Dielectric energy storage systems

Abstract

A Dielectric Energy Storage System (DESS), a Dielectric Energy Storage System Management System (DESS-MS), and method that stores energy for a wide variety of applications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A Dielectric Energy Storage System Management System (DESS-MS) for a Dielectric Energy Storage System (DESS) comprising of:
 an information processing system comprising at least one processor, main memory, persistent memory, and at least one communication interface;   one or more sensor modules connected to one or more Dense Energy Ultra-Cell (DEUC) Elements, where the one or more DEUC Elements are respective one or more subcomponents of a Dielectric Energy Storage Module (DESM) in a Dielectric Energy Storage System (DESS), the one or more sensor modules and the DESM being operatively coupled to the at least one processor;   where each sensor module in the one or more sensor modules, operatively coupled with the at least one processor, is configured to monitor measured values of one or more physical conditions of the respective one or more subcomponents of the DESM based on one or more operational parameters of the DESM, and to generate sensor data corresponding to the monitored measured values of the one or more physical conditions, and to communicate the sensor data to the at least one processor;   where the one or more sensor modules and the DESM, operatively coupled with the at least one processor, are communicatively coupled to a network for sensor data to be transmitted from the one or more sensor modules to a central control unit or to distributed control units, for analysis, and the at least one processor is communicatively coupled with the central control unit or the distributed control units, to receive commands therefrom, where in response to receiving a command the at least one processor, operatively coupled with the DESM, controlling features and functions and updating the operational parameters, of the DESM;   where each sensor module of said one or more sensor modules has a programmable address to allow the at least one processor to determine a position of the each sensor module and the one or more subcomponents of the DESM that said each sensor module represents;   where the at least one processor, operatively coupled to the one or more sensor modules, records measured values of the one or more subcomponents of the DESM that exceed one or more threshold values of the DESM; and   wherein the at least one processor, operatively coupled to the one or more sensor modules, is configured to report a fault condition, detected by the at least one processor, to the central control unit or the distributed control units, based on the measured values and the one or more threshold values.   
     
     
         2 . The DESS-MS of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor sends a command to at least one DEUC controller module of the DESM, which in response to receiving the command removes from operation, or replaces, a subcomponent in the one or more subcomponents of the DESM. 
     
     
         3 . The DESS-MS of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to process sensor data communicated from any one of said one or more sensor modules and provide alarms associated to preset values for at least one subcomponent in the one or more subcomponents of the DESM. 
     
     
         4 . The DESS-MS of  claim 1 , wherein the DESM includes at least one DEUC controller module coupled with the one or more subcomponents of the DESM, and wherein the at least one processor, responsive to computer instructions, performs operations including the following method steps:
 sensing values of one or more physical conditions of the respective one or more subcomponents of the DESM through the one or more sensor modules;   recording one or more sensed values and whether the one or more sensed values exceed respective one or more threshold values;   communicating sensor data, corresponding to the one or more sensed values and whether the one or more sensed values exceed the respective one or more threshold values, from each sensor module in the one or more sensor modules to the central control unit or the distributed control units for analysis;   recording the position of the each sensor module and the one or more subcomponents of the DESM that said each sensor module represents;   storing and analyzing the sensor data from the each sensor module;   reporting measured values of one or more physical conditions of the respectively one or more subcomponents of the DESM and reporting fault conditions to the central control unit or the distributed control units, based on the measured values and the threshold values of the DESM; and   in response to received commands from the central control unit or the distributed control units, controlling features and functions and updating the operational parameters, of the DESM.   
     
     
         5 . The DESS-MS of  claim 1 , wherein the DESM includes at least one DEUC controller module coupled with the one or more subcomponents of the DESM, and wherein the at least one processor, responsive to computer instructions, performs operations including the following method steps:
 wherein the at least one processor receives the commands from the central control unit or the distributed control units, by at least one of the following:
 wireless communication over one or more wireless networks communicatively coupling the at least one processor with the central control unit or the distributed control units; or 
 a voice recognition system communicatively coupled with the at least one processor, where the voice recognition system recognizes uttered voice commands received via a user input interface, and provides information, including a voice response to a received uttered voice command, via a user output interface. 
   
     
     
         6 . The DESS-MS of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor, responsive to computer instructions, performs operations including one or more of the following method steps:
 the voice recognition system couples commands to the at least one processor, where the commands are uttered voice commands recognized by the voice recognition system, and the uttered voice commands are received from a user via a microphone in the user input interface; or   the voice recognition system receives information coupled from the at least one processor, and provides the information, including a voice response to a received uttered voice command, via a user output interface comprising any one or more of:
 a display of a computing device that displays the information; 
 a display of a mobile phone that displays the information; or 
 a speaker, coupled to the voice recognition system, which emits the information as audible information.