Systems and methods relating to use of external air for inventory control of a closed thermodynamic cycle system or energy storage system, such as a reversible Brayton cycle system, are disclosed. A method may involve, in a closed cycle system operating in a power generation mode, circulating a working fluid may through a closed cycle fluid path. The closed cycle fluid path may include a high pressure leg and a low pressure leg. The method may further involve in response to a demand for increased power generation, compressing and dehumidifying environmental air. And the method may involve injecting the compressed and dehumidified environmental air into the low pressure leg.

In the method for conversion with recovery of energy carriers in a cyclical process of a thermal engine, a first recirculation cycle is formed involving gas generator, device for converting kinetic and thermal energy into mechanical energy, hydrogenation reactor, and gas generator. Water is evaporated in steam boilers, and steam is fed into turbine for converting steam energy into mechanical energy. In this process, steam boilers are located in gas generator and in hydrogenation reactor. The steam is carried onward from conversion device into condenser, and a second recirculation cycle is formed. Atmospheric oxygen from an air bubble is supplied to gas generator. The air is cooled, and cooling operation is repeated, until a maximum residual water content in the air of 0.2 g/m3 is attained. Formed condensate is collected and used steam boilers. Invention makes it possible to simplify process of recovering carbon oxides formed in thermal engines.

A waste heat recovery system includes a Rankine cycle (RC) circuit having a pump, a boiler, an energy converter, and a condenser fluidly coupled via conduits in that order, to provide additional work. The additional work is fed to an input of a gearbox assembly including a capacity for oil by mechanically coupling to the energy converter to a gear assembly. An interface is positioned between the RC circuit and the gearbox assembly to partially restrict movement of oil present in the gear assembly into the RC circuit and partially restrict movement of working fluid present in the RC circuit into the gear assembly. An oil return line is fluidly connected to at least one of the conduits fluidly coupling the RC components to one another and is operable to return to the gear assembly oil that has moved across the interface from the gear assembly to the RC circuit.

A waste heat recovery system includes a Rankine cycle (RC) circuit having a pump, a boiler, an energy converter, and a condenser fluidly coupled via conduits in that order, to provide additional work. The additional work is fed to an input of a gearbox assembly including a capacity for oil by mechanically coupling to the energy converter to a gear assembly. An interface is positioned between the RC circuit and the gearbox assembly to partially restrict movement of oil present in the gear assembly into the RC circuit and partially restrict movement of working fluid present in the RC circuit into the gear assembly. An oil return line is fluidly connected to at least one of the conduits fluidly coupling the RC components to one another and is operable to return to the gear assembly oil that has moved across the interface from the gear assembly to the RC circuit.

A closed loop steam engine assembly includes a steam generator and a prime mover which is driven from steam produced by the generator. A compressor receives exhaust steam from the prime mover and compresses the steam to a liquid state which is stored in a reservoir downstream of the compressor. A feed pump delivers a portion of the compressed and heated liquid from the reservoir to the steam generator, while another portion of the liquid is delivered to an inlet of the compressor, where the liquid flashes to mist and combines with the incoming exhaust steam to help condense the exhaust steam to liquid with greater efficiency than the compressor alone. An oil/fluid separation device may segregate any oil contained in the exhaust stream and route the oil back to an oil inlet of the prime mover.

The invention relates to a method for increasing the efficiency of a turbomachine, wherein a fluid guided through the turbomachine transfers kinetic energy to the turbomachine. The object of the invention is to increase the efficiency of a turbomachine. This object is achieved in that the fluid or at least one fluid component of the fluid is compressible, and that the flow velocity of the fluid reduced in the turbomachine (1) during the transfer of kinetic energy is increased directly downstream of the turbomachine (1) by a force F.sub.B generated by means of a force field and acting in the direction of flow, by converting potential energy of the fluid into kinetic energy of the fluid to such an extent that the pressure of the fluid, which is reduced in the turbomachine (1), is thereby increased again to at least 0.1 times the pressure of the fluid upstream of the turbomachine (1). (FIG. 2)

The invention relates to a method for increasing the efficiency of a turbomachine, wherein a fluid guided through the turbomachine transfers kinetic energy to the turbomachine. The object of the invention is to increase the efficiency of a turbomachine. This object is achieved in that the fluid or at least one fluid component of the fluid is compressible, and that the flow velocity of the fluid reduced in the turbomachine (1) during the transfer of kinetic energy is increased directly downstream of the turbomachine (1) by a force F.sub.B generated by means of a force field and acting in the direction of flow, by converting potential energy of the fluid into kinetic energy of the fluid to such an extent that the pressure of the fluid, which is reduced in the turbomachine (1), is thereby increased again to at least 0.1 times the pressure of the fluid upstream of the turbomachine (1). (FIG. 2)

Systems and methods for variable pressure inventory control of a closed thermodynamic cycle power generation system or energy storage system, such as a reversible Brayton cycle system, with at least a high pressure tank and an intermediate pressure tank are disclosed. Operational parameters of the system such as working fluid pressure, turbine torque, turbine RPM, generator torque, generator RPM, and current, voltage, phase, frequency, and/or quantity of electrical power generated and/or distributed by the generator may be the basis for controlling a quantity of working fluid that circulates through a closed cycle fluid path of the system.

In a thermodynamic cycle with at least one first heat exchanger for creating a first heated or partially evaporated working medium flow by heating or partially evaporating a liquid working medium flow by heat transmission from an expanded working medium flow; a second heat exchanger for creating a second at least partially evaporated working medium flow; a separator for separating a liquid from a vaporous phase of the second flow; and an expansion device for creating an expanded vaporous phase, pressure pulsations are prevented during the start-up of the cycle in that the vaporous phase separated by the separator is conducted past the expansion device and the first heat exchanger. The liquid phase separated by the separator is cooled in the first heat exchanger by heat transfer to the liquid flow. After the first heat exchanger, the cooled, separated, liquid phase and the separated vaporous phase are brought together.

In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system to create vapor for generating electric power. The system includes a vessel comprising a fluid and a complex and a turbine. The vessel of the system is configured to concentrate EM radiation received from an EM radiation source. The vessel of the system is further configured to apply the EM radiation to the complex, where the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat. The vessel of the system is also configured to transform, using the heat generated by the complex, the fluid to vapor. The vessel of the system is further configured to sending the vapor to a turbine. The turbine of the system is configured to receive, from the vessel, the vapor used to generate the electric power.