A combined cycle plant includes: a gas turbine having a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine; a supplementary firing burner configured to raise a temperature of an exhaust gas of the gas turbine; a heat recovery steam generator configured to generate a steam using an exhaust heat of the exhaust gas; a steam turbine configured to be driven by the steam generated by the heat recovery steam generator; and a control device configured to change both an output of the combustor and an output of the supplementary firing burner when an output of the combined cycle plant is to be changed.

Embodiments of systems and methods for generating power in the vicinity of a drilling rig are disclosed. During a drilling operation, heat generated by drilling fluid flowing from a borehole, exhaust from an engine, and/or fluid from an engine's water (or other fluid) jacket, for example, may be utilized by corresponding heat exchangers to facilitate heat transfer to a working fluid. The heated working fluid may cause an ORC unit to generate electrical power.

A power generation system comprising a liquid pump section (4) comprising a rotary liquid pump (7) with an impeller in which a working fluid is pressurised and which is driven by a drive shaft (8); an evaporator section comprising an evaporator (9) in which the in the rotary liquid pump (7) pressurised working fluid is at least partly evaporated by addition of heat from a heat source; an expander section (3) comprising a rotary expander (11) with an inlet port (16) and a rotary expander element in which the in the evaporator section at least partly evaporated working fluid is expanded; and a generator section (5) comprising a rotary power generator (13) with a rotor,
whereby the expander section (3), the liquid pump section (4) and the generator section (5) are rotably connected in such a manner that relative rotational speed ratios between the rotary expander element of the rotary expander (11), the impeller of the rotary liquid pump (7) and the rotor of the rotary power generator (13) are mechanically upheld, characterised in that the drive shaft (8) which drives the impeller of the rotary liquid pump (7), is configured to be provided with a throttling device allowing a controlled portion (15) of the working fluid entering the rotary liquid pump (7) to pass from the liquid pump section (4) to the expander section (3) and/or the generator section (5).

The invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for integration of renewable and conventional energy to enhance electric reliability and reduce fuel consumption and emissions via thermal energy storage.

A method for block loading an electrical grid with a combined cycle power plant (CCPP) includes operating a gas turbine system of the CCPP in an islanding mode with a steam turbine system of the CCPP off line with turning gear rotating only; loading the steam turbine system accordingly to temperature matching conditions of the steam turbine system, the loading of the steam turbine system includes controlling gas turbine exhaust fed to the steam turbine system and the gas turbine exhaust temperature heats the steam turbine system and to meet temperature matching conditions of the steam turbine system; wherein controlling gas turbine exhaust includes controlling fuel flow and air flow to the gas turbine system; and operating at least one of the gas turbine system and steam turbine system to block load the electrical grid from a load on at least one of gas turbine system and steam turbine system.

A method for block loading an electrical grid with a combined cycle power plant (CCPP) includes operating a gas turbine system of the CCPP in an islanding mode with a steam turbine system of the CCPP off line with turning gear rotating only; loading the steam turbine system accordingly to temperature matching conditions of the steam turbine system, the loading of the steam turbine system includes controlling gas turbine exhaust fed to the steam turbine system and the gas turbine exhaust temperature heats the steam turbine system and to meet temperature matching conditions of the steam turbine system; wherein controlling gas turbine exhaust includes controlling fuel flow and air flow to the gas turbine system; and operating at least one of the gas turbine system and steam turbine system to block load the electrical grid from a load on at least one of gas turbine system and steam turbine system.

Extra heat in a closed cycle power generation system, such as a reversible closed Brayton cycle system, may be dissipated between discharge and charge cycles. An extra cooling heat exchanger may be added on the discharge cycle and disposed between a cold side heat exchanger and a compressor inlet. Additionally or alternatively, a cold thermal storage medium passing through the cold side heat exchanger may be allowed to heat up to a higher temperature during the discharge cycle than is needed on input to the charge cycle and the excess heat then dissipated to the atmosphere.

Extra heat in a closed cycle power generation system, such as a reversible closed Brayton cycle system, may be dissipated between discharge and charge cycles. An extra cooling heat exchanger may be added on the discharge cycle and disposed between a cold side heat exchanger and a compressor inlet. Additionally or alternatively, a cold thermal storage medium passing through the cold side heat exchanger may be allowed to heat up to a higher temperature during the discharge cycle than is needed on input to the charge cycle and the excess heat then dissipated to the atmosphere.

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.