The present disclosure provides pumped thermal energy storage systems that can be used to store electrical energy. A pumped thermal energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump or refrigerator, whereby network input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. The system can extract energy by operating as a heat engine transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side, which can result in network output. Systems of the present disclosure can employ solar heating for improved storage efficiency.

The present invention relates to a power generating device using an electric furnace, and more particularly, to a power generating device using an electric furnace in which the electric furnace boils water using electricity to produce steam and a turbine is operated using the steam to produce electricity. The power generating device using an electric furnace according to the present invention includes an electric furnace, a steam pipe, a turbine, a power generator, a condenser, and a super-heater. The electric furnace heats water to produce steam. The steam pipe guides the steam ejected from the electric furnace. The turbine is disposed at an inlet of the steam pipe, and is operated with the steam. The power generator is operated by the turbine, and generates electricity. The condenser condenses the steam discharged after the turbine is operated. The super-heater superheats a condensate condensed in the condenser, and supplies the superheated condensate to the electric furnace. According to the present invention, it is possible to generate electricity by boiling water in an electric furnace to produce steam using midnight electric power. Accordingly, it is possible to generate electricity without causing problems such as pollution and environment destruction occurring in thermal power generation or nuclear power generation.

Aspects of the invention provided herein include heat engine systems, methods for generating electricity, and methods for starting a turbo pump. In some configurations, the heat engine system contains a start pump and a turbo pump disposed in series along a working fluid circuit and configured to circulate a working fluid within the working fluid circuit. The start pump may have a pump portion coupled to a motor-driven portion and the turbo pump may have a pump portion coupled to a drive turbine. In one configuration, the pump portion of the start pump is fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit downstream of and in series with the pump portion of the turbo pump. In another configuration, the pump portion of the start pump is fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit upstream of and in series with the pump portion of the turbo pump.

A method including: (i) operating a pumped-heat energy storage system (“PHES system”) in a charge mode to convert electricity into stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage medium (“HTS medium”) by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium, resulting in a hot HTS medium, wherein the PHES system is further operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity; and (ii) heating the hot HTS medium with an electric heater above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from the working fluid to the warm HTS medium.

A method including: (i) operating a pumped-heat energy storage system (“PHES system”) in a charge mode to convert electricity into stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage medium (“HTS medium”) by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium, resulting in a hot HTS medium, wherein the PHES system is further operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity; and (ii) heating the hot HTS medium with an electric heater above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from the working fluid to the warm HTS medium.

The combined cycle power device of the present invention belongs to the field of energy and power technology. A combined cycle power device comprises an expander, a compressor, a second expander, a pump, a high-temperature heat exchanger, a condenser and an evaporator. A condenser has a liquid refrigerant pipe which passes through a pump and connects the evaporator. An evaporator connects a high-temperature heat exchanger. The high-temperature heat exchanger has a vapor channel connected a compressor. The compressor has a low-pressure vapor channel connected the evaporator. The evaporator connects the compressor and the second expander respectively. The second expander connects the condenser. The high-temperature heat exchanger connects the outside. The condenser has the cooling medium channel connected the outside. The evaporator has the heat source medium channel connected the outside. The expander and the second the expander connect the compressor and transmit power.

The combined cycle power device of the present invention belongs to the field of energy and power technology. A combined cycle power device comprises an expander, the second expander, a compressor, the third expander, a pump, a high-temperature heat exchanger, the second high-temperature heat exchanger, a condenser and an evaporator. A condenser connects a pump and an evaporator, an evaporator connects the second expander, the second expander connects the second high-temperature heat exchanger and a high-temperature heat exchanger, a compressor connects the high-temperature heat exchanger, the high-temperature heat exchanger connects an expander, the expander connects the evaporator, the third expander connects the condenser, the evaporator connects compressor and the third expander. The high-temperature heat exchanger and the second high-temperature heat exchanger have the heat source medium, the condenser has the cooling source medium. The expander, the second expander and the third expander connect the compressor and transmit power.

An energy system having a) one or more catalyst sources which store a catalyst; b) one or more water sources which store water; c) one or more heat sources which store a heat storage medium; d) one or more reaction chambers into which the water, the catalyst, and the heat storage medium are introduced, which are configured for an exothermic reaction between the catalyst and the water to take place while in the presence of the heat storage medium, and in which steam is generated from the exothermic reaction; and f) one or more turbines downstream of the one or more reaction chambers which are adapted to be driven by the steam generated within the one or more reaction chambers.

A method, system, and apparatus for the thermal storage of nuclear reactor generated energy including diverting a selected portion of energy from a portion of a nuclear reactor system to an auxiliary thermal reservoir and, responsive to a shutdown event, supplying a portion of the diverted selected portion of energy to an energy conversion system of the nuclear reactor system.

The invention relates to a method and to a corresponding system for controlling energy streams in order to connect operations of an electricity distribution network (1) and a heat distribution network (2) by means of an intermediate energy storage unit (3). According to the invention, the power balance and quality of current and voltage of the electricity distribution network (1) are adjusted by supplying the losses provided by adjustment of the electricity distribution network to the energy storage unit (3) in the form of heat, and from the energy storage unit the heat is extracted to the heat distribution network (2) according to the heat requirement of the heat distribution network.