A district energy distributing system comprising a geothermal power plant comprising a first and a second circuit. The first circuit comprises a feed conduit for an incoming flow of geothermally heated water from a geothermal heat source; a boiler comprising a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat from the incoming flow of geothermally heated water to superheat a working medium of a second circuit of the geothermal power plant; and a return conduit for a return flow of cooled water from the boiler to the geothermal heat source. The second circuit comprises the boiler configured to superheat the working medium of the second circuit; an expander configured to allow the superheated working medium to expand and to transform the expansion to mechanical work; and a condenser configured to transform the expanded working medium to liquid phase and to heat a heat transfer fluid of a district thermal energy circuit.

An evaporator with integrated heat recovery incorporates a vapor tube in a combustion chamber surrounded by a water jacket. The water jacket is in fluid communication with an exhaust gas heat exchanger. Coolant circulates through the exhaust gas heat exchanger to recover heat from exhaust gasses leaving the combustion chamber and then circulates through the water jacket surrounding the combustion chamber to recover heat not delivered to the operating fluid. The evaporator may incorporate a condenser within the housing and in fluid communication with the exhaust gas heat exchanger and water jacket. Coolant may enter the evaporator housing at the condenser before circulating through the exhaust gas heat exchanger and water jacket.

A steam turbine plant and an operating method thereof, and a combined cycle plant and an operating method thereof, include: a turbine; steam supply lines that supply main steam to the turbine; a steam control valve and an intercept valve provided to the steam supply lines; and a first auxiliary steam supply line that supplies auxiliary steam to the turbine via the steam supply lines which are located farther downstream than the steam control valve and the intercept valve.

A steam turbine plant and an operating method thereof, and a combined cycle plant and an operating method thereof, include: a turbine; steam supply lines that supply main steam to the turbine; a steam control valve and an intercept valve provided to the steam supply lines; and a first auxiliary steam supply line that supplies auxiliary steam to the turbine via the steam supply lines which are located farther downstream than the steam control valve and the intercept valve.

The disclosed apparatus and control system produces a single, on demand, energetic gaseous working fluid from any heat source. Working fluid in a liquid phase is released into a heat exchange tube in the form of very fine droplets or atomized mist, where it is rapidly heated to its gaseous phase. The gaseous working fluid can continue to absorb heat before exiting the heat exchange tube to perform work. The disclosed system controls the release of working fluid into the heat exchange tube and/or the heat energy to which the tube is exposed, resulting in a flow of energetic gaseous working fluid that can be quickly adjusted in response to changing conditions without a large pressure vessel.

An external reactor vessel cooling and electric power generation system according to the present invention includes an external reactor vessel cooling section formed to enclose at least part of a reactor vessel with small-scale facilities so as to cool heat discharged from the reactor vessel, a power production section including a small turbine and a small generator to generate electric energy using a fluid that receives heat from the external reactor vessel cooling section, a condensation heat exchange section 140 to perform a heat exchange of the fluid discharged after operating the small turbine, and condense the fluid to generate condensed water, and a condensed water storage section to collect therein the condensed water generated in the condensation heat exchange section, wherein the fluid is phase-changed into gas by the heat received from the reactor vessel. The external reactor vessel cooling and electric power generation system according to the present invention can continuously operate even during an accident as well as during a normal operation to cool the reactor vessel and produce emergency power, thereby enhancing system reliability. The external reactor vessel cooling and electric power generation system according to the present invention can easily apply safety class or seismic design using small-scale facilities, and its reliability can be improved owing to applying the safety class or seismic design.

Systems and methods for improving the efficiency of a power plant exploit the temperature differential of the cooling water that may exist seasonally in some geographic locations. Specifically, new systems and ways of retrofitting existing systems to utilize the additional temperature differential of a power plant's coolant during colder months are provided in order to increase the efficiency of the plant. A second working fluid loop converts a portion of the condenser of the first working fluid loop into the boiler for the second working fluid loop in which the first and second working fluids in these respective loops are different. Thus, the energy output of the plant may be increased by the addition of a selectively operated secondary loop without an increase in fuel consumption.

A connection system for coupling a steam turbine to a condenser is provided. The connection system includes a dog-bone connector, a first clamp, and a second clamp. The dog-bone connector includes a first end, a second end opposite the first end with respect to the third direction, and a body extending therebetween. The first clamp includes a first portion, a second portion coupled to the first portion, and a first retention cavity defined therebetween. The first clamp is configured to couple to one of the steam turbine and the condenser such that the first portion is movable relative to the second portion along the third direction. The second clamp is configured to couple to the other of the steam turbine and the condenser and includes a third portion, a fourth portion coupled to the third portion, and a second retention cavity defined therebetween.

In a cryogenic combined cycle power plant electric power drives a cryogenic refrigerator to store energy by cooling air to a liquid state for storage within tanks, followed by subsequent release of the stored energy by first pressurizing the liquid air, then regasifying the liquid air and raising the temperature of the regasified air at least in part with heat exhausted from a combustion turbine, and then expanding the heated regasified air through a hot gas expander to generate power. The expanded regasified air exhausted from the expander may be used to cool and make denser the inlet air to the combustion turbine. The combustion turbine exhaust gases may be used to drive an organic Rankine bottoming cycle. An alternative source of heat such as thermal storage, for example, may be used in place of or in addition to the combustion turbine.

Systems and methods for cooling a power generation working fluid are disclosed that reduce the amount of cooling fluid used. These systems and methods save on water usage in the generation of power by thermoelectric power generation systems.