtual grid platform 3050, the virtualization layer can cause the central energy storage device 3006 to provide energy through the physical interface gateway 2404 to the requesting energy consuming device.

[0180] By way of example, the virtual grid chassis 2508 that includes one or more battery modules 2510 can provide energy to the central energy storage 3006. Similarly, other energy producing devices, such as solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric power, geothermal power, and so forth, may also provide energy through the physical interface gateway 2404 to be stored in the central energy storage device 3006. The power grid 2710 may also store and/or receive energy from the central energy storage, based on whether the energy virtualization layer determines that sufficient excess energy is no longer needed by the building and can instead be provided to the power grid 2710. The central energy storage 3006 provides a way for energy to be aggregated from various sources and distributed to various energy consuming devices in a real-time system.

[0181] In FIG. 30, energy received from the power grid 2710 may be routed through the virtual grid platform 3050 before it is delivered to various energy consuming devices 3004 and/or various energy control devices 3002. In some embodiments, the power grid 2710 may also be directly connected to the energy consuming devices 3004 and/or energy control devices 3002, and the energy consumption of such devices may be governed by the virtualization layer of the virtual grid platform 3050. For example, an energy consuming device, such as a television, may be connected to a traditional 110 V outlet in a user's home. Energy may be provided directly from the power grid 2710 to the television, but the energy usage of the television may be monitored through the physical interface gateway 2404 by the virtualization layer. This allows the virtualization layer to institute household energy budgets and regulate the use of energy by various energy consuming devices 3004 even when it does not directly provide power to such devices.

[0182] FIG. 31 illustrates a simplified circuit diagram that may be found on the virtual grid platform for aggregating and providing energy of various forms throughout the system, according to some embodiments. The circuit may include a DC receiver circuit 3102 that receives DC voltages/currents from various sources, such as fuel cells, battery modules, solar panels, and so forth. The DC receiver circuit 3102 can receive these various DC signals and convert them into a single DC signal to charge the central energy storage device 3006. Similarly, the circuit may include an AC rectifier circuit 3106 that can receive and rectify AC signals from sources such as the electric power grid. The DC rectifier circuit 3106 can combine these regulated DC circuits and provide them to the central energy storage device 3006 for storage. Some embodiments may direct the rectified DC signal from the AC rectifier circuit 3106 to the DC receiver circuit as simply another DC input to be aggregated. [0183] A control processor 3104 can monitor the central energy storage 3006 and control various outputs. The energy virtualization layer may operate on the control processor 3104.

Although the virtual grid platform may include numerous AC and DC outputs, only a single pair of outputs is depicted in FIG. 31 for the sake of clarity. The virtualization layer operating on the control processor 3104 can provide signals to an inverter 3110 and a multi-tap transformer 3108 to provide various AC signals 3116 and DC signals 3118, respectively. The control processor can govern the current, voltage, and/or frequency of each output signal based on the energy consuming device that is coupled to the outputs 3116 and/or 3118. Recall above how the virtualization layer may receive a module profile for each energy consuming device. The profile information may include, for example, a DC voltage and current that is required by the energy consuming device. When connected to the outputs 3116 and/or 3118, the virtualization layer can, for example, turn off the inverter 3110 and program the multi-tap transformer 3108 to provide the specified DC voltage and current. As described above, the physical interface may also include a communication bus 3114 that is either shared between various devices in the system and addressed using an IP protocol, or is alternatively dedicated to the specific device connected to this particular interface.

[0184] FIG. 32 illustrates a flowchart of a method for using a smart grid platform to manage energy usage in a building. The method may include aggregating/storing energy from one or more energy-producing devices (3202). The method may also include receiving commands to control energy usage (3204). These commands may be received from energy control devices through a virtualization layer as described above. Additionally, these commands may be generated by the energy virtualization layer itself according to an energy usage plan, budget, or schedule. The method may also include providing energy to one or more energy consuming devices (3206). Energy may be provided through a standardized physical interface as described above. The method may further include providing commands to the one or more energy consuming devices (3208). These commands may be provided to govern the usage of these energy consuming devices while they are receiving energy from the virtual grid platform.

[0185] It should be appreciated that the specific steps illustrated in FIG. 32 provide particular methods of using a smart grid platform to manage energy usage according to various

embodiments. Other sequences of steps may also be performed according to alternative embodiments. For example, alternative embodiments of the present invention may perform the steps outlined above in a different order. Moreover, the individual steps illustrated in FIG. 32 may include multiple sub-steps that may be performed in various sequences as appropriate to the individual step. Furthermore, additional steps may be added or removed depending on the particular applications. Weather inputs may be received from external services, and the virtual grid may use these weather inputs to react or preempt conditions by, for example, pre-heating/- cooling the building. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations,

modifications, and alternatives.

