A system for extracting work from the expansion of a working fluid includes a vessel having at least a portion of the working fluid, a heating device in thermal communication with the portion of the working fluid in the vessel for heating the portion of the working fluid in the vessel and expanding the working fluid, and a conversion tool. The conversion tool is in fluid communication with the vessel and is configured to receive working fluid from the vessel when the working fluid expands. The conversion tool is further configured to extract work from the expanded working fluid.

Thermochemical storage materials having the general formula A.sub.xA′.sub.1-xB.sub.yB′.sub.1-yO.sub.3-δ, where A=La, Sr, K, Ca, Ba, Y and B=Mn, Fe, Co, Ti, Ni, Cu, Zr, Al, Y, Cr, V, Nb, Mo, are disclosed. These materials have improved thermal storage energy density and reaction kinetics compared to previous materials. Concentrating solar power thermochemical systems and methods capable of storing heat energy by using these thermochemical storage materials are also disclosed.

A system for extracting work from the expansion of a working fluid includes a vessel having at least a portion of the working fluid, a heating device in thermal communication with the portion of the working fluid in the vessel for heating the portion of the working fluid in the vessel and expanding the working fluid, and a conversion tool. The conversion tool is in fluid communication with the vessel and is configured to receive working fluid from the vessel when the working fluid expands. The conversion tool is further configured to extract work from the expanded working fluid.

Solar thermal power generation equipment is equipped with a wind turbine, a compressor, a heat receiver that receives sunlight to heat a compressed medium from the compressor, a turbine driven by the compressed medium heated with the heat receiver, a power generator that performs power generation by driving of the turbine, a transmission mechanism that transmits the rotation of the wind turbine to the power generator, and a tower which supports these components. The wind turbine, the compressor, the turbine, and the power generator each constitute an array apparatus. The plurality of array apparatuses are arranged in a vertical direction.

Atmospheric solar energy recovery. At least one example is a method comprising: warming a first fluid from heat in atmospheric air, the warming creates an increase in volume of the first fluid; moving a working piston by the increase in volume of the first fluid during the warming, the movement to a first position; holding the working piston in the first position to create a first fixed working volume; exchanging heat in first fluid with a second fluid while the working piston is held in the first position, thereby reducing pressure of the first fluid below atmospheric pressure; and then releasing the working piston; moving the working piston by a first differential pressure between atmospheric pressure and pressure of the first fluid; and converting movement of the working piston caused by the first differential pressure into usable work.

A system for extracting work from the expansion of a working fluid includes a vessel having at least a portion of the working fluid, a heating device in thermal communication with the portion of the working fluid in the vessel for heating the portion of the working fluid in the vessel and expanding the working fluid, and a conversion tool. The conversion tool is in fluid communication with the vessel and is configured to receive working fluid from the vessel when the working fluid expands. The conversion tool is further configured to extract work from the expanded working fluid.

Apparatus for extracting useful work or electricity from low grade thermal sources comprising a chamber, a source of heated dense heat transfer fluid in communication with the chamber, a source of motive fluid in communication with the chamber, wherein the motive fluid comprises a liquid phase, a flow control mechanism cooperating with the source of heated dense heat transfer fluid and with the source of motive fluid to deliver said fluids into the chamber in a manner that said fluids come into direct contact with each other in the chamber to effect a phase change of the motive fluid from liquid to gas to increase the pressure within the chamber to yield pressurized fluids, and a work extracting mechanism in communication with the chamber that extracts work from the pressurized fluids by way of pressure let down.

A solar aided coal-fired power generation system participating in primary frequency regulation and a control method thereof propose a system configuration with two regulation schemes by coupling medium-low-temperature solar collectors and a coal-fired generation unit. The two regulation schemes are a high-pressure feedwater bypass scheme and a low-pressure condensate bypass scheme. The present invention formulates a primary frequency regulation control logic, so as to efficiently and accurately participate in the primary frequency regulation, thereby keeping the power grid frequency rapidly stable. The present invention also formulates a working fluid outlet temperature control logic for the solar aided coal-fired thermal system, which adjusts a heat exchange working fluid flow of the solar collectors to ensure that the temperature in each section is stable during the primary frequency regulation. The present invention uses operation matching of the turbine system and the solar collectors to improve effectiveness of the primary frequency regulation. With rational utilization of different temperature zones of different heat collectors, irreversibility is reduced, and economic efficiency of various thermal system adjustment schemes is further improved. As a result, operation flexibility of the transient process of a supplementary power generation unit can be greatly improved.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising heating a strontium-containing compound using radiation in a first reactor; decomposing the strontium-containing compound into an oxide and carbon dioxide as a result of heat generated by the exposure to the radiation; reacting the oxide and the carbon dioxide in a second reactor; where the oxide and carbon dioxide react to produce heat; heating a working fluid using the heat produced in the second reactor; and driving a turbine with the heated working fluid to generate energy. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising strontium carbonate; and strontium zirconate; where the mass ratio of strontium carbonate to strontium zirconate 2:8 to 8:2.

A system and method removes thermal decomposition components from biphenyl and/or diphenyl oxide-based heat transfer fluids. Light, volatile decomposition components including benzene, water, hydrogen and phenol leave the system for vapor recovery, chemical adsorption or thermal decomposition. Dimerized and polymerized heavy components such as biphenyl phenyl ether, terphenyl and related isomers are concentrated and recovered. The system can be a continuous, semi-continuous or batch operation. Solar electric plants employing the system can use solar field fluids and heating to operate the system during generator operation hours. A wash system operating at or near atmospheric pressure concentrates heavy thermal decomposition components while allowing removal of light, volatile decomposition components for separation from the majority of the thermal fluid components. Temperature-controlled condensation of the majority of the thermal fluid components allows collection of the thermal fluid, while allowing light, volatile decomposition components to be removed prior to vent processing.