The present invention provides a method for operating a combined heat and power (CHP) plant comprising a heating boiler, a vaporizer, an expansion machine, and a condenser, achieved according to claim 1. The method comprises steps a), when a first condition is met: supplying a working medium to the vaporizer to obtain an at least partially evaporated working medium, feeding the (total) evaporated working medium to the expansion machine, and operating the expansion machine such that the working medium is expanded, supplying the working medium expanded by the expansion machine to the condenser, and transferring heat of the expanded working medium supplied to the condenser to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object; and b) when a second condition is met which is different from the first condition: i) supplying at least a portion of the working medium to the condenser of the CHP plant without the portion of the working medium having been supplied to the expansion machine, and transferring heat of the working medium supplied to the condenser to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object, and/or supplying a medium supplied from the heating boiler to the vaporizer to a heat transfer device in which heat is transferred from this medium to a medium of a heating circuit designed to heat an object.

There is herein described energy storage systems. More particularly, there is herein described thermal energy storage systems and use of energy storable material such as phase change material in the provision of heating and/or cooling systems in, for example, domestic dwellings.

The present invention relates to a trigeneration energy supply system having improved cooling and system use efficiency. The trigeneration energy supply system according to one embodiment of the present invention can comprise: a vacuum pump; a vacuum chamber inside which a vacuum is created by the vacuum pump; a condensed water storage tank positioned higher than the vacuum chamber, and prepared so as to store condensed water formed when steam generated by evaporating water brought inside the vacuum chamber is transferred to the inside of the tank by the vacuum pump; a cooling pipeline arranged to pass through the inside of the vacuum chamber cooled during the water evaporation and prepared to deliver cool air to a cooling load; and a small hydroelectric power generation system for generating electrical power by allowing the condensed water stored in the condensed water storage tank to be poured from at least the height of the condensed water storage tank.

A cogenerating system includes a Rankine cycle, a high-temperature heat transfer medium circuit, a low-temperature heat transfer medium circuit, a bypass channel, a heat exchanger, and a flow rate adjustment mechanism. The high-temperature heat transfer medium circuit is configured such that an evaporator is supplied with a high-temperature heat transfer medium by a high-temperature heat transfer medium heat exchanger. The low-temperature heat transfer medium circuit is configured such that a condenser is supplied with a low-temperature heat transfer medium by a low-temperature heat transfer medium heat exchanger. The flow rate adjustment mechanism includes at least a flow rate limiter that limits the flow rate of the high-temperature heat transfer medium to be supplied to the evaporator, and adjusts a ratio of the flow rate of the high-temperature heat transfer medium flowing through the bypass channel to the flow rate of the high-temperature heat transfer medium flowing through the evaporator.

An installation for producing electricity and heat, comprising a gas turbine unit, a photovoltaic unit and a solar thermal unit, and being configured for switching between: a first operation mode, in which the gas turbine unit produces said electricity and said heat, a second operation mode, in which the gas turbine unit produces only part of said electricity and the photovoltaic unit produces a rest of said electricity, and in which the solar thermal unit either produces a rest of said heat or provides heat to the gas turbine unit, and a third operation mode, in which said electricity and said heat are produced by the photovoltaic unit, the solar thermal unit, and optionally one or several steam turbines of the gas turbine unit.

An air-treatment apparatus is for use with a building having a building air-duct circuit. The air-treatment apparatus includes an air-handler assembly configured to urge the flow of heat along the building air-duct circuit of the building. A vapour-expansion cycle assembly is configured to receive heat from the air-handler assembly. The vapour-expansion cycle assembly is also configured to circulate a refrigerant in response to the refrigerant receiving the heat from the air-handler assembly. This is done in such a way that the heat, in use, urges the refrigerant to circulate, and the refrigerant that circulates is used to generate alternating-current electricity.

A heating system of a building includes: a solar heater configured to receive sunlight and to at least one of absorb heat into a refrigerant and augment heat absorbed into the refrigerant; a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant that vaporized via absorption of heat; a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the refrigerant to water; an expansion valve configured to reduce at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant after the transfer of heat from the refrigerant to water; a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from water output from the first heat exchanger to air passing the second heat exchanger before flowing into the building; a pump configured to pump the water from the solar heater to the second heat exchanger; and a blower configured to blow air past the second heat exchanger and into the building.

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat. 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. Low temperature waste heat from energy production can be recovered and used to improve overall system efficiency.

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat. 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. Low temperature waste heat from energy production can be recovered and used to improve overall system efficiency.