[0186] The technical advantages and technology problem solved by the energy virtualization layer and virtual grid platform described above should be readily apparent in light of this disclosure. Virtualization is a concept that is familiar in the realm of computer systems and computer networks, particularly in information technology (IT). The virtualization of computer resources allows for cloud services, large-scale operating environments, dynamic user experiences, and cost-effectiveness. In that same vein, energy virtualization as described herein logically defines all energy elements, including generation, storage, consumer usage, etc. three

sophisticated - yet simple - management platform, energy virtualization allows for the dynamic allocation of energy resources based on demand, availability, time of use, and a variety of other factors. Energy virtualization overcomes many of the challenges currently facing in the smart home and smart building concepts. It also provides a means for users and utilities to plan, customize, and streamline the delivery and access to various energy services.

[0187] Specifically, energy virtualization provides an infrastructure at a macro and micro level that provides a flexible, scalable energy system. In its simplest form, energy virtualization of boys the direct communication of energy control devices to the energy consuming devices for example, energy virtualization does not require the direct connection of the thermostat to an HVAC management system. Instead, each device, regardless of whether it is an energy control device or an energy consuming device, can be coupled to a virtualization layer, or "energy hypervisor" that can dynamically receive commands from control devices and provide commands to energy consuming devices as required. Additionally, energy sources, such as SEC's, traditional power outlets, solar panels, fuel cells, and so forth, are simply additional inputs to the virtualization layer that can be paired with other devices as needed. This avoids the use of proprietary gateways, and single points of failure. Additionally, it provides innate security measures to properly control who and what has access to various resources, and the extent of their control and interaction. Thorough monitoring and logging of events can also be realized.

[0188] For example, energy virtualization does not require a fixed relationship between different layers (e.g., power, control, and consumption). While the problems arising with a fixed- relationship approach may not always be overly apparent in a residential context, they come to the forefront in a commercial context. A Building Management System (BMS) is able to create a monopoly on the systems within a commercial building. This forces tenants to adopt those systems for their use, and the tenants are often limited by the functionality and lack of interoperability with the available energy management products that tenants might otherwise wish to use. Traditional BMS vendors are notoriously slow to embrace new technologies as they are released, and are often reluctant to integrate their existing systems with new technologies for business reasons. Even if the commercial building management wanted to purchase a new BMS, this would require a large capital expenditure in order to be compatible with emerging

technologies. Energy virtualization solve these and many other problems by allowing a "plug-and- play" ability to run BMS' in parallel and dynamically add/subtract new systems and components as they become available/deprecated. [0189] Energy virtualization also improves energy security. Specifically, the energy

virtualization system described herein can create a more secure environment for landlords, tenants, utilities, systems, and other entities operating with in the context of the energy virtualization system. When it comes to Demand Side Management (DSM) and other control and system management techniques, it may in some cases be crucial to quickly adopt, and have greater control of, sustainable energy. Currently, in the consumer, residential and commercial spaces,

interoperability amongst Smart Home or BMSs is impossible. BMS systems typically provide simple generic management and automation capabilities. Energy virtualization will allow energy system manufacturers to run optimization and continuous commissioning processes alongside the BMS/BAS systems to ensure all systems are running at maximum efficiency. [0190] The increased levels of availability and flexibility provided by energy virtualization ensure that assets can always be monitored and controlled, even during abnormal conditions. The embodiments described herein simplify how disparate systems can be quickly integrated, including HVAC systems, electrical systems, emergency systems, fire alarms, smart home systems, and so forth. Each of these systems is "virtualized" to become simply another components running on the energy virtualization platform and using a standardized means for connecting to other devices and energy sources. For example, a virtualized platform can simplify how emergency services and other third parties may be granted access during abnormal events. Evolving codes and safety standards can be downloaded through software patches or electronic upgrades to individual components rather than requiring a complete system replacement. In addition to energy security, authentication is becoming increasingly important to energy facilities and transmission systems. A virtualized energy solution described herein is the simplest and most robust way to accommodate energy authentication to assess the identity and interoperability of each system connected to the energy virtualization layer. [0191] Energy virtualization allows virtually any component to be connected to a smart home system. It abstracts the myriad of "Internet of Things" (IoT) sensors and components, and thus allow them to be used with freedom rather than being locked into a single gateway solution.

Besides being able to communicate and interoperate freely with other devices, the virtualization platform described herein is also a centralized source of reliable AC and DC power (e.g., 48V DC) and communication interfaces. Therefore, the virtualization layer is also effectively a large Power over Internet (PoE) source for sensors, controllers, lighting systems, automation systems, smart appliances, and so forth. The virtualization layer allows cloud services and IoT devices to manage systems locally or via a smart device. It also allows for the integration of data from third parties, such as real-time pricing models, feedback on utilization, time-of-use, demand response pricing, and so forth.

