In an energy conversion method and a thermal power plant for converting heat into mechanical or electric energy using a working medium, a vapor state in the working medium is generated at a first pressure in a steam generator. The vaporized working medium is expanded to a lower second pressure in a steam expanding device. An energy obtained by the expansion process is discharged. The expansion of the steam state is carried out using a saturation line of the working medium. The working medium is thereby separated into a non-condensed portion and a condensed portion in a separating device. The non-condensed portion is then compressed into a compressed non-condensed portion in a compressor. The compressed non-condensed portion is cooled and condensed into a compressed condensed portion. The compressed condensed portion and the initially condensed portion are then heated, and both portions are returned to the steam generator together.

An integrated nuclear-powered heat pump system includes a nuclear power plant including a nuclear reactor coolant and may be configured to generate electricity. The system additionally includes a heat pump including a refrigerant as a working fluid. The heat pump is integrated with the nuclear power plant so as to be in at least thermal contact with the nuclear reactor coolant. The electricity generated by the nuclear power plant may be used to drive the heat pump. The system is instrumental with regard to generating heat for industrial applications.

A steam power plant includes a working medium circuit having a first heat exchanger system to vaporize a working medium, a steam turbine system, a second heat exchanger system to condense the working medium, and a pump system to feed the condensed working medium into the first heat exchanger system. An absorption heat pump having an expeller system and a refrigerant circuit which at least partially includes the first heat exchanger system and the second heat exchanger system, is configured to transfer thermal energy from the second heat exchanger system to the first heat exchanger system. Leading from a turbine extraction point of the steam turbine system via the expeller system of the absorption heat pump line to a feed point in the working medium circuit is an expulsion line, with the working medium in the expulsion line providing thermal energy for an expulsion process of the absorption heat pump.

A temperature control system includes: a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator all connected in series to form a refrigerant circuit. The system includes an electricity generating arrangement fluidly connected to the refrigerant circuit between the compressor and one of the condenser and the evaporator, the electricity generating arrangement comprising a solar thermal collector adapted to heat refrigerant leaving the compressor, and a fluid driven electricity generator adapted to receive refrigerant heated by the solar thermal collector.

A facility for generating mechanical energy by means of a combined power cycle is disclosed herein, which includes at least means for carrying out a closed or semi-closed, constituent regenerative Brayton cycle, which uses water as a heat-transfer fluid, means for carrying out at least one Rankine cycle, a constituent fundamental Rankine cycle, interconnected with the regenerative Brayton cycle, and a heat pump (UAX) including a closed circuit that regenerates the constituent regenerative Brayton cycle, as well as to the method for generating energy using the facility.

A waste heat recovery apparatus includes a waste processing module and a heat recovery module. The waste processing module includes a heat exchange unit and a drive unit. The heat exchange unit includes a hollow tubular structure having at least one material inlet, at least one material outlet and a screw mounted axially thereinside. The drive unit rotates the screw to extrude the waste material. The heat recovery module includes a heat storage unit, at least one conveying pipeline and a compression unit. The heat storage unit contains a heat-storing medium for storing thermal energy. The conveying pipeline connected to the heat exchange unit and the heat storage unit allows a working medium to flow through the heat exchange unit and the heat storage unit. The compression unit coupled to the conveying pipeline circulates the working medium to flow in the conveying pipeline.

Method for coupling a first heat-requiring industrial process to a second cold-requiring industrial process, whereby a first circuit for energy recovery (1) from the first industrial process transfers heat to a second circuit for cold production (2) for the second industrial process, wherein the first circuit for energy recovery (1) the energy carrier is a binary mixture of water and ammonia that has two-phases and is compressed by a compressor (7) specifically suitable for compressing a two-phase fluid such as a compressor with a Lysholm rotor or equipped with vanes, whereby all or part of the liquid phase evaporates as a result of compression such that overheating does not occur and such that less working energy must be supplied.

An energy storage apparatus includes a first circuit containing a first phase change material, second circuit containing a second phase change material, and a heat pump having a cold side heat exchanger thermally coupled to the first circuit and a hot side heat exchanger thermally coupled to the second circuit. The apparatus is operable in a charging mode, a storage mode, and a discharge mode. In the charging mode the heat pump is energized to cool the first phase change material and heat the second phase change material. In the storage mode the first phase change material is stored in a first storage vessel and the second phase change material is stored as a pressurized vapor in a second storage vessel. In the discharge mode vaporized first phase change material is expanded by a first expander, or the vaporized second phase change material is expanded by a second expander.

The application relates to an combined heating power and cooling apparatus with energy storage for an active distribution network and its operating method. The apparatus is comprised of a generation apparatus, a generator, a waste heat recovering and absorbing heat pump, a high temperature flue gas-water heat exchanger, a medium temperature flue gas-water heat exchanger, a low temperature flue gas-water heat exchanger, a energy storing electric heat pump, a high temperature energy storing canister, a low temperature energy storing canister, a cooling tower a number of circulating water pumps and a number of valves. The operating method changes the traditional operation modes of the system determining electricity based on heat and determining electricity based on cooling, causes the system to regulate power of the generated electricity on grid, participate in the regulation of grid load, solve the problem of a limited ability of generation peak regulation due to the inter-coupling of power generation, heat supply and cooling supply.

In an energy conversion method and a thermal power plant for converting heat into mechanical or electric energy using a working medium, a vapor state in the working medium is generated at a first pressure in a steam generator. The vaporized working medium is expanded to a lower second pressure in a steam expanding device. An energy obtained by the expansion process is discharged. The expansion of the steam state is carried out using a saturation line of the working medium. The working medium is thereby separated into a non-condensed portion and a condensed portion in a separating device. The non-condensed portion is then compressed into a compressed non-condensed portion in a compressor. The compressed non-condensed portion is cooled and condensed into a compressed condensed portion. The compressed condensed portion and the initially condensed portion are then heated, and both portions are returned to the steam generator together.