Energy Virtualization Layer for Building Microgrid Clusters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy management systems in buildings are inflexible, prone to single points of failure, and lack interoperability, leading to inefficiencies and security vulnerabilities, as they rely on centralized control and proprietary interfaces, limiting the ability to dynamically manage and integrate various energy sources and devices.
Innovation Solution
The energy virtualization system introduces a virtualized grid platform with a standardized interface for energy-producing, controlling, and consuming devices, allowing dynamic integration and management through a virtualization layer that abstracts physical resources, enabling plug-and-play functionality and secure authentication of devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized control system is used for energy management, then system control is simplified, but the system becomes prone to single points of failure and lacks flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized energy management system into distributed microgrid clusters, each capable of independent operation. This segmentation eliminates single points of failure by allowing individual clusters to continue functioning even when others fail, while maintaining simplified control through standardized interfaces between clusters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer that adds an abstract dimension between physical energy devices and control logic. This virtual dimension allows centralized control functions to be distributed across multiple physical locations without increasing operational complexity, thereby improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation.
2Reliability
If proprietary interfaces are used for device integration, then device compatibility is ensured, but interoperability and flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universal standardized interfaces at the microgrid cluster level that can accommodate multiple proprietary device interfaces. This allows different energy-producing, energy-consuming, and energy-storage devices with proprietary interfaces to interoperate through the standardized cluster interface, ensuring both compatibility and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces virtualized interface layers as intermediaries between proprietary devices and the control system. These intermediary virtual interfaces translate between proprietary protocols and standardized protocols, enabling interoperability while maintaining the reliability of original device interfaces.
3Speed
If physical resources are directly managed, then system responsiveness is improved, but system complexity and vulnerability to failures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial virtualization where only critical resource allocation functions are virtualized, while time-sensitive control functions remain directly coupled to physical devices. This selective approach maintains system responsiveness for urgent operations while reducing overall complexity through virtualization of non-critical management functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of physical energy resources and their interfaces. These virtual copies abstract the complexity of direct physical resource management while maintaining responsive control through optimized virtual-to-physical mapping, thereby reducing system complexity without sacrificing responsiveness.
4Adaptability or versatility
If diverse energy sources and devices are integrated, then energy efficiency and flexibility are improved, but system complexity and security vulnerabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments diverse energy sources and devices into standardized microgrid clusters, each managing a subset of resources independently. This segmentation allows integration of diverse energy types while containing complexity within individual clusters, and reduces security vulnerabilities by isolating failures to specific segments rather than propagating system-wide.
Data Source
AI summary
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.