[0192] The energy virtualization model may be coupled with the portable energy system described in detail above that includes modular batteries and/or fuel cell technologies. In other examples, an energy virtualization model can be coupled with distributed energy systems, micro- /nano-grids, personalized service delivery systems, and various other systems emerging in the energy sector. In such examples, energy virtualization provides a toolkit that allows a previously static local energy system to have much greater flexibility and scalability. As energy virtualization becomes more widely used, it enables standardization and modularity across energy systems, which in turns makes compatible devices and systems simpler to design, install, manage, and/or scale, and to do so securely. For example, a virtualized energy system can be quickly rolled back in the case of a failure, malicious attack, code corruption, and so forth. Updates and patches can be distributed and/or installed remotely or locally via secure means.

[0193] In some embodiments, energy virtualization supports not only the delivery of energy to various systems and/or devices, but it can incorporate other value-added services, such as communication channels and systems, security systems, entertainment systems, content delivery, and so forth as part of a hyper-converged energy system economy. Some embodiments may also include a portal that allows access to individual tenants in an energy system without requiring either party to provide administrator access. Third parties that are granted access can be selectively allowed to access monitoring data, usage data, usage trends, and so forth. Energy virtualization also enables the ability to dynamically manage a wide variety of resources to effectively respond to a wide variety of situations and demand scenarios, such as weather outages or demand charges. [0194] Some embodiments may be integrated with a cloud service to store historical usage data and shard data. A cloud component may also be used for remotely managing and/or monitoring data and energy usage. Some embodiments may also include access to a private cloud such that private data need not leave the owner's site. Connections to cloud or other networked

infrastructures may include a standardized means of deploying infrastructure on servers and common IT hardware (as opposed to proprietary systems).

[0195] In some embodiments, individual energy virtualization systems can be interconnected through a power/communication grid. From the macro view, each virtualization system may be viewed as a scalable resource. As systems grow, new tenants can move in to existing energy virtualization system, migrate between systems, or expand to other sites. A virtual grid

management server can manage a common energy profile that can be federated across sites for a consistent corporate policy. As a service provider (or "virtual utility"), virtualization allows widespread aggregation and management of resources to roll up capacity, minimize impact to grid, maximize potential benefits to grid plus customers. This simplifies a means to integrate real-time pricing mechanisms and disseminate across a large pool of resources using standardized and adaptable techniques. Furthermore, changes to capabilities, new initiatives, manufacturer upgrades, government mandates, etc. can all be remotely deployed, monitored and enforced if necessary.

[0196] Energy virtualization simplifies and enables the process of dynamically installing, allocating, or leveraging resources as they range from generation to storage or otherwise. For hyper-converged systems, energy virtualization can further enable the transition from one form of energy to another. For example, in an electric vehicle, the same basic infrastructure can integrate and support energy storage modules, as well as accommodate a change to fuel-cell modules for the advantages that they may offer. Thus, vehicles and other resources are not locked into a fixed energy source, but can rather be supplied by any standards-based virtual resource.

[0197] As described above, resources in the smart grid platform can communicate in parallel with each other. Embodiments include using IP -based, serial, 2-wire, and/or other traditional means of connecting sensors (temp, light, CO, etc.), controllers (HVAC actuators, fans, etc.), and/or energy systems (lighting, furnace, air handler, etc.). These can be aggregated into a neutral interface gateway. Each energy component and interface may be digitized, categorized and defined in software logic as to its purpose, making it an icon (block, unit, or resource) that can be dragged into configurations that minimize repetitive programming and configuration like a traditional virtual resource. The common physical interface abstracts the myriad of devices that may be involved, from the software and management layers required to neutrally host a variety of users and third-parties. Each resource may have a profile that can be manually created or configured, or provided by a manufacturer, that may be automatically recognized by the virtualization layer when connected. [0198] The virtual grid platform may include a traditional server- storage platform that may run proprietary software to provide an open interface to allow users interact with the BMS, vendor tools, utilities, sensors, and other components. It allows third-party systems and controllers to communicate across a standardized protocol, such as IP, to provide common access to resources. Rather than deploying workstations and other systems for each vendor's product, their

functionality can be aggregated into the common system of the smart grid platform described above.

