The present disclosure relates to a method for storing excess energy from at least one energy producing source, as thermal energy, using an existing geologic formation. First and second storage zones formed in a geologic region may be used to store high temperature and medium high temperature brine. When excess energy is available from the energy producing source, a quantity of the medium high temperature brine is withdrawn and heated using the energy supplied by the energy source to form a first new quantity of high temperature brine, which is then injected back into the first storage zone. This forces a quantity of medium high temperature brine present in the first storage zone into the second storage zone, to maintain a desired quantity of high temperature brine in the first storage zone and a desired quantity of medium high temperature brine in the second storage zone.

Systems, apparatuses and methods in interoperating with multiple clean energy sources, such as pneumatic energy, electrical energy, hydrogen energy and steam energy, with engine configurations employing theses clean energy sources dynamically and synchronously. Further embodiments including fossil fuel energies.

A thermal utilization system is capable of producing power, storing energy via a chemical or and a hydropower-elevation means. It also capable of transport fluid as vapor over obstacles and terrains, as well as desalinate water. It may in some embodiments do all or some of these tasks simultaneously and with the same amount of energy. It may run with any source of energy including renewable energy sources such as solar energy, and wind. The system may use that energy to run a heat engine and, at the same time, stores that energy via chemical separation. When energy is needed, the system may withdraw the chemical substances and lets them interact to claim the energy back, and then use it to run a heat engine and desalinate water. Some parts of the system can be used for cooling and heating. The system may be configured to be an air conditioner unit or a refrigerator that has an internal back up energy storage.

A thermal utilization system is capable of producing power, storing energy via a chemical or and a hydropower-elevation means. It also capable of transport fluid as vapor over obstacles and terrains, as well as desalinate water. It may in some embodiments do all or some of these tasks simultaneously and with the same amount of energy. It may run with any source of energy including renewable energy sources such as solar energy, and wind. The system may use that energy to run a heat engine and, at the same time, stores that energy via chemical separation. When energy is needed, the system may withdraw the chemical substances and lets them interact to claim the energy back, and then use it to run a heat engine and desalinate water. Some parts of the system can be used for cooling and heating. The system may be configured to be an air conditioner unit or a refrigerator that has an internal back up energy storage.

The subject of the invention is the method of conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy and a thermo-hydrodynamic converter in which the said conversion occurs, which is the result of combustion of the fuel in the boiler in which generated steam is directed to converter vessels, whereas during continuous operation the steam is reheated and it is repeatedly used in converter units of different pressures.

The method of conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy for power generation consists in that water is heated in the boiler (kp) to obtain steam that is supplied under the pressure of about 100 atm and at the temperature of about 500° C. to the vessel (tk1) from where it forces out the water accumulated in the vessel, which flowing out from the vessel (tk1) drives the water turbine (10) and this water turbine drives the power generator (11), and then the water is supplied to the vessel (tk2) from where it is forced out by the steam supplied from the boiler (kp), which water flowing out from the vessel (tk2) drives the water turbine (10) and this water turbine drives the power generator (11), and then this water is supplied to the vessel (tk3) from where it is forced out by the steam supplied from the boiler (kp), which water flowing out from the vessel (tk3) drives the water turbine (10) and this water turbine drives the power generator (11), and then this water is supplied to the vessel (tk4) from where it is forced out by the steam supplied from the boiler (kp), which water flowing out from the vessel (tk4) drives the water turbine (10) and this water turbine drives the power generator (11), whereby the water returns to the vessel (tk1), and the steam from the vessel (tk4) returns to the boiler (kp) preheating the steam produced there and the working cycle of the vessels (tk1), (tk2), (tk3), (tk4) of the converter is repeated from the beginning.

Gas expansion device for expanding a gas or a gas-liquid mixture, where the gas expansion device includes a gas expansion element with an inlet port for the gas to be expanded and an inlet pipe for the gas to be expanded. The inlet pipe is connected to the inlet port where the gas expansion device includes a first liquid injection point for the injection of liquid, where the first liquid injection point is at a position level with the inlet port or upstream from the inlet port.

An apparatus for converting heat energy to mechanical energy includes a closed circuit having a pressure side with a first conduit, a lower pressure side with a second conduit, two actuators between the pressure sides, a working medium circulated in the closed circuit, a heating source to heat the working medium in the pressure side and a cooling arrangement to cool the working medium in the lower pressure side. The liquid working medium circulated in the closed circuit system is degasified.

An apparatus for converting heat energy to mechanical energy includes a closed circuit having a pressure side with a first conduit, a lower pressure side with a second conduit, two actuators between the pressure sides, a working medium circulated in the closed circuit, a heating source to heat the working medium in the pressure side and a cooling arrangement to cool the working medium in the lower pressure side. The liquid working medium circulated in the closed circuit system is degasified.

An inertia-based energy storage device with a fluid pressure regulating function and an energy storage method. The device comprises a vacuum vessel (1), a pressure regulating vessel, a pressure transmission member, a kinetic energy recovery device and a hydraulic generator. The energy storage method comprises: providing a fluid which is liquid or compressed gas; accelerating the fluid and thereafter decelerating the fluid; recovering deceleration kinetic energy of the fluid in decelerating the fluid; in the process of accelerating or decelerating the fluid, regulating an pressure of the fluid from a first pressure to a second pressure depending on a rate of change in velocity and a state of motion of the fluid. The energy storage device can regulate the pressure of fluid during the inertia-based energy storage process and extract the pressure energy of fluid after pressure regulation.

The present application pertains to novel methods to generate power. In a representative embodiment, power is generated by warming a body of air having a temperature lower than the freezing point of liquid water by contacting the body of air with liquid water. The liquid water has a temperature greater than the freezing point of liquid water. Liquid water freezes thereby generating latent heat from freezing and thereby warming the body of air. The warmed body of air may be passed through an air turbine to generate power. Other methods and systems are described that use similar principles.