A system comprising a non-water working fluid feed stream, a compressor configured to compress the non-water based working fluid, to provide a compressed non-water based working fluid; and an energy recovery system configured to recover energy from the compressed non-water based working fluid, to provide a de-energized compressed non-water based working fluid, wherein the energy recovery system captures at least a portion of excess energy from the compressed non-water based working fluid and converts the captured excess energy to electricity, heat energy, or both electricity and heat energy.

Methods and systems for producing thermal or electrical power from geothermal wells. Power is produced from a working fluid circulating in a closed loop within a geothermal well. Geothermal steam or brine at depth transfers heat at higher temperature than at the surface to the working fluid. The working fluid is then used to produce power directly or indirectly. The geothermal production fluid may be stimulated through use of gas lifting or submersible pumps to assist in bringing such fluids to the surface or through the use blockers to encourage the downhole steam advection and brine recirculation through the resource in a connective loop. The working fluid may be compatible with existing direct heat or power generation equipment; i.e., water for flash plants or hydrocarbons/refrigerants for binary plants.

A stand-alone long-distance closed-loop heat energy capture, conveyance, and delivery system, comprises three closed-loop modules in serial communication. The first module is in communication with a first closed-loop piping infrastructure interconnected with a source of heat energy, and has a LBP liquid circulating therein whereby the LBP liquid is converted into its gas phase when flowing through the source of heat energy thereby capturing a portion of heat energy therefrom, and is converted into its liquid phase when flowing through a first heat exchanger that transfers the captured-heat energy to a second closed-loop piping infrastructure wherein also is circulating a LBP liquid. The second closed-loop module may extend for long distances. The captured-heat energy in the second module is transferred to a third closed-loop piping infrastructure wherein is also circulating a LBP liquid. The captured-heat energy is transferred from the third module to a delivery site.

A geothermal system includes an outer vessel having a sidewall that is in contact with surrounding ground material. A geothermal pile is disposed within an interior volume of the outer vessel, wherein a first heat conducting liquid at least partially fills a space between an inner surface of the sidewall of the outer vessel and an outer surface of the geothermal pile when in an installed condition. A conduit disposed within an interior space of the geothermal pile conducts a second heat conducting liquid along a flow path within the geothermal pile toward a bottom end thereof and then back to an outlet at a top end thereof. During operation, heat is transferred from the surrounding ground to the second heat conducting liquid via the first heat conducting liquid within the space between the inner surface of the sidewall of the outer vessel and the outer surface of the geothermal pile.

Described are methods and systems for producing hydrogen using closed-loop geothermal technology from geothermal, oil and gas or other resources. Various configurations and types of closed-loop systems are described which enable the capture, transfer and use of heat from the resource and from chemical reactions from the processes and methods employed and to also create high down bore pressure, in each case to enhance the technical and commercial efficiency of various hydrogen production methods. As hydrogen is created at high pressures and purities which are necessary for delivery and commercial use of hydrogen, the need for additional compression and purification activities is minimized. Various of the methods and systems described can make hydrogen produced from fossil fuel inputs less carbon intensive and make renewable fuel inputs produce hydrogen entirely without carbon outputs, thereby contributing substantially to the reduction of greenhouse gasses.

Described are methods and systems for producing hydrogen using closed-loop geothermal technology from geothermal, oil and gas or other resources. Various configurations and types of closed-loop systems are described which enable the capture, transfer and use of heat from the resource and from chemical reactions from the processes and methods employed and to also create high down bore pressure, in each case to enhance the technical and commercial efficiency of various hydrogen production methods. As hydrogen is created at high pressures and purities which are necessary for delivery and commercial use of hydrogen, the need for additional compression and purification activities is minimized. Various of the methods and systems described can make hydrogen produced from fossil fuel inputs less carbon intensive and make renewable fuel inputs produce hydrogen entirely without carbon outputs, thereby contributing substantially to the reduction of greenhouse gasses.

A binary geothermal system comprising: —an organic Rankine cycle having at least one supply pump for feeding an organic working fluid, in liquid phase, of at least one heat exchanger for heating the organic working fluid until its transformation vapor phase and to its eventual overheating, an expansion turbine to expand the organic working fluid vapor, a condenser bringing in a liquid phase the organic working fluid, —a geothermal source comprising a geothermal liquid and a geothermal vapor, the organic working fluid is vaporized directly or indirectly through a flow of geothermal vapor in the heat exchanger and is preheated by a flow of geothermal liquid in a first pre-heater, and the organic working fluid is preheated also in a second pre-heater which exploits the thermal energy contained in a flow rate formed by the gas mixture and by the geothermal vapor fraction which is not condensed.

Hybrid thermodynamic compressor (8) for compressing a working fluid, the compressor comprising a volumetric cylinder (1) and a thermal cylinder (2) connected to one another mechanically by a connecting rod system (5) and pneumatically by a connecting circuit (12) optionally with a valve (4), a reversible electric machine (6), the volumetric cylinder comprising a first piston (81) that separates a first chamber (Ch1) from a second chamber (Ch2), the thermal cylinder comprising a second piston (82) which separates a third chamber (Ch3) from a fourth chamber (Ch4), which can be brought into thermal contact with a heat source (21) to thereby generate a cycled movement in the thermal cylinder, and concerning the connecting rod system (5), the first and second pistons are connected to a rotor (52) by first and second respective connecting rods (91,92), with a predetermined angular offset (θd), the volumetric cylinder being equipped with non-return valves (61,62), the power produced in the thermal cylinder being transmitted to the volumetric cylinder essentially via the connecting circuit and not via the rod system.

Systems and methods involve capturing gaseous and liquid byproducts from the recovery of hydrocarbons and then using those captured byproducts for commercially and environmentally advantageous purposes. A method for recovering hydrocarbons from a well includes the steps of placing the well in a first mode of operation in which gases from the well are stored under pressure in a gas storage unit on the surface, and placing the well in a second mode of operation in which gases are transferred from the gas storage unit into an underground gas storage formation through the well. Methods for managing produced water include the steps of storing the produced water in an underground water storage reservoir, heating the produced water with geothermal energy, and transferring the heated water to an energy recovery system to generate electricity from the heated produced water.

Systems and methods involve capturing gaseous and liquid byproducts from the recovery of hydrocarbons and then using those captured byproducts for commercially and environmentally advantageous purposes. A method for recovering hydrocarbons from a well includes the steps of placing the well in a first mode of operation in which gases from the well are stored under pressure in a gas storage unit on the surface, and placing the well in a second mode of operation in which gases are transferred from the gas storage unit into an underground gas storage formation through the well. Methods for managing produced water include the steps of storing the produced water in an underground water storage reservoir, heating the produced water with geothermal energy, and transferring the heated water to an energy recovery system to generate electricity from the heated produced water.