[0199] Rather than using a high voltage supply or riser that is common in most buildings, some embodiments may use a native 48V DC source that may be deployed as a high-current DC common backbone, such as the aggregated DC signal in FIG. 32. This may eliminate a series of transformers involved to go from utility voltage 13+ kV to 480V, 208V, 1 10V AV to 12V DC, etc. such that it is consumable by regular electronics which generally wastes a large amount of energy. Instead, 48V DC is common in traditional telecommunications for powering equipment, within the past decade for powering IT system (phones, etc.) over an Ethernet connection, and even a means of powering LED lighting. As part of the riser power solution, and to simplify installation, some embodiments may use superconducting materials, such as REBCO, that allows the high-amperage power riser to be installed in a 2-inch insulated conduit. This may also include a small storage tank and refueling port for maintenance purposes.

[0200] Although many of the examples described above focus on an energy virtualization layer for a single site, such as a household or a building, other embodiments are not so limited. FIG. 33 illustrates a diagram of a virtualized energy infrastructure 3300 that uses a smart gateway to link together numerous sites, users, virtualization service providers, resources, etc., in a unified system. The infrastructure 3300 can work independently from the specific types of user devices or energy sources used. For example, the infrastructure 3300 does not need to rely on the modular and/or swappable energy cell devices described above, but can instead interface with any energy source, such as solar energy cells or a commercial power grid.

[0201] Communication between the various devices in the infrastructure 3300 can be facilitated through a variety of different techniques. In some embodiments, a user device 3314 can communicate with other elements of the infrastructure 3300. The user device 3314 may include a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a workstation, a voice-activated digital assistant, a smart watch, and/or any other personal computing device. The user device 3314 need not be co-located with any other device in the infrastructure 3300, but can instead use various communication techniques to control devices from any location. For example, communications may be facilitated through any wired or wireless protocol, such as an IP protocol. These communications can be propagated through an external network 3308, such as the Internet, or through a wide-area network (WAN), a local-area network (LAN), or any other network protocol.

[0202] The user device 3314 can provide a virtualized control solution that can be applied to other energy systems. These other energy systems may include a plurality of sites 3304, 3306, such as buildings, homes, factories, industrial centers, commercial centers, office buildings, and so forth. These other energy systems may also include electric vehicles, as well as other stationary and/or mobile applications. In some embodiments, the infrastructure 3300 may also include non- energy systems that can benefit from integrated distributed system control. In contrast to a traditional control system or BMS, the virtualization infrastructure described in FIG. 33 can allow any device to communicate with any system. Traditional control systems are paired with controlled systems in a 1 : 1 relationship. For example, a thermostat allows a user to change a temperature in a single zone associated with an HVAC system. In another example, a smart-home application allows a user to turn on/off lights in their own home or room. However, as is made clear by the arrangement of FIG. 33, a single user can access and control any resource within the infrastructure 3300, subject to their permissions and security requirements.

[0203] The virtualized energy concepts using a virtualization layer described above for a single site can be applied across many instances of systems, applications, sites, devices, and/or energy sources. This can allow the user device 3314 to connect to a user's vehicle, their home, their workplace, or community/city resources through a heterogeneous control environment. This heterogeneous control environment can be used to implement a Smart Building, Smart City, Smart Infrastructure, and/or the like. For example, by connecting the user device 3314 to a city traffic system, the infrastructure 3300 can respond to projected traffic routes or an aggregate number of users/drivers, and then adjust traffic light timing to ensure a balanced flow traffic. In the same example, the structure 3300 can allow for automated toll payments, access to building parking and security, and can prepare HVAC systems for user arrival, set up audio/video conferencing, and interact with other in environmental systems to preconfigured those systems according to user preferences. A virtualization service provider 3312 can include a cloud database 3310 that includes user preferences, resources, and accounts that can be used to configure systems in anticipation of user arrival. Because user behavior can be aggregated through the virtualization service provider 3312, collective user patterns can be analyzed to predict user preferences even in the absence of users expressly providing those preferences to the virtualization service provider 3312.

