A scale suppression apparatus capable of suppressing in a low-priced manner the generation of silica-based scale and calcium-based scale in the influent water, a geothermal power generation system using the same, and a scale suppression method are provided. The apparatus includes a first addition unit configured to add liquid containing a chelating agent and an alkaline agent to influent water flowing through a pipe arrangement to make the influent water higher than pH 7, a second addition unit configured to add an acid substance to the influent water to make the influent water lower than pH 7, and a controller configured to alternatively switch between the operation of the first addition unit and the operation of the second addition unit. The controller controls the switching of the first addition unit and the second addition unit based on the signals output from a scale detection unit and a pH meter.

An Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system having a turbine with an upstream side and a downstream side. Warm water under a partial vacuum is converted into a vapor, the vapor being supplied to the upstream side of the turbine at a pressure controlled by the temperature of the warm water. A condenser is situated on the downstream side of the turbine to cause the vapor, after passing through the turbine, to undergo a phase change back to a liquid, which can be used as potable water. The condenser is coupled to a source of a cooling liquid, and the pressure of the vapor on the downstream side of the turbine is determined by the temperature of the cooling liquid. A flexible floating solar collector supplies the warm liquid to the upstream side at a temperature higher than normal ambient temperature.

An Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system having a turbine with an upstream side and a downstream side. Warm water under a partial vacuum is converted into a vapor, the vapor being supplied to the upstream side of the turbine at a pressure controlled by the temperature of the warm water. A condenser is situated on the downstream side of the turbine to cause the vapor, after passing through the turbine, to undergo a phase change back to a liquid, which can be used as potable water. The condenser is coupled to a source of a cooling liquid, and the pressure of the vapor on the downstream side of the turbine is determined by the temperature of the cooling liquid. A flexible floating solar collector supplies the warm liquid to the upstream side at a temperature higher than normal ambient temperature.

The present disclosure describes biocatalytic processes for producing a product, comprising providing an aqueous stream (AS) comprising at least one fermentable substrate and a gaseous stream (GS) comprising at least one of CO.sub.2/H.sub.2, H.sub.2, methane, and/or CO to a fermentation zone, wherein the GS and AS stream are optionally contacted and/or mixed; the fermentation zone comprising at least one organism capable of metabolizing an AS substrate and a GS substrate, wherein the fermentation operates at conditions to mixotrophically metabolize at least one gaseous substrate in the GS and at least one substrate in the AS, producing the product. The present disclosure also describes compositions comprising an AS, a GS, and an organism, wherein the organism or an equivalent or engineered equivalent thereof is a methanotroph or a hydrogen-metabolizing or CO-metabolizing chemolithotrophic organism, and wherein the organism is capable of mixotrophic metabolism of at least one gaseous substrate in the GS and at least one substrate in the AS. The present disclosure also describes a process wherein said fermentation operates at conditions to mixotrophically metabolize at least H.sub.2 in the gaseous stream and glycerol and lactic acid in the aqueous stream. The present disclosure also describes a system for producing a fermentation or bio-derived product.

A working fluid (6) for a device (4) for converting heat into mechanical energy is disclosed. The working fluid (6) comprises a fluid (7) having a boiling temperature in the range between 30 and 250° C. at a pressure of 1 bar and nanoparticles (8) which are dispersed or suspended in the liquid phase of the fluid (7). Said nanoparticles (8) are instrumented as condensation and/or boiling nuclei and the surface of said nanoparticles (8) is adapted to support condensation and/or boiling.

A working fluid (6) for a device (4) for converting heat into mechanical energy is disclosed. The working fluid (6) comprises a fluid (7) having a boiling temperature in the range between 30 and 250° C. at a pressure of 1 bar and nanoparticles (8) which are dispersed or suspended in the liquid phase of the fluid (7). Said nanoparticles (8) are instrumented as condensation and/or boiling nuclei and the surface of said nanoparticles (8) is adapted to support condensation and/or boiling.

A self-operated incinerator system is disclosed. The self-operated incinerator system comprises: an incinerator; a steam boiler configured to receive waste heat from the incinerator so as to produce steam; a turbine device configured to generate a turbine rotational force by receiving the steam produced by the steam boiler; a generator configured to generate power by using the turbine rotational force generated by the turbine device; and a storage battery configured to store the power generated by the generator and to use the power for starting or normally operating at least one from among the incinerator and the steam boiler.

A compressed fluid storage power generation device including a compressor and compressor bodies for compressing a working fluid; a pressure accumulation tank for storing the working fluid compressed by the compressor bodies; a power generator having expanders which are driven by the working fluid and a power generator body which is driven by the expanders; high-temperature heat recovery units for recovering heat from the working fluid flowing from the compressor bodies into the pressure accumulation tank; high-temperature heating units for heating, with the recovered heat, the working fluid flowing from the pressure accumulation tank into the expanders; a low-temperature heat recovery unit for recovering heat generated in a low-temperature heat generation section of the compressor and/or power generator into a low-temperature heat carrier; and low-temperature heating units for heating the working fluid by means of heat exchange with the low-temperature heat carrier carrying the heat recovered by the low-temperature heat recovery unit.

A compressed fluid storage power generation device including a compressor and compressor bodies for compressing a working fluid; a pressure accumulation tank for storing the working fluid compressed by the compressor bodies; a power generator having expanders which are driven by the working fluid and a power generator body which is driven by the expanders; high-temperature heat recovery units for recovering heat from the working fluid flowing from the compressor bodies into the pressure accumulation tank; high-temperature heating units for heating, with the recovered heat, the working fluid flowing from the pressure accumulation tank into the expanders; a low-temperature heat recovery unit for recovering heat generated in a low-temperature heat generation section of the compressor and/or power generator into a low-temperature heat carrier; and low-temperature heating units for heating the working fluid by means of heat exchange with the low-temperature heat carrier carrying the heat recovered by the low-temperature heat recovery unit.

Provided is a waste heat recovery power generation system, including: a compressor configured to compress a working fluid; a heat exchanger configured to recover waste heat from waste heat gas supplied from a waste heat source, the recovered waste heat heating the working fluid; a turbine configured to be driven by the working fluid heated by the recovered waste heat; and a recuperator configured to exchange heat between an output fluid of the turbine and an output fluid of the compressor to cool the output fluid of the turbine in which the output fluid of the compressor is branched into a first output fluid and a second output fluid of the compressor.