[0204] As described above, the virtualization infrastructure 3300 provides a uniform interface for both user devices 3314 and sites 3304, 3306. For example, a Smart Building App may be provided by the virtualization infrastructure 3300 to connect/interface with a user's home, office, vehicle, and so forth. The Smart Building App can also be used for temporary locations such as a conference room, a hotel room, an in-flight entertainment system, and so forth. By providing a single application with a standardized interface, this prevents so-called "app sprawl" on a user's phone or device and does not require a site owner to have a control application custom developed for their building and tenants to use. Additionally, the standardized interface can provide third parties with a consistent integration interface for their own applications, which also provides system optimization and commissioning routines. For example, developers can still customize graphical components and user experiences on their own applications as desired. However, the control techniques and communication processes under the user interface layer may remain standardized to interface with the virtualization infrastructure 3300. This can take advantage of capabilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) to provide broader access, quicker integration, more secure interaction, and a more commercially viable and scalable solution without necessarily requiring custom APIs and DLLs. [0205] The interface provided by the virtualization infrastructure may provide a neutral framework for interoperability. Thus, when an energy service provider upgrades or changes their system, the control application on the user device 3314 does not need to continually react, develop, test, and deploy corresponding upgrades in order to maintain compatibility. For example, a building ID can be established through a management portion of the neutral interface. The building ID may correspond to a home, an office, a recreation site, or any other location, such as site 3304. Similarly, a user ID can also be established for the user and can be used on any user device, such as user device 3314. In the infrastructure 3300, other resources may be defined as a vehicle, a conference room, a lighting system, an HVAC system, a conferencing system, and so forth. When each system of any type has its own unique ID on the infrastructure 3300, a control device can be connected to any energy consuming device or energy source. In some embodiments, predefined levels of controller automation can be established to allow limited control for hoteling strategies and other limited remote access. Each user profile can be associated with user credentials, and the infrastructure 3300 can enforce security and authentication that leverages the unique ID of each user and/or system for portability across all endpoints in the system. For example, a building manager can allow a user to access resources within their site by adding the user ID to a white list or database 3302 for allowed users in response to a request from the user.

[0206] As described above, a virtualization layer, or middleware layer can support both on-site and cloud-based monitoring and management in different hybrid configurations. This can allow site operators or building owners assurance that their system will be available at all times. For example, in the case of an outage on the external network 3308, or an unavailability of the virtualization service provider 3312, the virtualization layer can continue to support each site 3304, 3306. Similarly, cloud-based services, such as the virtualization service provider 3312 or other security companies, can be provided an interface for remote monitoring and management if needed. In some embodiments, different sites 3304, 3306 can communicate with each other through the virtualization infrastructure 3300 to allow for cross-site interoperability capabilities. For example, a traditional Building Management system (BMS) can be moved to the cloud, and can interact with an edge device on the network as opposed to just a traditional on-site control device. [0207] In some embodiments, the user device 3314 may include a graphic interface or other form of user input device. However, some user devices may also include third-party systems such as Amazon Alexa® or Google Home® that can be integrated as a plug-in for the infrastructure 3300. Home systems, such as at site 3306, can communicate directly with such home assistants with an associated provider over the external network 3308. The interface may support a list of trigger words and resources available to the user at a particular site 3306 that facilitates voice control. Although existing digital assistants (e.g., Siri®, Alexa®) are capable of voice recognition, they typically do not decipher between different users and their different associated accounts. They also lack the ability to robustly and securely manage multiple users and authenticate those users. Therefore, existing digital assistants do not meet the commercial or large-scale

requirements of the standardized interface provided by the virtualization infrastructure 3300. In contrast, the virtualization infrastructure 3300 allows a user to use these digital assistants because the commands are processed and relayed through the secure framework of the virtualization infrastructure 3300 rather than through the proprietary system of each individual device.

[0208] As an example of how the virtualization infrastructure can be used in different settings, a user may find themselves in a public or semi-public area, such as a hotel, gym, bar, or other location. The user can use their cell phone to access a graphical user interface built on top of the standardized virtualization interface to control various devices in the area. Specifically, the user can access their interface on their smart phone to change a TV channel in a restaurant, adjust a temperature in a sitting room, and so forth. The virtualization infrastructure may include a universal smart gateway they can allow users to control devices by simply entering or selecting a site or room identifier. Some embodiments may also require a user to provide an authentication or permission factor to access certain devices. Therefore, public arenas like a gym or hotel can save money and provide greater user control without needing to provide individual television remotes, temperature controls, light controls, and so forth. Instead, users can control all of these systems simply using their cell phones combined with public identification information of each

corresponding device.

[0209] In another example, employees often visit different locations or offices when working or telecommuting. When an employee visits a different office, the employee can simply enter the site identifier and their company credentials to be preapproved and provided with a list of conference rooms or other resources that are available at that location. The user credentials can be validated to allow access and control of the systems for as long as the user chooses to work at the new location. For example, in a conference room the location awareness feature of the user device 3314 will automatically present systems within the immediate range and for which the employee has allowed access. Specifically, while in the conference room, the user can adjust lights in the room, control a projector or presentation screen, advance slides in a Microsoft PowerPoint® presentation, control a local sound system, connect with other users in a videoconference or teleconference, and so forth. Control of all of these systems can automatically be provided on their smart phone because their smart phone location system knows where the employee is, and automatically generates user interfaces for interacting with those systems.

[0210] The cloud database 3310 can gather metrics from any of the sites 3304, 3306, user devices 3314, or other network endpoints. These metrics can be aggregated for different operating regions, electrical grid sub-stations, and so forth. Collectively, these loads can be managed to avoid the necessity of demand response events where the electrical grid is temporarily overtaxed. For example, the collective analysis of energy loads in a particular region can avoid requiring many large HVAC chillers to operate at the same time using a round-robin or other load-sharing algorithm based on client parameters stored in the cloud database 3310 or another data store.

[0211] In some embodiments, the user device 3314 can employ location-based services through GPS or other wireless location techniques. The location of the user device 3314 can be used to identify resources available to a user within a predefined range that are authorized for the user to control. For example, when a user enters a site 3304, the user device 3314 can automatically determine systems at the site 3304 that can be controlled by the user device 3314 and for which the user is authorized to use/control. Other sensors and capabilities on, for example, a smart phone can be leveraged to control systems that are outside of the user's domain. For example, a temperature sensor on the smart phone can communicate with an HVAC system in the site 3304 to adjust airflow, temperature, fan speed, and/or other factors to best align with the user preference. [0212] In addition to resource definitions on the infrastructure 3300 for users, sites, vehicles, etc., the virtualization infrastructure 3300 can also support channels for other data transactions, such as payment processing, voice or video communications, class of service (CoS) and quality of service (QoS), and so forth. In other words, the virtualization infrastructure can provide a holistic integration means for interfacing building, home, and office systems with mobile user systems and other public systems, such as payment systems, public transportation, and so forth.

[0213] As described above, the various computer systems in the virtual grid platform, including the computing system that runs the energy virtualization layer, may include specialized server platform. FIG. 34 illustrates a simplified computer system 3400, according to some embodiments. A computer system 3400 as illustrated in FIG. 34 may be incorporated into devices such as a portable electronic device, mobile phone, or other device as described herein. FIG. 34 provides a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a computer system 3400 that can perform some or all of the steps of the methods provided by various embodiments. It should be noted that FIG. 34 is meant only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. FIG. 34, therefore, broadly illustrates how individual system elements may be implemented in a relatively separated or relatively more integrated manner.

[0214] The computer system 3400 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus 3405, or may otherwise be in communication, as appropriate. The hardware elements may include one or more processors 3410, including without limitation one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, and/or the like; one or more input devices 3415, which can include without limitation a mouse, a keyboard, a camera, and/or the like; and one or more output devices 3420, which can include without limitation a display device, a printer, and/or the like.

[0215] The computer system 3400 may further include and/or be in communication with one or more non-transitory storage devices 3425, which can comprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage, and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, a solid-state storage device, such as a random access memory ("RAM"), and/or a read-only memory ("ROM"), which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and/or the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/or the like.

[0216] The computer system 3400 might also include a communications subsystem 3430, which can include without limitation a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and/or a chipset such as a Bluetooth™ device, an 802.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, cellular communication facilities, etc., and/or the like. The communications subsystem 3430 may include one or more input and/or output communication interfaces to permit data to be exchanged with a network such as the network described below to name one example, other computer systems, television, and/or any other devices described herein. Depending on the desired functionality and/or other implementation concerns, a portable electronic device or similar device may communicate image and/or other information via the communications subsystem 3430. In other embodiments, a portable electronic device, e.g. the first electronic device, may be incorporated into the computer system 3400, e.g., an electronic device as an input device 3415. In some embodiments, the computer system 3400 will further comprise a working memory 3435, which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above.

[0217] The computer system 3400 also can include software elements, shown as being currently located within the working memory 3435, including an operating system 3440, device drivers, executable libraries, and/or other code, such as one or more application programs 3445, which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the methods discussed above, such as those described in relation to FIG. 34, might be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer and/or a processor within a computer; in an aspect, then, such code and/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a general purpose computer or other device to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0218] A set of these instructions and/or code may be stored on a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 3425 described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as computer system 3400. In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system e.g., a removable medium, such as a compact disc, and/or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure, and/or adapt a general purpose computer with the instructions/code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer system 3400 and/or might take the form of source and/or installable code, which, upon compilation and/or installation on the computer system 3400 e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs,

compression/decompression utilities, etc., then takes the form of executable code.

[0219] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware might also be used, and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software including portable software, such as applets, etc., or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed. The computer systems themselves may be virtualized, following IT industry best practices for security and disaster recovery. This ensures any system compromise can quickly and easily be recovered. One may run containers or headless nano-servers to minimize the exposure or systems running on-site by removing superfluous functionality, with the main user interface and related control facilitated through a hosted or centralized service. Furthermore, these systems may run in parallel to avoid single points of failure.

[0220] As mentioned above, in one aspect, some embodiments may employ a computer system such as the computer system 3400 to perform methods in accordance with various embodiments of the technology. According to a set of embodiments, some or all of the procedures of such methods are performed by the computer system 3400 in response to processor 3410 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions, which might be incorporated into the operating system 3440 and/or other code, such as an application program 3445, contained in the working memory 3435. Such instructions may be read into the working memory 3435 from another computer- readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s) 3425. Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the working memory 3435 might cause the processor(s) 3410 to perform one or more procedures of the methods described herein.

Additionally or alternatively, portions of the methods described herein may be executed through specialized hardware.

[0221] It should be appreciated that the specific steps illustrated in FIG. 22 provide particular methods of using a power system with independent battery packs according to various

embodiments of the present invention. Other sequences of steps may also be performed according to alternative embodiments. For example, alternative embodiments of the present invention may perform the steps outlined above in a different order. Moreover, the individual steps illustrated in FIG. 22 may include multiple sub-steps that may be performed in various sequences as appropriate to the individual step. Furthermore, additional steps may be added or removed depending on the particular applications. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations, modifications, and alternatives. [0222] In the foregoing description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form. [0223] The foregoing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[0224] Specific details are given in the foregoing description to provide a thorough

understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may have been shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0225] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may have beeen described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may have described the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed, but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0226] The term "computer-readable medium" includes, but is not limited to portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wireless channels and various other mediums capable of storing, containing, or carrying instruction(s) and/or data. A code segment or machine-executable instructions may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc., may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

[0227] Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware or microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a machine readable medium. A processor(s) may perform the necessary tasks.

[0228] In the foregoing specification, aspects of the invention are described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited thereto. Various features and aspects of the above-described invention may be used individually or jointly. Further, embodiments can be utilized in any number of environments and applications beyond those described herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the specification. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0229] Additionally, for the purposes of illustration, methods were described in a particular order. It should be appreciated that in alternate embodiments, the methods may be performed in a different order than that described. It should also be appreciated that the methods described above may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied in sequences of machine- executable instructions, which may be used to cause a machine, such as a general -purpose or special-purpose processor or logic circuits programmed with the instructions to perform the methods. These machine-executable instructions may be stored on one or more machine readable mediums, such as CD-ROMs or other type of optical disks, floppy diskettes, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other types of machine- readable mediums suitable for storing electronic instructions. Alternatively, the methods may be performed by a combination of hardware and software.

[0230] Some embodiments may include the following. A removable modular energy pack comprising: a first housing; one or more energy cells enclosed in the first housing; a processing system enclosed in the housing that aggregates power from the one or more energy cells; a first interface that communicates a status of the modular energy pack to a second housing, wherein the second housing is configured to removably receive a plurality of modular energy packs; a second interface that transmits the aggregated power from the one or more energy cells from the processing system to the second housing, wherein the aggregated power from the one or more energy cells is transmitted from the second housing to power a load that is external to the second housing; and a thermally conductive material enclosed in the first housing, wherein the thermally conductive material is arranged in the housing adjacent to the one or more energy cells to transfer heat away from the one or more energy cells and to transfer the heat to the second housing, wherein the second housing comprises a thermally conductive fluid that is circulated around the modular energy pack to absorb the heat transferred from the modular energy pack and transfer the heat away from the modular energy pack. The thermally conductive material comprises an electrolyte. The one or more energy cells comprise an anode and a cathode, and wherein the electrolyte flows from the second housing into the first housing between the anode and the cathode. The second housing comprises a plurality of openings, at least one of which is sealed by a blanking plate. A layer of carbon nanotubes or graphene is disposed between the first housing and the second housing. An electronic screen that displays status information from the one or more energy cells. The second housing is flooded with the thermally conductive fluid when the modular energy pack is inserted into the second housing, and the second housing is drained of the thermally conductive fluid before the modular energy pack is removed from the second housing. The aggregated power from the one or more energy cells is transmitted to a motor of an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. The modular energy pack includes a first inlet valve that mates with a first outlet valve on the second housing, wherein the thermally conductive fluid is pumped from the second housing into the first inlet valve; and a second outlet valve that mates with a second inlet valve on the second housing, wherein the thermally conductive fluid is pumped from the modular energy pack through the second outlet valve to the second housing. The processing system comprises a temperature sensor; and the processing system controls a flow of the thermally conductive fluid into the first housing based on temperature readings received from the temperature sensor. [0231] Some embodiments may include the following. A method of providing power through a modular energy pack, the method comprising: inserting the modular energy pack into a second housing, wherein the second housing is configured to removably receive a plurality of modular energy packs; communicating, through a first interface of the modular energy pack, a status of the modular energy pack to the second housing; aggregating, through a processing system of the modular energy pack, power from a plurality of energy cells enclosed in the first housing;

providing, through a second interface of the modular energy pack, the aggregated power from the plurality of energy cells from the processing system to the second housing, wherein the aggregated power from the one or more energy cells is transmitted from the second housing to power a load that is external to the second housing; and transferring heat away from the plurality of energy cells using a thermally conductive material enclosed in the first housing, wherein the thermally conductive material is arranged in the housing adjacent to the one or more energy cells to transfer heat away from the one or more energy cells and to transfer the heat to the second housing, wherein the second housing comprises a thermally conductive fluid that is circulated around the modular energy pack to absorb the heat transferred from the modular energy pack and transfer the heat away from the modular energy pack. The thermally conductive material comprises an electrolyte. The one or more energy cells comprise an anode and a cathode, and wherein the electrolyte flows from the second housing into the first housing between the anode and the cathode. The second housing comprises a plurality of openings, at least one of which is sealed by a blanking plate. A layer of carbon nanotubes or graphene is disposed between the first housing and the second housing. The modular energy pack further comprises an electronic screen that displays status information from the one or more energy cells. The second housing is flooded with the thermally conductive fluid when the modular energy pack is inserted into the second housing, and wherein the second housing is drained of the thermally conductive fluid before the modular energy pack is removed from the second housing. The aggregated power from the one or more energy cells is transmitted to a motor of an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. The modular energy pack further comprises: a first inlet valve that mates with a first outlet valve on the second housing, wherein the thermally conductive fluid is pumped from the second housing into the first inlet valve; and a second outlet valve that mates with a second inlet valve on the second housing, wherein the thermally conductive fluid is pumped from the modular energy pack through the second outlet valve to the second housing. The processing system comprises a temperature sensor; and the processing system controls a flow of the thermally conductive fluid into the first housing based on temperature readings received from the temperature sensor.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An energy virtualization system comprising:

a physical interface gateway comprising a plurality of common interfaces, wherein the plurality of common interfaces are coupled to:

a plurality of energy-producing devices;

a plurality of energy-control devices; and

a plurality of energy-consuming devices;

a building network, wherein the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices communicate through building network; and

a computing device running an energy virtualization layer, wherein:

the virtualization layer comprises a plurality of virtual devices representing the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices; and

the virtualization layer directs energy from the energy-producing devices to the energy-consuming devices according to information received from the energy-control devices.

2. The energy virtualization system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of energy- producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices communicate through building network according to an IP protocol.

3. The energy virtualization system of claim 1, wherein the energy virtualization system is installed in a commercial building.

4. The energy virtualization system of claim 1, wherein the energy virtualization system is installed in a residential building.

5. The energy virtualization system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of energy - consuming devices comprises an electric vehicle.

6. The energy virtualization system of claim 1, wherein the energy virtualization layer is configured to:

receive an indication that a new device has been connected to the physical interface gateway; determine whether the new device is authorized;

receive information associated with a profile from the new device; and interface with the new device according to the profile.

7. The energy virtualization system of claim 6, wherein the profile compri operating current and voltage for the new device.

8 The energy virtualization system of claim 7, wherein the operating current and voltage for the new device are supplied by the new device to the energy virtualization system.

9. The energy virtualization system of claim 7, wherein the operating current and voltage for the new device are provided to the new device from the energy virtualization system.

10. The energy virtualization system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of energy- consuming devices comprises a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

11. A method of operating an energy virtualization system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of energy-producing devices through a plurality of common interfaces in a physical interface gateway of the energy virtualization system;

receiving a plurality of energy-control devices through a plurality of common interfaces in a physical interface gateway of the energy virtualization system;

receiving a plurality of energy-consuming devices through a plurality of common interfaces in a physical interface gateway of the energy virtualization system;

communicating between the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices through a building network;

representing the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy- control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices as a plurality of virtual devices on a virtualization layer running on a computing device; and

directing energy from the energy-producing devices to the energy-consuming devices according to information received by the virtualization layer from the energy-control devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of energy-producing devices, the plurality of energy-control devices, and the plurality of energy-consuming devices

communicate through building network according to an IP protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy virtualization system is installed in a commercial building.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy virtualization system is installed in a residential building.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of energy-consuming devices comprises an electric vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an indication that a new device has been connected to the physical interface gateway;

determining whether the new device is authorized;

receiving information associated with a profile from the new device; and interfacing with the new device according to the profile.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the profile comprises an operating current and voltage for the new device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the operating current and voltage for the new device are supplied by the new device to the energy virtualization system.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the operating current and voltage for the new device are provided to the new device from the energy virtualization system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of energy-consuming devices comprises a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.